Deciding between D and E

[bobemac]

As a long time customer of D, since 1995, I'm very concerned with the
HR 21 issues, and the lack of OTA capability.
I've been using a Sony HD receiver, and a Tivo 10-250 HD receiver,
along with two Tivo 6000 models. I have had no problems at all, and I want
to stay that way.

My ideal DBS service is one that's transparent, with low maintenance,
and high enjoyment. It appears that the new HD DVR's from D provide neither.


Swapping with D will give me two HR 21s, but no OTA.
I started to order the swap for the HD DVRs, but, which D will not guarantee a particular model.
! The CSR in Retention told me the swap would be free! However, when I realized that there was no OTA on the HR21, I canceled the order the same day.

Imagine my surprise, a week later, when I received a statement from D showing a balance of $235.93. I was charged for 1 D HD DVR, 1 D HD Receiver, and 1 D Plus HD DVR.
No model numbers were on the bill.

My other choice is Dish Network. They have superior HD DVR equipment in the
VIP 722. It has OTA. It's got three tuners, and a great track record.
Dish is behind D on the number of HD channels. I believe that E will be
able to catch up within a year.

Presently, nobody at D can commit to a program using the AM 21 to
provide the OTA I currently have, at no added cost. The company line at D
is "the first week of May", but that has changed before.

My predicament; do I hang with D and wait for them to get better, or
change to E right now. The transition will not cost me anything.

I would appreciate any feed back from you long time Dish Network subscribers.

[jclewter79]

I agree with you that by years end E* will have more HD but, nobody can garantee you that. If E* has the channels in HD that you want now, I would switch if I were you. If there is something missing you can not live with out, don't because E* is not always the quickest in adding channels. As for the hardware for what you want to do E* is your choice, I would be leary of the OTA add on that D* has they, have not been able to dial in the HR20 or HR21 100% yet what do you think is going to happen when they start putting an add on with it?

[Cap'n Preshoot]

I too left D* because they refused to give me the free movers deal for our old (but very expensive) Hughes Platinum E86 HD receivers. The did offer to replace them, but as you say there was no OTA in the H21. They then said they'd give me two H20s. However, I'd already had one of those and found it to be JUNK and in no way comparable to our old E86's.

They did offer the free move deal, but it would be an extra $100 to reconnect the old E86's. That's BS. Of course they told me their technology was changing and that my E86's would soon be obsolete after the conus HD channels move to Ka birds.

Long story short we told D* to take a hike.

I'm not exactly enthralled with E* but indeed the 722 is a pretty neat box and backfeeding a 2nd room off the same coax is even neater. After some unbelievable installation hassle with complete idiot installers, I'm finally reasonable satisfied.

Yes, I really miss D* but I think what I miss most is our old E-86's with their great guide and really intuitive remote. D*'s H20 remote my wife described as like navigating a rat maze.

So today we're E* subscribers and starting to settle in.

[bobemac]

I too left D* because they refused to give me the free movers deal for our old (but very expensive) Hughes Platinum E86 HD receivers. The did offer to replace them, but as you say there was no OTA in the H21. They then said they'd give me two H20s. However, I'd already had one of those and found it to be JUNK and in no way comparable to our old E86's.

They did offer the free move deal, but it would be an extra $100 to reconnect the old E86's. That's BS. Of course they told me their technology was changing and that my E86's would soon be obsolete after the conus HD channels move to Ka birds.

Long story short we told D* to take a hike.

I'm not exactly enthralled with E* but indeed the 722 is a pretty neat box and backfeeding a 2nd room off the same coax is even neater. After some unbelievable installation hassle with complete idiot installers, I'm finally reasonable satisfied.

Yes, I really miss D* but I think what I miss most is our old E-86's with their great guide and really intuitive remote. D*'s H20 remote my wife described as like navigating a rat maze.

So today we're E* subscribers and starting to settle in.

Thanks, I'd forgotten about those Hughes Platinum receivers, and their
great software. We still have them somewhere. They were replaced by the Sony HD receiver in 2003, and the TIVO 250 HD receiver
The installer issue, is a positive for us. The local E installer is top notch,
they have already done some Home Theatre work for us, so that's a huge
check mark in the E column.
Have you had any other issues with E, like "nickel and diming"?

[Cap'n Preshoot]

The installer issue, is a positive for us. The local E installer is top notch,
they have already done some Home Theatre work for us, so that's a huge
check mark in the E column.
Have you had any other issues with E, like "nickel and diming"?

No, though they can be a little anal about having the receivers connected to a phone line. When we initially moved into our new (newly built) home we didn't have phone service -yet- and E* was charging us some addt'l fee for that, but then waived it (credited it back) after the phone was hooked up and I called to have the charge removed. (I specifically asked for the credit & got it).

So far, after the installer gross incompetence matter (see installer incompetence thread elsewhere), the only complaint I have is E*'s overbearingly LOUD music-on-hold while you're waiting in queue for someone to pick up the call. It's loud virtually to the point of being distorted.... :nono2: - very unprofessional sounding -

The 222 receiver has been a disappointment (problems) tho the 722 is great.

The fact you have an established positive relationship with the installer is certainly in your favor here.

[grcooperjr]

My predicament; do I hang with D and wait for them to get better, or
change to E right now. The transition will not cost me anything.

I would appreciate any feed back from you long time Dish Network subscribers.

I'm not a long time subscriber of Dish but I was with DTV for over 10 years untill November of 07. DTV tried to get into my shorts on the hr10 upgrades, so I voted with my wallet and left.

Dish stepped up and installed the next day there stuff. The only negatives so far that I've noted are:

1: Some what less HD content at present.

2: On my subscription level & receiver count Dish is about 10% higher in fees

3: 129 has a very bad signal level in the Northwest. causing a need to have 2 dishes to receive the content here at my location. Even with a 24” for 129, I still have a lot of signal dropouts/rainfade

4: and lastly ... I MISS MY TIVO

Other than those items , I have no issues. My 722's work well. The only thing that could be better would be to make a deal with Tivo and have available for a fee a Tivo receiver.... I'd buy it


Ray Cooper
Portland OR

[Cap'n Preshoot]

The 129 has marginal signal strength no matter where you live and there are many like yourself all over the US who have had to resort to a separate (and larger) dish to drag it in. I'd probably have used a 40" dish in your situation. Here in Texas the 1000.2 triple lnb dish works satisfactorily well provided your installer pays attention to the compelling need to have the mast pipe absolutely dead-level plumb. We went through a total of 8 installers to find one who understood that "close" wasn't getting it. It had to be dead-on.

Finally, HD for the sake of having HD doesn't get it in my book. We cancelled our HD subscription when we were with D* and used a small OTA antenna to drag in the locals. The reception was far clearer than D*'s ridiculous MPEG-4 compressed locals and at the time there were only a few national HD stations that we mostly didn't watch anyway (and still don't).

With D* you could go online and make -downgrades- to your service level, something that I don't see a way to do with E* - seems all I can do online is add more. We didn't make a lot of changes, but being able to do it ALL online was sure nice. (I don't enjoy having to call and wait in queue for some teledroid to try to talk me into something else when I'm trying to drop a service tier).

But still and all I think we're sufficiently satisfied for now. I'm probably going to drop HBO, Cinemax & Starz next month as there's precious little content there to justify the cost. We'll probably keep HD for the time being.

We ended up tossing our TIVO literally into the garbage. It was an old series-1 that had a lifetime sub, but we couldn't use it anymore and we asked around, nobody wanted it and we didn't have room to keep it. When you're downsizing, you get rid of things.

.

[bobemac]

The 129 has marginal signal strength no matter where you live and there are many like yourself all over the US who have had to resort to a separate (and larger) dish to drag it in. I'd probably have used a 40" dish in your situation. Here in Texas the 1000.2 triple lnb dish works satisfactorily well provided your installer pays attention to the compelling need to have the mast pipe absolutely dead-level plumb. We went through a total of 8 installers to find one who understood that "close" wasn't getting it. It had to be dead-on.

Finally, HD for the sake of having HD doesn't get it in my book. We cancelled our HD subscription when we were with D* and used a small OTA antenna to drag in the locals. The reception was far clearer than D*'s ridiculous MPEG-4 compressed locals and at the time there were only a few national HD stations that we mostly didn't watch anyway (and still don't).

With D* you could go online and make -downgrades- to your service level, something that I don't see a way to do with E* - seems all I can do online is add more. We didn't make a lot of changes, but being able to do it ALL online was sure nice. (I don't enjoy having to call and wait in queue for some teledroid to try to talk me into something else when I'm trying to drop a service tier).

But still and all I think we're sufficiently satisfied for now. I'm probably going to drop HBO, Cinemax & Starz next month as there's precious little content there to justify the cost. We'll probably keep HD for the time being.

We ended up tossing our TIVO literally into the garbage. It was an old series-1 that had a lifetime sub, but we couldn't use it anymore and we asked around, nobody wanted it and we didn't have room to keep it. When you're downsizing, you get rid of things.

.

It's amazing about TIVO; when I bought a "Lifetime" subscription, I thought
that this was such a fantastic concept, it would be around forever.
Little did I know that D's greed would minimize, and isolate this great innovation, rendering "Lifetime" into a valueless product.

I was also under the impression, correct me if wrong, that E charged you
to drop existing services?

[jclewter79]

Yes, downgrades cost a one time charge of $5. Some say that you ask to have that charge dropped and they will do it but, I have never tried that one.