[endeitz]

Hello,

I just got off the phone with a CSR and I have a couple of questions. I want the vip622 and the HDbronze package, with locals (no HD locals in my area). Here is what he quoted:

up front:
200 upgrade fee
49.98 activation fee
-100 HD rebate (over 10 months)
-100 new subscriber rebate (over 10 months)

monthly:
49.95 HDbronze
5.00 Locals
5.98 DVR fee

This was all as I expected. However, I have a "gift certificate" for club dish that says:

-----
THIS SPECIAL GIFT CERTIFICATE ENTITLES YOUR FRIEND TO DISH NETWORK SATELLITE TV FOR THE WHOLE HOUSE (UP TO 4 ROOMS) WITH DIGITAL HOME ADVANTAGE INCLUDING:


* FREE Activation (a $49.99 value)
* $100 back with America's Top 120 or higher programming
* STARZ Movie Pack FREE for the first 3 months
----

The CSR says that because of the ClubDish certificate, I would not have to pay activation. However, he said that the $100 back was *not* in addition to the two rebates I mentioned above. In other threads on this forums, someone said that ClubDish was worth both the activation fee *and* $50 credit to your account. The CSR made it sound like I got the activation fee, but no credit, only the standard rebates mentioned in the line items above. Can anyone verify if he is right?

Also, I asked if they would throw in an antenna, since I can't get HD locals and he said "no". Has anyone convinced them to throw in an antenna with the deal as well?

Cheers,

Ed.

 

[CABill]

What you listed in Up Front

-100 new subscriber rebate (over 10 months)

and the ClubDISH $100

* $100 back with America's Top 120 or higher programming

are the same thing - you can't get them both. They are both the "rebates" that appear as $10 credits for 10 months. There is a 2nd $10/month for DishHD subscription.

There is only $200 available in REBATES. As long as you agree to the 18 month commitment (ClubDISH requires agreeing to 18 months), you also get a $50 credit back on your account on the 1st bill.

Someone that used ClubDISH and didn't pay the activation but received the $50 credit would be $100 better off than someone that paid the $49.99 activation and DIDN'T commit to 18 months. As long as you are commiting to 18 months, ClubDISH only "gains you" $50.

The Starz line should say "Pick one premium package for 3 months", but they aren't very good at updating the electronic versions. The hardcopy version of the certificates replace AT120 with AT60 in the $100 off.

 

[endeitz]

CABILL, you have helped me here before. Thanks again for your information. That sets the record straight.

Now. . .has anyone gotten a free antenna for OTA HD locals out of them on signup? I know I'm being greedy. I just want to see if I need to push a little more.

Cheers,

Ed.

 

[Scotes]

What is this "gift certificate"? Do current Dish subscribers have something to give out that can get a new sub an extra $50 off? If yes how can I get in on this as I am looking to get Dish... likely by the 28th if I pull the trigger. Thanks!

 

[lakebum431]

PM sent

 

[bparrish]

Another newbie - with some related questions.

I want to get Dish and take down my rather large OTA antenna that (with amplifiers) doesn't QUITE pull in local HD except sporadically. Also the OTA antenna (and its guy wires) shade 2.6KW of solar panels for an hour or two every day.

Any chance someone could send me one of those club dish thingies? I gather you can just send them through the forum system via private message. A friend of my daughters has DISH, but hasn't called me back yet (its been a couple of days.) I guess he's eIther two busy or doesn't understand it'll be saving HIM some monehy as well.

We've never had cable OR satellite before, so this will be a big change(!)

I'm planning to get SilverHD, and connect 4 tvs, 1HD.

One dumb question - if I hook TV2 RF to a splitter, can I watch the same thing on multipe TVs at the same time (or perhaps just use one TV at a time on that branch). I'm thinking of sending one signal to 3 different outlets in an area where only one of the three would be used at any one time.

 

[jmeitz]

I am in the same boat as you but here is what i am getting. 622 and 525 and getting 20 off my package for 10 months so basically a free HD DVR. They are also going to give me 6 months of HBO, SHOW and Starz and since i was referred they are going to give me 100 credit. 50 for activation which they waved but said i would get a rebate and 50 from the referral. I think this is a good deal. I am coming from DTV.

 

[saltrek]

Yes, if you get the 622 you can split the coax output to as many TV's as you want. Both TV1 and TV2 are carried on the one cable - it's just a matter of setting each tuner to its own channel and then tuning the other TV's to the desired channel to watch the desired tuner. After that it's a matter of having extra remotes in the other rooms to control the 622.

 

[CABill]

I want to get Dish and take down my rather large OTA antenna that (with amplifiers) doesn't QUITE pull in local HD except sporadically. Also the OTA antenna (and its guy wires) shade 2.6KW of solar panels for an hour or two every day.

Any chance someone could send me one of those club dish thingies?

I sent a PM with a URL to instructions for someone to Create Certificate on the DISH website if the daughter's friend does call.

There are lots of places "near Auburn" where you wouldn't have much luck with OTA, but you'll lose versatility (and HD content) if you take the antenna down. I'm in Loomis (but on the top of a ridge) and get 99-100 for all the OTA channels in Sacto and I'm 40 miles away. I can only record HD locals OTA (942, not a 622) so it matters more to me. With a 622, you could get the HD channels via sat, but remember that DISH doesn't have Fox (KTXL 40) or KVIE 6 in HD.

You've probably already tried, but I'd consider a different antenna or even taller mast, and moving it if needed. How much shade can a guy wire generate??

 

[bparrish]

I sent a PM with a URL to instructions for someone to Create Certificate on the DISH website if the daughter's friend does call.

There are lots of places "near Auburn" where you wouldn't have much luck with OTA, but you'll lose versatility (and HD content) if you take the antenna down. I'm in Loomis (but on the top of a ridge) and get 99-100 for all the OTA channels in Sacto and I'm 40 miles away. I can only record HD locals OTA (942, not a 622) so it matters more to me. With a 622, you could get the HD channels via sat, but remember that DISH doesn't have Fox (KTXL 40) or KVIE 6 in HD.

You've probably already tried, but I'd consider a different antenna or even taller mast, and moving it if needed. How much shade can a guy wire generate??

Thanks for the info. I'm up near Applegate. I had thought of putting an antenna on the top of a pine tree, but I've had several huge ones die since we moved up here, so that would've been a bad idea.

On the solar, (and I didn't know this before I put the system in, even though the info is available - live and learn!) even a small shadow like a guy wire can cut the current through one of my panels by about half - and since my panels are in strings of 4 (130 watts each), it means a guy wire shadow costs me about 260 watts as long as it's anywhere on any of the four panels. If it spans two strings, which it easily can, it costs 520 watts. Two of the thre guy wires can cause shadow, in addition to th mast and the antenna itself. Since I'm on net metering (meter runs backwards when I'm producing more than I'm using) it's in my interest to keep them running all the time if possible.

I noticed that KVIE and KTXL were not available in HD with the locals, but at present I only get them sporadically (and KVIE has some GREAT HD stuff, but my reception is so spotty it's rarely usable).

There may be a possibility at a future date of putting an outdoor antenna at a different location, perhaps one optimized for UHF to receive the HD OTA, but for now it's coming down. I'm losing spotty KVIE/KTXL HD reception, but hopefully gaining a lot more. I'm hoping the other two may be available in HD (any rumors?) before I get around to having to do any more on the roof.

 

[CABill]

I'm just a different mindset on solar because of my use. My mast and antenna are north of about 2000 linear feet of solar pipe (just to heat the pool) and I'd never know the difference if it was partially shaded. If the shade were touching my wallet, I'd be doing something to the antenna myself. But not putting it on a Digger Pine - grow way too fast and then just come down across the road.

Generally, DISH doesn't do the PBS digital channels in a city and I wouldn't expect that to change any time soon. Sacto is somewhat unique in having 58 (MyTV) in HD via sat. It is usually just ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC.

If you are going to get the HD receiver from DISH soon, I'd leave the antenna up until it is installed. If you are able to lock onto a station with the DISH tuner, that channel's EPG info will be displayed for the 3.1, 6.1, 6.2, 10.1, 13.1, 31.1, 40.1, 58.1 even after the antenna comes down. The analog 6.0 content is different from the 6.1 and 6.2 digital channels.