Existing Customer HD Upgrade

1410 Views 12 Replies 5 Participants Last post by larrysano, Oct 18, 2006

larrysano

Discussion Starter · Oct 17, 2006

I really want to upgrade to HD service, but my head is spinning from all the different fees and red tape. Here's what I want to do:

I currently own a 301 receiver and subscribe to AT60+locals. I want to lease a ViP 211 through the Dish'n it Up program, upgrade to the DishHD Bronze package+locals, and keep my 301 receiver, but not use it as a "second" receiver/tuner.

What I mean by that is I want to put my 301 on another TV, but I don't need to be able to view seperate programming at the same time. I want to turn off the 211, then turn on the 301 and use it on my second TV. Right now I'm just sending the feed from my 301 throughout the house, but it's a pain because I can't change the channel from my secondary location. I don't have a land phone line connected at my house and I don't want to pay the extra $5 fee for a second receiver. Plus I don't really have a need to either view 2 different channels at the same time or record one show while watching another. All I want to do is use one receiver at a time.

So I guess I'm asking 2 things. Is what I described possible, and given the outcome of that, what would my cost be per month after the upgrade? My guesstimate is below:

DishHD Bronze: $49.99
Local channels: $5 (the site currently says $5.99, but I get them for $5 right now - would that change?)
Receiver Lease: $6

Total: $60.99 plus tax

I think my only upgrade cost would be the initial $49 lease fee.

Thanks everybody for any input you can give!!

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1 - 13 of 13 Posts

calgary2800

· #2 · Oct 17, 2006

I've called several times and dish say its 199 to upgrade lease fee to go HD and than choose your package.

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larrysano

Discussion Starter · #3 · Oct 17, 2006

calgary2800 said:
I've called several times and dish say its 199 to upgrade lease fee to go HD and than choose your package.

Sounds like you're talking about the 622 HD dvr. I just want the 211 HD receiver. The upgrade lease fee for that is $49.

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FTA Michael

· #4 · Oct 17, 2006

You can't have both receivers active without the second receiver being, uh, a "second receiver".

Maybe you could theoretically activate/deactivate the receivers each time you wanted to switch between them, but I don't think anyone involved would enjoy that.

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larrysano

Discussion Starter · #5 · Oct 17, 2006

FTA Michael said:
You can't have both receivers active without the second receiver being, uh, a "second receiver".

Dang. It'd be nice if I could take the decoded signal from the 211 and feed it into the 301. But even as I type that, I guess it's obvious to me that there's no way that could work. Did I get the monthly price right then?

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rocatman

· #6 · Oct 17, 2006

Based on your description on how you have your 301 setup, if you purchased a IR Remote Extender Kit, you could feed both televisions and control the receiver from the second television location. I think the Remote Extender Kit costs about $50 but make sure you get one that will work with the 211. I am not sure about your monthly costs but you maybe eligible for a $100 rebate with the upgrade to a HD metal package.

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CABill

· #7 · Oct 17, 2006

FTA Michael said:
You can't have both receivers active without the second receiver being, uh, a "second receiver".

Maybe you could theoretically activate/deactivate the receivers each time you wanted to switch between them, but I don't think anyone involved would enjoy that.

Actually, if he keeps the 301 active all the time along with the 211, he would pay exactly what he posted initially - $60.99 plus any tax. The lease fee covers any "second receiver" fee and as a DIU existing customer upgrade, you pay the lease fee regardless. That makes the monthly cost the same for just a 211 or if you have both the existing 301 and a 211.

I agree with rocatman about getting $10 for 10 months for a new DishHD subscription and the UHF remote to control any IR receiver. If that's what you want to do, see http://www.dishnetwork.com/downloads/pdf/technology/remote/IR-to-UHFProUpgradeKit132327.pdf. You only get one UHF remote in the kit so it wouldn't work well if you wanted to control the 301 / 211 from several rooms w/o carrying the remote with you. There are plenty of other methods to carry IR to a distant IR receiver that also would work.

larrysano can keep the 301 active all the time and not pay a $5 second receiver fee. He will pay the $6 lease fee on the 211 and IT will be the 2nd receiver - the 301 would have no fee. That same $6 would cover a 622 lease fee, but he'd have to pay $5.98 DVR fee and $5 phone line fee. That's another $10.98 for the DVR, but I think he'd be glad to pay it once he'd used a 622 for a few weeks!!!

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calgary2800

· #8 · Oct 17, 2006

I just upgraded today from AT 180 to HD Gold. It will be installed this weekend. I might as well go for it, just bought a 42 hitachi plasma and dont want to go halfway you know what I mean.

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larrysano

Discussion Starter · #9 · Oct 17, 2006

CABill said:
You only get one UHF remote in the kit so it wouldn't work well if you wanted to control the 301 / 211 from several rooms w/o carrying the remote with you.

Yeah, I don't really think that would go over too well. I have enough problems keeping track of remotes when they stay in the same room! Plus I'm hoping to get a Harmony remote soon to control everything in my main viewing area.

CABill said:
larrysano can keep the 301 active all the time and not pay a $5 second receiver fee. He will pay the $6 lease fee on the 211 and IT will be the 2nd receiver - the 301 would have no fee.

So this means I could view 2 different programs at the same time? I'm surprised the lease fee covers the "not hooked up to a phone line" fee. If so, that's great news!

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larrysano

Discussion Starter · #10 · Oct 17, 2006

calgary2800 said:
I just upgraded today from AT 180 to HD Gold. It will be installed this weekend. I might as well go for it, just bought a 42 hitachi plasma and dont want to go halfway you know what I mean.

What is there to install? Do you need a new dish? I'm asking because I don't think I'd need installation or anything, at least I hope I don't. I just have a Superdish though, and I don't know if I'd need a Dish 1000 or something. I'm fairly certain that I can see all the necessary satellites here in southwest Ohio, but please let me know if I'm incorrect.

Thanks again everyone for your input!

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calgary2800

· #11 · Oct 17, 2006

larrysano said:
What is there to install? Do you need a new dish? I'm asking because I don't think I'd need installation or anything, at least I hope I don't. I just have a Superdish though, and I don't know if I'd need a Dish 1000 or something. I'm fairly certain that I can see all the necessary satellites here in southwest Ohio, but please let me know if I'm incorrect.

Thanks again everyone for your input!

I have a dish 500 and for the dvr a 625. Both need to be replaced with new equipment.

My cost was 199.99 for the lease upgrade. I do get the 10 bucks off for 10 months plus keep the existing 10 bucks off for 10 months when I signed up in Aug. So I eventually I will get 200 bucks in rebates.

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CABill

· #12 · Oct 17, 2006

larrysano said:
So this means I could view 2 different programs at the same time? I'm surprised the lease fee covers the "not hooked up to a phone line" fee. If so, that's great news!

I must have worded it poorly. The Lease fee doesn't cover the PHONE line $5 fee, it covers any fee for "Additional receiver" fee - mirroring the subscription that you get on your Primary receiver onto another receiver. I suggested the 622 because once you get used to using the DVR, there is no going back. If you did get a dual output receiver, it would have a phone line fee of $5 and NOTHING will waive that except connecting to a phone line. That $5 is part of the quoted $10.98 extra cost (and $150 initially) to get a 622 instead of a 211. Either a 211/622 would be the same situation in terms of Lease/Addl Rec - DIU comes with the $6 lease fee which makes it the same cost to just keep the 301 active. An additional plus to using the 622 is you can control both TV1 and TV2 via standard DISH UHF Pro remotes which can be found very cheap. You would only be able to use the Harmony on IR receivers (TV1 on a 622 is IR but can also be IR or UHF Pro).

The 211/622 would come with whatever is required for the install. To get HD, you need to see 61.5 or 129 and neither of those are part of a Superdish. What do you currently need the Superdish for?

Edit - this may help explain. The no phone line fee applies only to dual output receivers - it doesn't apply to 2nd receivers on the account. 2nd / 3rd receivers are charged either a Lease fee or "Addl Rec" fee (when they are OWNED).

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larrysano

Discussion Starter · #13 · Oct 18, 2006

CABill said:
The Lease fee doesn't cover the PHONE line $5 fee, it covers any fee for "Additional receiver" fee - mirroring the subscription that you get on your Primary receiver onto another receiver.

Ok, I understand now. Mirroring the subscription is fine, like I said in the original post. That's still great news to me, that the lease fee for the 211 acts as the "additional receiver" fee since I own the 301!

CABill said:
I suggested the 622 because once you get used to using the DVR, there is no going back.

Yeah, that's what I've heard before. But I rarely record things as it is, and I think the last thing I need right now is something to help me watch even more tv

I mainly want the upgrade to make the tv I already watch look a lot better. The composite/s-video out on the 301 is a real disappointment.

CABill said:
To get HD, you need to see 61.5 or 129 and neither of those are part of a Superdish. What do you currently need the Superdish for?

Hmm, when I checked yesterday, I'm pretty sure I could see 61.5. I'll double check that again this afternoon. They installed the Superdish when I signed up for locals. Apparently I needed it to see 105.

Thanks for the clear explanations and clarifications. It's been extremely helpful! I think I know what I need now, and I'm crossing my fingers that I'll get a knowledgeable CSR to help me out.

Edit: You're right about 61.5. Looks like I'll be paying for the install too then, since I need a new dish. Maybe I'll just go with the dvr after all....

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