When you sign up for a subscription to any of Dish Network's entertainment package, you get a satellite receiver included at no extra charge. Dish Network's high definition television (HDTV) entertainment packages are no exception. High Definition Television, which is often called HDTV by home theater enthusiasts because it sounds cooler, is widely anticipated to be the television format of the future as more television shows are produced in high def format and television sets only capable of displaying the older standard definition format gradually fall out of favor with consumers.
Despite all of the promise that High Definition Television has for the future, there still aren't that many channels that feature high definition programming. That said, Dish Network currently offers more channels in High Definition than any of its competitors, which makes it a great option for anyone who wants to take full advantage of high definition technology right now.
Because high definition television is a much more data intensive format than any that came before it, the satellite receivers that Dish Network provides along with its high definition television entertainment packages have to be that much more versatile. Because high definition television sets can still display standard definition programming, and high definition television set owners still enjoy programming that hasn't made the switch to high def yet, Dish Network's high definition satellite receivers still have to be able to deal with programming in standard definition television and the intermediary enhanced definition format, as well as high definition television. That means that the high definition television satellite receivers actually have to deal with four separate television resolutions. A resolution of 480i is designated as standard definition television (SDTV) and 480p is enhanced definition television (EDTV). High Definition Television can take the form of either 720p or 1080i.
In addition to different resolutions, different types of television are also transmitted using different data compression formats. Because television programming is so data intensive and Dish Network transmits so many channels all at once, those channels have to undergo data compression so that the transmission hardware can handle all of that data. Dish Network's standard definition programming is transmitted in MPEG-2 data compression format, but since high definition television is so much more data intensive, it's compressed into the newer MPEG-4 format. As a result, Dish Network's high definition satellite receivers have to be able to decompress programming from MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 formats.
Dish Network currently offers two high definition satellite receiver models that both handle all of the requirements mentioned above with ease. The ViP211 is the entry level model which can deliver a single television signal to a single TV set. It has all of the features that you would expect from any Dish Network satellite receiver including the Electronic Program Guide, on screen Caller ID capability, and more. It also comes with the ability to receive over the air High Definition broadcasts.
The ViP622 DVR is the most advanced satellite receiver offered by Dish Network. It has the features of the ViP211, but can also send two separate television signals to two separate TV sets (with the HDTV programming sent to the second set down-converted to SDTV), and record programming so it can be watched at your convenience. The ViP622 DVR can record up to 200 hours of SDTV or 30 hours of HDTV.
Both Dish Network High Def satellite receivers will provide all of the features you need to enjoy the television format of the future.
