CES 2009: Dish Introduces ‘Sling-Loaded’ HD DVR  

First Product-Type To Incorporate Place-Shifting Technology

By Linda Moss -- Multichannel News, 1/8/2009 9:12:00 AM

Las Vegas – Dish Network Thursday launched world’s first SlingLoaded HD DuoDVR, the award-winning ViP922, at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show. 

The ViP 922 is the first HD DVR that incorporates place-shifting technology.

(Click here for MCN's complete CES coverage.)

The ViP922 was built by EchoStar Technologies, a unit of EchoStar Corporation, and developed for DISH Network as an entertainment centerpiece that – combined with the only 1080p Video on Demand and 100 percent, all-HD suite of programming packages available today – is meant to change the way consumers watch and enjoy their favorite programming.

Dish Network will offer the ViP 922 to customers this spring.

“Dish Network is pleased to add another award-winning product to our suite of MPEG-4 HD DVR ViP receivers: a groundbreaking set top box that offers consumers the true experience of TV everywhere,” Dish Network CEO Charlie Ergen said in a statement. “By integrating Sling Media’s Slingbox technology into our industry-leading HD DVR, Dish Network is providing even more ways for our subscribers to view their TV programming – through their television sets, their desktops at home, their laptops on the road, and their smartphones including Blackberrys, iPhones and more.”

The ViP922 allows TV enthusiasts to watch and control their favorite TV shows and sporting events from anywhere in the world via a broadband Internet connection on their laptop or mobile phone. With five video sources, including satellite, broadband and optional over-the-air tuners, viewers will never run out of shows to watch. The ViP922 also features a multi-tuner DVR with up to 1,000 hours of recording time and supports connecting external hard drives for even more storage capacity.

An innovative touchpad remote control accompanies the ViP922, which eliminates half the buttons of a standard remote control and provides cursor-like navigation on a TV screen. With a slide of the thumb, viewers experience scroll-over activation of the new user interface: on-screen widget-like tiles and pop-up menus. All features are selectable by an underside index finger trigger selection on the radio frequency-controlled remote, which offers two-way learning of codes from other AV equipment remote controls.

The ViP922 can also be controlled using SlingGuide, a new way for consumers to control their TV viewing experience over the Internet. SlingGuide features a powerful search engine for the TV along with the ability to schedule the ViP922 DVR timers remotely.

EchoStar’s new user interface and remote control for the ViP922 were selected as CES Innovations 2009 Design and Engineering Award honorees.