Customer Reviews

Dish Network VIP 211k HD Satellite Receiver

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I bought this thinking it would save the $7 per month rental fee on DISH Network. Unfortunately, you still end up paying a $7 per month access fee. Why buy when you can get it for free from DISH? Crazy. I am planning to send it back and get one for free from DISH Network. Product does what it claims.

I bought the VIP 211k receiver and find that Dish Network charges the same $7 monthly fee whether you own or rent the receiver from them. So, in fact, it costs way more to own a receiver. Seems strange since I had hoped to save the monthly fee by owning. The receiver is fine - easy to setup (you need to call Dish Network to activate). Picture and sound are good.

I didn't buy this unit from Amazon, I tried but it couldn't be shipped to me in Hawaii. The unit is a very simple, single tuner. HD output is excellent. My biggest surprise was when I hooked it up to my Sony HDTV using the HDMI connection and heard the sound quality. Comparing the sound to my old SD Dish Network 311 reciever would be like comparing a mono earbud to a 7.1 system, the difference was amazing.

It is possible to add an external hard drive to this unit and turn it into a single tuner DVR. I haven't done this yet but it's nice to know the option is available.

This ViP 211k is very nice. It has some improvemnts to basic features such as the remote sensor on it is very wide and it lights up saying HDTV but that's not all the main improvment is how it locks in on HDTV signals quickly without hesitation unlike the old ViP 211. Not to mention that it's more compact and might have more memory in it. Basically it's a very nice reciever from Dish Network. "The Leader in Satellite and HDTV" :)

I was hesistant to order this product on line. However, it arrived in good condition, installation and activation was simple. For the price, a great buy.

We recently replaced the satellite antenna on our RV with a Winegard Minimax. This worked OK with our old Dish 311 receiver, but the 311 does not have HD capability. In the process I talked to a Winegard rep and learned that the VIP211k and 311 are the only Dish receivers that will work as the primary receiver with the Minimax antenna, apparently due to an antenna control signal from the receiver.
I was concerned about physical space for the receiver and was pleased to find that VIP211k is smaller than the 311, so it fit very well in the small compartment I had available. Power is low enough that I am able to run the receiver and TV on a 300W inverter. Installation was pretty straight forward following the Winegard instructions, then call Dish to turn on the 211k and turn off the 311.

I normally do not purchase Dish Receivers but this one is not a DVR unit, no moving parts to break such as a Hard Drive so I made the exception because the price is right. The unit is well built and the black finish fits in with my AV gear very well. I recommend this unit for those who would like to supply indvidual vewing to an alternate room.

The receiver was just as promised, new in the box and much cheaper than buying from dishnetwork. I would
purchase from this website again and again.

I seen where some people feel this wasn't what they needed but I wanted to let others know that if your in a situation like mine you may be better off making this purchase. I have the package Dish Latino Dos and the receiver that come with it has no hd hookup so therefore I have to pay a fee of $65.00 to basically rent this new receiver from Dish Network plus either pay the $7.00 per month or the flat $99.00 fee or go online and fill out some info to get it every month for free which I won't do because you also have to agree to another 2yr. contract to get it for free and if you move they can cancel this deal instead of transferring the hd to your new home. Anyways, it just depends on whatever receiver you currently have. If you have one that you can just hookup the hd then don't purchase but if not then you may want to consider it especially if you look at the fact of you may terminate the Dish Network and then later decide you want it again so you already have the receiver you need. It just depends on your situation.

Dish Network VIP 211k HD Satellite Receiver Had used my original Dish Network receiver for 10+ years without any problems, but after watching the local HD over-the-air channels, decided to see what an HD model satellite receiver would cost. Price through Amazon was about $35 cheaper than what I could get locally and the receiver arrived as scheduled in about a week. Had the Dish Network technician come out the next day to do the setup and installation (he had to replace and relocate the dish to receive the HD channels). Have had no problems with reception, and receiver works as advertised.

On a related subject, I would like to put in a good word about Dish Network. While I've always been pleased with the technical aspects of the service, it was always a pain to interact with their customer service. However, the dealings I've had with them recently were much better.