[jgarveyATL]

I am trying to figure out if I should be charged any fees on 2 508's that i have in my house, and if I should be charged, what is the right amount for those fees?

I have 4 receivers in my home, a 622 (primary receiver), a 211 (with HD & external HD/DVR) and 2 508s. My understanding was that 508's are exempt from DVR fees. However, Dish would never confirm this and has been charging me $6/month up until August last year (changed then to $10/month per receiver).

I received a letter mid last year stating that the "508 is unique in that it carries no fees." http://dishuser.org/501.php

I've already contacted Dish about the missing credit starting last August. But the major question is, have I been over billed the entire time since I activated these receivers?

 

[Skeeterman]

When I started Dish Network back in 1999, I bought my own Dish Receivers...One PVR 508 and one 301. My bill each month shows I paid $4.99 for the 508, and no fee for the 301. In February 2006 the 508 fee increased to $5.00. I paid this $5.00 fee until Feb. 2010 when the fee increased to $7.00 month. The wording on the bill shown the 508 as a Solo DVR receiver. I bought a HDTV and a VIP211K receiver in June 2008,and the VIP211K didn't carry a fee until August 2011 when Dish listed the 211 as HD Solo receiver and the fee of $7.00 per month was added. In June 2011 I bought another HDTV and a VIP211. The fee(s) increased for both VIP receivers to $7.00 ea.
I had removed the 508 from my account when I bought the VIP211, but later in Oct. 2011. I installed a Dish 500 antenna on my garage and re-activated the 508. Now I pay $7.00 ea for the two VIP211 receivers, and $6.00 per month for the 508.

I called Dish about the extra fees, which didn't result in my favor.

 

[SayWhat?]

As a 3rd and 4th unit, I'm not sure, but they WILL be charging DVR fees for the 501/508:

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=195831

Once that happens, I'll be dropping Dish.

 

[SayWhat?]

When I started Dish Network back in 1999, I bought my own Dish Receivers...One PVR 508 and one 301. My bill each month shows I paid $4.99 for the 508, and no fee for the 301. In February 2006 the 508 fee increased to $5.00. I paid this $5.00 fee until Feb. 2010 when the fee increased to $7.00 month. The wording on the bill shown the 508 as a Solo DVR receiver.

My understanding is that you should not have been charged any DVR fees for the 508 during that period.

 

[garys]

DVR fee for the 622 and additional receiver fee for both 508. Dish used to charge dvr for each receiver but the 508's were exempt then. Both have changed.

 

[James Long]

When I started Dish Network back in 1999, I bought my own Dish Receivers...One PVR 508 and one 301. My bill each month shows I paid $4.99 for the 508, and no fee for the 301. In February 2006 the 508 fee increased to $5.00. I paid this $5.00 fee until Feb. 2010 when the fee increased to $7.00 month. The wording on the bill shown the 508 as a Solo DVR receiver.

My understanding is that you should not have been charged any DVR fees for the 508 during that period.

The $4.99/$5.00/$7.00 sounds like the standard mirror fee charged for any additional receiver - not a DVR fee (which would have been charged in addition to the additional receiver fee).

A customer with only a 508 and a 301 would have been charged the same as a customer with only two 301s or only two 508s ... no DVR fee but one additional receiver fee.

DISH is now charging 501 and 508 owners with the per account DVR fee and a $10 additional DVR fee (instead of the $7 additional receiver). These increased fees are being credited back for the first two years. A customer with only a 508 and a 301 sees the DVR fee and a credit for that fee plus $7 for the second receiver. A customer with two 508s sees one DVR fee and a credit for that fee plus $10 for the second DVR and a $3 credit for that fee.

 

[phrelin]

All I know is that Dish advised most subscribers of the following almost two years ago at the time of the February 2010 rate changes:

 

[Skeeterman]

From my view point, it appears that Dish just picks what ever they please to charge for these PVR.DVR. receivers. I know one thing when Dish comes calling with a DVR 512 in hand, I will not have Dish to replace the 508 due to the fact I own it. Otherwise, I will buy a DP301 with the Purple smart card and replace the 508 with the 301. I have a 301 that is in working order, but, it has the old yellow smart card and Dish wants $60.00 for a new purple smart card to allow me to re-activate the 301. I think I can get a DP301 with a purple card on ebay less that the $60.00 new card fee.

 

[puckwithahalo]

From my view point, it appears that Dish just picks what ever they please to charge for these PVR.DVR. receivers. I know one thing when Dish comes calling with a DVR 512 in hand, I will not have Dish to replace the 508 due to the fact I own it. Otherwise, I will buy a DP301 with the Purple smart card and replace the 508 with the 301. I have a 301 that is in working order, but, it has the old yellow smart card and Dish wants $60.00 for a new purple smart card to allow me to re-activate the 301. I think I can get a DP301 with a purple card on ebay less that the $60.00 new card fee.

If the 508 were replaced with a 512 due to the 508 failing, or while a tech was out to fix something else, you would own the 512 just like you do the 508.

 

[juan ellitinez]

Didn't Dish have to swap out the 500 series DVRs due to the TIVO lawsuit?

 

[puckwithahalo]

Didn't Dish have to swap out the 500 series DVRs due to the TIVO lawsuit?

Long story short, lawsuit got settled, so no.

 

[phrelin]

At some point in time Dish will eliminate SD feeds of all the major broadcast, cable, and premium channels. "Times they are a changin'" and if you haven't noticed retail ATSC HD TV's generally have been around in stores a decade. The ViP622DVR was "for real" in November 2005, over six years ago.

I know that some will chime in to say there are millions of SD boxes out there (I have two 508's sitting in a closet) and Dish will still install one (MPEG-4 compatible).

From Dish's viewpoint the fewer SD boxes that are in service, the better. They want us all to get at least a ViP series box (the next series will be available sometime this year). We have people here mad because Dish isn't broadcasting everything in 3-D.

Microsoft won't support XP any more either and I have at least two MS-DOS computers in a storeroom that couldn't run Window 3.1. From my experience in the tech world for four decades, I accept I can't complain about that and I can't complain because my 508's are bricks. Reminisce, maybe, but not complain.

 

[BobaBird]

... replace the 508 with the 301.

OK, but both are being replaced because they have QPSK tuners that are unable to read the 8PSK modulation the Western Arc will be moving to to make room for more channels.

 

[Blowgun]

I can't complain because my 508's are bricks.

Apparently prized bricks, like meteors. You might have a small fortune in your closet. :lol:

A couple of months back when a DISH Tech came out here for a unrelated issue, he wanted to replace both 508s with 512 receivers. When I explained that I had a lot of content on both hard drives that I hadn't watched, he said that I would lose all of the content (including the timers), because they were required to immediately take the 508s back when exchanged for the 512s.

I then asked the Tech could DISH send out the 512s the same way they send out replacement receivers. This would allow me a 14 day window to return the 508 receivers, and give me enough time to transfer the timers and watch the old content. The Tech said that DISH won't do that. How about I send the 508s back myself. Nope. To which, I said don't replace the 508s.

The 508s are no longer being manufactured and old 508s are no longer needed for refurbishing since DISH is replacing them with 512s at every opportunity. Makes me wonder what's the big deal if the subscriber wishes to empty the content of their purchased 508 receivers prior to their exchange. Or, just allow the subscriber to dispose of the receiver. There's free electronic recycling drop-offs.

Later, I read on here mixed user opinions as to whether DISH explicitly wanted the 508s back. I believe it was settled when someone from DIRT said that it wasn't an absolute requirement. Which then made me wonder if perhaps the Tech was misinformed or had a different agenda.

Sure, I would love to replace these aggravating 508 receivers, but not at the cost of losing all the content and especially since there is no immediate replacement deadline. I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that the transition should be more seamless. Especially when additional fees are on the horizon and I'm already paying over $125 a month.

I'll turn the lights off when I'm done. :grin: