veryoldschool said:
Was there a receiver swap involved?
Should you have had one for either SWiM compatibility or for MRV, then your commitment date DOES change.
Whole Home DVR service DOESN'T, by itself, cause a change.
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Sounds like VOS is about to school me ... I'm ready. ;-)
I started off with two HR22-100's, two major problems, a want to get both tuners in each DVR working simultaneously (I have just a single cable to my DVRs), and a wish to connect up to the Internet for these "6000 movies".
The first of my problems is that the DVR in the bedroom didn't work with my Philips TV for over a year. It was intermittently losing the channel guide and then just wouldn't work at all. After multiple troubleshooting attempts, DVR switchouts, life going on, etc. I was convinced it was an issue with the switch in the Slimline 5 or maybe wall cabling. I tried to get SWiM about three years ago and I guess it was too new ... they wouldn't put it in and I'm too damn cheap to pay $450 to fish a two-story 3500 sq ft home (figured I would just wait).
So I came out here to DBStalk, remembered my login, and read for about 5 hours (you guys are studs by the way ... thanks for all the help over the years) and then figured I would try the WHDVR and get them out to fix the other problems. I have the maintenance plan. So the tech reinstalls to Slimline 3 and does the DECA thing to my HR22s. Cool, it's working! We're going back and forth between DVRs doing the setup and then the one in the bedroom STOPS WORKING! There it is I scream!!! The same f'in problem I have been dealing with for over a year!!! So as a last-ditch effort (the tech is really ready to leave at this point) I tell him to try a new DVR and he pulls an HR24-500 off the truck and slaps it in in 10 minutes. PROBLEM SOLVED!!! (or at least I hope so, we'll have to see months down the road to be sure) The tech closes the order because they can't get the wireless Cinema kit and I figure I will call and battle it out the next day.
So from what I have read at DBStalk, all I had was a DVR issue and the tech replaced it and that shouldn't cause an upgrade. He did the switchout on his little wireless work device. Because it's a better model, it's not my fault he can't replace it with the same model.
Through all of this talking to different CSRs and tech support, I get all different kinds of input. "Mr. Prevette ... an HR24 is basically the same thing as an HR22". After using the HR24 one evening, I was amazed at how fast it was and the fact that it worked ... I didn't know whether to cry or be so pissed off at being fed a line of BS about an HR24 being the same thing. So I called in the next day and told them they are going to bring out a wireless Cinema kit so we can get the cable off my floor and if they are going to be so kind as to extend me for two years then they are going to bring out another HR24 (ya right, no model guarantees through CSRs). I told them it is all going to work and work well or we are going to tear it all out and I'll go a different direction.
Now for my second DVR problem. An HR22 is slow as snot and mine wouldn't take input from the remote ... I would have to push and hold DVR forward for three seconds and let go to get to 1, then again to 2, then again to 3. It took 5-7 seconds to pick up the channel guide ... unacceptable when I have an HR24 now that is quick as hell in response and scrolling ... these two pieces of equipment aren't in the same league. So he does a little calling and we switch out the living room HR22 with an HR24 and then do the wireless Cinema kit.
So again at this point ... I'm in the protection plan, I already had a DVR and they were just replacing my DVR for the one I had with hair-pulling performance with what they had on the truck. So if I use the same DVTspeak that all DVRs are the same then I didn't get an upgrade (technically from what I have seen it's a hell of an upgrade).
So that is where I sit ... two "broken" HR22s switched out for two HR24s, WHDVR, SWiM because I am single cable, and connected to the Internet. When I first called in, I bargained the price down from $200 + $50 install to $100 and being told my committment wouldn't change along with free DVR ($7) for a year as compensation for the loss of my bedroom DVR for the last year. Through all the advertising I see now and talking to the tech, it looks like a nobody can call into DTV and get two DVRs, a SWiM setup, install, the lower price for a year, and on top of that not have to pay for HD for life. Well, I don't begrude the discount for new users but when a newbie doesn't ever pay for HD and I will with my extended contract along with paying for the WHDVR/SWiM then that leaves me a hair burned. I will need to call back and discuss this in a little more detail armed, of course, with my voice recorder.
So, in the end I don't mind paying a premium price for premium stuff but when it doesn't work and I'm still paying that price and then you make me pay more to solve the problems even when I'm paying for the fix-it contract then I have to throw up a foul flag. :nono2:
Sorry, this has been a multiple-year beef with me and it looks like I'm at the end with a good solution ... now I just need to talk to that dang wireless box and reintegrate it on my network with solid security.
Your input (and others too) is appreciated.