DISH Network's DTVPal DVR now shipping, caught in the wild

We actually pondered aloud where all the standalone OTA DVRs were in this wild world earlier this year, and at long (long!) last, we finally have a new entrant into the all-but-dead niche. DISH Network's DTVPal DVR, which was known in a former life as the EchoStar TR-50, has finally started to ship out to anxious buyers. For those who've forgotten, this box acts as a digital-to-analog converter and an HD DVR, capturing up to 30 hours of HD OTA material or 150 hours of SD content. Check the read link for a slew of in the wild / interface shots.

[Thanks, TOTA]

[AJ D. @ Dec 25th 2008 2:19AM]

HD DVD, hahaha

[nismo334 @ Dec 25th 2008 2:38AM]

HD-DVD FTW!!!

[w0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 @ Dec 25th 2008 2:33AM]

engadget, really take a break for christmas:)
we wont care.

[Paulmichael @ Dec 25th 2008 3:42AM]

01011001 01101111 01110101 01110010 00100000 01110101 01110011 01100101 01110010 01101110 01100001 01101101 01100101 00100000 01101000 01110101 01110010 01110100 01110011 00100000 01101101 01111001 00100000 01101000 01100101 01100001 01100100 00101110

[andres @ Dec 25th 2008 5:46AM]

01001111010011100100010100100111010100110010000001000001010011100100010000100000010110100100010101010010010011110010011101010011

[Frostblade10 @ Dec 25th 2008 6:33AM]

@Paul

Then take some ibuprophen or something. Take a break from Engadget!!!!

@Andres

wons and zirohs huh?

[SonicEarth @ Dec 25th 2008 7:38PM]

1001001

[ProjecT TimeZ @ Dec 25th 2008 2:38AM]

Mr. Blurry AND Flash Cam Strikes Again!


...Christmas edition.

[w0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 @ Dec 25th 2008 2:41AM]

its hohohorrible.

[AJ in the East Bay @ Dec 25th 2008 2:43AM]

That looks like the legacy equipment entertainment center.

[AJ in the East Bay @ Dec 25th 2008 2:44AM]

No season pass? Pass!!

[Jon A. @ Dec 25th 2008 6:08AM]

Season pass? Why would you need season pass for, at best, 5 channels? If you can't remember to record a few shows every week for five channels, you may need to stop skipping pills, Grandpa. :D

[gex @ Dec 25th 2008 8:49AM]

Just do it manually. Also Jon A. is a moron because here in chicago we have over 25 OTA HD channels which is more than the amount that I usually watch on dish which is like 6 the rest suck.

[DannyRig @ Jan 3rd 2009 9:39AM]

I live in Chicago too and get more like 30 digital OTA channels, and I don't get about 10 of them with Comcast. Most of what I do record is on OTA channels WTTW Digital, ABC, NBC, and Fox. I am considering the DTVPal DVR as an excellent HD recording source verses recording a show on my SD DVD recorder and then playing it back in my upconvert DVD player.

[BJ is Gooder @ Dec 25th 2008 3:03AM]

Merry Christmas Engadget and Engadgeteers!!!

[AJ in the East Bay @ Dec 25th 2008 4:06AM]

Ho, Ho, Ho! Right back at ya!!

[ehru @ Dec 25th 2008 3:09AM]

woot merry Christmas

[Valicore @ Dec 25th 2008 7:36AM]

I love that for the demo they had the info for Rachel Ray's show up. "Also up, Patti LaBelle prepares sloppy joes," that's too awesome.

For this, meh, I think that it will be useful but to a niche market blah blah blah.

Why is it so damn ugly? Dish hasn't changed the styling of their boxes for 15 years.

[James Dumoulin @ Dec 25th 2008 11:23AM]

Honestly the first thing I noticed was the HD-DVD...lol!

[Game_playa @ Dec 25th 2008 12:30PM]

Happy EID!!!

[miller.michaeld @ Dec 26th 2008 12:48AM]

I love how DISH is creating accounts for everyone who has a DTVPal.... insane.

[lulolulito @ Dec 26th 2008 1:18AM]

El yay!!

[Erwin Burgos @ Dec 26th 2008 1:19AM]

el yay!