G4 & CNET Love The EchoStar HD DuoDVR SlingLoaded ViP 922

CNET Best of CES Logo

The EchoStar HD DuoDVR SlingLoaded ViP 922 won CNET’s “Best of CES” today, and two of G4’s judging panelists, Attack of the Show host Kevin Pereira and Wired’s Chris Hardwick, both picked EchoStar’s SlingLoaded 922 as their very favorite out of the entire 2009 CES. The EchoStar 922’s unique user interface and remote control were also selected as CES Innovations 2009 Design and Engineering Award honorees prior to the show.

EchoStar HD DuoDVR SlingLoaded ViP922 bezel

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ECHOSTAR’S SLINGLOADED 922 WINS CNET’S ‘BEST OF CES’ AWARD FOR HOTTEST HOME VIDEO PRODUCT AT 2009 INTERNATIONAL CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW

Las Vegas, Jan. 10, 2009

Attention editors: EchoStar Technologies L.L.C. and Sling Media, subsidiaries of EchoStar Corporation, announced today that it won a “Best of CES” award from the editors of CNET (www.CNET.com) for its EchoStar SlingLoaded™ 922 HD DVR, the world’s first high definition digital video recorder that incorporates Sling Media’s patented placeshifting technology.

CNET, in cooperation with the Consumer Electronics Association, selected the EchoStar 922 SlingLoaded set-top box out of hundreds of entries from CES. The EchoStar 922 won in the home video category, besting the other finalists Panasonic and LG.

The EchoStar 922 is an entertainment centerpiece combining the best of video and IP technologies into a capacitive-touch set-top box. By integrating Sling Media’s Slingbox technology, the EchoStar 922 lets TV aficionados 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. Accessing multiple video sources, viewers will never run out of shows to watch. The EchoStar 922 features a massive 1 terabyte hard drive for up to 1,000 hours of storage and supports external hard drives.

The EchoStar 922 is a revolutionary departure from the traditional cable or satellite set-top box. Its touchpad remote control, which eliminates half the buttons of a standard remote control, gives users cursor-like navigation on their TV screen. With a slide of the thumb, viewers experience scroll-over activation of widget-like tiles and pop-up menus, all selectable by an underside index finger trigger.

The new user interface goes beyond traditional text-based user interfaces by using movie poster graphics, tiles or widget-based menus, and cursor-type navigation for a powerful yet simplified user experience that is highly adaptable to future applications.

EchoStar will deliver the EchoStar 922 to its first operator, DISH Network, in spring 2009 as the HD DuoDVR™ SlingLoaded™ ViP® 922, furnishing satellite TV customers with a break-through TV experience.

Selected by CNET’s unbiased expert editors, winners are recognized as having the hottest products in their respective technology categories for their unmatched innovation and creativity, and their ability to excite consumers and help them explore a world gone digital. CNET editors reviewed hundreds of entries, as well as scoured the 2009 International CES show floor for products to consider for the prestigious award.

The ten categories include car tech; cell phones and smart phones; computers and hardware; digital photo and video; gaming; GPS; home audio; home video; MP3 and portable video players; and televisions. A video of the winners and finalists showcasing their technologies can be found at http://www.cnet.com/ces.

For images of the 922 and its award winning remote control and user interface, please visit: http://www.slingmedia.com/go/press-downloads.


Disclaimer: Yes, I work for Sling Media, which is owned by EchoStar. I’m proud of my company winning this award and think this is a pretty cool product. :-)

About MegaZone

MegaZone is the Editor of Gizmo Lovers and the chief contributor. He's been online since 1989 and active in several generations of 'social media' - mailing lists, USENet groups, web forums, and since 2003, blogging.    MegaZone has a presence on several social platforms: Google+ / Facebook / Twitter / LinkedIn / LiveJournal / Web.    You can also follow Gizmo Lovers on other sites: Blog / Google+ / Facebook / Twitter.
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  • Kyle Johnson

    Kudos. This is the first DVR that has made me think about leaving TiVo. That and TurboHD Bronze for $30. OTA HD and TurboHD could give me all the channels I watch for less than I pay for analog cable right now.

  • http://www.gizmolovers.com/ MegaZone

    I’m a die-hard TiVo fan, but I have to admit I think the 922 is pretty cool. As an EchoStar employee I’m apparently eligible for some kind of discount on DISH Network service. Before now I haven’t really cared, but I may sign up just to get the 922 to play with it.

  • Hank

    Wow!

    I’ve been tempted by DishNetwork’s all HD packages in the past, but this box just may seal the deal…. I’ll have to take a look at the forums to see how their DVR software holds up… If I remember correctly, they are in some kind of legal battle with Tivo over software, no?

  • http://www.gizmolovers.com/ MegaZone

    Yeah, TiVo and DISH Network / EchoStar have an ongoing legal battle. If you search on old posts here you’ll find past posts going back several years.

  • Matt

    EchoStar HD DuoDVR SlingLoaded ViP 922

    Whatever its merits as a device, the name stinks.