Upgrades have to go through DirecTV directly. You will pay $5 per additional receiver on your monthly bill, in addition to whatever DirecTV charges for the receivers you want installed. That can vary from account to account based on your history, so only DirecTV can say if you will get any discounts.
Install question for additional rooms
I currently have 2 HR20-700 receivers and a slimline dish. I also have Comcast cable service for internet and basic cable for 3 additional bedrooms. The basic cable used to be convenient with the old Sony D* HD receivers that would except both OTA connection and cable. But now I'm tired of paying for the basic cable for the kids and would like to add D* into the 3 bedrooms now receiving the cable service. I want to keep my cable internet connection though.
My questions are: What kind of cost can I expect to run D* into those other rooms? Also is this the type of service that I should contract with a local installer directly, or should I contact D*? Any advice would be appreciated.
My questions are: What kind of cost can I expect to run D* into those other rooms? Also is this the type of service that I should contract with a local installer directly, or should I contact D*? Any advice would be appreciated.
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I think an add outlet is $45. Not sure about 3.
depending on how the cabling to the 3 rooms is set up I wonder if this could be qualified for an swm install due to amount of tuners.
To date, upgrades do NOT qualify for SWM equipment, period.David MacLeod said:depending on how the cabling to the 3 rooms is set up I wonder if this could be qualified for an swm install due to amount of tuners.
There may be a small number of techs who are given some leeway to put up whatever makes the most sense for the job, who might be able to put in a SWM LNB, but they would be exceptions to the rule, and not something to be counted on.
But, since it doesn't sound like the additional rooms are likely to be DVRs, SWM wouldn't get the OP much anyway, and if they were, there wouldn't be enough SWM channels (SWM only supports 8 tuners).
what I was looking at is it would be 7 tuners if just receivers were added.
The 3 additional rooms would not be DVRs. They would be HD receivers. So I would have my current 2 HD DVRs and 3 additional receivers. My experience with installers sent by D* has been spotty. That's why I was asking about contracting with a local installer of my choosing. I've had installers that did not want to get in my attic (I can understand why - in South Florida this is not a pleasant experience, but would be the preferred option) or just telling me something can't be done. Why is it that I couldn't specify that I want a SWM installed?David MacLeod said:what I was looking at is it would be 7 tuners if just receivers were added.
there are a bunch of posts around about swm qualification. from what I understand upgrades do not qualify right now mostly due to supply. it looks as if the supplies are being used for new installations that meet certain (tuner # being 1) requirements.
almost always the customer does not have a say in what will be used to complete the hookup.
but if you deal personally with a local installer it might be different, I am not sure.
I'm not sure how it would work if you were to purchase the swm equipment either.
I was wondering about it because it would prevent having to run more cables, but if they are never going to be dvr's there a second run isn't needed and a standard multiswitch would work.
this is probably what an installer would default to.
almost always the customer does not have a say in what will be used to complete the hookup.
but if you deal personally with a local installer it might be different, I am not sure.
I'm not sure how it would work if you were to purchase the swm equipment either.
I was wondering about it because it would prevent having to run more cables, but if they are never going to be dvr's there a second run isn't needed and a standard multiswitch would work.
this is probably what an installer would default to.
SWMs are still quite new, and only in low-volume production. Supply is no where near demand, and DirecTV had to create a policy to best utilize the ones they get. Thus, currently, you only get a SWM dish if you meet ALL of these requirements:capegator said:Why is it that I couldn't specify that I want a SWM installed?
- You are a NEW customer
- You are ordering an HD-DVR
- You are ordering between 5 and 8 tuners
Soon, this rule is going to be slightly relaxed to:
- New customer
- At least one HD receiver
- 1-8 tuners
Note that still does not include upgrades or Mover's. The reason for this is that many people's existing receivers do not support SWM technology, and DirecTV doesn't want to swap out receivers, or have installers "get stuck" because they installed the wrong dish and didn't realize that some of the receivers won't work with it. Under the current policy (i.e., NEW customers only), people automatically get SWM-compatible receivers, since all current receivers are SWM-compatible. The policy has to be consistant, so even accounts with all SWM-compatible receivers do not qualify for SWM dishes at this time.
As SWM production increases, and as more installers get some experience with SWM setups, it's virtually certain that the rules will be further relaxed, but right now there are still a LOT of techs who have never done one and don't know how it works.
You could definately call the installer of your choice and have them pre-wire. You might be able to convince DirecTV to ship you two new boxes, although that is doubtful anymore. Have it prewired, call DirecTV, and all there installer will have to do is attach the boxes and install a multi-switch.capegator said:The 3 additional rooms would not be DVRs. They would be HD receivers. So I would have my current 2 HD DVRs and 3 additional receivers. My experience with installers sent by D* has been spotty. That's why I was asking about contracting with a local installer of my choosing. I've had installers that did not want to get in my attic (I can understand why - in South Florida this is not a pleasant experience, but would be the preferred option) or just telling me something can't be done. Why is it that I couldn't specify that I want a SWM installed?
He could certainly do that, but he'd also have to pay for the switch, as he needs more outputs than the 4 available on the dish. And DirecTV will charge for installation if they deliver the boxes, so if he doesn't want DirecTV to do the install, he's going to need to be prepared to pay.
Thanks all for the advice and information. I'm not clear what you mean by ..."be prepared to pay." Wouldn't I be paying either way. Either hiring a local installer or by going through D*. If you think I can get a free install from D* for this upgrade I can deal with that.IIP said:He could certainly do that, but he'd also have to pay for the switch, as he needs more outputs than the 4 available on the dish. And DirecTV will charge for installation if they deliver the boxes, so if he doesn't want DirecTV to do the install, he's going to need to be prepared to pay.
I mean "prepare to pay significantly more than DirecTV would charge." DirecTV provides the dish and switch equipment for free to their own techs (as needed per the job), but an independent installer would have to charge you for them. Independents also tend to charge realistic rates for their labor, instead of the bottom-of-the-barrel pay that DirecTV pays their own guys. The low pay is why so many installers are lousy; anyone who does it right quickly figures out that they can't afford to do it right for what DirecTV pays, so they either quit, or they learn to cut corners.
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