# My HD plan (adding more, etc)



## vampirefish (Oct 19, 2004)

Ok, so I've been creeping this forum latetly (again.. love this place) to see what my options are. Here's the dealio.. Currently I have 1 Vip 622 for my main TV (which connects SD to a new awesome LCD in my bedroom) and a PVR 501 in my sons' room. Well, as you can imagine, my awesome LCD picture looks like crappola as well as my son's (just bought the same LCD tv)... so my family REALLY wants HD in our bedrooms...

Does this mean (and I think I already know the answer to this question).. I have to buy two 211/222 for the 2 bedrooms? If so.. this kinda sucks... but I don't see anyother way around it. Also.. as a current customer do I have to buy these full price...? Maybe get a discount if I trade in my 501? I plan on calling Dish to ask about this, but wanted to bit educated prior to this 

Also, I am actually looking into TurboHD... but hear that I may have to call a few million times to get this deal. Would there be an advantage of getting this now (like costs might be more in February, etc)?

Thanks in advance!!


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## bobukcat (Dec 20, 2005)

You are correct, unless you want to only watch the same HD that is on in another room you will need an HD receiver for each monitor. I would expect them to lease you the 211/222s as they usually only restict the number of DVRs on lease IIRC. It does sound like most current customers are not being offered Turbo, to me the question that should be asked though is: are there any non-HD channels you can't live without, in my case that answer is yes, but YMMV.


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## CorpITGuy (Apr 12, 2007)

Count on everything going up in price in February.


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## Jim5506 (Jun 7, 2004)

In the current economic climate that might be counterproductive.


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## beagan (Jun 10, 2008)

Now that the Shield on FX is over, I no longer required SD. So I called for the 100% HD package. She said it was only available to new customers and she didn't even have the option to change it in their system if she wanted to. I talked with her for a bit stating how it's ridiculous that it's available for some but not for all. Why should I be paying more for channels I don't watch and she said it wouldn't be available to current customers until early next year, blah, blah, blah. I then asked to speak to her supervisor. Same deal. Then I politely said that I don't think they understand what I'm asking for and would like to speak to a representative in the United States. I was on hold for about 5 minutes when the Indian guy came back on and said that he talked to the U.S. rep on my behalf and that they would go ahead and change my package to what I asked for. Total phone time was about 15-20 minutes. Now I'm paying $39.95 for the HD Platinum level plus $5 for locals and $5 for HD DVR rental fee. $49.95. Not bad. Still have Cinemax for the $0.01 too.

Now when will DISH match DirecTV's HD lineup: FX, E!, VH1, MTV...


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## stvince71 (Jun 13, 2007)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't there a way of making TV2 on the 622 the HD feed. I remember having to correct this for a TC I went on a couple of years back. Although I don't remember the PQ from having to use the coax line.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

TV2 can view HD programming but only downconverted to SD (either cropped or letterboxed - no other options).

Sorry ... no TV2 HD.


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## BattleZone (Nov 13, 2007)

bobukcat said:


> I would expect them to lease you the 211/222s as they usually only restict the number of DVRs on lease IIRC.


Dish has a lease limit: they will only lease receivers to support 4 TVs, and dual-output receivers count as 2, even if they are used in Single Mode.

Dish also limits Dish'n It Up upgrades to 1 DVR per upgrade. You can get more than one receiver, but only one of them can be a DVR.

Finally, you can only do Dish'n It Up once every 12 months. If you want additional receivers before the 12 months, you have to buy (instead of lease) those receivers, as well as handle the installation yourself (or pay for it).

The ViP612 is a dual-tuner, single-output HD-DVR, and is IMO the best receiver option if you have multiple HDTVs. An SD output is worthless to me.


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## vampirefish (Oct 19, 2004)

Thanks everyone...

beagan... what does this mean? 
Now that the Shield on FX is over

I hope that means that FX will be available.. if so.. any word on that? The only show I really care about on that is 'Resue Me'. I would also miss some others... but actually while I'm reading this... not sure which... IFC, AMC.... any other major's I'm missing? If I do this it's gotta be a 'smooth' transistion for the family. Isn't NFL channel in HD now? I know ESPN is...


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## BattleZone (Nov 13, 2007)

The Shield just aired the final episode of the 7th and final season last week. The FX network is still around, just no more new episodes of The Shield. Apparently that was the only FX show he watched.


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

IIP said:


> The Shield just aired the final episode of the 7th and final season last week. The FX network is still around, just no more new episodes of The Shield. Apparently that was the only FX show he watched.


Yes, it does appear that he doesn't watch Damages or Nip/Tuck. The new season premiers for both of those the first week in January.

Also there is the possibility of Breaking Bad's new season on AMC, also not HD.

I just can't shift to all HD until both FX and AMC are HD, as well as my favorite news station Comedy Central.


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## vampirefish (Oct 19, 2004)

ok...DUH... I see what that meant.. the show 'The Shield'! Don't watch that but have to watch Rescue Me. Also for AMC we do watch Breaking Bad... but after talking with my teenage son this week with possibly going all HD, he almost had a coronary when he pointed out that MTV is not HD.

.. the plot thickens...

Also, I'd love to get him a DVR (like his PVR 501).. but I'd have to get 2 DVRs (1 for his room and 1 for mine)... so would I be looking at this as new charges?

Vip 622 - $5.98/mo
HD DVR 1 - $5/mo
HD DVR 1 - $5/mo

or would it be more... like if I leased... are we talking $10/mo? sheesh!

Currently, these are my monthly charges:
DISH Network DVR Service Fee 5.98
SilverHD 10.00
Addl Receiver Access Fee 5.00
Digital Home Advantage America's Top 200 with Locals 49.99​
Those receiver fees are confusing to me... maybe I'm not being charged DVR fee because the 501 is older? Anyway... not sure what my new bill would look like... do you get charged addl receivers AND DVR fees on top of that?


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## BattleZone (Nov 13, 2007)

The "additional receiver fee" for HD receivers is $7/month vs. $5 for an SD receiver (this is the fee to mirror the programming; you pay this whether you own or lease). The base subscription covers the first receiver on the account.

There is also a $6/month fee for each DVR. Again, leased vs. owned makes no difference.

Here are the differences between leased and owned:

LEASED

- Lower up-front cost.
- Remains Dish property; must be returned if you cancel.
- Counts towards the lease limit.
- Less expensive to replace if it breaks out of warranty.

OWNED

- You own it. You can sell it, give it away, or throw it away if you want to.
- No programming commitment.
- You pay for installation costs, including dish/switch costs.
- Doesn't count towards lease limit.
- After 90 day warranty, if you don't have the protection plan, you pay full price for a replacement.


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## vampirefish (Oct 19, 2004)

crap! so i'd pay $30 just to have 3 receivers that are DVR - ??

Also.. (may seem like a stupid question) if I go Turbo HD... my 501 won't work anymore right? I love that receiver....one reason being that there was never an extra DVR charge!


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## Jim5506 (Jun 7, 2004)

There are certain SD channels that are included in the Turbo HD packages, and as long as you are looking at 110, 119 and 129, they will still be MPEG-2 so your 510 can see them.

I have HD Absolute and it includes about 80% of the SD channels that correspond to my HD's plus all the public interest and shopping channels in glorious SD.

The problem is with the SD channels that dish has converted to MPEG-4 on 61.5 (not all there), 72.7 and 77, they, being MPEG-4 cannot be seen by any non VIP receiver.

Since you are in Washington State you should have 129 with a 24 or 30 inch dish dedicated to that satellite (necessary until it is replaced next month).


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## vampirefish (Oct 19, 2004)

Thanks for the info Jim5506 - I am in Washington (over by Seattle) and I actually have 2 dishes (this was prior to HD - initial install) because the line of site from my yard is not ideal. I currently point to 129 (understood this was for HD, at least initially), 119 and 110. Should I worry about 61.5? Not sure if I can even see this... guess what I'm wondering is what sats do I need/will I need in the future (for HD)? Want to make sure I can even continue using Dish...


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

vampirefish said:


> Thanks for the info Jim5506 - I am in Washington (over by Seattle) and I actually have 2 dishes (this was prior to HD - initial install) because the line of site from my yard is not ideal. I currently point to 129 (understood this was for HD, at least initially), 119 and 110. Should I worry about 61.5? Not sure if I can even see this... guess what I'm wondering is what sats do I need/will I need in the future (for HD)? Want to make sure I can even continue using Dish...


You have what you need for the Seattle area as 61.5 and 129 are usd by Dish for East and West. You will find 129 is weak at this time as the satellite is in it's last months. A new one is to be launched Wednesday.

Most in the Pacific Northwest use two dishes because of the 129 problem.


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## BobaBird (Mar 31, 2002)

Your current monthly charges (post #12) shouldn't include a separate DVR fee. Since you already have AT200, locals, and a DVR, you can switch to the DVR Advantage bundle to eliminate or at least reduce the DVR fee on the first DVR (full fee on each additional).

The 501, 508, and the 721 until it's shut down, are grandfathered as no-fee DVRs.

You could go with a 211 in each bedroom, pay $40 to activate the DVR conversion software (one fee covers both), and buy an external drive for each. No DVR fees. I figure it'll take at least 15 months of savings to pay for the EHDs and activation, assuming 320GB drives bought on sale.


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## vampirefish (Oct 19, 2004)

question is... if I go turbo HD... then I will get the DVR charges on all DVRs, right?

good deal about the 129 sat.. because it's horrible... my family LOVES & HATES HD because of this!

interesting idea on the 211 with HD... thx


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## biz (Jul 30, 2004)

I just looked at my bill, since I got rid of HBO trying to save money.

Absolute HD/w locals 34.99
additional receiver 5.00
DVR service fee 17.94 ??
Additional recr acess 5.00
DHPP 5.99
No phone connected 5.00

73.92. jeezus.


I have one 622 and two SD DVR's.


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## Jim5506 (Jun 7, 2004)

You can eliminate $11.99 by dropping DHPP and connecting a phone/ethernet line.

Be careful making alterations to your HD absolute package, you might lose it and it NEVER can be restored, even if it is a mistake by a Dish CSR.


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## vampirefish (Oct 19, 2004)

so.. jim5506 - if i go HD turbo... will I have to pay DVR fees for each receiver (if I have, let's say 3)..?


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

It depends on your programming package. One DVR fee is included in a few packages.


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## vampirefish (Oct 19, 2004)

I see, thanks. So i'm thinking of trying to move to Turbo HD silver. Any word on if these prices will be grandfathered or we'll all get the increase?

I would use my vip 622 and possibly pick up a 211 and use the 501 for a bit more I guess... 

... maybe i'll see how the success of the new launch for 129 turns out.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

DISH has grandfathered packages in the past but generally does not grandfather prices. Unless you are buying something that is "price guaranteed" expect a February rate increase. And if there is no February rate increase you can be happy!

(We normally hear what the rate increases will be in mid to late December ... from both DISH and DirecTV with DISH going first and taking the brunt of the PR hit for changing rates)


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## vampirefish (Oct 19, 2004)

Thanks so much for the info (everyone)!!

I just got off the phone with Dish and:
- changed to the Dish Advantage Pkg (to eliminate the dvr fee)
- ordered 1 Vip222 (free upgrade)
- ordered 1 Vip222 ($75)
- $14 monthly lease fee ($7) THAT BITES
- Install scheduled for this Saturday (13 Dec) !!

Ok.... so if I have this right.. my updated bill should look like this:

DISH Network DVR Service Fee NONE 
SilverHD 10.00
Addl Receiver Access Fee 7.00
Addl Receiver Access Fee 7.00
Digital Home Advantage America's Top 200 with Locals 49.99 (this includes locals)

Does this look right? This is how Dish explained it...


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## vampirefish (Oct 19, 2004)

Ok.. newer update... Dish came out and the installer didn't feel comfortable having me sign another 2yr contract because I wouldn't have a signal at my house within the next 2yrs.  I had a special install years ago and require 2 dishes (next to each other in my back yard) to get 110 and 119. The first installer said he couldn't do it, and then asked Dish to bring someone else out, and he was able to do it. He told me that line of site will go away some time in the future (due to trees)... it's been 5 years now. 

I don't have drop-outs with my SD channels. I told him (on Saturday) that the only reception problems I have are HD (129) and that I had read that it's a weak signal for us near Seattle. He agreed but said that the drop-outs wouldn't be as bad as I explained (HD signal consistently drops out but not for too long of a period). And consistently doesn't mean constantly... you can just count on it at least a few times for a show, for example. 

Anyway, the guy was cool and did not seem to not want to do any work - this is always hard to tell for me because I've ran into this in the past (so always installed for mysefl when possible).

Anyway.... they (whoever they are) will have to pry my dish and receivers from my cold, dead hands before I turn to cable. I looked at their prices over the weekend and am appauled. I'm in Port Orchard which means I have to bend over for Wavecable - which includes horrible customer service and inflated prices. Guess I'll stick with Dish until there is NO more signal.


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## stvince (Dec 27, 2005)

It's not that he didn't want to do any work, it's more to due with Dish's install policy. The FTs are instructed to look for any potential future problems like tree growth. Also there would be a chance that the job would be audited and he could be flagged for possibly causing a future TC. Although I found that getting permission from the Service Manager and having the customer sign off that he was warned about possible problems gets you off the hook.


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## vampirefish (Oct 19, 2004)

Yeah... we talked quality and he explained how he would be audited but that I could take the risk as a customer - he just wanted me to know the risk involved. I'm in quality myself, so could relate. In the mean time I'll hope that February proves to a turning point in the quality of the HD signal for me. I'll be crossing my fingers.


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## vampirefish (Oct 19, 2004)

Quick update. Dish came out today and finally did something for me. The installer inspected my setup and immediately saw that I should have a 24" dish for my HD (129). He replaced that with a 20" Dish 500 Pro... now my signal is stronger (was 34ish now high 40/50ish)!! The guy was great and I'm satisfied - now waiting patiently for the 'upgrade' for 129


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## AED55 (Oct 2, 2008)

beagan said:


> Now that the Shield on FX is over, I no longer required SD. So I called for the 100% HD package. She said it was only available to new customers and she didn't even have the option to change it in their system if she wanted to. I talked with her for a bit stating how it's ridiculous that it's available for some but not for all. Why should I be paying more for channels I don't watch and she said it wouldn't be available to current customers until early next year, blah, blah, blah. I then asked to speak to her supervisor. Same deal. Then I politely said that I don't think they understand what I'm asking for and would like to speak to a representative in the United States. I was on hold for about 5 minutes when the Indian guy came back on and said that he talked to the U.S. rep on my behalf and that they would go ahead and change my package to what I asked for. Total phone time was about 15-20 minutes. Now I'm paying $39.95 for the HD Platinum level plus $5 for locals and $5 for HD DVR rental fee. $49.95. Not bad. Still have Cinemax for the $0.01 too.
> 
> Now when will DISH match DirecTV's HD lineup: FX, E!, VH1, MTV...


The fact that you had to talk to Dish for 20 minutes just to get the package you wanted is rediculous. If Dish really wants to keep existing customers happy, they would offer flexible programming to everyone without all this hassle.


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