Advice needed - I have two HR10-250's in a self install I did years ago.
I live in downtown Philadelphia - "Center City" as well call it. When I originally ordered Directv in 2001, I had two installers come out that basically said :
"No way, you'll never get a dish on your roof."
"You'll never get a satellite signal in center city Philly."
"You'll never get an installer to go up there." ... etc etc.
Directv offered to send me the dish and multiswitch to do a self install - so I try it : I get a ladder off my third floor deck onto my 4th floor roof, mount a dish on my fireplace stack facing the southern sky, and viola! I have Directv. Later I upgrade to a HD dish, OTA Antenna, multiswitch - I did it all myself. I have enjoyed high def Directv for years.
Fast forward to July 2008 : multiple calls from Directv. They are switching to Mpeg4, I need to upgrade.
I schedule an installer who comes out, doesn't even COME inside the house, and says basically the SAME THINGS as they did 7 years ago: "You'll never get Mpeg4 in center city, you'll never get a dish up there, etc". I explain I already have Directv, I already have a dish, etc. No joy - he doesn't even apologize - just says he needs to "talk to someone", leaves and never comes back. No calls, no follow ups.
Disgruntled, I call Directv, and the apathetic CSR bascially tells me "tough ****" and now I am furious - I call Comcast, make an appt for their crappy high def boxes. I go up, manually disassemble my dish, cables, multiswitches, and just called Directv to cancel service.
Now they tell me "of course I can get Mp4", but want to charge me for each Mpeg 4 DVR receiver. I *own* two HR10-250's, why would I pay for two leased units? Comcast will bring out two leased units and install the high def for FREE. She offers me some lame freebies, but I don't care about any of that : I shouldn't have to buy equipment that's leased when I am being forced to upgrade from owned equipment.
As far as asking them "how do I get an Mpeg4 dish and equipment if the installers won't install it?" The CSR tries to assure me that every installer can upgrade to the new system. "Not if they won't even come inside the house."
I am at my wits end with DirecTV, and am unsure what to do next. I called Comcast and put a hold on their installation - so now I have only OTA high def atm until I figure out what to do.
What should I do guys? Give it all up and take up reading? Go with crappy Comcast and wait for FIOS (years away).
I really appreciate some feedback, I am at a loss. Cheers.
I live in downtown Philadelphia - "Center City" as well call it. When I originally ordered Directv in 2001, I had two installers come out that basically said :
"No way, you'll never get a dish on your roof."
"You'll never get a satellite signal in center city Philly."
"You'll never get an installer to go up there." ... etc etc.
Directv offered to send me the dish and multiswitch to do a self install - so I try it : I get a ladder off my third floor deck onto my 4th floor roof, mount a dish on my fireplace stack facing the southern sky, and viola! I have Directv. Later I upgrade to a HD dish, OTA Antenna, multiswitch - I did it all myself. I have enjoyed high def Directv for years.
Fast forward to July 2008 : multiple calls from Directv. They are switching to Mpeg4, I need to upgrade.
I schedule an installer who comes out, doesn't even COME inside the house, and says basically the SAME THINGS as they did 7 years ago: "You'll never get Mpeg4 in center city, you'll never get a dish up there, etc". I explain I already have Directv, I already have a dish, etc. No joy - he doesn't even apologize - just says he needs to "talk to someone", leaves and never comes back. No calls, no follow ups.
Disgruntled, I call Directv, and the apathetic CSR bascially tells me "tough ****" and now I am furious - I call Comcast, make an appt for their crappy high def boxes. I go up, manually disassemble my dish, cables, multiswitches, and just called Directv to cancel service.
Now they tell me "of course I can get Mp4", but want to charge me for each Mpeg 4 DVR receiver. I *own* two HR10-250's, why would I pay for two leased units? Comcast will bring out two leased units and install the high def for FREE. She offers me some lame freebies, but I don't care about any of that : I shouldn't have to buy equipment that's leased when I am being forced to upgrade from owned equipment.
As far as asking them "how do I get an Mpeg4 dish and equipment if the installers won't install it?" The CSR tries to assure me that every installer can upgrade to the new system. "Not if they won't even come inside the house."
I am at my wits end with DirecTV, and am unsure what to do next. I called Comcast and put a hold on their installation - so now I have only OTA high def atm until I figure out what to do.
What should I do guys? Give it all up and take up reading? Go with crappy Comcast and wait for FIOS (years away).
I really appreciate some feedback, I am at a loss. Cheers.
