# Be HONEST NOW! How many pd for (or will pay for) MRV who SWORE they wouldn't?



## TBlazer07 (Feb 5, 2009)

OK, now that the noise has quieted down somewhat and time has passed, how many of you swore on the life of your firstborn that you wouldn't pay 5cents for MRV if DirecTV charged for it but ended up getting (or will be getting it) anyway? Be honest because your under oath and we can easily check the "I won't pay 1cent for MRV" threads. :lol:


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## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

Well, I don't know if I ever said I wouldn't pay. I didn't think there should be a charge and I THINK I said I wouldn't pay more than $5, but don't remember for sure.

As of right now, I haven't started paying, but I probably will. I don't think, however, that I'll be paying long term. Since I already have a distribution system in my house and 90% of my TV viewing is in the living room, I'm mainly using MRV for the extra tuners. I could easily move the distant DVR into the living room (to join the other 2) and I would be all set.

So, I'll probably start paying the $3, but can see myself canceling it in a few months.


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## Hutchinshouse (Sep 28, 2006)

Me. DIRECTV called my bluff. :lol:


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## Hdhead (Jul 30, 2007)

At $3mo it is a no brainer.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

I had figured I'd simply use the input select on my TV instead of paying this fee.
Instead, I dropped a H21 from my account, since it's only function was for testing, and so added $3/month, subtracted $5/month, and came out with a $2 savings.


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## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

spartanstew said:


> Well, I don't know if I ever said I wouldn't pay.


Found one of my quotes from the "would you pay" thread:

*Don't think I'd go more than $2, as it would be easier for me to reconfigure my DVR's. As it is now, it's just a luxury.*

So, since I'm currently planning on paying $3 (at least temporarily), I might have caved slightly.


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

I ponied up, because since I first said I wouldnt pay, Ive added a DVR and receiver, and created a "whole home server" with three DVRs.  Its convienent to combine all three playlists on the viewing receiver as tho its just one big DVR.


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## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

I said from the first moment that I'd pay and .. well, I'm paying.


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## b00bie (Jul 30, 2006)

You got me 

Assuming that is that I will eventually get them to turn on my account.


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## rsblaski (Jul 6, 2003)

I (believe) I originally said that I wouldn't pay. But the reasonable cost for the DECA solution and the fact that I just got an HD dvr for the spare bedroom, which only has one coax cable, convinced me that the $3 a month is worth it for the extra hard drive and 2 tuners. (Now I can only try to be patient while waiting for MRS (multi-room scheduling.)


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## Phil T (Mar 25, 2002)

I didn't plan to but MRV got us hooked. Now I am glad I did the upgrade.


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## Alan Gordon (Jun 7, 2004)

I first said that I wouldn't pay more than $2... and that I resented paying that much.

I later said that I would be willing to pay $3 or $4 if DirecTV gave MRV more options to customize how it worked.... because let's face it, as great as MRV works, your options are pretty pathetic.

Wednesday, I will be calling DirecTV (begrudgingly) to authorize MRV on my account, and I will paying the extra $1 above what I said I would do in the hopes that DirecTV will later offer more customization options for MRV.

~Alan


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## jes (Apr 21, 2007)

... just another notch in nickel and dimeing customers to death...  Is it worth it to D* to annoy customers over something that will cost nothing for them to maintain? I'm not paying... If enough refuse to pay, maybe it will cost D* more to maintain the separate accounting and they will drop the charge...


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

jes said:


> ... just another notch in nickel and dimeing customers to death...  Is it worth it to D* to annoy customers over something that will cost nothing for them to maintain? I'm not paying... If enough refuse to pay, maybe it will cost D* more to maintain the separate accounting and they will drop the charge...


!rolling

You've got to be kidding me.

With 18 million customers, and 60% of them with HD service, "the monthly take", will be just too good for them to give up. :lol:


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## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

jes said:


> ... just another notch in nickel and dimeing customers to death...  Is it worth it to D* to annoy customers over something that will cost nothing for them to maintain? I'm not paying... If enough refuse to pay, maybe it will cost D* more to maintain the separate accounting and they will drop the charge...


I think just by the folks in this thread it's easy to see that DIRECTV made the right call (for them).


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## Game Fan (Sep 8, 2007)

I never voted or commented. I just kept my big mouth shut, so I wouldn't have to eat my words. I just made the call and I'm going to pay the three bucks.


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## cadet502 (Jun 17, 2005)

Well *IF* I can ever get it activated, I plan on dropping HD extra, so it will be a net gain for me. I think that's what I said back when the question was first asked.

.


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## MikeW (May 16, 2002)

I put a limit at $5/month, figuring that is what they'd charge. So, let's just call it the HD/DVR/MRV fee of $20 per account and be happy. There are other companies who charge the DVR by receiver. If I were to go to cable, I'd pay $17.95/month per DVR (with 7, that would be quite a bill). I believe Dish now also charges even if you have the "everything" pack.

Now that I'm installed, I am extremely pleased with my decision.


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

MikeW said:


> I put a limit at $5/month, figuring that is what they'd charge. So, let's just call it the HD/DVR/MRV fee of $20 per account and be happy. There are other companies who charge the DVR by receiver. If I were to go to cable, I'd pay $17.95/month per DVR (with 7, that would be quite a bill). I believe Dish now also charges even if you have the "everything" pack.
> 
> Now that I'm installed, I am extremely pleased with my decision.


I will say that "I know" DirecTV has compared every other service provider's pricing & features and picked what they're charging because it was the same price or cheaper.


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## yosoyellobo (Nov 1, 2006)

I been salivating ever since I heard about it. They be installing it tuesday.


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## JACKIEGAGA (Dec 11, 2006)

I voted nothing but will drop a premium channel or a receiver which I did $3.00 is worth it


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## joed32 (Jul 27, 2006)

A lot of people who said they wouldn't were trying to convince Directv not to charge for it. I like it a lot and will keep it.


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## xmetalx (Jun 3, 2009)

jes said:


> Is it worth it to D* to annoy customers over something that will cost nothing for them to maintain?


$3 is pretty reasonable considering that it DOES cost them something to maintain it. Think about all the technical and networking employees that are supporting it and the 18 million subs, not to mention the R&D of the DECA technology (yes, I know its based on MoCa 1.1).


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## CuriousG (Nov 23, 2006)

I didn't participate in the *****ing threads (as you can see by post count), but I don't think a no-cost feature for DirecTV should be a $3.00 per month charge for me. I'm paying for the hardware and the feature itself is not a premium service in that it doesn't cost DirecTV anything each month for me the have MRV.

With that said, I was the first in my area, according to the installers yesterday, to have DECA installed. I was using the beta feature for several weeks, and I think this is one of the most useful features DirecTV has come up with. My way of self justification was that I was considering an external HDD for one of the DVRs but now that both of my DVRs act as one, I "saved" the cost of the HDD. That should cover the price of MRV for a couple of years .


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## Lee L (Aug 15, 2002)

I always said it was a bad idea and IMO a better business case can be built for using it as a feature to lure people into staying with DirecTV and adding more recievers, but I never said I would not pay it, because I knew I had to have it, unless it was say $20 or something.


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## SPACEMAKER (Dec 11, 2007)

I said from day one that I would pay up to $5 for MRV so getting it for $3 is pretty sweet. Now I just have to get it installed.


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## NR4P (Jan 16, 2007)

I haven't decided yet. I'm going to let the MRV Beta expire in a few days and then go through withdrawl. Lived without it for years, now have it, got to like it so will let you know next week on how severe the withdrawl pains are.


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## TBlazer07 (Feb 5, 2009)

I was one of the (few) folks who said I'd pay up to $10 for it (or whatever the highest number in the poll was) but I had absolutely no doubt it would NOT be anywhere near that. Realistically I though it would be $4-$5. To me it has made a world of difference in the TV experience and at $3 was reasonable and worth the expense. Would I have liked it for free? Whadyathink? I ain't stoopit!


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## veryoldschool (Dec 10, 2006)

TBlazer07 said:


> I ain't stoopit!


Would the Jury please return and announce the verdict. :lol:


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## TBlazer07 (Feb 5, 2009)

veryoldschool said:


> Would the Jury please return and announce the verdict. :lol:


 Dats because I live in New Joisey so I gotta be stoopit.


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## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

I was originally in the _"if it's my network, I shouldn't pay"_ camp, because I felt MRV should be included in the base software. $3/month is so reasonable tho, I'd be biting my nose to spite my face by not paying for such a game-changing (IMHO) feature.

I say game-changing because I no longer have to worry about scheduling conflicts and show start/stop times. With so many tuners at my disposal, I can divvy up network shows in a way that practically guarantees every recording will be padded on each side and there will be no Series Manager conflicts.

And I forgot to mention.... I can now watch any recording in any room!


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## Mike Bertelson (Jan 24, 2007)

I did. It seems I spoke too soon when I said I wouldn't pay for it, and it also seems that is wasn't my decision in the first place. 

Without it my wife can't watch General Hospital in the living room and also be able to watch it while on her treadmill in the spare room. :grin:

TBlazer07, maybe this should be a poll. 

Mike


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

If the early orders are any indication...the demand exceeds the original stated interest.

Clearly MRV has strong appeal and strong adoption.

Not everyone will see a value in MRV, but there will likely be a widespread success in the market for this $3 new service.


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## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

MicroBeta said:


> I did. It seems I spoke too soon when I said I wouldn't pay for it, and it also seems that is wasn't my decision in the first place.
> 
> Without it my wife can't watch General Hospital in the living room and also be able to watch it while on her treadmill in the spare room. :grin:
> 
> ...


Ah, so the non-techies are to blame .. Here is what I said early last November (links to CE forum) .. 



Doug Brott said:


> While the poll is certainly skewed in one direction, it would not surprise me in the least if folks stick with the service, including MRV, if the fee is $3/month. Sure, it is principle and I get that, but most people look better with a nose still on their face.
> 
> Probably the most important thing to take out of this is that DIRECTV is getting almost as much money as possible out of us .. regardless of the cost .. as a $3/month increase is $.10/day and there is some serious angst among the troops.
> 
> In the end, I think mom and pop will jump at this opportunity. The cost will be negligible for the result. Us DIY'rs are more angered because Ethernet has always been free and if this is enacted, will be a shift in paradigm, not just a charge for a feature.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

Doug Brott said:


> Ah, so the non-techies are to blame .. Here is what I said early last November (links to CE forum) ..


Translation = I told you so. :lol:


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## PCampbell (Nov 18, 2006)

I said I did not like paying for MRV that I set up.


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## Mike Bertelson (Jan 24, 2007)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> Translation = I told you so. :lol:


Yeah, I got that. 

!rolling


Doug Brott said:


> Ah, so the non-techies are to blame .. Here is what I said early last November (links to CE forum) ..


I never thought it would be that important, but both my wife and daughter use it daily.

I thought that fact that both my main DVRs are in the living room that I didn't really need it.

The girls told me we're keeping it. I usually have to acquiesce when they get together on something&#8230;life's easier that way. :grin:

Mike


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## ffemtreed (Jan 30, 2008)

I might pay for it during the winter season, but there is no way i am signing up for it anytime soon. 

If they included other things like combining all available tuners to get around scheduling conflicts or came up with a computer application to be able to manage recording I would probably go for it. I am thinking DTV's vaporware of a home media server will be available before I decide to pay for MRV

I just build an old computer out of parts laying around the house to put a computer in the bedroom. I'll stick with DTV2PC for now.


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## Beerstalker (Feb 9, 2009)

I am still planning on losing MRV when the beta expires. I actually just talked it over with my fiance over the weekend and when I told her it was going to cost $3/month to keep it she said that was bullpoop. I still feel that we are being ripped off. What is the $7/month DVR fee going toward if it isn't to make improvements on the functions of their DVRs? Why didn't that cover the cost of developing MRV/DECA? Why do they feel this requires another charge?

The answer is they feel that people will pay for it. From the looks of this thread it appears they are right. I still personally feel this is bogus and don't plan on supporting this decision by keeping MRV. However if my fiance decides that she really wants it back then I will probably relent and sign up for it (most likely won't do the DECA install though so hopefully that gets straightened out).

I already went around last summer and organized our shows so they are recorded in the most watched locations anyway (her shows in the living room, my shows in the theater room, shows we watch together in the bedroom). So I really don't think it will effect us all that much.


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## jerrylove56 (Jun 15, 2008)

Said 0. Has not been working properly anyway and so I will not miss it.


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## djrobx (Jan 27, 2009)

I SWORE I would not pay for it, *if it didn't work well*. Then they made it work well.


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## thekochs (Oct 7, 2006)

Davenlr said:


> I ponied up, because since I first said I wouldnt pay, Ive added a DVR and receiver, and created a "whole home server" with three DVRs. Its convienent to combine all three playlists on the viewing receiver as though its just one big DVR.


Me too....but it is in the "hope" that DirecTV creates the remote scheduling function of DVR-to-DVR like they have from HD-to-DVR. To me this really strengthens the appeal and I think also they could market this as "increased/maximize your storage space". Also, I think it really helps in the fact that if your *local* DVR is tapped out on tuners to have the available tuners popup for the *remote* DVRs to assign the recording to.....so you maximize your netwrorked tuner hardware use as well.


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## Mike Bertelson (Jan 24, 2007)

jerrylove56 said:


> Said 0. Has not been working properly anyway and so I will not miss it.


Works great for me. :shrug:


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## msmith (Apr 23, 2002)

I caved, but mainly so that I wouldn't end up in a technological backwater. And the gain control of the SWM will help in bad weather.


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## Clemsole (Sep 8, 2005)

Still not going to pay one cent for MRV.


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## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

jerrylove56 said:


> Said 0. Has not been working properly anyway and so I will not miss it.


If you're not going to miss it, then clearly you should not spend any money on it. That being said, MRV really does work great and many folks can attest to that. If it's not working properly for you then something in your configuration isn't optimized for MRV traffic. If you have Wireless or Powerline as part of the solution, then that is the problem. DECA is definitely the best solution for this problem, but wired Ethernet works quite well also. Wireless and Powerline are dependent on the environment and are much less likely to be successful than the other solutions.

Folks should simply stay away from those two solutions unless there simply is no other way to make it happen.


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## jefbal99 (Sep 7, 2007)

I believe i said I was disappointed by DirecTV wanting a monthly fee, however, I don't think I said I wouldn't pay it. For how much my family uses MRV, $3/month is a bargain.

I am very glad that I was able to get it enabled using my current home network


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## cnmurray8 (Jun 19, 2008)

I always new I would pay but I am a DIY and I can not get anyone willing to turn it on for me!!


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## t_h (Mar 7, 2008)

Doug Brott said:


> I think just by the folks in this thread it's easy to see that DIRECTV made the right call (for them).


Well lets see. I'm paying up for it because without it the 50 series link limit per receiver makes the product practically unusable for us. But I removed the HD extra pack and dropped the protection plan at the same time because if they were going to squeeze my budget for a feature that many other DVR providers offer for free, I decided to squeeze back.

Plus I'm somewhat less satisfied with directv as a result, and getting less.

So they're out ~$8/mo and have a less satisfied customer. Not much of a win.

Looks like a fair number of other people are taking this moment to trim off an extra receiver or fee while they're activating it.

I doubt it'll be a big 'mom and pop' feature either. The number of homes with a dvr and one or more extra HD receivers that would ante up $150 to install DECA without ever having seen MRV will be a pretty small slice, I think.

The enthusiasts here, many if not most of which have seen the product work for free and gotten used to it, arent a very good representation of the real world.


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## FHSPSU67 (Jan 12, 2007)

I plead Guilty, your honor. I didn't really know anything about DECA at the time, and how nice it was going to be


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## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

t_h said:


> Looks like a fair number of other people are taking this moment to trim off an extra receiver or fee while they're activating it.


In a lot of those cases, they would have trimmed off an extra receiver (or other) as soon as they got MRV anyway. So, the $3 is still extra revenue for D*, and as much as I wish there were no fee, it does sound like a wise decision on D*'s part. They're making (or will make) a lot more revenue than they're potentially losing.


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## t_h (Mar 7, 2008)

Huh? You add 3 and remove 6 and get a positive income result? If thats the math they were using and how they justified the MRV fee, they probably should have avoided developing the feature if many customers would drop a receiver as a result.

Statistically, when you raise a customers bill or introduce a new charge, the majority stop and look at their total bill and many make changes...both increased services and cutting back services. Most customers dont even look at their monthly bills until something changes and draws their attention.

Of course most of that data was gleaned when the economy was doing well and times were good. I havent seen any broad based studies of how this all works in a recession but I'm going to guess that the recent package price increases and a $3 MRV fee would result in most people cutting something back. Either dropping a few PPV's a month, a receiver, a sports package or reducing their subscription level.

Except for dropping a single PPV, most everything on the directv menu is a lot more than $3 a month. I guess we'll see how it works out for them. I doubt its a major impact to their bottom line either way as I suspect only a low double digit percentage of customers will opt for it.

What might have been smart would have been to give the service away for free if you were doing it on your own network with a lot of caveats about it probably not working well without DECA, let people sign up for it and see the benefits, then see those people opt for the DECA install and a $3/mo fee.

Same way we all got sucked in. Sadly I already dumped my powerline stuff, ran a wire and put in a gigabit router and switch to make this work right, so I'm not really interested in laying out $150 for yet another subnet in my house on yet another media.


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## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

t_h said:


> Huh? You add 3 and remove 6 and get a positive income result? If thats the math they were using and how they justified the MRV fee, they probably should have avoided developing the feature if many customers would drop a receiver as a result.


I think you're missing the point .. With MRV, people probably would have done the same dropping anyway .. So it's still a +3 from what it would have been. Or if you want to add it all as in your example, it's a -3 instead of a -6.


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## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

t_h said:


> I doubt it'll be a big 'mom and pop' feature either. The number of homes with a dvr and one or more extra HD receivers that would ante up $150 to install DECA without ever having seen MRV will be a pretty small slice, I think.
> 
> The enthusiasts here, many if not most of which have seen the product work for free and gotten used to it, arent a very good representation of the real world.


Mom & Pop will, in general, have an HD-DVR in the living room and an HD Receiver in the bedroom (for those that have taken HD Services). MRV gives them the option to watch their recorded programs in the bedroom.

I think this is a powerful addition for the general populace.

$150 is really not that much money considering most of these folks have no clue what to do .. They just drop the $150 and now they can watch recorded shows in both rooms. Plus if they are good customers, they'll get discounts just like others are getting. This will be a well liked feature ..


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## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

t_h said:


> ... if they were going to squeeze my budget for a feature that many other DVR providers offer for free, I decided to squeeze back.


Most providers (including the highly mentioned UVerse) have buried the MRV fee into the receiver fee. If you don't want to pay on principle, then by all means don't. There are a few folks here that have chosen that route.


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## CuriousG (Nov 23, 2006)

Doug Brott said:


> I think this is a powerful addition for the general populace.


I'm a custom AV designer by trade. This is a HUGE feature for DirecTV in my business.


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## Mike Bertelson (Jan 24, 2007)

t_h said:


> Well lets see. I'm paying up for it because without it the 50 series link limit per receiver makes the product practically unusable for us. But I removed the HD extra pack and dropped the protection plan at the same time because if they were going to squeeze my budget for* a feature that many other DVR providers offer for free*, I decided to squeeze back.
> <snip>


This has been discussed to death in many threads. The other providers have some kind of whole home fee buried in their hardware costs.

Don't take my word for it. Do what I did and look at all your local service providers and you will find out for yourself.

Mike


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## tcusta00 (Dec 31, 2007)

I trimmed an entire package from my bill, and will be removing a receiver from my account shortly. I used to have Total Choice HD DVR (or something like that) but cut back to Family a few months back because 90% of our TV watching is on the locals and a few of the 220-230 range channels. Yeah, we're missing a few shows we used to watch on COM and a couple others but it's worth it to save $30 a month. 

So, yep, they won my $3 MRV fee. Enjoy that $3, DIRECTV, while I enjoy my $27. :lol:


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## Canis Lupus (Oct 16, 2006)

I moved from TotalChoice+ and HDDVR to ChoiceExtraHDDVR, so that was 1.50. Then I added MRV for $3. 

Then I was offered, and took, Starz for 1 year, free SHO for 3 months and a $20/mo credit on my bill for 1 year. 

Aug 15th I cancel SHO (unless they choose to extend it for free), May 15th, 2011 I cancel Starz (unless again they choose to extend the credit offer). 

Since I already have HBO, it's $11 for Starz + 1.50 + 3 = 15.50

So I'm ahead 4.50 for a year or until they raise prices again - whichever comes first. 

I of course would have added MRV anyway. It's a no-brainer in my house.


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## JACKIEGAGA (Dec 11, 2006)

Canis Lupus said:


> I moved from TotalChoice+ and HDDVR to ChoiceExtraHDDVR, so that was 1.50. Then I added MRV for $3.
> 
> Then I was offered, and took, Starz for 1 year, free SHO for 3 months and a $20/mo credit on my bill for 1 year.
> 
> ...


CL you did good


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## armophob (Nov 13, 2006)

I am a man of my word. 
At first suggestion of a fee, I stopped testing and playing with it, and kept my units all hard wired to both tvs.
No fee for me.


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## davido (Jul 2, 2007)

I voted I wouldn't pay, but the upgrade using a new swm setup was enough for me to change my mind.

I now have 6 HD tuners (up from 3 HD + 2 SD). HR24 was free, and I'm still on the legacy Total Choice package.

So new SWM + DECA + HR24 for $150 install + $3/mo was a good deal for me.


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## opfreak (May 8, 2008)

I think I always said I wouldnt. And I wont.


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## FHSPSU67 (Jan 12, 2007)

FHSPSU67 said:


> I plead Guilty, your honor. I didn't really know anything about DECA at the time, and how nice it was going to be


I just dug through the archives to find my post in the original thread, and I'm officially embarrassed


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## hasan (Sep 22, 2006)

TBlazer07 said:


> OK, now that the noise has quieted down somewhat and time has passed, how many of you swore on the life of your firstborn that you wouldn't pay 5cents for MRV if DirecTV charged for it but ended up getting (or will be getting it) anyway? Be honest because your under oath and we can easily check the "I won't pay 1cent for MRV" threads. :lol:


I said I wouldn't pay a dime. I didn't, I just paid 30 dimes (per month)....sigh...


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## bobsyouruncle (Mar 14, 2009)

Guilty.

It simply was not an option to not pony up for MRV. Marital bliss would have been in jeopardy'


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## GregLee (Dec 28, 2005)

I commented previously that $3/mo was too much. I'm not going to pay that.


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## flogduh (Nov 4, 2005)

Unless I opt for the DECA upgrade, I won't be paying for it. It's just too slow to respond over Ethernet to justify paying for it.


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## sat4r (Aug 27, 2006)

I recall that I would go 3.00 monthly for MRV service and I am satisfied with my wired network using AT&T U-verse internet unless something changes.


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## SecureGuru (Feb 1, 2009)

Doug Brott said:


> I think just by the folks in this thread it's easy to see that DIRECTV made the right call (for them).


For them, yes. However it does upset me, especially seeing that FiOS and many of the cable operator's in the area offer MRV as part of their regular DVR service. Not that those providers don't get you in other ways, but I had really hoped Direct would have been more loyal to their customers. I'm not going to sit here and say I'm canceling, but it does make me want to look around.


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## webhype (Dec 28, 2007)

I love MRV, but they are using my ethernet and do not think I should get nickel and dimed for this feature. My family uses it and I might get some pressure to activate it. Since my son is off to school in a few months I will probably dump his receiver to help defray the cost. Also I might consider upgrading all my receivers to DECA so every TV has the ability to feed off the DVRs. However a new 2yr commitment for equipment is something I am wary of with this issue and problems I have had with Refer a friend credits.


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## rlnoonan (Jan 6, 2007)

I never said anything on this forum, but I've always maintained that I would not pay anything. I was really hoping DTV would recognize this feature's value as a way to bring new customers (or keep existing ones), especially considering that many other providers have this feature for free.

I used it during the beta and I did like it, but I'm still not planning on paying for it. I can't believe how much I pay for TV as it is...

-Bob


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## am7crew (Jun 6, 2009)

$3 is nothing for the service so I have no problem paying for it.


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## hiltsy855 (Jul 31, 2006)

I don't mind paying the hardware fees, but the monthly is a deal breaker. I'm sticking to my original plan.


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## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

SecureGuru said:


> For them, yes. However it does upset me, especially seeing that FiOS and many of the cable operator's in the area offer MRV as part of their regular DVR service. Not that those providers don't get you in other ways, but I had really hoped Direct would have been more loyal to their customers. I'm not going to sit here and say I'm canceling, but it does make me want to look around.


I agree with you in spirit, but FWIW, Verizon does charge $4/month to turn on the "Multi-room" capability of their DVR's.


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## GirkMonster (Mar 20, 2007)

I said I wouldn't pay, but only in the hopes that DirecTV would respond to the overwhelming response and price it accordingly. I planned on paying for it all along. No bluff, just a negotiation tactic. It solved a wiring issue for me, allowed me to add an HD receiver using existing wiring and we're happy.

I have noticed now that it's live and paid for - it works better.


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## Hutchinshouse (Sep 28, 2006)

As much as I protested a charge, hard to say no to 10 cents a day for MRV.


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## Steveknj (Nov 14, 2006)

Even though i don't use it much, $3 is not a big deal. But I'm NOT paying $148 for new equipment just yet. Once the bugs are worked out and perhaps if they run some sort of special, I'll do it.


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## tuff bob (Mar 5, 2007)

Me too. It was only $3/month and allows the non DVR in my office to play back from the other 2 HD-DVRs. But still :grin:


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## dod1450 (Dec 16, 2009)

I would not be paying for this service. It is bad enough that one has to pay for the 5 HD channels wish are showing commercials.


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## dennisj00 (Sep 27, 2007)

I complained about the possible charge but in the scheme of things $3 a month isn't a big deal.

How many of the complainers stop at Starbucks a couple times a day or drink bottled water and also complain about $3 /gallon gas?

I also got the DECA installation with a perfectly working wired / wireless ethernet system and a new HR24.


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

I said all along from the Getgo that I would be Willing to Pay $3 for MRV and that is what it turned out to cost.

Just paid $75.50 to Upgrade to DECA/SWM with a SWM16 Multiswitch which cost more than $75 so Go Figure.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

As Doug repeatedly pointed out some time ago...the $3 for MRV/Whole Home DVR is not that overwhelming in the big scheme of things.

I've been saving the pennies in my jar for some time in advance of the launch.


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## GregLee (Dec 28, 2005)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> As Doug repeatedly pointed out some time ago...the $3 for MRV/Whole Home DVR is not that overwhelming in the big scheme of things.


So you and Doug are confident you can make that judgment about my budget?


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

GregLee said:


> So you and Doug are confident you can make that judgment about my budget?


Yes because if you are that Poor we need to start taking up a collection for you right now!!! :lol:


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## hasan (Sep 22, 2006)

GregLee said:


> So you and Doug are confident you can make that judgment about my budget?


I don't think they were making that judgment for you, but rather merely expressing an opinion about the relative fairness of what one was receiving for what was being charged. I wouldn't make any more out of it than that, any more than what follows is nothing more than a personal history of my involvement with MRV from day one.

To be fair (and I was one who was really offended at the monthly charge), one does need to consider the considerable physical hardware, hardware development (engineering etc.) and software engineering costs. They must be paid for, period. No discussion, D* ain't a charity. There are two ways to pay for it...or really three. The costs have to be spread as far as possible to recover the investment as quickly as possible, without alienating any more customers than necessary.

1. Increase the price of all program packages, whether the consumer has MRV or not. (not only unfair, but alienates everybody)

2. Charge only those who require equipment and support. (fair but loss of $)

3. Charge everyone who wants MRV, period. (perhaps fair and enhances $)

I would have preferred option 2. The problem is, it loses a lot of revenue. If one assumes there are/will be perhaps 3,333 people in category 2 that need neither equipment nor support, that's a loss of $120,000 a year. In a five year plan to recover costs, that would be $600,000. That's a lot of money to ask stockholders to eat....and in perpetuity, to boot!

I understand the business decision, it just didn't sit well with me. When I thought more carefully about the cost of hardware, hardware development and software engineering, not to mention future support, it' struck me that it is not unreasonable to expect even those with their own networks to contribute to the recovery of software costs at the very least.

Nothing is free. The costs are either assigned transparently (as in this case), or hidden in the overall charges for other services. Someone has to pay, someone will pay, and there's no point in asserting that we shouldn't pay anything. One could argue for a reduced rate, perhaps $2.00 instead of $3.00 per month...but free?...there ain't no free lunch.

I know, I'm arguing against my own position when, after helping develop MRV in the CE program for many months, I was offended, if not outraged that I was going to be charged. The more I pulled back and looked at it as if I were an investor, the more I reflected on the REAL costs of getting this going and maintaining it, the less offended I became.

I had to finally admit that if I wanted to use MRV, I should expect to pay "something" for it. $3.00 a month no longer offends my sensibilities.

Now, since I've made my peace with paying for an unsupported, but extremely useful service (MRV), I have come to the conclusion that I should take advantage of the SWM/DECA upgrade. I think I can negotiate a fair price, and end up with a more sensitive system dish (SWM has AGC that compensates for about 15 dB of signal fading), more tuners (I'm one short at the moment with my stock 4 line system), and a better performing MRV system. If I can get the price right, I'm going SWM/DECA....and I'll get support too.

Hmmmm...that puts me on a funny, and ironic journey. I started extremely offended, if not outraged, moved on to 'it seems reasonable to charge "something"', leaving my outrage at the door, and ending up taking advantage of a better performing system.

What a trip!

I'm not saying anyone else should take this trip, feel good about it, or anything else, I'm only sharing what I went through as a consumer. It was very instructive for me to actually *think about* what I experienced and where I'm at now. It seems I've gone from piqued to almost pleased. Very, very strange.


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## jdh8668 (Nov 7, 2007)

Nope. My sat bill is high enough. Directv will start at $3, then before you know it, next March they'll raise it a dollar, and the next year another dollar and so on and so on. And with my setup, I don't need it. Out of my downstairs receiver, I run a short hdmi cord to my hdmi control center which gives me 4 outputs. Those are run throughout the house. If I am watching tv upstairs on my 2nd receiver,and want to watch my receiver from downstairs, I have the remotes & powermids to handle it all. And I have crystal clear hdmi sigs from both receivers.


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## jwd45244 (Aug 18, 2006)

I was one of the people who said that they would not pay. As of right now, I feel the same way. I do not plan on adding MRV service to my account.


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## MrSmartyA (Aug 17, 2008)

not paying 1 cent for it. I still got a SlingBox HD.


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## mdriskell (Jan 4, 2009)

I know I'm in the minority on this but what's the big deal? I'm not even talking about the $3. People seem to forget that for them to add this type of feature there are costs involved (R&D, training, support). How long has this been in development and testing??
It seems several people always want the latest and greatest features but then complain when they are told their is a price involved.

If you don't want it don't get it...but I don't believe it is outrageous of them to charge $3 a month for it.


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## Monty23 (Sep 16, 2006)

I was upset about having to pay for a software upgrade but after months of having MRV I decided to ante up the 3 bucks because I really like MRV. If it had been more than that I'd likely not have paid.


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## William1 (May 11, 2009)

I _just _discovered they are charging for the service. I paid for the Cat 5 wiring, switch, router. They made a software change. They want $ to turn it on? I refuse to pay on principle.

Last year, I got three free PPV as a anniversay gift. This year, it was 3 months game lounge - Whooppee. They could of pee'd on me and made me just as happy.

Hasan - Yes, they invested a fair amount into developing MRV but... Dish already offers it (Free I think) and most high end cable systems offer it free too. DirecTV invested a fair amount in a lot of the system but MRV is a 'keep up with the Jones' item and should not have extra costs involved.


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## hasan (Sep 22, 2006)

William1 said:


> I _just _discovered they are charging for the service. I paid for the Cat 5 wiring, switch, router. They made a software change. They want $ to turn it on? I refuse to pay on principle.
> 
> Last year, I got three free PPV as a anniversay gift. This year, it was 3 months game lounge - Whooppee. They could of pee'd on me and made me just as happy.


See this link for my understanding of the situation.

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?p=2467281#post2467281


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## hiltsy855 (Jul 31, 2006)

MRV should be included with the DVR fee and the extra we pay per receiver - period.


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## hasan (Sep 22, 2006)

hiltsy855 said:


> MRV should be included with the DVR fee and the extra we pay per receiver - period.


That's how I felt initially after doing all the testing, buying equipment, etc. After I thoroughly considered the complete nature of the business transaction, I no longer feel that way.


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## codespy (Mar 30, 2006)

hiltsy855 said:


> MRV should be included with the DVR fee and the extra we pay per receiver - period.


That's right. And as I still pay $0.00 for DVR fee the MRV should be the same!

I have boycotted as stated earlier the $3.00 fee.....And then my wife yelled at me Thursday saying the MRV beta has expired and the children are crying.

Can I afford the $3.15/month (w/tax) VS. Divorce where she get everything of hers and 1/2 of mine?

Guess I will be calling a CSR soon....and with my wide variety of IRD's....how much more than just the $149 + tax will I be paying?

Decisions.......decisions.......


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## matt (Jan 12, 2010)

Hell I spend more on Mountain Dew every month than the stupid MRV fee, it's just three bucks.


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## codespy (Mar 30, 2006)

matt1124 said:


> Hell I spend more on Mountain Dew every month than the stupid MRV fee, it's just three bucks.


I can top that.....replace "Mountain Dew" with "Preparation H".


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## armophob (Nov 13, 2006)

matt1124 said:


> Hell I spend more on Mountain Dew every month than the stupid MRV fee, it's just three bucks.


I know it seems petty. But man, I have spent almost $150 a month on their service for about 5 years. If they cannot see to it so those who have been loyal for all these years can get it as part of their packages, then I have no kind words about it. I have said my peace in a few other threads. But it is not just the money for me, it is also the disappointment in the respect for customer retention.
I am not angry, just disillusioned with it. So I choose not to increase my yearly service by $36


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## hiltsy855 (Jul 31, 2006)

armophob said:


> .... But it is not just the money for me, it is also the disappointment in the respect for customer retention.
> I am not angry, just disillusioned with it. So I choose not to increase my yearly service by $36


That's it exactly. This has very little to do with the money.


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## lflorack (Dec 16, 2006)

To me, the ability to share tuners and disks as well as viewing throughout the house is the most important enhancement DirecTv has provided us since I've been customer (2005) -- other than HD of course. I know others have other enhancements at the top of their list but this is mine. $3/month is a bargain. I always knew I'd pay. $3/month is well worth it to me and I view it as a fee to pay for the development effort.

When the dust settles, I'll probably upgrade to DECA too. Right now, my wired network is working very well.


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## hasan (Sep 22, 2006)

hiltsy855 said:


> That's it exactly. This has very little to do with the money.


Cutting nose off to spite one's face.

Either MRV is or isn't worth $3.00 per month, that's the bottom line after all of the bad taste from how this was handled clears one's pallet.

No one was more upset when charging was announced than I was. I said I wouldn't pay a dime for it. That was either just "big talk", or a fit of pique, I haven't figured it out yet. It certainly was irrational. (for me)

When I thought it through completely, it was more than apparent that companies don't stay in business spending only God knows how much on hardware development, physical hardware and software engineering and then recouping less than they need to cover those costs.

I didn't like it, but I can't make a rational case for it costing something for *everyone* that uses MRV.

But, ya know, this has all been hashed out (and in much more detail) some time ago when they first announced they were going to charge for it.

What it boils down to now, once the emotion is taken out of it, simply, is MRV worth $3.00 a month to you. If it isn't, then don't spend the money. It is quite apparent that D* has made a calculated business decision in this matter (and a wise one in my belated estimation), that the revenue lost by alienated betazoids will be far overshadowed by the $3.00 a month they get from "regular" customers and those dbstalkers who feel it's worth it.


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## OptimusPrime (Apr 26, 2008)

Said I wouldn't do it, and I'm not doing it. 

Another poster made mention of the little message that popped up stating that "the beta has ended, if you wish to enable MRV..."

Does anyone know what message popped up on people's receivers who are not CE testers...or for customers that did not take part in the beta? I am interested in what advertising is being done for this.

I recall the DIRECTV site stating that there would be a "special upgrade path" for people who are beta testing with hard-wire networks. Any idea what this "special" upgrade path is? Is the "special upgrade path" unsupported MRV for $3.00 per month?

EDIT: Forgot to mention, it took me about 10 minutes to "assign" which recordings I want to view on each of my 3 DVR's. So, for me - it wasn't that big a deal to work out without spending a dime. In my opinion, some people will think 3 bucks a month is a bargain depending on their set-up. For others, not so much.


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## rudeney (May 28, 2007)

OK, I said I wouldn't pay, and I'm not - my wife is paying it! I told her I could live without it, but she can't so the $3/mo comes out of her budget!  

Seriously, even though I *****ed about the fee, I figured if it was less than the extra receiver charge, I'd just drop one (an owned R15 in the office that never gets used) to pay for it. But now, our granddaughter is going to move in with us so we may be needing the extra receiver. What I intend to do when my commitment is up in August is ask D* to "upgrade" that R15 to an HR2x and also "upgrade" my H20 to an MRV-capable H2x. We do have good service in our area from Charter (not as good as D* quality, of course) and Uverse is now available, so maybe that combined with being a D* customer in good standing for over 12 years will mean something when August rolls around.


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## RACJ2 (Aug 2, 2008)

Since I found out its actually going to cost me $4 more (+tax), I am going to live w/o it. Can't add MRV to legacy account like "Choice Xtra + HD DVR' package. You have to switch to a current package which cost $1 more for the same programming. Kind of a principle thing, but if you say something is going to cost $3, then that's all it should cost to add it.


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## cekowalski (Aug 19, 2007)

I posted that I'd pay, but that I'd drop at least one premium channel. I dropped them all today.

The reason? This stuff is just starting to add up ... I'm already way over my threshold for what I'd consider reasonable.


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## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

William1 said:


> I _just _discovered they are charging for the service. I paid for the Cat 5 wiring, switch, router. They made a software change. They want $ to turn it on? I refuse to pay on principle.


So now you have spent the money on your network and won't be using it ..



> Hasan - Yes, they invested a fair amount into developing MRV but... Dish already offers it (Free I think) and most high end cable systems offer it free too. DirecTV invested a fair amount in a lot of the system but MRV is a 'keep up with the Jones' item and should not have extra costs involved.


Yup .. It's free with DISH Network .. However, the product is watered down (only SD for remote location and only one other fixed location .. not whole house) and you have to pay more per month for a receiver capable of MRV (duo) than on that is not capable of MRV (solo).

There is no MRV fee, but rather than that $3/month for the whole house, it's closer to $3/month per receiver (and it's watered down). DISH really isn't a bargain when it comes to MRV. Same goes for FiOS for much the same reason.

Uverse is a bit better, but the remote clients are still $7/month which is higher than it is for DIRECTV. Depending on the number of receivers and the use pattern, DIRECTV could be a smidge higher .. but generally speaking, it's probably a wash between UVerse & DIRECTV regarding MRV.

If you take the time to look at the real numbers, all providers charges for MRV. It's all in how it's presented to the customer. DIRECTV has simply chosen to make it a $3/month add-on. Don't take it and you can still simulate it with multiple DVRs recording the same shows in multiple places.


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## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

lflorack said:


> To me, the ability to share tuners and disks as well as viewing throughout the house is the most important enhancement DirecTv has provided us since I've been customer (2005) -- other than HD of course. I know others have other enhancements at the top of their list but this is mine. $3/month is a bargain. I always knew I'd pay. $3/month is well worth it to me and I view it as a fee to pay for the development effort.
> 
> When the dust settles, I'll probably upgrade to DECA too. Right now, my wired network is working very well.


I agree this is a biggie .. It simplifies things greatly in our house.


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## Doug Brott (Jul 12, 2006)

cekowalski said:


> The reason? This stuff is just starting to add up ... I'm already way over my threshold for what I'd consider reasonable.


On this point, I agree wholeheartedly .. I think that we are starting to peak in what folks will pay for TV (although it will still go up each year).


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

Doug Brott said:


> On this point, I agree wholeheartedly .. I think that we are starting to peak in what folks will pay for TV (although it will still go up each year).


I second the motion.


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## Richard (Apr 24, 2002)

I won't be, it should be included/covered in the ever increasing DVR fee. It was definitely a convenience, but no where near worth $3 extra per month.


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## chrisexv6 (Sep 14, 2002)

The beta expired before I signed up for MRV. We've been without it for 3 days, and cant take it anymore! It was just hugely convenient to have all the kids programs accessible from any TV in the house. They watch TV upstairs a little before bed, downstairs and in the living room during the day, etc. Nice to let them pick what they want to watch to keep them entertained for a little bit.

I dont mind the 3.00/month fee....the fact that my home network (which I ran mostly for MRV) is unsupported irks me a little. Ill live, of course, but I just cant see a great reason to upgrade to DECA right now. The SWiM dish would be nice but again not a necessity. 

Id prefer DirecTV came and take away my slower than slow HR21 and give me something nice like an HR24!


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## MISpat (Apr 22, 2009)

I didn't think I'd pay anything for it, especially after having a week to try the beta and seeing how bad the performance of the HD-DVR was when using it over the network. But lo and behold, 3 days after the beta was turned off, I have activated MRV. I have to admit though, part of the reason was that I knew they were going to have to replace my HD-DVR last night, and I'm hoping that having it enabled will prompt them to send an HR24 as a replacement.


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## VLaslow (Aug 16, 2006)

Fortunately, my wife has no interest in MRV. So, when I'm gone, my daughter (the other techie of the family) can rip all the ethernet out and simplify things. No $3 for me.


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## NR4P (Jan 16, 2007)

Doug Brott said:


> On this point, I agree wholeheartedly .. I think that we are starting to peak in what folks will pay for TV (although it will still go up each year).





hdtvfan0001 said:


> I second the motion.


Agreed.

Theres far too many lines on my monthly bill. If there was a current Premier pkg that was competitive and just included all the extras (DVR, MRV etc), I'd be happier. I think others would too.

An alternative to the $3 fee would be to add pennies to every subscriber's bill. Or a dime or quarter to every DVR fee. Few would complain

But I do commend Directv on the DECA plan. They are rolling the truck and hooking up all my receivers for a total of $75. For that I'm happy to drop the ethernet and pay the $3.


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## armchair (Jul 27, 2009)

I had voted I wouldn't pay and that fees are excessive as-is already.

Like others, I added the supported MRV upgrade with DECA and ICK and ordered an HR24-500. Not a big improvement over the existing wired ETHERNET but the HR24 should be quieter in the bedroom.


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## soloredd (Oct 21, 2007)

I'll pay for it when my son is older. He's only 14 months now, so no need for his own TV/DirecTV  For now, my wife and I get by just fine with the HD DVR in the main room and hers in her retreat room.


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## pappy97 (Nov 14, 2009)

I never said I wouldn't pay for it, but always said that you shouldn't have to pay if:

1.) You use unsupported MRV

and

2.) All your receivers are HD-DVR's.

I only think you should pay if you go unsupported and one or more of your receivers are NON-DVRS and thus MRV essentially adds DVR functionality to those receivers even though they are not DVR's (And thus you don't pay more since non-DVR is $99, HD-DVR $199), i.e. you should only pay if you are using unsupported MRV to avoid having another DVR in the house and saving $100.

One of our receivers is a non-DVR and thus we think it's okay to pay the fee.


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## Drucifer (Feb 12, 2009)

I'm not one and I'm on fixed income and counting every penny. I found MVR so useful, I reactivated a HR21 I had taken off line. So not only am I paying, the three bucks, I added a fin on top of it.


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## Beerstalker (Feb 9, 2009)

As I mentioned in the "Enabling MRV using your home networking" thread I ended up getting MRV turned on as unsupported. I am still not happy about paying for it but my fiance' wanted it and told me she would make it worthwhile to me 

I did cancel the protection plan to help cover the cost of the increase in my bill. $3for MRV and $1 increase as I had the Xtra+HDDVR package and changed to the seperate line items.


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## stevetrek (Sep 22, 2007)

I have to say that when DirecTv pushed out the software that disabled the Beta period, I was furious. However, I read about the new networking components to turn the DVRs into a private network, and since HD shows rarely played correctly on a remote DVR, I decided to "play nice" and pay the $3. In addition, they told me I would need to pay $99 installation fee! When I balked, the rep said I could stay on the Beta (for the $3) but would have playback problems. Since I already had playback issues for HD material (but not SD material over powerline ethernet), I agreed. They even offered to replace my old HDVR2 and RCA units with new HD DVRs. Hopefully they will get the install right. I've read on this forum how they don't bring enough DECAs to connect your router to the network. When I called back to ask for it, they told me they could not update the installation contract. They told me to call back the morning of the install and request addtional networking components again. This sounded strange to me but what the hell.


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## Directvlover (Aug 27, 2007)

I think i recalled saying I'd pay anything for it. I love it. I love the combined playlist. I have the family room record all my wife and I's shows...the kitchen records the kids shows, and the bedroom records Movies/Misc shows. But I can watch them anywhere. I love it.


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## Groundhog45 (Nov 10, 2005)

I remember saying I didn't like paying but probably would. We like MRV, even with only two of us here. I ran the beta on wired ethernet and then mixed ethernet and DECA. DirecTV is coming out tomorrow to make it all DECA. Since that includes a SWM16, not all that expensive. Looking forward to getting it working again. My wife uses it more than I do.


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## armchair (Jul 27, 2009)

stevetrek said:


> I've read on this forum how they don't bring enough DECAs to connect your router to the network. When I called back to ask for it, they told me they could not update the installation contract. They told me to call back the morning of the install and request addtional networking components again. This sounded strange to me but what the hell.


Haven't heard that one before. I had the same problem with my first order, I cancelled install ticket and had it re-written for Whole Home DVR with ICK (Internet Connection Kit) so I wouldn't be charged for for the extra DECA and installation.

BTW, my CSR recommended the cancellation and re-writing of ticket. It did not delay my install either.

The install went well despite it being my installer's first DECA upgrade. After he was done, he brought me back outside to show me his work and took the time to explain what he was taught about it (nothing was hands on until he did my install but he knew what to look for... he showed me the green stickers on my SWiM and multiswitch and explained that meant I didn't need the BSF (Band-Stop-Filter).


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## stevetrek (Sep 22, 2007)

I called DirecTv and the CSR I spoke to said that the previous CSR should have offered the Internet Connection Kit. To add it, she said she would have to cancel my current order and installation and create a new order. I said OK. After cancelling it, she could not re-order the upgrade. A supervisor was also stumped. I was then told to wait 48 hours and try calling back to order it again. Bummer! I'm waiting for them to fix the ordering problem now.


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## terrelliott (May 7, 2007)

Still haven't, still won't.


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## Drucifer (Feb 12, 2009)

stevetrek said:


> I called DirecTv and the CSR I spoke to said that the previous CSR should have offered the Internet Connection Kit. To add it, she said she would have to cancel my current order and installation and create a new order. I said OK. After canceling it, she could not re-order the upgrade. A supervisor was also stumped. I was then told to wait 48 hours and try calling back to order it again. Bummer! I'm waiting for them to fix the ordering problem now.


Just wait to you find out they can't credit your CC either.

I paid twice. Ended up getting a credit to my DirecTV account.


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## john18 (Nov 21, 2006)

Partially guilty, your honor. I never said that I would not, but I saw no reason to at that point. I subsequently saw that people were repeatedly saying that my Powerline hookup was really not the best way to go and that service would be much better if I just went to DECA. I finally listened.


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## frogg (Nov 18, 2005)

Just not that interested right now. I was using powerline adapters and the only problem I had during the beta was HR21 stuttering on playback of HR20 recordings. H21 could play back both HR21 and HR20 recordings perfectly. HR20 could play back HR21 recordings perfectly. Regardless, with two HRs I am just not interested enough to pay for existing problematic service with my network setup, nor am I up for paying additional money for a DECA upgrade.


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## chrpai (Oct 27, 2007)

I currently have an H20-600 and HR 20-100. I live in a fiber neighborhood served by AT&T U-Verse.

I'd like to replace my H20-600 with another HD-DVR and get Multi-room going. Best I can tell I could get the same functionality by going to AT&T with a single DVR and additional HD STB.

I like DirecTV a lot and I worry about PQ with U-Verse, but DirecTV is wanting $150 for the HD-DVR upgrade another $150 for the upgrade install, a 2 yr or $480 prorated commitment and $3/mo. AT&T is giving some really heavy discounts compared to this.

I wonder if U-Verse PQ still sucks compared to DirecTV.


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## chrpai (Oct 27, 2007)

I called in and was able to negotiate HD for free for 24mos and a second HD-DVR for free. I don't want to pay $99 + $49 to get the DECA setup ( I already have 2 CAT 5e in 7 rooms ) but I will be willing to network it myself and pay $3/mo to have the two coordinate with each other.


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## wcr (Sep 27, 2009)

I didn't plan on paying for the SWM/DECA upgrade, but the DVR upgrade made it worth it to me.


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## xmetalx (Jun 3, 2009)

Drucifer said:


> Just wait to you find out they can't credit your CC either.
> 
> I paid twice. Ended up getting a credit to my DirecTV account.


If it's an upgrade or equipment order, it CAN be cancelled and is refunded back to the account that it was charged. Otherwise if it was for services or a programming charge, it gets credited to your bill


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## Drucifer (Feb 12, 2009)

xmetalx said:


> If it's an upgrade or equipment order, it CAN be cancelled and is refunded back to the account that it was charged. Otherwise if it was for services or a programming charge, it gets credited to your bill


What would you call reconnecting your router to DirecTV?


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## Shades228 (Mar 18, 2008)

xmetalx said:


> If it's an upgrade or equipment order, it CAN be cancelled and is refunded back to the account that it was charged. Otherwise if it was for services or a programming charge, it gets credited to your bill


The type of order doesn't matter. I believe you're attempting to say that if you pay for it by CC at time of sale and you cancel it will be refunded back to said CC. If something was billed to an account, a payment was made later, and then it was canceled it would be credited back to the account against the balance or as a credit balance.


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## badgerdave (Dec 15, 2006)

I never thought $3 was a big deal, so I'm paying.


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## badgerdave (Dec 15, 2006)

chrpai said:


> I called in and was able to negotiate HD for free for 24mos and a second HD-DVR for free. I don't want to pay $99 + $49 to get the DECA setup ( I already have 2 CAT 5e in 7 rooms ) but I will be willing to network it myself and pay $3/mo to have the two coordinate with each other.


I paid $99 for the Whole Home setup and $99 for an additional receiver (an HR24-500). I didn't think it was too bad given that they put a SWiM-16 (about $300 at Solid Signal) three DECA units ($40 a pop) and sundry other equipment. I wanted SWiM anyway so seemed like a deal. In addition to the HR24 that I got for $99, they replaced my HR20-100 with another HR24, replaced my SD Tivo with an R16 and replaced my older HD receiver with an H24--all for free. That gives me five rooms that I can watch my DVR content in and I got three brand new, very nice H/HR24s in the process.


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## chrpai (Oct 27, 2007)

I bought my house three years ago as new construction. It had 2 CAT 5e and 1 RG6 in a star topology to 7 rooms. It was for this reason that I then wanted SWM. It wasn't available yet so I found another location in the house to put a zinwell switch with 2 RG 6 drops to several rooms. It ended up working out well.

Since then I've extended ethernet to my wii, ps3 and HR20-100 and various other devices and have done quite a bit of streaming. I just don't see why I should now rip everything out and go back to the original SWM plan with a bunch of fancy DECA adapters when I already have a gigabit backbone in the house.

I've read the SWM vs DECA debate threads and I'm not buying it. I can see why DirecTV would do it this way but with my setup I'll be just fine.


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## Mike_TV (Jan 17, 2006)

Still haven't, still won't.


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## Hdhead (Jul 30, 2007)

Mike_TV said:


> Still haven't, still won't.


Good for you. Stick to your guns!


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## 477193 (May 3, 2008)

$3 a month was the ceiling I had set for myself when I first heard about it being charged by DTV - lucky guess. I now have it after tech visit on Fri, got SWM & DECA upgrade for free.


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## ffemtreed (Jan 30, 2008)

Well when I got home from work today my wife handed my $3 dollars in change and asked if we could get MRV turned on for a month..... she is pathetic....... needless to say I sent the email to get it turned on. We went from possible suspending our account for the summer because we aren't home much to adding MRV.... damn rainy weekends!


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## hasan (Sep 22, 2006)

ffemtreed said:


> Well when I got home from work today my wife handed my $3 dollars in change and asked if we could get MRV turned on for a month..... she is pathetic....... needless to say I sent the email to get it turned on. We went from possible suspending our account for the summer because we aren't home much to adding MRV.... damn rainy weekends!


I just got MRV free for about 72 months. (see other thread about the 24 month credit of $10/month for HD access...it's a promo for old customers who don't get the new promo of free hd access for life) All it took was a phone call and asking for it (with autopayement enabled).


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## ffemtreed (Jan 30, 2008)

hasan said:


> I just got MRV free for about 72 months. (see other thread about the 24 month credit of $10/month for HD access...it's a promo for old customers who don't get the new promo of free hd access for life) All it took was a phone call and asking for it (with autopayement enabled).


Yes I already signed up for my free 24 months today. That was one of the reasons why I let my wife talk me into MRV with her $3 change stunt.


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## stevetrek (Sep 22, 2007)

This is an update to my csr issues not being able to re-order Whole Home HD Dvr service. Previously... The last CSR I spoke to cancelled my order in order to update it with the ICK. Unfortunately, after cancelling the order, they were unable to re-order the package. Now: 48 hours later, I called back and they were still un-able to order the $99 upgrade. I was on the phone for 90 minutes (at least). The problem stemmed from asking the 1st CSR I spoke with to re-enable the Beta service while waiting for the installation the following week. After the CSR cancelled the order, apparently the system still thought I already had the service and would not let them order it again! Until I asked the CSR to remove all traces of Whole Home DVR, they all scratched their heads. Finally, after removing all traces, they were able to re-order it with ICK. I hope they have it straight now  Unfortunately they also removed the Beta service so now I cant watch programs on the other DVR. I have to wait 2 weeks until the installer arives. I was not pleased.


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## Drucifer (Feb 12, 2009)

stevetrek said:


> . . . . . I have to wait 2 weeks until the installer arrives. I was not pleased.


I would try to reschedule online. Often, people cancel and earlier slot opens up.


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## stevetrek (Sep 22, 2007)

Drucifer said:


> I would try to reschedule online. Often, people cancel and earlier slot opens up.


I'm afraid if I tried that, they would screw it up again and then I would have to wait longer.


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## jes (Apr 21, 2007)

I finally gave in... I got my 24 months free HD comp, so I gave a little back...


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## PHL (Jul 15, 2004)

I think I responded to DirecTV's mailer/email saying that I would not pay anything. However, I knew that I was simply trying to get them to keep the price lower than they might otherwise have charged. 

For me, it was pretty much a no-brainer. The only problem was paying to upgrade two of my legacy DTivo's. The initial estimate was over $550 (2 HD DVRs at $199 each, and $149 for the install). In the end, I got everything for under $200 (although I did get a little lucky with the second HD DVR). In my case, in addition to the convenience of MRV, I tripled my storage space, and got upgraded to SWM which finally enabled dual-tuners throughout the house. Previously, my DTivos only had one coax each. Considering that at the end of 2009, I very nearly purchased a SWM-8 switch on ebay (About $90 at the time) just so that I could upgrade my DTivos to R16's. In the end, I wound up paying less for much more functionality.


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