[bunkers]

I was wondering if I would benefit by upgrading my 942 or not. We have the 942 and 2-tuner SD PVR upstairs (both feed a second room), 4 rooms total. I don't see a need for 2-tune SD DVR to be upgraded because its fine for the kids and the TV is 36" SD set. Downstairs, the 942 is hooked to 720p plasma and we use a OTA HD antenna for about 16 HD locals.

We also have non-used 501 that we have consider re-activating for use in our basement workout room and possibly for RV use part-time.

Can we still re-active our old 501 and is the DVR fee still free on that model? I imagine an additional rcvr fee still applies. The 501 is owned, not leased.

I've wanted to consider adding HD channels, but can't because the 942 doesn't support them.

Advise appreciated.
Thx,
Scott

 

[BobaBird]

On Aug 1, that 942 will no longer support the satellite HD channels you're getting now because they are being converted to MPEG4. If Dish hasn't contacted you yet for a free upgrade to a 622, I would "advice" you to call them.

Correct on the 501. Does your dish (or external switch) have a spare output?

 

[bunkers]

Thanks.

I don't currently subscribe to any dish HD channels, I just get some OTA HD channels only. The info shows in the guide and I can record the, etc. I am thinking those will not be affect, right?

I have some old equipment that I once used to connect two 721 rcvrs and have since sold those rcvrs, but do have the switches from that.

I'm familiar with the current tricks that dish uses with cables, because my dish seems to be diplexing stuff onto a single cable and then breaking them into two input right before the receivers. Everything is wired to a central wiring point in my basement and I even think my house (built in 2005) had multiple RG6 cable from the dish point to the wiring center, but I don't think they used all those cables.

So would a two TV set version of the 622 be an upgrade to an existing 942 ? Or only if I want the HD channels from dish? Looking at the specs, I'd ideally like a 722 instead, since the recording capacity is higher and it looks more like a 942 (top of the line) replacement to me.

 

[BobaBird]

The 622 works pretty much like the 942 (2 rooms, 2 HD sat tuners + OTA) but adds MPEG4 decoding, DishCOMM, ethernet port, and optional add-on external hard drive. The 722 is the same except it is proper black, has a larger internal HDD, and a few other minor differences.

Dish won't give a 722 on the free upgrade (I tried). If you really want one they'll do it on the regular terms of the Dish'n It Up program. Log in to your account at dishnetwork.com to see what that is for you.

 

[garys]

If you have to pay an upgrade fee, the 612 would be less expensive, but it cannot run two independent tv's. Any tv's would be watching the same program.

 

[Glenn]

Dish won't give a 722 on the free upgrade (I tried).

We got a 722 on the free upgrade, but I have a feeling it had to do with what hardware was available. In your case, the local installer probably had a truck full of 622s and you were SOL. I think my good fortune was simply due to the local installer being out of 622s. That's just a guess, since I didn't ask him (see gift horse, mouth), but I figured I might as well put the word out that it's not impossible.

 

[bunkers]

I think if I whined loud enough, I could probably get one.

This is what kills me about dish ... they obsolete my equipment and then want me to pay to upgrade it to work again with new equipment.

The only way it works is to leave dish for 6 months and then come back as a new customer with a better deal that only new customer get and existing customers have to pay for.

 

[peano]

See if they'll add the cheapest HD channel package for you. They should. You can still get about seven MPEG2 HD channels until Aug. 1 .

Then you will get a free upgrade.

 

[CABill]

Nobody can add the old MPEG-2 HD Pack (for quite a while now). If bunkers DID subscribe to some HD channel, DISH would be phoning him, sending email, postcards, ... that he is entitled to get a free ViP so he can CONTINUE to receive his HD channels. They keep calling even after you've upgraded. If you subscribe to a premium package (like HBO), you'd probably then fall into the "you'll lose existing HD programming" and qualify for a ViP.

The 942 isn't obsolete, and will continue to receive what you currently subscribe to after 1-Aug. Whether you get a 622 or 722 is determined by what the installer has on his vehicle. I got a 722 for my 942. If I ASKED for a 722 instead, it was a choice but only via DIU upgrade for a price. Free is better. That particular 942 was just activated on my account a week or two earlier after activating it on a neighbor's account. When I activated it, it got the old HD Pack, but only because the account already had that active. It isn't "SD Only", but would be sat SD only and OTA HD if the account it is activated on doesn't already subscribe to some HD.

It seems odd that DISH doesn't want the receiver (owned, not leased) returned but so be it.

 

[rbyers]

Long term, the 942 isn't even a good boat anchor. Your issue isn't "should you upgrade", but what's the best deal that you can make for this box.

Sooner or later you're really going to want the HD channels. I didn't bother to look, but I think you can get your HD channels output in SD from both the 622 and 722.

The 942 was a cool box at one time, but it's the current equivalent of 8-track.