View Full Version : new dish subscriber some questions
Ok some things i've noticed since I had dish network installed this monday. 1: the fact that they ipg only goes out 3 hours and if you want to go past 3 hours you lose your program you're watching while it acquires the guide.
2: same said for picture in guide.
3:How can I fix this?
4:Does dish have any firmware upgrades in store to fix this? 5:What new programming will be offered when the hdtv channels move to 105?
6: Will dish ever offer nfl sunday ticket or mlb extra innings?
thanks for you time and help
ps: I have had digital cable for 3 years this october and am dropping it in favor of dish network. The only thing I will miss is video on demand and the sports packages plus the local channels available on cable (i live in the wheeling,wv/steubenville,oh dma will dish offer locals here anytime soon so i can get rid of comcast totally(keeping the basic package for locals cause i live in a valley and can't get any locals via antenna).
The channel guide sounds strange. What receiver do you have? I believe dish updates the guide in very early AM (~3am I think) so you might check it in morning see if still the case. Otherwise you may have a receiver problem. You should have days of listings, not hours.
The MLB is another story. MLB has had a long term exclusive contract with Direct TV for some time now. I'm not sure when that contract is up - maybe some hope for future.
Jacob S
08-01-03, 08:33 PM
It is normal for the Dish receiver to do this. Dish is going to come out with a new software update in which is supposed to resolve this problem and allow the guide to be viewed two days ahead without searching for information from the satellite and having to wait.
Dish is moving a satellite to 105 to use until they launch their own satellite there the end of 2004. This slot will be used for locals and HD. Unfortanetly I do not think the Wheeling DMA will have their locals added for a bit longer perhaps next year after the new satellite is launched to 105.
Video On Demand (VOD) is supposed to be offered on the Dish PVR/DVR products in the future in which Dish has reserved so much space on the hard drive for this in the future.
NFL Sunday Ticket and MLB Extra Innings is not available yet and is exclusive to DirecTv right now because of a contract DirecTv has with them.
It is normal for the Dish receiver to do this. Dish is going to come out with a new software update in which is supposed to resolve this problem and allow the guide to be viewed two days ahead without searching for information from the satellite and having to wait.
Dish is moving a satellite to 105 to use until they launch their own satellite there the end of 2004. This slot will be used for locals and HD. Unfortanetly I do not think the Wheeling DMA will have their locals added for a bit longer perhaps next year after the new satellite is launched to 105.
Video On Demand (VOD) is supposed to be offered on the Dish PVR/DVR products in the future in which Dish has reserved so much space on the hard drive for this in the future.
NFL Sunday Ticket and MLB Extra Innings is not available yet and is exclusive to DirecTv right now because of a contract DirecTv has with them.
when will this update occur? I personally hate that it interupts what i am watching while it downloads the new guide data. I also hate that the picture in guide does the same thing and the browse feature only works out to 2 hours ahead. I am thinking about the pvr since i currently pay $13/month to tivo and could sell my tivo and use that money for a dish pvr. How much does the dish pvr cost? As for locals i'm glad we will have locals next year but will it include wtae,upn19 and wb22 since wheeling/steubenville don't have their own abc,upn and wb locals? As for mlb extra inning i have it through comcast but am cancelling digital cable the 6th(unless they offer it to me at $20 for 3 months or $30 for 6 months in which case i will keep it).
when will this update occur? I personally hate that it interupts what i am watching while it downloads the new guide data. I also hate that the picture in guide does the same thing and the browse feature only works out to 2 hours ahead. I am thinking about the pvr since i currently pay $13/month to tivo and could sell my tivo and use that money for a dish pvr. How much does the dish pvr cost? As for locals i'm glad we will have locals next year but will it include wtae,upn19 and wb22 since wheeling/steubenville don't have their own abc,upn and wb locals? As for mlb extra inning i have it through comcast but am cancelling digital cable the 6th(unless they offer it to me at $20 for 3 months or $30 for 6 months in which case i will keep it).
will echostar be adding any new channels (not hdtv or locals but channels like fuel and cstv or giving us top 150+ subs nba tv like directv does)?
scooper
08-02-03, 06:59 AM
Ok some things i've noticed since I had dish network installed this monday. 1: the fact that they ipg only goes out 3 hours and if you want to go past 3 hours you lose your program you're watching while it acquires the guide.
Get a PVR. They store up to 7 days on the harddrive
2: same said for picture in guide.
3:How can I fix this?
See the answer for number 1
4:Does dish have any firmware upgrades in store to fix this? 5:What new programming will be offered when the hdtv channels move to 105?
6: Will dish ever offer nfl sunday ticket or mlb extra innings?
thanks for you time and help
ps: I have had digital cable for 3 years this october and am dropping it in favor of dish network. The only thing I will miss is video on demand and the sports packages plus the local channels available on cable (i live in the wheeling,wv/steubenville,oh dma will dish offer locals here anytime soon so i can get rid of comcast totally(keeping the basic package for locals cause i live in a valley and can't get any locals via antenna).
See later in the thread.
Get a PVR. They store up to 7 days on the harddrive
See the answer for number 1
See later in the thread.
So how much doe the pvr cost? I have tivo i pay $13/month for that i can sell and use the proceeds to buy a pvr but i don't want to buy a pvr then the same day dish release either a new receiver or a update to make the 301 work better. Also what will it cost me a month to use the pvr?
Jacob S
08-02-03, 12:36 PM
508's go for $299. The 301 should be coming out with that new software in the near future, hopefully the next month or two. Also the 311 in which is going to replace the 301 hopefully later this year will have more memory in which should resolve that problem as well. The 322 will be like the 311 with two tuners.
You seem to have made a mistake in choosing DISH Network if you had gone with Directv the picture in guide works you can search at least 3 days of information and with their better models up to 7 days. NFL Sunday Ticket and MLB are both exclusives held by Directv. Also you could have a Directv Tivo with a $4.95/ month fee.
You seem to have made a mistake in choosing DISH Network if you had gone with Directv the picture in guide works you can search at least 3 days of information and with their better models up to 7 days. NFL Sunday Ticket and MLB are both exclusives held by Directv. Also you could have a Directv Tivo with a $4.95/ month fee.
can I get a 501? Will dish ever get mlb extra innings or nfl sunday ticket? Can I get a 508 for cheaper? How much can i sell my tivo series 2 for? Will I be able to sell it if i lost my remote?
thanks
DCSholtis
08-02-03, 03:22 PM
can I get a 501? Will dish ever get mlb extra innings or nfl sunday ticket? Can I get a 508 for cheaper? How much can i sell my tivo series 2 for? Will I be able to sell it if i lost my remote?
thanks
I believe the MLB Extra Innings package deal with Directv is up after this season.....as far as the NFL Sunday Ticket its exclusive to Directv for I believe several more years.
Apparently, the 301 assumes you already know the TV schedule, or that you don't care to continue watching your program while you wait for the EPG.
My PVR stores nine days worth of program information, updates it nightly, and lets me watch the current program while scrolling and searching the guide. It also buffers the current program - in case I'm three hours late getting home I can quickly <<< to the beginning. My PVR is very stable and it never loses (not looses) a recorded program or misses a scheduled recording. It has been running 24/7 for over three years and shows no sign of age. Actually, I have two of these old PVRs, so I can record two programs while simultaneously watching a pre-recorded show.
But, the best part is I can pause live TV while I go take a leak and grab another PBR, the true blue. :)
.
.
Steve Mehs
08-02-03, 04:44 PM
On the sports packages, this season is the last year for DirecTVs DBS exclusive for MLB Extra Innings. Indemand has been offering it on Digital cable for a few seasons now but next year Dish will have a shot at it. NFL Sunday Ticket is another story, ST is a D* exclusive until 2005 but is a DirecTV satellite exclusive until 2007.
On the sports packages, this season is the last year for DirecTVs DBS exclusive for MLB Extra Innings. Indemand has been offering it on Digital cable for a few seasons now but next year Dish will have a shot at it. NFL Sunday Ticket is another story, ST is a D* exclusive until 2005 but is a DirecTV satellite exclusive until 2007.
I remember indemand pushing hard and strong for sunday ticket this past spring but in the end the nfl decided (after being pressured by viacom,disney, and news corp(g i wonder why they were pressured by news corp could it be rupert knew he was gonna bid on directv and wanted all the nfl ppv $$$ to himself,nah)) that they would renew the contract with directv for 2 more seasons. Which means after next football season(2004) all bets are off as not only is the ppv contract with directv up so is the overall tv contract. It will be interesting to see if ge/nbc comes into the new contract negotiations with more money in their hands to maybe pull either disney or news corp out of the nfl tv package.
I remember indemand pushing hard and strong for sunday ticket this past spring but in the end the nfl decided (after being pressured by viacom,disney, and news corp(g i wonder why they were pressured by news corp could it be rupert knew he was gonna bid on directv and wanted all the nfl ppv $$$ to himself,nah)) that they would renew the contract with directv for 2 more seasons. Which means after next football season(2004) all bets are off as not only is the ppv contract with directv up so is the overall tv contract. It will be interesting to see if ge/nbc comes into the new contract negotiations with more money in their hands to maybe pull either disney or news corp out of the nfl tv package.
Ok I know i have to buy a 508 but how much will it cost me? Do I have to get a new multiswitch as well(my installer said if i wanted to add a 3rd receiver that i'd have to change the switch on dish to a 4 way switch from a 2 way switch)? How much will this set me back?
thanks
can I get a 501? Will dish ever get mlb extra innings or nfl sunday ticket? Can I get a 508 for cheaper? How much can i sell my tivo series 2 for? Will I be able to sell it if i lost my remote?
thanksDepending upon from whom you got your system you may still have time to upgrade your DP301 to a PVR508 for $199 if you are on the Free Dish or Free For All promotion. If you are on DHP you may still be able to upgrade for $49.99.
DISH will be bidding for the MLB EI Package to begin next season.
If you wind up living with the DP 301 you might want to get in the habit of bringing up the EPG whenever you take a break so it can update when you're not watching TV. But the new SW to store 48hrs of EPG INFO is scheduled to come down late Sept.
Depending upon from whom you got your system you may still have time to upgrade your DP301 to a PVR508 for $199 if you are on the Free Dish or Free For All promotion. If you are on DHP you may still be able to upgrade for $49.99.
DISH will be bidding for the MLB EI Package to begin next season.
If you wind up living with the DP 301 you might want to get in the habit of bringing up the EPG whenever you take a break so it can update when you're not watching TV. But the new SW to store 48hrs of EPG INFO is scheduled to come down late Sept.
i got it from dishnetwork themselves. Can I upgrade it to a dish 508 for $200?
i got it from dishnetwork themselves. Can I upgrade it to a dish 508 for $200?
i did get the free dish plan btw.
Jacob S
08-02-03, 07:19 PM
If you are already an existing subscriber than you will have to pay full price for the 508 in which is $299 but you may be able to find a used 501 or 508 for cheaper. The 501 has 30 hours of recording time and the 508 has 60 hours of recording time. Both come with a UHF remote in which you can turn channels up to 100 ft away through walls and Dolby Digital.
If you are already an existing subscriber than you will have to pay full price for the 508 in which is $299 but you may be able to find a used 501 or 508 for cheaper. The 501 has 30 hours of recording time and the 508 has 60 hours of recording time. Both come with a UHF remote in which you can turn channels up to 100 ft away through walls and Dolby Digital.
I haven't even had dish network a week yet. I just got it installed monday so why can't i call and exchange my 301 for a 508?
Jacob S
08-02-03, 08:04 PM
They will not let you do that because you are already a current subscriber to Dish Network. I believe if you would have went with the Digital Home Plan then I think you would have a month to exchange it or add a 501/508 to the account for an additional charge. If you took the Free Dish promotion then you are out of luck if you did not take it when you were signing up to become a new customer to get the special new customer promotion. Some customers are eligible for the $149 or $199 deal for the 501/508 but I think they had to be a customer before a certain date last year to be eligible. You can call Dish and ask them for that special promotion and try, its worth a shot. They dont even charge for shipping if you can get that deal. Try to get the 508 since it has 60 hours of recording time vs. the 30 hours of recording time the 501 has but more than likely they cannot promise you a 508.
They will not let you do that because you are already a current subscriber to Dish Network. I believe if you would have went with the Digital Home Plan then I think you would have a month to exchange it or add a 501/508 to the account for an additional charge. If you took the Free Dish promotion then you are out of luck if you did not take it when you were signing up to become a new customer to get the special new customer promotion. Some customers are eligible for the $149 or $199 deal for the 501/508 but I think they had to be a customer before a certain date last year to be eligible. You can call Dish and ask them for that special promotion and try, its worth a shot. They dont even charge for shipping if you can get that deal. Try to get the 508 since it has 60 hours of recording time vs. the 30 hours of recording time the 501 has but more than likely they cannot promise you a 508.
their website says the promo is for customers as of 10/21/2002. I guess this means i will have to fork over $300.
their website says the promo is for customers as of 10/21/2002. I guess this means i will have to fork over $300.
what would be the best way to buy a pvr? Would it be to call dish and order it or go to radio shack and pick one up? Also my installer told me I need a new multiswitch if i want 3 receivers running at the same time is he correct(i only ordered 2 receivers) and where can i find one and how much will it cost(does it have to be a specific brand)?
thanks
Jacob S
08-03-03, 12:48 PM
It would be cheaper to buy a second Dish500 if you can install it yourself but if you cannot install it yourself then it may end up being cheaper to buy the switch. The Dishpro quad costs $149 but am not sure what the 3 to 4 switch costs now but am sure it is not that cheap but may be cheaper than the Dishpro quad. The Dishpro quad has four outputs instead of two on the lnbf. You cant just go to a store and buy a switch. You have to get special switches that work with Dish Network in which most of the time you have to buy from a Dish Network retailer. If you do get a PVR receiver make sure you get the $1.99 extended warranty after your manufacturer's warranty of one year runs out.
You can call Dish and see if they can get you a better deal on a PVR but if not then you can buy one from http://www.dishdepot.com in which sponsers prizes for members on this site from time to time.
It would be cheaper to buy a second Dish500 if you can install it yourself but if you cannot install it yourself then it may end up being cheaper to buy the switch. The Dishpro quad costs $149 but am not sure what the 3 to 4 switch costs now but am sure it is not that cheap but may be cheaper than the Dishpro quad. The Dishpro quad has four outputs instead of two on the lnbf. You cant just go to a store and buy a switch. You have to get special switches that work with Dish Network in which most of the time you have to buy from a Dish Network retailer. If you do get a PVR receiver make sure you get the $1.99 extended warranty after your manufacturer's warranty of one year runs out.
You can call Dish and see if they can get you a better deal on a PVR but if not then you can buy one from http://www.dishdepot.com in which sponsers prizes for members on this site from time to time.
the dish installer told me I can order one from dishnetwork for $50(the multiswitch) but I was thinking about just going to radio shack and buying a pvr there. Why do I need a special switch to use 3 receivers? Can't I just buy one of the switches at radio shack for $50?
Jacob S
08-03-03, 04:26 PM
You have to have a special switch because of some of the commands in which is specific for Dish Network that go through the line from the receiver to the lnbf in how they have to communicate with each other to change the satellite from 110 to 119 and back to 110 to know what satellite to receive from when you are changing channels and to have a third output for your third receiver. The dish only orignally comes with two outputs for two receivers.
Since RadioShack sells Dish Network being a retailer for them then you may be able to buy a switch from them that will work with the satellite setup that you have. You can also get a pvr there if they keep them in stock there but will probably sell them for around $299. Sometimes you can find people online that have used one thats will give you a deal on one.
You have to have a special switch because of some of the commands in which is specific for Dish Network that go through the line from the receiver to the lnbf in how they have to communicate with each other to change the satellite from 110 to 119 and back to 110 to know what satellite to receive from when you are changing channels and to have a third output for your third receiver. The dish only orignally comes with two outputs for two receivers.
Since RadioShack sells Dish Network being a retailer for them then you may be able to buy a switch from them that will work with the satellite setup that you have. You can also get a pvr there if they keep them in stock there but will probably sell them for around $299. Sometimes you can find people online that have used one thats will give you a deal on one.
i'd rather get a pvr new than used because hard drives can and do fail(i've had to replace the hard drives in my last 2 computers because they failed or were failing on me). I will call rat shack in the morning or may just call dish network and see how much they will sell me a switch for.
i got it from dishnetwork themselves. Can I upgrade it to a dish 508 for $200?Then you're SOL. Had you gone to a local retailer you may have had the opportunity ot upgrade depending upon the time frame. We have done it for a few customers who changed their minds but there is only a 48 or 72 hour window for swapping the primary receiver on a new account.
RS does not stock E* parts such as LNBFs & switches. If DISH will get you a QUAD for $50 (probably based upon return of your TWIN) that is what you need to do if you intend to buy a PVR & add it to your system. I don't think you can buy a PVR off the shelf at RS, either. But you can certainly have DISH ship you one.
You might be able to talk them into installing the QUAD & the PVR for you if you buy them.
Jacob S
08-03-03, 08:56 PM
What you dont realize about buying a used PVR is that you can get the $1.99 extended warranty and Dish will replace it if it does go bad. You can also buy a PC PVR if you want a cheaper choice for as cheap as $49 for the card and software without a monthly fee. You can burn it to cd or dvd depending on if you have a cd or dvd burner.
Geronimo
08-03-03, 09:04 PM
Sunday Ticket is exclsive to DirecTV for three years. After that there is a two year period where it can be sold to cable but not another DBS provider.
FTA Michael
08-04-03, 09:50 AM
newsub, another tangent to try is to get a standalone TiVo and use it with your Dish equipment. (That's what I've got.)
Benefits:
* Better interface & features.
* Solves your week-ahead guide problem.
* No receiver-swapping hassle.
* Can be used elsewhere should you ever (gasp) drop Dish.
* Refurbs are plentiful and cheap! (see http://www.servicedvr.com/Extra/BuyExtraTivo.asp as an example).
* World's best remote. The "peanut" is great.
Drawbacks:
* Guide is only 99.9% accurate. For example, Dish's programming provider still hasn't figured out the Educating Everyone channel. (Neither have I, but I digress.)
* Some manual intervention to keep channels current. If Dish adds a new worthwhile channel (it could happen), TiVo sometimes lags a day or two behind. You can still tune to it, but you won't have TiVo's program listings for it.
* Monthly fee or lifetime fee. Less of an issue vs. new DVR fees announced for some Dish units.
* Not perfectly integrated. With TiVo, you have to attach supplied nodes near your Dish receiver to signal channel change requests. Once you get it right, it works over 99% of the time, but not absolutely every time.
* Picture quality probably isn't quite as good, because TiVo takes the uncompressed Dish receiver output and recompresses it with a (presumably) different algorithm. Dish DVRs store shows in their original compressed format. (right, tech folks?)
In sum, it's not the perfect solution for everyone, but it's working great for me. And it's one more option to mull over.
newsub, another tangent to try is to get a standalone TiVo and use it with your Dish equipment. (That's what I've got.)
Benefits:
* Better interface & features.
* Solves your week-ahead guide problem.
* No receiver-swapping hassle.
* Can be used elsewhere should you ever (gasp) drop Dish.
* Refurbs are plentiful and cheap! (see http://www.servicedvr.com/Extra/BuyExtraTivo.asp as an example).
* World's best remote. The "peanut" is great.
Drawbacks:
* Guide is only 99.9% accurate. For example, Dish's programming provider still hasn't figured out the Educating Everyone channel. (Neither have I, but I digress.)
* Some manual intervention to keep channels current. If Dish adds a new worthwhile channel (it could happen), TiVo sometimes lags a day or two behind. You can still tune to it, but you won't have TiVo's program listings for it.
* Monthly fee or lifetime fee. Less of an issue vs. new DVR fees announced for some Dish units.
* Not perfectly integrated. With TiVo, you have to attach supplied nodes near your Dish receiver to signal channel change requests. Once you get it right, it works over 99% of the time, but not absolutely every time.
* Picture quality probably isn't quite as good, because TiVo takes the uncompressed Dish receiver output and recompresses it with a (presumably) different algorithm. Dish DVRs store shows in their original compressed format. (right, tech folks?)
In sum, it's not the perfect solution for everyone, but it's working great for me. And it's one more option to mull over.
i have a tivo and don't want to pay the $13/month fee(am cancelling service today).
i have a tivo and don't want to pay the $13/month fee(am cancelling service today).
i called dish after hagling with them on the phone for 2 hours i got them to offer me the dish home plan with a pvr upgrade for $50. But the problem is now with the extra $10 ($5 insurance,and $5 extra receiver) we aren't saving anything over our cable bill. We have the dish 150 with hbo/cinemax &2 recievers for $65/month+taxes now. So now we're stuck between paying $300 for the pvr +$120 for the multiswitch,going to the home plan and not saving anything over cable, keeping what we have (not an option for me as the 301's are the biggest pieces of junk i've ever laid eyes on), or going back to cable.
what would you do? any suggestions?
Jacob S
08-04-03, 03:22 PM
You can get a second Dish500 for cheaper than $120 if you shop around and it will serve as an output up to two additional receivers. If you cannot get a Dish500 for cheap you can buy a whole system for $149 that includes the Dish500 then sell the new receiver to someone for $75+ since they retail for $99+ new.
You can get a second Dish500 for cheaper than $120 if you shop around and it will serve as an output up to two additional receivers. If you cannot get a Dish500 for cheap you can buy a whole system for $149 that includes the Dish500 then sell the new receiver to someone for $75+ since they retail for $99+ new.
the problem is I don't want two dishes on my roof. I just want the one dish but I want to have 3 receivers now and maybe 4 later. I really want the pvr especially since it's free now but will cost me per month if i wait a year.
the problem is I don't want two dishes on my roof. I just want the one dish but I want to have 3 receivers now and maybe 4 later. I really want the pvr especially since it's free now but will cost me per month if i wait a year.
any other options? What would you do? If I go with the dish home plan then I get the pvr and multiswitch for $99 but lose the $49 for 3 months with the free dish offer i have now. If I just buy the pvr and switch it puts me out $420 but I own the receivers myself not dish. What should I do?
i called dish after hagling with them on the phone for 2 hours i got them to offer me the dish home plan with a pvr upgrade for $50. But the problem is now with the extra $10 ($5 insurance,and $5 extra receiver) we aren't saving anything over our cable bill. We have the dish 150 with hbo/cinemax &2 recievers for $65/month+taxes now. So now we're stuck between paying $300 for the pvr +$120 for the multiswitch,going to the home plan and not saving anything over cable, keeping what we have (not an option for me as the 301's are the biggest pieces of junk i've ever laid eyes on), or going back to cable.
what would you do? any suggestions?If I understand you, you were originally activated on another promo but now they are offering to put you on the DHP leasing plan with a PVR upgrade.
In that case, ask them to take back one of the 301s & just replace it with the PVR 508. (Saves you $5mo.) Plus you can easily feed the 508 to another TV if you so desire & the UHF remote will work in either room.
If I understand you, you were originally activated on another promo but now they are offering to put you on the DHP leasing plan with a PVR upgrade.
In that case, ask them to take back one of the 301s & just replace it with the PVR 508. (Saves you $5mo.) Plus you can easily feed the 508 to another TV if you so desire & the UHF remote will work in either room.
ok a problem my dad just brought up is that this wouldn't work because we would feed it to my sister's room and we both watch tv at the same time. Also is the pvr grandfathered in with no fee under the digital home plan since dish owns the receiver under this plan plus what happens to my $50/month credits(including on this month's bill)?
The PVR is "grandfathered" & will never have DVR fees. Don't worry about any BS you hear about "changing their minds" later, etc.
If you originally got 2 DP301s why would you need more than one PVR508 and one DP301?
The PVR is "grandfathered" & will never have DVR fees. Don't worry about any BS you hear about "changing their minds" later, etc.
If you originally got 2 DP301s why would you need more than one PVR508 and one DP301?
I don't know. We have one in the living room right now and one downstairs. My mom was complaining that she should have a box in her room so I was thinking that if i got the pvr we could put the other box in her room.
Jacob S
08-05-03, 05:33 PM
322's are coming out with two tuners and two tv outs and may not have the $4.99 additional outlet fee. Also 111's are coming out in which are supposed to be cheaper than the current 301's and smaller as well. The 522 coming out are also going to have two tuners and two tv outs but you will have the $4.99 pvr fee but may not have the $4.99 additional outlet fee in which may make up for it. The 311 is going to replace the current 301 in production and will have more memory. The new dual tuners are supposed to have a dishpro plus solution in which is supposed to allow two tuners to run off of one wire but that may require two output wires from the dish or a switch first, not sure.
322's are coming out with two tuners and two tv outs and may not have the $4.99 additional outlet fee. Also 111's are coming out in which are supposed to be cheaper than the current 301's and smaller as well. The 522 coming out are also going to have two tuners and two tv outs but you will have the $4.99 pvr fee but may not have the $4.99 additional outlet fee in which may make up for it. The 311 is going to replace the current 301 in production and will have more memory. The new dual tuners are supposed to have a dishpro plus solution in which is supposed to allow two tuners to run off of one wire but that may require two output wires from the dish or a switch first, not sure.
I want to get a pvr now though. Before the pvr fee comes out. Plus noone has said when these new receivers will be out. For all we know they could come out in december 2005 or january 2005. I mean if they were coming out within a month i'd wait. Plus what about the prices? I haven't even been a customer for a month so I wouldn't get a discount at all.
Jacob, he can' wait for what's coming out. He just got a system and he now has a chance to add a PVR.
If your mom now wants her own receiver than go ahead & give her one of the 301s & put the PVR where it was. But, yeah, it adds $5mo as another box and there is another $5 leasing fee if you switch to the Digital Home Plan.
You have the facts. Now decide.
i called dish after hagling with them on the phone for 2 hours i got them to offer me the dish home plan with a pvr upgrade for $50. But the problem is now with the extra $10 ($5 insurance,and $5 extra receiver) we aren't saving anything over our cable bill.
Just curious... are you comparing apples to apples? i.e. you say you aren't saving anything with Dish, but does your cable cost include a PVR?
Price what your cableco charges for one of their boxes to be a PVR and then see if the prices are the same.
After you use a PVR/DVR you won't want to watch TV without one.
Mike Richardson
08-06-03, 04:00 PM
Actually, Digital Home Plan just has a $5/mo extra receiver charge whether or not it's your own or a leased receiver. It's "like" you are renting the receivers for free. (but not really)
Mike500
08-06-03, 07:00 PM
newsub, another tangent to try is to get a standalone TiVo and use it with your Dish equipment. (That's what I've got.)
Benefits:
* Better interface & features.
* Solves your week-ahead guide problem.
* No receiver-swapping hassle.
* Can be used elsewhere should you ever (gasp) drop Dish.
* Refurbs are plentiful and cheap! (see http://www.servicedvr.com/Extra/BuyExtraTivo.asp as an example).
* World's best remote. The "peanut" is great.
Drawbacks:
* Guide is only 99.9% accurate. For example, Dish's programming provider still hasn't figured out the Educating Everyone channel. (Neither have I, but I digress.)
* Some manual intervention to keep channels current. If Dish adds a new worthwhile channel (it could happen), TiVo sometimes lags a day or two behind. You can still tune to it, but you won't have TiVo's program listings for it.
* Monthly fee or lifetime fee. Less of an issue vs. new DVR fees announced for some Dish units.
* Not perfectly integrated. With TiVo, you have to attach supplied nodes near your Dish receiver to signal channel change requests. Once you get it right, it works over 99% of the time, but not absolutely every time.
* Picture quality probably isn't quite as good, because TiVo takes the uncompressed Dish receiver output and recompresses it with a (presumably) different algorithm. Dish DVRs store shows in their original compressed format. (right, tech folks?)
In sum, it's not the perfect solution for everyone, but it's working great for me. And it's one more option to mull over.
I've got both the standalone Tivo and the Dish 501 in my home theater. The Tivo is great for recording OTA at the same time that the 501 is recording a program on Dish Network. The Tivo is on Video 1 and the 501 is on Video 2. OTA goes to the Tivo on the RF input. Works great!
I've got both the standalone Tivo and the Dish 501 in my home theater. The Tivo is great for recording OTA at the same time that the 501 is recording a program on Dish Network. The Tivo is on Video 1 and the 501 is on Video 2. OTA goes to the Tivo on the RF input. Works great!
ok I called and switched yesterday. They faxed me a new agreement and I faxed it back. The guy told me that he would call back but I find that hard to believe since most of the time I am told that and have to call back myself. He said he would call back today and that the fax won't get to him til today? How long should I wait before I call dish to see if my fax got through? I want to get it installed tomorrow because I am probably going away next week and won't be here for them to install the pvr in my room(I don't like people in my room when I'm not there).
Jacob S
08-07-03, 11:12 AM
Seeing how the extended warranty for those not on DHP is $1.99 for hardware and $4.99 for hardware and service calls, you did not do that bad since those with PVR/DVR's that have hard drives in them should get an extended warranty anyways as a lot do.
Seeing how the extended warranty for those not on DHP is $1.99 for hardware and $4.99 for hardware and service calls, you did not do that bad since those with PVR/DVR's that have hard drives in them should get an extended warranty anyways as a lot do.
Should I call the guy at dish back or should i wait for their call?
Jacob S
08-07-03, 04:08 PM
When you get DHP it included this warranty in the extra $4.99 that they charge you in which covers all of the receivers, lnbf's, dishes, remotes, or anything else with the Dish logo on it that is on your account.
When you get DHP it included this warranty in the extra $4.99 that they charge you in which covers all of the receivers, lnbf's, dishes, remotes, or anything else with the Dish logo on it that is on your account.
the dish rep said he would call me back when he got my fax. So I called and got some incompetent representative who now tells me it takes 72 hours to process the request to change my promotion. What is this bs??!!!! What is there to process. the guy(eric) told me that it would be no problem. I'm not going to be home next week and need the pvr installed tomorrow. If i call in the morning will I be able to get it installed tomorrow? What are the chances i faxed and spend over 10 hours on the phone with incompetent reps for nothing and they turn down my request? Do I have any other options?
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