| Author | Post |
|---|---|
| Drew Black broken crankshaft  8009 Posts 9/99 |  Posted - Sep 14 2007 : 1:48PMWe're thinking about switching from DirecTV to Dish Network because they're doing a great promo on HD DVRs with the HD channels. Do you have Dish Network? Do you like it? Have you ever had to call their customer service and if so how did it go?  [Link] |
| XYZ1406 Member 290 Posts 1/05 | Posted - Sep 14 2007 : 2:26PM had the dvr for 2 mos & then the hd crashed. could still watch dish, but the schedule & recording was out. called & since we have the insurance (think it's $5/mo) they shipped out a new one UPS 2-day with a pre-paid return label. one rep said in the future (not the current problem) should keep the hd about 50% free space avail. Just like suggested on a computer hd. All has been fine since then.  [Link] |
| greenhouse Deactivated User 138 Posts 1/07 | Posted - Sep 19 2007 : 9:27AM Edited by - greenhouse on 9/19/2007 9:34:41 AM [Link] |
| Harry Joystick Member 740 Posts 8/02 | Posted - Sep 19 2007 : 5:44PM Edited by - Harry Joystick on 9/19/2007 5:49:43 PM [Link] |
Bill  All-Star Member 5334 Posts 6/00 | Posted - Sep 19 2007 : 8:31PM If you've been a DirecTV customer for a while, give them a call and ask them about the new HD DVR's and the new dishes. They will tell you that it will cost $299 for the DVR. Tell them that Dish has a good deal on HD DVR's and ask to speak with Customer Retention. Depending on how long you've been a DirecTV customer and the last time that they've given you something, they will probably give you a good deal. The regular CS rep told me that it would cost $299 to upgrade my existing HD DVR to the new one that will receive channels from the new satellites and $99 to upgrade my regular HD receiver with free installation of the new dish required for these satellites. The Customer Retention person ended up giving me everything for free. However, I may not be able to take advantage of this because of trees. [Link] |
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| Drew Black broken crankshaft 8009 Posts 9/99 | Posted - Sep 19 2007 : 9:47PM [Link] |
| Bob All-Star Member 5516 Posts 3/03 | Posted - Sep 19 2007 : 10:14PM Great story! I, for one, need more people like that in my life. [Link] |
| Bill All-Star Member 5334 Posts 6/00 | Posted - Sep 19 2007 : 11:06PM My guess is that this installation might cost me more than it would have to pay for the DVR and set-top box. [Link] |
| Drew Black broken crankshaft 8009 Posts 9/99 | Posted - Sep 19 2007 : 11:51PM [Link] |
| Bob All-Star Member 5516 Posts 3/03 | Posted - Sep 20 2007 : 3:26AM [Link] |
| Bill All-Star Member 5334 Posts 6/00 | Posted - Sep 20 2007 : 8:35PM The newer model, known as [ invalid url ], if you can see 110 and 119 from a single location and this three dish methodology if you can't see 110 & 119 from a single location. The 119 satellite is the one that I'm having a problem with. So I have to go with the 3 dish methodology. I should be able to use my two existing dishes for 110 & 119. I'll be buying a sidecar dish tomorrow on e-bay (If I lose a auction for a used one tomorrow afternoon, I can get a new one from someone else in Canada). I already have the Sat C combiner and I ordered the other two combiners and the power inserter today. The DirecTV installer should have the multiswitch because I need that even if he could do a standard install. Hopefully, I can talk the installer to do this installation for me. DirecTV only pays them for a standard install. However, since I already have the two extra dishes, all they have to do is install the new dish and run 4 cables to my basement, which is really what the standard install is. The rest of the stuff can be installed in my basement. The only extra work would be to create 6 additional short cables (the two from the combiners to the power inserter and the four from the power inserter to the multi-switch. I already have the cables that will come from the 110 & 119 dishes as well as the one that will go from the Sat C combiner to the other combiner. The work won't be hard. Convincing the installer that I know what I'm talking about and this will work, will be the hard part. [Link] |
| Bill All-Star Member 5334 Posts 6/00 | Posted - Sep 20 2007 : 8:37PM How did the call to DirecTV go? [Link] |
| Bill All-Star Member 5334 Posts 6/00 | Posted - Sep 22 2007 : 10:50PM Today, I called DirecTV, because I wanted to see if it was possible to get a 30 day waiver on the two-year commitment that occurs when you get new equipment from DirecTV. After getting nowhere with the standard Customer Service rep (again), I used the magic words and requested that I be transfered to Customer Retention. I explained, to the Customer Retention person, that the installation that I need is advanced and that, with the issues that I've had with their installers, I'm not 100% positive that I have a single view of the 99, 101 & 103 satellite positions (I'm about 95% positive). However, I want one of the new receivers when the dish gets installed, so that the installer can be sure that the dish is aimed properly. They have meters that give a signal strength. But that's not as accurate as the actual receiver itself. A DirecTV receiver can be hooked up and show satellite signal strength before it is activated with DirecTV. She said that, they can't waive the 2 year commitment, once the equipment is activated. The problem is that DirecTV has been sending equipment to this installers, who then bring it to your house. They won't just drop the equipment off without activating it. She ended up telling me that she could override the system and send me a standard HD receiver directly to my house, but she can't do that with a DVR. This worked for me. I then told her about the note on my account about being able to get a second HD DVR for $199 after the installation is complete and asked if, given the amount of money that I'm spending on getting this dish installed myself, if she could give me a better deal. She replied, "I was just going to suggest the same thing." She ended up making a note in my account that when I call back after the installation, not only will I get the HD DVR for free, but I will get the second one for $19, which is the cost of shipping. In the long run, buying the dish, hardware and paying for installation will cost me about $400-500. Then DirecTV is essentially giving me $200 of that back, with the additional free HD DVR. Is it clear to everyone how much I hate the local cable company and don't want to be stuck going back to them? [Link] |
| Drew Black broken crankshaft 8009 Posts 9/99 | Posted - Sep 23 2007 : 8:17AM [Link] |
| Bill All-Star Member 5334 Posts 6/00 | Posted - Sep 23 2007 : 10:52AM What I object to is paying extra for the HD version of a package that you are already paying for. I dropped the NFL Sunday Ticket package a few years ago when they bundled HD into their "Superfan" upgrade. This upgrade bundles interactive features and High Definition. When it first came out, there were no HD receivers that had any interactive capabilities. So, they were charging an extra $100 for either HD or interactive features, because you couldn't have both. My answer "if you're going to charge extra for HD, then I'm only going to pay extra for packages that include HD". So, not only did I cancel Sunday Ticket (which I really don't miss at all), I also canceled Cinemax and Playboy. Going by those rules, it looks like, I will soon be adding Cinemax & Starz to my DirecTV lineup. [Link] |
| illmatic Member 194 Posts 9/06 | Posted - Sep 23 2007 : 2:49PM [Link] |
| astroknight Questionable Moderator Tastes so good... 4187 Posts 11/99 | Posted - Sep 23 2007 : 9:55PM As for the HD question, I looked into it a bit with the consideration of upgrading the TV to HD earlier this year. I think they only offered a couple dozen HD channels (which means there were only 3 we were interested in since we don't do the premiums) and they wanted something like an extra $30 a month. I can't remember the exact figure, but it just seemed nuts for how few channels they offered. "I do not as a rule seek advice about food from thin people..." - Jeffrey Steingarten [Link] |
| Bill All-Star Member 5334 Posts 6/00 | Posted - Oct 9 2007 : 9:02PM In his reply to my inquiry, he blamed it on 'the warehouse'. I'm really hoping that he actually has a warehouse with goods in it, rather than relying on drop-shippers who actually have the goods. Because, if he's going the drop-shipper methodology, I'm SOL on this discontinued dish (at least from this guy). Looks like it may be time to hit ebay again. [Link] |
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