DISH Network's Award-Winning ViP211® and ViP211k® DVR Conversion Feature Now Available to Customers

Tuesday, November 11th, 2008
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Original HD Receiver Can Convert to DVR with External Hard Drive

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — DISH Network Corporation (Nasdaq: DISH), the third largest pay-TV provider and digital television leader, today announced its award-winning ViP211® and ViP211k® DVR Conversion feature will be available at the end of the month. The DVR Conversion feature offers customers the ability to convert their single tuner ViP211® and ViP211k® into DVRs by attaching an external hard drive.

The DVR Conversion feature is an ideal option for current ViP211® or ViP211k® customers who want to experience all the benefits of DISH Network’s feature-rich DVRs with the simple addition of an off-the-shelf external hard drive.

“As a leader in high definition, DISH Network continues to expand its HD solutions for our customers, including finding innovative ways to take our existing technology to the next level,” said Jessica Insalaco, Chief Marketing Officer for DISH Network. “Now customers ready to add in the benefits of DVR recording to their HD receiver can do so with ease, simply by plugging in an off-the-shelf external hard drive.”

ViP211® or ViP211k® customers must call DISH Network to activate the DVR feature. Once activated, customers need to connect an off-the-shelf external hard drive between 50 GB and 750 GB. Customers can then access DVR menus similar to other award-winning DVR features, including name-based recording and search-based timer capabilities. Other features include a nine-day electronic programming guide, DVR functionality on both the satellite tuner and built-in OTA tuner, record and review conflict management, VOD capability, and the ability to play back a stored program while recording or watching another.

The DVR Conversion feature – engineered by DISH Network’s technology provider, EchoStar Technologies LLC, an award-winning digital media leader in set-top box design and deployment – was honored with an International CES Innovations Design and Engineering Award earlier this year at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.