# Directv free upgrade offer



## JT1521 (Sep 11, 2006)

Hi, I just recently sent an email to Directv to ask them about upgrading from an HD receiver to a HD DVR. Well they sent me an email back stating the following.

After reading your email and reviewing your account I see that you are eligible for a free HD DVR equipment upgrade. Since you have been a valuable DIRECTV customer.
Please not that this offer is available for a limited time only and if you accept this offer, it will include a programming agreement of 18 months for the Standard Receiver and 24 months for advanced equipment such as DVR,HD or HD DVR on top of any programming agreement you may already be under. Additionally, a DVR service fee is required with a DVR upgrade, and/or an HD Access fee commitment is required with an HD receiver upgrade. 

And they go on to tell me that there is a DVR service agreement ($5.99/mo) required for DVR and HD DVR lease. 

Anyway I guess adding $5.99 to my monthly bill isn't too bad. However I am skeptical because I have heard alot of bad reviews dealing with the Directv HD DVR's. I am just wondering about anyone else's experience with these HD DVR's and if it would be worth it or not to get.Thanks.


----------



## TermiNader (Jul 10, 2007)

I have had DIRECTV DVRs for many years now included HD DVRs for 1.5 years. They perform well and our family rarely watches anything live anymore. For kids, it's nice to limit their choices to appropriate programs for their age without commericals.


----------



## JT1521 (Sep 11, 2006)

Well I emailed them back and asked them if I could relocate my current HD receiver to my room. I don't have an HD tv. I want the digital optical and component video hook ups the HD receiver has. My standard def receiver doesn't have component. It has an S-video which is better than the composite but you can tell that it is defective. The blacks in scenes are wacky. That HD receiver should work on a standard def TV right?


----------



## litzdog911 (Jun 23, 2004)

Yes, an HD Receiver will work fine with an SD TV.


----------



## JT1521 (Sep 11, 2006)

Should I request a certain model of their HD DVR or will they give me what they give me? LOL


----------



## litzdog911 (Jun 23, 2004)

You can't request a specific model. They'll send what they have. If you really want a specific model, you'll have to get it from a dealer (Best Buy, Costco, Solid Signal, etc).


----------



## joshjr (Aug 2, 2008)

Also keep in mind that if you get the right package the HD fee and the DVR fee will be included and not an additional fee.


----------



## JT1521 (Sep 11, 2006)

Well if they are gonna send me a free HD DVR which is worth $199 then going to Best Buy or where ever to get one is probably not a good idea. lol


----------



## LOCODUDE (Aug 8, 2007)

Indeed.......


----------



## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

They let me go to Best Buy to get one, and gave me a credit for it on my account to cover all but the tax. I already had the HD dish, and didnt need any installation work. YMMV, but its worth asking if they will let you do that. If you only have ONE coax run to where the DVR is, and do NOT have a SWM slimline dish, Directv will need to roll a truck for the install, and probably wont let you pick.

You can, however, contact the installer prior to your appointment and request if they have the model you want, and see if they will bring that one.

Also, if you want OTA in addition to sat locals, you will need a AM21 (order via Directv Web site for $50) unless they bring a HR20 which has the OTA built in.


----------



## booyaa (Sep 11, 2008)

I received an offer for "new subscribers only" to get Free DVR for life! Was thinking of calling to see if I can get the offer since I've been with D*TV for 7 years!

Anyone else get this offer??


----------



## ATARI (May 10, 2007)

booyaa said:


> I received an offer for "new subscribers only" to get Free DVR for life! Was thinking of calling to see if I can get the offer since I've been with D*TV for 7 years!
> 
> Anyone else get this offer??


Is it a DVR or HD DVR?


----------



## iaflyer (Jan 7, 2007)

booyaa said:


> I received an offer for "new subscribers only" to get Free DVR for life! Was thinking of calling to see if I can get the offer since I've been with D*TV for 7 years!


What do they mean by "life". Do they mean your life, or the device's life. The only reason I'm asking is this issue came with with Tivo when they sold Lifetime Service. People thought Tivo meant the owner's life, while Tivo sorta changed their mind and said, "oh, we meant the life of the Tivo."


----------



## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

iaflyer said:


> What do they mean by "life". Do they mean your life, or the device's life. The only reason I'm asking is this issue came with with Tivo when they sold Lifetime Service. People thought Tivo meant the owner's life, while Tivo sorta changed their mind and said, "oh, we meant the life of the Tivo."


My Tivo lifetime is still going strong with D*. It's for the life of my account.


----------



## booyaa (Sep 11, 2008)

I don't know the answer, it doesn't go into detail on the mailing. I plan on calling this weekend to get the scoop.

We'll see.
I'm sure it's for new subscriptions only, but I'll see what they say.


----------



## JT1521 (Sep 11, 2006)

Well I told them to go ahead and send me a Free HD DVR upgrade. I will only be getting charged $5.99 a month more on my bill. Not bad for $212 worth of equipment and shipping and installation fees all for free. They will be installing it on 3/18. I don't really know why they need someone to come and install it. I can install anything lol. Anyway I was wondering if I should request an HR22 instead of the older HR21? I have even heard that they have an HR23 but I haven't heard much about it. Anyone know what I should do? I know the HR22 has a bigger HD compared to the HR21. Thanks.


----------



## joshjr (Aug 2, 2008)

JT1521 said:


> Well I told them to go ahead and send me a Free HD DVR upgrade. I will only be getting charged $5.99 a month more on my bill. Not bad for $212 worth of equipment and shipping and installation fees all for free. They will be installing it on 3/18. I don't really know why they need someone to come and install it. I can install anything lol. Anyway I was wondering if I should request an HR22 instead of the older HR21? I have even heard that they have an HR23 but I haven't heard much about it. Anyone know what I should do? I know the HR22 has a bigger HD compared to the HR21. Thanks.


The HR23 does not use the BBC's anymore and has the bigger hard drive in it.


----------



## JT1521 (Sep 11, 2006)

Hmmm. Think I should request the HR23? Is that an HD DVR? One thing I really don't quite understand about Directv. They make everyone pay the same for programming and such why doesn't everyone have the exact same model of their equipment? Anytime they upgrade their equipment everyone should be able to trade in their older models for it. Doesn't seem right i am paying the same program as someone else and they have a better model receiver.


----------



## roadrunner1782 (Sep 28, 2008)

Your average customer doesn't know the difference in the models, and they're all fuctionally the same with minor differences between models.


----------



## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

JT1521 said:


> Well I told them to go ahead and send me a Free HD DVR upgrade. I will only be getting charged $5.99 a month more on my bill. Not bad for $212 worth of equipment and shipping and installation fees all for free. They will be installing it on 3/18. I don't really know why they need someone to come and install it. I can install anything lol. Anyway I was wondering if I should request an HR22 instead of the older HR21? I have even heard that they have an HR23 but I haven't heard much about it. Anyone know what I should do? I know the HR22 has a bigger HD compared to the HR21. Thanks.


Congrats  .. You'll likely find the $5.99 an investment well spent ..


----------



## JT1521 (Sep 11, 2006)

So should I request a particular model or just be happy with what I get? LOL


----------



## jdspencer (Nov 8, 2003)

Functionally all of the HD DVRs are the same. The only difference is the size of the hard drive as mentioned above. The HR20 and HR21 have 300 or 320 GB drives, where the HR22 and HR23 have 500GB.


----------



## MONSTERMAN (Aug 18, 2007)

OP, what did you say in your email to DirecTv to get them to send you a free HD DVR? I have tried many times calling DIRECTV and they all say that I would have to pay the $199 price for an HD DVR.

*This is really IRRITATING that all these "JOHNNY COME LATELY's" (new customers) get such great deals when DirecTv's old loyal customers are getting screwed!!!* My moron neighbor just got that great deal where he gets free installation, free HD DVR and about half off the price of his premier package for a year!!! I never have gotten anything free from DIRECTV and have been with them since 1994!

My current 2 year commitment is now over, I'm wondering if I cancel my DIRECTV service if I can come back as a new customer and get this unfair deal. Don't mean to whine, but dammit these (new customer promotions aren't fair) sucks as I'm sure most of you feel the same way.


----------



## Shades228 (Mar 18, 2008)

MONSTERMAN said:


> OP, what did you say in your email to DirecTv to get them to send you a free HD DVR? I have tried many times calling DIRECTV and they all say that I would have to pay the $199 price for an HD DVR.
> 
> *This is really IRRITATING that all these "JOHNNY COME LATELY's" (new customers) get such great deals when DirecTv's old loyal customers are getting screwed!!!* My moron neighbor just got that great deal where he gets free installation, free HD DVR and about half off the price of his premier package for a year!!! I never have gotten anything free from DIRECTV and have been with them since 1994!
> 
> My current 2 year commitment is now over, I'm wondering if I cancel my DIRECTV service if I can come back as a new customer and get this unfair deal. Don't mean to whine, but dammit these (new customer promotions aren't fair) sucks as I'm sure most of you feel the same way.


Actually there are many loyal customer things going on, but there are 2 sides to all stories. Things that they look at are discounts in the past, payment history, how long your account has been active since the last activation date(If you left and came back it restarted), and I'm sure regional and other aspects.

You can always ask what the person sees that might impact it but CSR's don't have specific reasons why you're not eligible unless it's something obvious as tenure or payment history.


----------



## dodge boy (Mar 31, 2006)

JT1521 said:


> Well I emailed them back and asked them if I could relocate my current HD receiver to my room. I don't have an HD tv. I want the digital optical and component video hook ups the HD receiver has. My standard def receiver doesn't have component. It has an S-video which is better than the composite but you can tell that it is defective. The blacks in scenes are wacky. That HD receiver should work on a standard def TV right?


R22 is SD, has Component and HDMI, and Digital Optical audio.


----------



## dodge boy (Mar 31, 2006)

JT1521 said:


> So should I request a particular model or just be happy with what I get? LOL


You can request anything, but they won't guarantee what you'll get. You could see if they give you credits on your bill if you buy one from a retailer.


----------



## djrobx (Jan 27, 2009)

> I'm wondering if I cancel my DIRECTV service if I can come back as a new customer and get this unfair deal.


In the past, DirecTV was pretty good at maintaining a database of their old customers and not giving them new customer incentives when they come back. However, I'd suggest you call DirecTV and discuss the situation with the cancellations department. Retention departments typically have the power to give people good deals they would not normally be able to get. If your contract is done you definitely should be in a good bargaining position.


----------



## JT1521 (Sep 11, 2006)

What do you mean by the R22 is SD? If you mean it is a Standard Def receiver your wrong it is an HD DVR receiver.


----------



## CCarncross (Jul 19, 2005)

The R22 is a SD DVR, the HR22 is an HD model.


----------



## JT1521 (Sep 11, 2006)

Yeah, I don't know why there was any mention of the R22 I said HR22. LOL So if I request any of the HD DVR's in your opinion which one is the best? The HR21, HR22 or HR23? That is all I wanna know right now. Thanks.


----------



## CCarncross (Jul 19, 2005)

You can't really request which model you want, they send you what they send you. The models are virtually identical, except for the HD size difference already mentioned and an ethernet port here or there. Anyone serious about how much storage they have adds an eSATA drive anyway. Any other differences are mostly perceived, this board is a really great place to get info, but there is also a lot of conspiracy theory here as well that model X is inherently flawed so make sure you get model Y. Most of the issues in the end trace back to some other issue at the users site(cabling, grounding, LOS, etc.)


----------



## Phil T (Mar 25, 2002)

I was surprised to get an e-mail yesterday from DirecTV offering to upgrade my HR10-250 for free. I got a free HR21 in November 07, deactivated the HR10-250 for about 6 months and then reactivated it for my daughter's room about a year ago. I called yesterday and asked if it was possible to have it shipped to me instead of having to wait for an installer. They said no problem and placed the order.

Today when I looked on my online account I found I was charged $236.00. I called and they immediately reversed it.

I am interested to see what model I get. They say I should have it in three to five days.


----------



## konfusion (Jan 27, 2008)

i got the hr-21 when they first came out what would it cost to upgrade to a hr-23? it hasnt even been that long but i want a faster box and bigger space.


----------



## ziggy29 (Nov 18, 2004)

konfusion said:


> i got the hr-21 when they first came out what would it cost to upgrade to a hr-23? it hasnt even been that long but i want a faster box and bigger space.


If you mainly want more drive space, you can go out and buy your own external eSATA hard drive to override the smaller one inside the HR21. It will probably cost less than getting a new HR22/23 from D*, you will OWN that external drive and you won't restart the D* contract commitment clock...


----------



## konfusion (Jan 27, 2008)

ya i called and they said 200$ forget that crap. i just paid 200 for the one i have and i cant keep both so that sounded really dumb. 

can i transfer whats on my box to an external hd?


----------



## gilviv (Sep 18, 2007)

A CSR was willing to send out a replacement for my HR20 due to a problem which seems to be on their end and not the DVR's end (FREE), but after being with them for 3 years and not being so much as an hour late on a payment, when I asked about my other DVR (and R15) and going all HD the answer was, sure $199.99 After a bit of friendly venting they offered a REFURBISHED HDDVR, for $99.99 

It's funny, in the past, they have issued a programming credit or similar for the most rediculous of reasons. My contract is up in a month, I hear DISH is really making a push for D* loyals.


----------



## Retro (Nov 27, 2007)

2 THINGS: 

I've been with Directv for 12 years and the most recent thing i had to do was call them this weekend because several specific channels were not coming in all the time, although my dish was set perfect, no line problems, signal strength looked good.. I rarely have an issue... Anyway, they sent someone out this morning and replaced one of the LNB's, which was the problem and did not charge me anything in the end...

Last week, my uncle and neighbor who has had Directv for several years now had recently (3-4 months ago) gotten an HD receiver for the first time without the DVR... He wanted the DVR after he found out what we had.. 

I printed out the info on the DVR he needed (HR22 or newer) and AM21 since the newer HD-DVR's don't have OTA hookup.. He first called to order the 2 pieces and they told him a price that was $100 higher than shown online that i had printed out for him.. I told him to order it online then and see what happens.. 
Well, he told me when he went online it also showed the higher price?? So, he just decided to go ahead and order it at whatever price via phone.. 

Once he did that, they then told him he wouldn't be charged a thing and actually gave him the older HR20-700 HD-DVR with OTA input that he needed since we don't have LIL here despite not showing that model on their site..

So, sometimes you do actually get a good deal after all is said and done.


----------



## Legends (Jun 22, 2007)

I've been a customer for 9 years, have 5 TV's (3 HD) and the Premiere package. I last got an upgrade 2 years ago. 

I'm replacing a SD TV with a 4th HDTV and called them to see what kind of deal I could get on an HD-DVR. First CSR I couldn't understand. So I sent an email. Got a response in an hour (great). It thanked me for being a great customer and said I would get a free upgrade. But I had to call to place the order. So I called again, this time the CSR was fine, placed my order and said I would get it in 2-5 days. Free.

I checked my account and saw the order was placed but also a charge for $200+.

I sent another email and got a response in about 3 hours. She told me that no, I wasn't eligible for a free upgrade but since I had been promised one she would take the charges off my account.

I responded that although I've happy with DTV overall I'm tired of being told different things from different CSR's. I also asked what exactly is the criteria for getting upgrades and I asked why don't they just put it on their website so everyone would know and not have to play CSR roulette every damn time.

I haven't heard back yet.

I feel like any time I want to switch equipment and/or a dish it's like buying a car.


----------

