RCA DWD490RE DIRECTV/UltimateTV Receiver (*See Restrictions)

by RCA

Product Details

Product Manual [19.68mb PDF]

• Shipping Weight: 17 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B00005ABEN
• Item model number: DWD490RE
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #179,557 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

This is absolutely the best DIRECTV satellite receiver we have ever reviewed. Although it has minor flaws, overall the RCA DWD490RE deserves to be at the top of your shopping list if you are looking to upgrade or buy your first system.

Using this satellite receiver, you can record two shows simultaneously or watch one while recording another. Since it has a built-in 35-hour digital video recorder (DVR), recording is effortless because all the controls are nicely integrated. Designers get our cheers for the clean onscreen layout and intuitive operation using the supplied remote or optional wireless keyboard. The newly designed onscreen guide offers up to 14 days of programming; less expensive DIRECTV receivers go only as far out as 3 days. You simply highlight a show, go through two confirming steps and you're set to record.

Like the TiVo system, UltimateTV lets you control live TV. Since the hard drive is always recording, you can stop a show simply by hitting Pause on the remote or keyboard. You can do whatever errands called you away, then continue viewing (the pause is guaranteed for 30 minutes). During playback, you can fast-forward (up to 300x) through the commercials--a true gift from the gods. Slow motion and reverse are also available. We found the fast-forward and slow-motion quality to be superb, in contrast with those features on even the best VCRs. And the recording features of the DWD490RE proved to be quite handy, though we do have one caveat; while you can record a current show or one scheduled for later, previously broadcast shows cannot be retrieved.

Since the receiver has two tuners, you can also watch two shows at once. One show is full screen while the second is in a smaller picture-in-picture (PIP) window. Unfortunately, you cannot move this window from its lower right position, something high-quality TVs with two-tuner PIP have offered for years.

The DWD490RE also offers the WebTV service, so you can surf the Net and watch a DIRECTV show in the smaller PIP window. WebTV has e-mail and chat (no instant messaging yet) and parental blocks for screening objectionable sites. The built-in dial-up modem is 56K, making it a bit slow for someone used to broadband (cable modem) connections.

Although the receiver works using a single RG-6 coaxial cable from the dish, you must run two cables from a dish with a "dual feedhorn" in order to watch two shows simultaneously. Feedhorns are devices on the front of dishes that capture satellite signals. We had to swap out our older 18-inch dish for a newer oval dish. The two cables were then connected to the back of the unit.

The receiver is a hefty 16.2 pounds and much larger (17 by 3 by 11 inches, WHD) than current DIRECTV receivers. Unlike other DIRECTV receivers, it has two smart card slots on the front panel; one is supplied and is your DIRECTV/UltimateTV security card. The second slot is for future uses such as gift cards, but we've yet to be given information as to when they might arrive.

Like all satellite receivers, connections are straightforward. We're veterans at this, but we checked the well-designed and illustrated setup and user guides just to be sure. It has a Dolby Digital output for hookup to a Dolby Digital audio-vide receiver to enjoy the cinema soundtracks found on some pay-per-view and premium movies. The DWD490RE has a parallel printer port on the back but it's not enabled. There are two USB ports but they function only with keyboards, not other devices. Software downloads will eventually be delivered to enhance these "ports to nowhere"; no timetables were given.

Once the DIRECTV and UltimateTV services were turned on via a toll-free call, it was time to enjoy all the DWD490RE had to offer, which is plenty. In our view, as a video device for a home entertainment system, the RCA DWD490RE DIRECTV Receiver with UltimateTV Service is without equal. As an Internet access device, with a poky 56K modem, it leaves something to be desired. --David Elrich

Pros:

• A combo DIRECTV receiver/digital video recorder with Web access
• Two built-in DIRECTV tuners
• Excellent onscreen program guide (up to 14 days)
• Effortless recording up to 35 hours

Cons:

• Web service is slow (56 Kbps maximum)
• Picture-in-picture window cannot be moved
• Printer port not enabled
• USB ports work only with keyboards

From the Manufacturer

RCA's UltimateTV receiver equips you to enjoy not only DIRECTV programming, but UltimateTV service from Microsoft as well as digital video recording, live TV controls, interactive TV, and Internet access--all in one tidy package. UltimateTV is available exclusively on the DIRECTV Receiver with UltimateTV service, and another powerful feature of it is its dual satellite tuners, which let you record two live shows simultaneously or watch one live show while recording another.

One finger is all you need to digitally record and store up to 35 hours of TV programs. And there's no more videotape. Use the DIRECTV Advanced Program Guide to find out what's on and when, up to 14 days in advance. Search for your favorite actor or type of movie, and it instantly finds the programs you love.

The phone's ringing, or nature calls--no problem. Just pause the action with UltimateTV and you can pick up right where you left off. Want to relive a TV scene? Simply hit the Instant Replay button whenever you want. And now that you control the throttle, you can slow things down to slow motion or rewind or fast-forward through your recorded programs at up to 300 times the original speed.

Now you can use your TV in new and fun ways, too--like sending e-mail from the comfort of your couch, or actually participating with your favorite shows. With easy access to the Internet, you can surf the Net in your living room, shop online, check e-mail, or hit a chat room, all right from your TV. And, with over 700 hours of interactive TV programming a week, you can play along with a game show, check stats while the game's on, or get more info on the latest newsflash.

To take full advantage of DIRECTV programming, digital video recording, live TV controls, interactive programming, and Internet access you will need:

• A DIRECTV Receiver with UltimateTV capability (included)
• A dual-output-LNB DIRECTV satellite antenna (not included with this model; click here for a full System)
• UltimateTV service subscription
• DIRECTV programming subscription
• Remote control (included)
• Wireless keyboard (optional)
• Any model of set
• Phone line (not cellular)

An UltimateTV service subscription requires a monthly subscription to the UltimateTV service and is subject to your acceptance of the terms of service upon registration. UltimateTV services are available as a local call in most areas. In some areas long-distance telephone toll charges may apply; please see our accompanying FAQ and/or call 1-800-GOWEBTV (1-800-469-3288) for more information.

If you're already a DIRECTV customer, in order to enjoy the UltimateTV service you will need this new DIRECTV Receiver as well as the UltimateTV service. Additionally, you will also need a dual-output-LNB DIRECTV satellite antenna to get full UltimateTV functionality; click here for a full System). You can use your existing DIRECTV Receiver for another room, but you will need to purchase an accessory called a multiswitch to provide feeds to all boxes.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Slow and clumsy interface, but decent DVR features, June 9, 2001

By 

Leon Guzenda "RioVistaCA" (Rio Vista, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: RCA DWD490RE DIRECTV/UltimateTV Receiver (*See Restrictions) (Electronics)

The UltimateTV user interface is quite pretty and it's simple to understand but it's also extraordinarily slow. Anyone accustomed to the standard DirecTV interface, or just about any other interactive menu system I can recall, will find it extremely frustrating after a while. It requires many selections to perform simple tasks. It often takes several seconds to respond to basic commands. Trying to view the next few hours of programming on a particular channel can be an object lesson in patience.

Don't buy this box for the WebTV capability. The browser is too clumsy and slow to do anything useful. You can forget the idea of playing streaming audio and video on your home theater equipment as it doesn't support most of the popular browser plugins you'll need and the modem is too slow.

The digital video recording features are great, in theory, but I've seen a few quirks. I've been unable to record more than about eight hours of programming before it starts erasing the earlier programs to record new ones. If anyone has recorded 35 hours worth of material I'd like to know how. It also gets completely thrown if a program that is to be recorded each time it appears has its start time shifted by the broadcaster. It simply gives up on that program forever. It may even skip other programs too, but I'm still trying to figure out exactly what's going on. Having said that, when it works it's superb. The fast scan and skip features become a way of life. You'll know what I mean when you try to fast forward a live broadcast to skip the ads! We've practically stopped watching live TV.

The technical support is almost non-existent. I've tried to reach both RCA and UltimateTV to find out how to use the video/audio input jacks on the front panel (there's nothing about them in the manuals, help screens or online) with absolutely no luck to date. Email requests remain unanswered after several weeks and multiple attempts.

So, in summary, it works OK but it has some strange quirks, a few incomplete features, a slow user interface and poor technical support. I'm hoping that they will eventually download fixes for most of the technical problems because it's an extremely useful product.

62 of 73 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Slow user interface is it's biggest problem..., November 26, 2001

By 

Donald C Mehrtens (Alexandria, Virginia United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: RCA DWD490RE DIRECTV/UltimateTV Receiver (*See Restrictions) (Electronics)

UltimateTVs single biggest problem is a slow and clumsy interface. Tasks that should require one well-designed screen use 2 or 3 clumsier ones. Response on some button presses and moving from one screen to another can take several seconds making many simple tasks painfully slow. I've come to hate deleting shows after watching them because it take so long, about 15 seconds to Tivos 5 thanks to UltimateTVs slow response and excessive screens (the last one simply has one button and text that tells you to press it). OTOH other screens are cluttered with buttons, text fields and checkboxes often arranged in a pretty-looking but functionally haphazard order that makes it unclear which combinations of up/down/left/right arrows will take you from point A to point B. Search screens contain text boxes at the bottom that you have to schlep through other widgets to select, then schlep back through to reach the "done" or equivalent button. By comparison Tivo screens are quick, clean, intuitively laid out, and the "done" action on a screen can be preformed with one or two button presses no matter where on the screen you happen to be.

The user interface is UltimateTVs primary failing, and a sufficient reason to avoid it even if it did everything Tivo did. It doesn't though. It only allows category searches or text searches of the title or description (which can find actors but only the handful listed in the description) - no ability to save searches beyond recalling one of the last 6-8 you did, and no ability to automatically record shows that match searches. Tivo can search for actors that aren't listed in show descriptions, directors, finer-grained categories, can filter text/actor/director searches by show category, save as many searches as you want, optionally automatically record shows that match whichever searches you want, and list shows matching all saved searches with one command.

UltimateTV does a serviceable job letting you manage upcoming recordings, but it's not as good as Tivo. Both list upcoming recordings, and shows that won't be recorded because of a conflict. But for repeating recordings UltimateTVs list is incomplete, only listing the next episode of each series. Tivos to-do list shows all the episodes in it's guide it will record and it's recording history lists shows what won't be recorded for any reason (someone cancelled it, you changed it's priority, etc). Tivo also keeps a 2-week history of past shows that weren't recorded or were deleted and why. UltimateTV only shows upcoming recordings cancelled due to conflicts, and doesn't keep any history of deletions or cancelled past recordings.

Tivo will let you cancel an upcoming episode of a series or force a conflict-losing episode to be recorded without changing the priority of the whole series. UltimateTVs "resolve this conflict" can only rearrange the priority of a whole series, not individual showings of a series.

In fact UltimateTV gives you little control over priorities at all. Though "resolve this conflict" seems to change the priorities among the three shows involved in the conflict, there is nowhere to see what a shows priority is in relation to all other shows, nor is there any way to specifically change a shows priority. Tivo allows you to see the priorities of all season passes and automatically recorded searches, and give every show the specific priority you want it to have. Combined with Tivos ability to recognize and not repeatedly record most duplicate shows (something UltimateTV doesn't do) this is a big advantage with shows that are on several times a week. Giving them lower priorities lets Tivo automatically schedule them around other shows they might conflict with.

UltimateTVs only unique bragging right, WebTV, isn't worth bragging about. Connecting to the web is slow, the TVs low resolution can't display as much information as even a basic 15 inch monitor, and navigating web pages with only a short-range infrared keyboard and no mouse is a painful experience. UltimateTV ads mention "hundreds of hours" of interactive shows (though you only get 3 hours/month of internat access to play with unless you pay for more) but I've found only a few shows I watch offer any interactive features and of those none have content worth looking at at all, and certainly not worth suffering through UltimateTVs cumbersome navigation and low resolution web display. Microsoft has been trying to push internet-on-TV for years with WebTV, and it hasn't caught on. There's a reason for that.

UltimateTVs other one-time advantage over Tivo, dual tuners, is gone. Tivos latest software update activates the second tuner so it too can record two shows at once. UltimateTV offers built in PIP, something Tivo doesn't, but that advantage is questionable. Tivo can switch between tuners with one button (UTV requires 2-4), and there's not much need to watch two things at once when you can record them both then watch them sequentially, or pause one show then switch to the other and give it your full attention (and pause, rewind, fastforward, etc as much as you like) without having it obscured by, and trying to keep your eye on, a PIP window. PIP may be invaluable for watching two live shows with regular TV, but on a dual-tuner PVR it's little more than a techno-novelty. I much prefer being able to pause and quickly switch between two shows, full-screen, something Tivo does much better.

UltimateTV has a few less significant advantages over Tivo that IMO aren't worth mentioning here as I don't feel they outweigh the downsides (and Tivo has additional advantages over UltimateTV that I haven't mentioned either). There's more detailed information elsewhere on the web. Avsforum.com and pvrcompare.com might be good starting points.

UltimateTV is a decent first attempt at a PVR, but shows the flaws you'd expect in a product from a company that's only been at this for less than a year (and often has trouble realizing that not every electronic appliance is well suited to the goals they have and the design approaches they'd prefer to take). Tivo has been doing it since 1999 and is one of the founders of the PVR market. The difference in experience shows.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good but has drawbacks for the sports fan, June 1, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: RCA DWD490RE DIRECTV/UltimateTV Receiver (*See Restrictions) (Electronics)

I think Tivo and Ultimatetv are both good products. However, Ultimatetv needs to improve in a few areas for the sports watcher.

First, there is always a TV picture on the screen - even when using the online-guide. At first, I thought this was a good feature. However, the drawback is that Ultimatetv will feed a live tv picture through this box when you first turn the unit on. So, if you had been recording two live sports events and turn the TV on to start watching one from the beginning, you might first be forced to watch one of the games in progress before starting the playback. Since so many sports now display a scoreboard all of the time, you'll know what has already happened before you start watching. With Tivo, I just press the Tivo central button; no tv picture is on the screen until I pick what I want to watch.

Second, Ultimatetv only allows you to extend the program by two hours. For a few 9 inning baseball games, this will not allow enough time; and with extra innings and rain delays, you are sure to miss some action. Tivo allows for three hours of extended time - this is better but could be longer still.

Third, both Tivo and Ultimatev need to get Directv to make their season ticket sports packages available in the program guide. Under the current set-up, I can't record a baseball game that starts tomorrow since Directv isn't releasing the guide in time. The fact that Ultimatetv has a huge ad in the Directv sports magazine is misleading advertising IMHO since you can only record sports events that are not part of the Diectv season passes, a pretty small percentage of the major professional sports available on Directv.