While their may be a lot of hype surrounding HDTV (which is also known as HD and High Def; all of which are short for High Definition Television) many TV enthusiasts lose sight of the fact that most of the same features that are available on high definition television equipment like satellite receivers can also be found on standard definition television equipment. The satellite receivers that are available from Dish Network are a great example of this. These satellite receivers are provided in order to facilitate the delivery of standard definition satellite TV programming to Dish Networks' subscribers as well as provide those same people with plenty of technological features that will enhance their experience of watching TV.
There are certain features that all of Dish Network's satellite receivers share regardless of whether they are standard definition or high definition models. All of these features are embodied in the basic model which is the Dish 301. The Dish 301 will deliver a standard definition television signal to a single TV set. It's basically a low profile black box that has all of the necessary connections on the back to be fully integrated into your home entertainment system. It also comes with a remote control that provides access to all of its features as well as providing the ability to control up to three other components of your home entertainment system. The software that the Dish 301 comes with is what it really has in common with all other models and what allows this model to make the experience of watching TV more enjoyable. There are themes lists, software which allow you to set up your own favorites lists, as well as software that will let you place safeguards that prevent children from accessing inappropriate material. The feature that really brings everything together though is the Dish Interactive Electronic Program Guide- also known as the EPG. The EPG, as its name might imply, is an electronic TV listing that you can actually interact with. When you bring the EPG up on your screen, you can use it to read up on any channel that's currently playing or will be shown in the near future. The EPG gives you options that make TV much easier and more fun to watch by providing you with information so that you aren't stuck with channel surfing.
The next model up is the Dish 322. It inherits all of the capabilities of the Dish 301, but adds the ability to deliver a separate TV signal to a second TV. This capability allows two members of the household to watch two different TV sets at the same time in different rooms without interfering with each other. The unit even comes with a second remote control that operates on a frequency that can go through walls. That way the fact that the remote and the second TV are in a second room from the primary TV won't matter. (The second remote still has the ability to control extra home entertainment system components by emitting signals using a normal remote control frequency.)
The next satellite receiver in line adds digital video recording capability to the mix. The addition of a DVR makes for a fully functional home entertainment system component. This proves that you don't necessarily have to have HDTV to still enjoy TV.
