# protection plan



## robl45 (Aug 5, 2004)

i see people talking about the protection plan, I searched and didn't find out anything about it, don't remember seeing it on directv's site although I know I saw it on dishes site. Is this something that is still relevant for new customers who sign up now?


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## bobvick1983 (Mar 21, 2007)

I believe that you have the protection plan free for a period of time. After that it is $5.99 per month. Check out this link to DirecTV's site for more information about it.


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## robl45 (Aug 5, 2004)

so do you need it? if the receivers are leased, they replace them if they break don't they?


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

robl45 said:


> so do you need it? if the receivers are leased, they replace them if they break don't they?


It covers not only replacement of the DVR but fixing, replacing your dish or realignment of your dish, wiring issues and other equipment problems such as Multiswitches, DECA, SWM, Cables, etc.


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## CCarncross (Jul 19, 2005)

robl45 said:


> so do you need it? if the receivers are leased, they replace them if they break don't they?


Without the PP, its $20 S&H to replace a defective receiver. With the PP, they cover the S&H...


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## grcooperjr (Mar 19, 2008)

Well Rob...

The warranty period is 90 days. As is with most leases the person that is leaseing the equipment is responceable for repairs once it is out of warranty. The protection program takes care of it if you have it....


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## west99999 (May 12, 2007)

bobvick1983 said:


> I believe that you have the protection plan free for a period of time. After that it is $5.99 per month. Check out this link to DirecTV's site for more information about it.


The protection plan is not free for any amount of time. If you sign up during your installation or when it is sold to you there is a 30 day wait period before it starts. You will be billed $5.99/mth it is required you keep the plan for 1 year or pay a $10 cancellation fee (fee void in some states). It is only $49 for a service should you have a problem and need a tech so you make the decision either $49 one time fee or spread out over several months at $5.99 Generally a system installed properly is service free but there are always problems hear and there with electronic systems. There is supposed to be an advanced protection plan coming out soon that will cover all electronics that you use to watch Directv (ipads, televisions, computers, etc....) not sure of all the details yet but I have heard $15-20 cost for this coverage.


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## ThomasM (Jul 20, 2007)

grcooperjr said:


> Well Rob...
> 
> The warranty period is 90 days. As is with most leases the person that is leaseing the equipment is responceable for repairs once it is out of warranty. The protection program takes care of it if you have it....


That's not true in the case of leased DirecTV receivers. DirecTV will replace any leased receiver that fails for a $20 S & H fee. If the replacement fails within 90 days, it will be replaced again free of charge.

The advantage to the "protection plan" is that EVERYTHING is covered AND a technician is sent out (if necessary) at no additional charge. For folks who are not technically savvy at fixing cables or reaiming a dish located on a roof it could be a good value at $72 per year. For folks who installed all of their own DirecTV equipment themselves including the dish (me) it's not a good value.


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## robl45 (Aug 5, 2004)

I know this board is filled with a lot of DTV fans who will defend anything no matter how rediculous it, but this is a bit much.

With Uverse, I call they show up and fix their crap, its why I pay them each month. dish aligning should be free, its why I left dish and frankly why people hop from provider to provider. At any rate, i'm pretty close to signing up for directv but I'll skip this nonsense plan.

now maybe no one at directv has taken an economics course but even with the termination fee, they are better keeping a customer than having them terminate, and if they tried to charge me to replace leased equipement, they would probably end up with a termination fee. Lets hope it doesn't come to thtat.


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## kaminar (Mar 25, 2012)

West99999 is correct, and ThomasM is correct.

As you mentioned, it's a matter of perceived value..time vs $$..do you purchase a 55" 3D TV or computer and not get the extended protection/service plan? Must ask that internal question, is it worth my time? We can regain $$ but not lost time..

Obviously the decision to pay for HQ TV is to maximize your investment dollar per hour of free time..those who have the ability pay for convenience and quality, because in the end, the time they saved earned them a lot more $$ than the cost..fewer headaches, less stress and possibly better health too. 

If you ever need service/repair, then spend hours on the phone to complain about the cost after consciously refusing the protection plan..you have wasted your time and money..fortune cookie once said: a wise man will not step over dollars to pick up pennies.

Good luck!

-=K=-


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## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

robl45 said:
 

> I know this board is filled with a lot of DTV fans who will defend anything no matter how rediculous it, but this is a bit much.
> 
> With Uverse, I call they show up and fix their crap, its why I pay them each month. dish aligning should be free, its why I left dish and frankly why people hop from provider to provider. At any rate, i'm pretty close to signing up for directv but I'll skip this nonsense plan.
> 
> now maybe no one at directv has taken an economics course but even with the termination fee, they are better keeping a customer than having them terminate, and if they tried to charge me to replace leased equipement, they would probably end up with a termination fee. Lets hope it doesn't come to thtat.


I'm a businessman. The goal of any business is to make a profit. The more avenues one has of achieving a profit the better. The Protection Plan is one of those avenues. What's so rediculous?


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## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

kaminar said:


> West99999 is correct, and ThomasM is correct.
> 
> As you mentioned, it's a matter of perceived value..time vs $$..do you purchase a 55" 3D TV or computer and not get the extended protection/service plan? Must ask that internal question, is it worth my time? We can regain $$ but not lost time..
> 
> ...


Exactly. It's like flood insurance. Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. The Protection Plan is a win/win scenario. The customer wins with the convenience and quality you mentioned and the provider wins with extra revenue.


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## lesz (Aug 3, 2010)

robl45 said:


> now maybe no one at directv has taken an economics course but even with the termination fee, they are better keeping a customer than having them terminate, and if they tried to charge me to replace leased equipement, they would probably end up with a termination fee.


You make an excellent point. I've read in the past that the cost to DIRECTV to sign up a new subscriber is somewhere in the area of $1000 per customer when you consider the costs of marketing, installation, equipment, and whatever other costs exist. And DIRECTV is not about to lose one of those customers and have to spend another $1000 to replace that customer over the cost to replace failing equipment.

I know that there are those who swear by the protection plan and who will never be convinced otherwise, but protection plans and extended warranties are set up by companies as pure profit generators for the company and not for the purpose of saving customers money. In the case of the DIRCTV protection plan, this is especially so because DIRECTV is very liberal with providing customers without the protection plan the same benefits that they would be getting with the protection plan. I have never had the protection plan, and during the time since DIRECTV started leasing equipment, I've had at least 5 receivers or DVRs die. In every case, DIRECTV has replaced the unit at no cost to me, and, upon my request, they have even waived the shipping costs. Last year, I had a dish that had hail damage replaced at no cost to me. When I had a cracked LNB, not only did DIRECTV send someone out to replace it at no cost to me, but, also, when the service tech came out, he replaced the LNB with a SWM LNB and did the necessary work to install SWM and DECA for me and I was charged nothing. And I've also had a few service calls for peaking the dish at no cost to me. Twice, when I had receivers replaced, DIRECTV replaced them with DVRs at no cost (and without extending my contract).

If you talk with people who sell appliances, electronics, cars, or any other product, they will tell you that, if they can sell someone a protection plan/extended warranty, they will make more money on that protection plan or extended warranty than they did on the sale of the product being protected. The rule of thumb is that, with any protection plan/extended warranty, it makes financial sense to buy it only if the potential loss that you are protecting against is so large that it would cause severe financial distress. In the case of DIRECTV equipment (or most other products), if I can't afford a few hundred dollars to replace some equipment, I'd question whether I could afford the product or service in the first place.

The bottom line is that I've never spent one cent to replace (or upgrade) DIRECTV equipment, and I've never had the protection plan. I figure that, even if I ever had to pay for a service call (even though DIRECTV policy allows one free service call per year), I'd still be way ahead of the game compared to the $70 or so that I would have paid per year had I had the protection plan. And, as you say, if there was ever a repair/equipment replacement that would have cost significantly more, I'm confident that, if I said that I would switch to Dish unless DIRECTV waived the charges, any such charges would be waived.


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## TBlazer07 (Feb 5, 2009)

One advantage to the PP to consider is if you have any OWNED (not-leased) receivers. If they need to replace them they will be replaced and still be owned. Without the PP your formerly owned replacements will now be leased and your contract extended 2yrs. In my case all receivers are owned so the PP is worth it to me and I also seem to need a dish alignment once a year.

I think for most people who have it the PP isn't a necessity but simply a convenience. The $6/month = maybe 2 beers a month or 3/4 of a pack of cigarettes (DISCLAIMER: cigarette smoking may be hazardous to your health).


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## CurtP (Jan 9, 2008)

TBlazer07 said:


> One advantage to the PP to consider is if you have any OWNED (not-leased) receivers. If they need to replace them they will be replaced and still be owned. Without the PP your formerly owned replacements will now be leased and your contract extended 2yrs. In my case all receivers are owned so the PP is worth it to me and I also seem to need a dish alignment once a year.


The way it was explained to me was if they replace any receiver outside of the 90 day warranty, it will renew your 2-yr commitment unless you have PP.


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## BattleScott (Aug 29, 2006)

CurtP said:


> The way it was explained to me was if they replace any receiver outside of the 90 day warranty, it will renew your 2-yr commitment unless you have PP.


Simply not true. For a brief period, there were issues with DirecTV erroneously extending them, but it is not valid.

There really should be a sticky about the PP facts, it would be a good member service.


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## HoTat2 (Nov 16, 2005)

Although if your interested, you may want to wait to check out a new and very enhanced version of the P.P. called the "Protection Plan Premiere" that DIRECTV is soon to launch for about $19.95 a month.

AIUI this plan is intended to cover servicing and/or replacement of not only DIRECTV equipment, but well beyond that to a customer's TVs, AVRs, computers, routers and other networking gear, etc. 

The exact details as to how DIRECTV intends to cover all this has not been publicly released yet though.


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## TBlazer07 (Feb 5, 2009)

HoTat2 said:


> Although if your interested, you may want to wait to check out a new and very enhanced version of the P.P. called the "Protection Plan Premiere" that DIRECTV is soon to launch for about $19.95 a month.
> 
> AIUI this plan is intended to cover servicing and/or replacement of not only DIRECTV equipment, but well beyond that to a customer's TVs, AVRs, computers, routers and other networking gear, etc.
> 
> The exact details as to how DIRECTV intends to cover all this has not been publicly released yet though.


Verizon has a similar plan. I have Fios Internet so I was able to get it. They replaced a 5year old NEC Plasma TV for me. Well, they didn't actually replace it but gave me a choice between a 50" new Panasonic (low end model) Plasma or check for $800. I took the check. For ALL TV's in the house it was $10/month and for ALL electronics I think it was $29. I only had the TV coverage. Basically if they can't repair it they replace it or cut you a check.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

MysteryMan said:


> Exactly. It's like flood insurance. Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. The Protection Plan is a win/win scenario. The customer wins with the convenience and quality you mentioned and the provider wins with extra revenue.


Not necessarily. If you don't need many reaims, it's cheaper to just pay for the service call. Since I've been with DirecTV I've had maybe two receiver replacements and one reaim when we had a freak windstorm that took out power to the entire city.


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## robl45 (Aug 5, 2004)

MysteryMan said:


> I'm a businessman. The goal of any business is to make a profit. The more avenues one has of achieving a profit the better. The Protection Plan is one of those avenues. What's so rediculous?


its rediculous because you are paying for TV service, the hardware has to work in order to have TV service. If i'm paying you for monthly service, the hardware and dish should be working, i should be getting signal, simple as that. Maybe only Uverse didn't take the same economics class as dish and directv because they come out for free, even the same day if possible and replace faulty equipment.


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## Northicex (Feb 16, 2012)

robl45 said:


> its rediculous because you are paying for TV service, the hardware has to work in order to have TV service. If i'm paying you for monthly service, the hardware and dish should be working, i should be getting signal, simple as that. Maybe only Uverse didn't take the same economics class as dish and directv because they come out for free, even the same day if possible and replace faulty equipment.


You see here is the thing. That dish on your roof, the cables in your walls, the splitters and switches are an integrated part of your home owned by you. The initial installation is provided at a significant discount if not completely free. Past that 90 days the systems maintenance is your responsibility. The receivers (most of the time) are the only leased component and the amount you pay per month is for programing alone.

The costs involved on the customer side truth be known a nominal compared to the expense D* foots for system maintenance (last figure I saw about a $120 loss on average for a service call). Now given that you can try self maintenance of the system (unsupported by D*) or you can take advantage of the PP or pay the costs of maintenance if you need it.

U verse from what I understand builds there maintenance into your monthly bill so you pay if you need it or not.


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## BattleScott (Aug 29, 2006)

MysteryMan said:


> Exactly. It's like flood insurance. Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. The Protection Plan is a win/win scenario. The customer wins with the convenience and quality you mentioned and the provider wins with extra revenue.


But would you pay $75,000.00 a year for insurance to cover $100,000.00 worth of belongings? That is what the protection plan basically equates to.

The only expensive part (and most likely to fail) of the average installation is the receivers and they are covered by the lease. The only customers for whom the PP is a smart investment are those with a lot of money tied up owned receivers who would not take a lease as replacement. Everyone else is far better off putting the $6 in a jar.


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## kaminar (Mar 25, 2012)

BattleScott said:


> But would you pay $75,000.00 a year for insurance to cover $100,000.00 worth of belongings? That is what the protection plan basically equates to.
> 
> Everyone else is far better off putting the $6 in a jar.


Surely you don't infer that $6/mth is equal to 75% of the value of all your DTV equipment, installation and annual package plan..what you more likely meant is that you'd pay $1000/yr for coverage of your $100k items. Typically, that 1% is about right, or even less..just add up the value of installed equipment, cabling and expertise, as well as the value of your tv enjoyment..all tolled, $72/yr is cheap peace-of-mind. 

-=K=-

ps: D* has not yet officially announced the Premier Protection Plan..any sightings will be dismissed as weather balloons, atmospheric anomalies and locusts.


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## raott (Nov 23, 2005)

"kaminar" said:


> Surely you don't infer that $6/mth is equal to 75% of the value of all your DTV equipment, installation and annual package plan..what you more likely meant is that you'd pay $1000/yr for coverage of your $100k items. Typically, that 1% is about right, or even less..just add up the value of installed equipment, cabling and expertise, as well as the value of your tv enjoyment..all tolled, $72/yr is cheap peace-of-mind.
> 
> -=K=-
> 
> ps: D* has not yet officially announced the Premier Protection Plan..any sightings will be dismissed as weather balloons, atmospheric anomalies and locusts.


They will send you a replacement receiver for $19 bucks, with no protection plan and no new commitment.


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## BattleScott (Aug 29, 2006)

kaminar said:


> Surely you don't infer that $6/mth is equal to 75% of the value of all your DTV equipment, installation and annual package plan..what you more likely meant is that you'd pay $1000/yr for coverage of your $100k items. Typically, that 1% is about right, or even less..just add up the value of installed equipment, cabling and expertise, as well as the value of your tv enjoyment..all tolled, $72/yr is cheap peace-of-mind.
> 
> -=K=-
> 
> ps: D* has not yet officially announced the Premier Protection Plan..any sightings will be dismissed as weather balloons, atmospheric anomalies and locusts.


$6 / month = $72/year. Excluding the receivers, there is an LNB and some coax connectors. All of which could easily be replaced for $100 or less. 1 dish re-align is 49.99 (if you just go ahead and pay instead of calling and having it waived).

I said exactly what I meant. Paying $6 a month to insure $100 worth of passive hardware is simply not worth it.


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## joshjr (Aug 2, 2008)

BattleScott said:


> $6 / month = $72/year. Excluding the receivers, there is an LNB and some coax connectors. All of which could easily be replaced for $100 or less. 1 dish re-align is 49.99 (if you just go ahead and pay instead of calling and having it waived).
> 
> I said exactly what I meant. Paying $6 a month to insure $100 worth of passive hardware is simply not worth it.


Swapping owned defective for good owned receivers is a good $6 a month insurance. I had several HR20's replaced with HR24's least year. Brand new and now I own them. IF I didnt pay that $6 a month, DirecTV would own them. Thanks but no thanks. I can say that if I did not own most of my equipment then I would probably not have it either. I will have a HR34 owned on my account one of these days as well (maybe more then 1).


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## JACKIEGAGA (Dec 11, 2006)

joshjr said:


> Swapping owned defective for good owned receivers is a good $6 a month insurance.


Agreed


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## BattleScott (Aug 29, 2006)

joshjr said:


> Swapping owned defective for good owned receivers is a good $6 a month insurance. I had several HR20's replaced with HR24's least year. Brand new and now I own them. IF I didnt pay that $6 a month, DirecTV would own them. Thanks but no thanks. I can say that if I did not own most of my equipment then I would probably not have it either. I will have a HR34 owned on my account one of these days as well (maybe more then 1).


If you read back a few posts I stipulated that you are the only customer that it IS a potential value to.


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## wahooq (Oct 19, 2011)

> Without the PP your formerly owned replacements will now be leased and your contract extended 2yrs


Thats not true.....the ERP will replace owned equipment with leased but will NOT cause a new commitment


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## wahooq (Oct 19, 2011)

in all honesty there is no advantage of having owned vs leased equipment these days


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

wahooq said:


> in all honesty there is no advantage of having owned vs leased equipment these days


Adding owned equipment doesnt extend your contract and allows you to modify the box (add a 2TB hard drive for example), and deauthorize the box (like a guest room) without having to send it back and pay for it again when you want to turn it back on. I keep a box in the guest room, and only have it turned on when I have guests. Why pay $ for a box when no one is watching it.


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## raott (Nov 23, 2005)

"wahooq" said:


> Thats not true.....the ERP will replace owned equipment with leased but will NOT cause a new commitment


I don't believe that is correct either. The PP will replace owned with owned and will not cause a new commitment. IMO that is the only scenario where the PP is worth it.


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## Shades228 (Mar 18, 2008)

west99999 said:


> The protection plan is not free for any amount of time. If you sign up during your installation or when it is sold to you there is a 30 day wait period before it starts. You will be billed $5.99/mth it is required you keep the plan for 1 year or pay a $10 cancellation fee (fee void in some states). It is only $49 for a service should you have a problem and need a tech so you make the decision either $49 one time fee or spread out over several months at $5.99 Generally a system installed properly is service free but there are always problems hear and there with electronic systems. There is supposed to be an advanced protection plan coming out soon that will cover all electronics that you use to watch Directv (ipads, televisions, computers, etc....) not sure of all the details yet but I have heard $15-20 cost for this coverage.


There are times the protection plan can be free.



wahooq said:


> in all honesty there is no advantage of having owned vs leased equipment these days


There are some specific scenarios where having owned equipment is more beneficial such as second homes or RVs to name a couple.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

"wahooq" said:


> in all honesty there is no advantage of having owned vs leased equipment these days


How about a receiver in a guest room and only wanting to pay the monthly fee when you have guests? Being able to sell one to buy a newer model, or just not needing it anymore?


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## wahooq (Oct 19, 2011)

@raott


> I don't believe that is correct either. The PP will replace owned with owned and will not cause a new commitment. IMO that is the only scenario where the PP is worth it.


I said ERP...Equipment Replacement Program NOT Protection Plan...2 different things



> There are times the protection plan can be free.


Absolutely False, unless you are an employee



> There are some specific scenarios where having owned equipment is more beneficial such as second homes or RVs to name a couple.





> How about a receiver in a guest room and only wanting to pay the monthly fee when you have guests? Being able to sell one to buy a newer model, or just not needing it anymore?


Really?? If you can't afford $6.00 a month then you probably shouldn't have pay tv....OTA is free


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## raott (Nov 23, 2005)

"wahooq" said:


> @raott
> 
> I said ERP...Equipment Replacement Program NOT Protection Plan...2 different things
> 
> ...


Ah, my mistake on the ERP. I thought you meant PP.


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## TBlazer07 (Feb 5, 2009)

wahooq said:


> Really?? If you can't afford $6.00 a month then you probably shouldn't have pay tv....OTA is free


 That's really a ridiculous statement and I see it so many times here (particularly when it applies to the annual DirecTV $4-$6 price increase).

As Judge Judy always says: "That's RIDICULOUS, just RIDICULOUS!" :sure:

It's not a matter of "affording" the $6 receiver fee it's a matter of not paying for something you are not using.

If it is your choice to keep paying for something you don't need or use 9 or 10 months out of 12 that's fine but to judge someone else's financial status because they don't want to pay for what they don't need is plain silly. What right does anyone have to determine how someone else should be spending or not spending their money whether it's $6 or $60 a month.


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## lesz (Aug 3, 2010)

TBlazer07 said:


> That's really a ridiculous statement and I see it so many times here (particularly when it applies to the annual DirecTV $4-$6 price increase).
> 
> As Judge Judy always says: "That's RIDICULOUS, just RIDICULOUS!" :sure:
> 
> ...


But I would think that you would want to have more of a reason to have the protection plan than just to be able to deactivate a receiver when it is not in use because, otherwise, you are spending $72 a year on the protection plan to save $72 by being able to deactivate a receiver. And that $72 saving would only be fully realized if the receiver was not activated at all during the course of the year.


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## SPACEMAKER (Dec 11, 2007)

I keep the PP mostly for the peace of mind. I hope I never need to use it.


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## Shades228 (Mar 18, 2008)

wahooq said:


> Absolutely False, unless you are an employee


If someone signs up through the employee referral (which I won't post here due to forum rules) the first year they get free protection plan coverage. There are other situations and accounts that are also covered by the protection plan but do not have the charge associated with it.

Hopefully that helps clear things up.



lesz said:


> But I would think that you would want to have more of a reason to have the protection plan than just to be able to deactivate a receiver when it is not in use because, otherwise, you are spending $72 a year on the protection plan to save $72 by being able to deactivate a receiver. And that $72 saving would only be fully realized if the receiver was not activated at all during the course of the year.


People get it for many reasons but the main one is just piece of mind and knowing that they never have to deal with something they don't expect. All insurance policies are profitable or they wouldn't exist so are the odds out there that you'll pay more than you'll get? Sure but if something does happen then you are already covered and don't have to worry about out of pocket expenses. For people on fixed incomes it's also better for them to know that they don't ever have to worry about unexpected issues. So like everything else each person needs to evaluate their situation and determine what's best for them.


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## wingrider01 (Sep 9, 2005)

robl45 said:


> I know this board is filled with a lot of DTV fans who will defend anything no matter how rediculous it, but this is a bit much.
> 
> With Uverse, I call they show up and fix their crap, its why I pay them each month. dish aligning should be free, its why I left dish and frankly why people hop from provider to provider. At any rate, i'm pretty close to signing up for directv but I'll skip this nonsense plan.
> 
> now maybe no one at directv has taken an economics course but even with the termination fee, they are better keeping a customer than having them terminate, and if they tried to charge me to replace leased equipement, they would probably end up with a termination fee. Lets hope it doesn't come to thtat.


they cover up to the dmark outside your house, they come in and you start getting charged for a service call and their normal per hour billable charge, this is true for any att supplied service - pots, special services, etc.

the only thing you lease for directtv are the recievers - if you lnb goes out, the dish needs alignment, the cables get damaged are your problem, if directv comes out you get a service call charged plus parts

If you have owned recievers you can get directv to replace them, but unless you have a plan they are replaced with leased equipment. In my case every one of my recievers are owned.

hae eqrthquake, flood and other coverage on my property, like the protiection plan I have it but hope to never have to used it.


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## robl45 (Aug 5, 2004)

uverse has been to my house multiple times, no charge. their box died, they came and replaced it twice already, no charge. sorry, you obviously don't have uverse.



wingrider01 said:


> they cover up to the dmark outside your house, they come in and you start getting charged for a service call and their normal per hour billable charge, this is true for any att supplied service - pots, special services, etc.
> 
> the only thing you lease for directtv are the recievers - if you lnb goes out, the dish needs alignment, the cables get damaged are your problem, if directv comes out you get a service call charged plus parts
> 
> ...


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## Xsabresx (Oct 8, 2007)

robl45 said:


> its rediculous because you are paying for TV service, the hardware has to work in order to have TV service. If i'm paying you for monthly service, the hardware and dish should be working, i should be getting signal, simple as that. Maybe only Uverse didn't take the same economics class as dish and directv because they come out for free, even the same day if possible and replace faulty equipment.


I find it ironic that you keep bringing up "economics class" but then tell us that if they try to charge you for anything they will end up with a termination fee? So you would pay up to $100-200 to term the deal but not $20 to replace a receiver?

Glad I never took an economics class.


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## APB101 (Sep 1, 2010)

This is a good discussion!

_Quoting a post from *lesz:*_



> I know that there are those who swear by the protection plan and who will never be convinced otherwise, but protection plans and extended warranties are set up by companies as pure profit generators for the company and not for the purpose of saving customers money.


I have been with DirecTV since 1998. I have never had the protection plan. And that's because I figured it out: $72 a year. I had one receiver replaced in 2009, because the HD DVR died out (it was just spinning and spinning and, after the tech came out to check it out, gave me a different one).

I have two people whom I referred to DirecTV. One has subscribed since 2005; the other since 2006. Both have never had a receiver replaced unless, of course, they were upgrading to HD. (Both, at the time they signed, purchased their receivers. It was March 2006 the leased program took effect.)

To pay $72 a year for the protection plan ... I would be praying at least one of my receivers officially died. And then some!


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## wahooq (Oct 19, 2011)

> If someone signs up through the employee referral (which I won't post here due to forum rules) the first year they get free protection plan coverage. There are other situations and accounts that are also covered by the protection plan but do not have the charge associated with it


Forgot about friends and family...I stand corrected sir...though its not very common


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## AlanSaysYo (Aug 22, 2007)

This thread has inspired me to cancel my protection plan. All of my receivers are leased, and I've had the protection plan for the past 31 months. During that time, I've had zero service calls, and paid (including tax) $198.71. I only signed up for the protection plan after my last HRxx bit the dust. Moment of weakness I guess, since I had just lost a bunch of recordings. 

To those whose replacements I have partially subsidized: you're welcome. 

As soon as I cancel, I'm sure my dish will fall off the roof.


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

AlanSaysYo said:


> As soon as I cancel, I'm sure my dish will fall off the roof.


Still wouldnt cost $200 to replace it


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## TBlazer07 (Feb 5, 2009)

APB101 said:


> To pay $72 a year for the protection plan ... I would be praying at least one of my receivers officially died. And then some!


 It's not just for receivers. It's for the dish, dish mounting, the lnb, dish alignments, remote controls, multi-switches, SWiMs, splitters and cables. Many people are able to take care of this on their own but SOME of us are either too fat, too old or have disabilities that prevent climbing up on a roof when it's 15 degrees out (or all of the above) or have so much money we just don't know what to do with it all. If all it covered were receivers I would agree with you. Without PP you are on your own with everything other than receivers. For the lousy $6/month it's worth it to me (plus I own all my receivers).

Some people like to piss away $50 a week on cigarettes and/or $50 a week on beer I prefer to piss away $6/month on the protection plan since I don't smoke or drink.


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## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

robl45 said:


> uverse has been to my house multiple times, no charge. their box died, they came and replaced it twice already, no charge. sorry, you obviously don't have uverse.


Not sure why you keep mentioning this. It's a different company. Different companies do things differently. Pick a company that you feel comfortable with. Phone companies do the same thing. You have to buy a protection plan for the wiring inside your walls. Many companies do similar things. Why? As has been mentioned, because it creates a profit. Just like any insurance policy. Insurance companies are profitable. Some people don't mind paying it for peace of mind, some do. Those that do, don't pay it. Or they find a provider that satisfies their sense of business. It is what it is, pay it or don't.


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## joshjr (Aug 2, 2008)

lesz said:


> But I would think that you would want to have more of a reason to have the protection plan than just to be able to deactivate a receiver when it is not in use because, otherwise, you are spending $72 a year on the protection plan to save $72 by being able to deactivate a receiver. And that $72 saving would only be fully realized if the receiver was not activated at all during the course of the year.


Well basically I now own 2 HR24's that cost me just the $5.99 monthly fee. They were brand new and did not extend a commitment for me either. Tell me another way you can get 2 brand new never used owned HR24's for even $72? For me I paid probably $125 for the HR20's that the new HR24's replaced and now I could turn around and sell them for probably double that. To me I like that. If I were to lose all my locals tomorrow from DirecTV I could sell my equipment and move on to someone else if I wanted to.


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## Xsabresx (Oct 8, 2007)

SPACEMAKER said:


> I keep the PP mostly for the peace of mind. I hope I never need to use it.


Pretty much why I have it. Besides, while I can fix anything that goes wrong; chances are I cant get to it as fast as Directv can and I dont keep extra LNB, cabling, etc in my garage.


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## LibertariaNate (Apr 15, 2012)

On the topic of the protection plan...

Last March I had an owned receiver die on me. It was an older SD receiver, don't recall the model. I had (and still do) the protection plan. I figured at the time I might as well upgrade it to an HD-DVR (HR21-700). I was out of contract at the time. I called in recently about my other HD-DVR (HR22-100) having issues and found I was currently under contract with one year remaining. I thought having the protection plan wouldn't extend my contract when replacing dead equipment. Guess I was wrong... 

Anything I can do about this?


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## Ed Campbell (Feb 17, 2006)

"BattleScott" said:


> But would you pay $75,000.00 a year for insurance to cover $100,000.00 worth of belongings? That is what the protection plan basically equates to.
> 
> The only expensive part (and most likely to fail) of the average installation is the receivers and they are covered by the lease. The only customers for whom the PP is a smart investment are those with a lot of money tied up owned receivers who would not take a lease as replacement. Everyone else is far better off putting the $6 in a jar.


You don't have lightning in your neck of the prairie?


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## BattleScott (Aug 29, 2006)

Ed Campbell said:


> You don't have lightning in your neck of the prairie?


Yes, we do. Does the Protection Plan provide a lightning barrier? That would be awesome...


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## BattleScott (Aug 29, 2006)

LibertariaNate said:


> On the topic of the protection plan...
> 
> Last March I had an owned receiver die on me. It was an older SD receiver, don't recall the model. I had (and still do) the protection plan. I figured at the time I might as well upgrade it to an HD-DVR (HR21-700). I was out of contract at the time. I called in recently about my other HD-DVR (HR22-100) having issues and found I was currently under contract with one year remaining. I thought having the protection plan wouldn't extend my contract when replacing dead equipment. Guess I was wrong...
> 
> Anything I can do about this?


It was the upgrade from SD to the HD-DVR that triggered the new commitment. The PP will only cover a "like for like" swap, and has nothing to do with commitments.


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

Ed Campbell said:


> You don't have lightning in your neck of the prairie?


Everyone has lightning. The replacement cost of the LNB is less than a year of the PP, and would be covered by your homeowners insurance anyway.


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## LibertariaNate (Apr 15, 2012)

BattleScott said:


> It was the upgrade from SD to the HD-DVR that triggered the new commitment. The PP will only cover a "like for like" swap, and has nothing to do with commitments.


Good to know... Thanks!


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## raott (Nov 23, 2005)

"LibertariaNate" said:


> On the topic of the protection plan...
> 
> Last March I had an owned receiver die on me. It was an older SD receiver, don't recall the model. I had (and still do) the protection plan. I figured at the time I might as well upgrade it to an HD-DVR (HR21-700). I was out of contract at the time. I called in recently about my other HD-DVR (HR22-100) having issues and found I was currently under contract with one year remaining. I thought having the protection plan wouldn't extend my contract when replacing dead equipment. Guess I was wrong...
> 
> Anything I can do about this?


Replacing equipment (not an upgrade), is not suppose to trigger a commitment whether you have the protection plan or not.


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## n3vino (Oct 2, 2011)

Davenlr said:


> Everyone has lightning. The replacement cost of the LNB is less than a year of the PP, and would be covered by your homeowners insurance anyway.


Homeowner's insurance usually has a deductible. Depending on the insurance, some have a 1% deductible, some $500.00 and others might have $250.00

I have the pp because if any of my units go out, I want a tech to come out and replace it. That gives me a chance to say don't come in if you don't have what I have, on your truck.

I think subcontractors might have a warehouse with lots of equipment, seeing as how they do a lot of installations. I'm under the impression that all new installations are Hr24's and H25's. I know mine was. It might work or it might not. If I see that it doesn't, I'll re-evalute the plan at that time.

But when you get one by mail, they send what they want, and you still have to pay $20.00 shipping. I know I've had boxes go out, when I was with TW.


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## TBlazer07 (Feb 5, 2009)

Davenlr said:


> Everyone has lightning. The replacement cost of the LNB is less than a year of the PP, and would be covered by your homeowners insurance anyway.


 Only the depreciated value (if it even reaches your deductible which usually is upwards of $1-2,000 these days). I believe only contents & structure is included if you have replacement value coverage.


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

The point is, if it hits your dish, you are gonna have a lot more fried stuff in your house than the LNB on the dish, which would all be covered by homeowners. $6 a month to protect a $50 part is really dumb, since the receivers would be replaced anyway.


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## CCarncross (Jul 19, 2005)

raott said:


> Replacing equipment (not an upgrade), is not suppose to trigger a commitment whether you have the protection plan or not.


He upgraded an SD DVR to HD....PP or not it triggers a new 2 year commitment...hence the reason he is now under commitment again. Replacing his defective one he has now will not trigger a commitment extension.


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## raott (Nov 23, 2005)

"CCarncross" said:


> He upgraded an SD DVR to HD....PP or not it triggers a new 2 year commitment...hence the reason he is now under commitment again. Replacing his defective one he has now will not trigger a commitment extension.


Which is why I put "not an upgrade" in parentheses.


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## CCarncross (Jul 19, 2005)

raott said:


> Which is why I put "not an upgrade" in parentheses.


My bad...since that was already answered before your post I thought you were still questioning what happened.


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## Jodean (Jul 17, 2010)

CurtP said:


> The way it was explained to me was if they replace any receiver outside of the 90 day warranty, it will renew your 2-yr commitment unless you have PP.


That WAS the case......that was that mutimillion dollar law suit directv lost about 2 or 3 yeas ago, they unlawfully put people in contracts for replacing THEIR equipment.

Direct paid out big buck because of that lawsuit.


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## Jodean (Jul 17, 2010)

Davenlr said:


> The point is, if it hits your dish, you are gonna have a lot more fried stuff in your house than the LNB on the dish, which would all be covered by homeowners. $6 a month to protect a $50 part is really dumb, since the receivers would be replaced anyway.


Not, really....

We had a lightning storm here last year, i was sent out to replace 5 dead swm lnbs. None of the systems were direct hit.

Apparently swm lnbs are way more sensitive to lightning, because we had never went out after a lightning storm to replace legacy lnbs unless the whole system was hit.

On the other hand, when my neighbors house burned down from lightning strike, my insurance gave me about $1000 for my dish system, which was then covered by the lease agreement anyway, all i had to buy was a lnb, dish replaced the receivers because they were theirs.


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## Davenlr (Sep 16, 2006)

Were the SWM LNB's that burned out grounded correctly? Was the ground wire burnt? Just curious if it was actually from the lightning, or a power surge on the house wiring. That is precisely the reason I keep my whole home entertainment system, including DirecTv and its SWM network on a APC UPS, even though DirecTv says not to.


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## robl45 (Aug 5, 2004)

spartanstew said:


> Not sure why you keep mentioning this. It's a different company. Different companies do things differently. Pick a company that you feel comfortable with. Phone companies do the same thing. You have to buy a protection plan for the wiring inside your walls. Many companies do similar things. Why? As has been mentioned, because it creates a profit. Just like any insurance policy. Insurance companies are profitable. Some people don't mind paying it for peace of mind, some do. Those that do, don't pay it. Or they find a provider that satisfies their sense of business. It is what it is, pay it or don't.


i mentioned it because someone else mentioned that uverse does charge and they don't.

further people keep mentioned about the dish and the LNB, things that cable and any provider besides satellite don't have. why should anyone have to pay extra for things that are required to get the signal into your house? You don't pay for protection in case the dmark box blows up with other providers do you? as at least one other person mentioned, if you have a phone line, they don't cover the inside wiring, they sure as heck show up and fix the outside box though. The satellite dish is really no different.


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## spartanstew (Nov 16, 2005)

robl45 said:


> why should anyone have to pay extra for things that are required to get the signal into your house?


Already answered (several times).

But to recap for you:

1. You don't.
2. The policy is in place to create revenue.


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## Jive Turkey (Sep 6, 2011)

People have different circumstances so there isn't a right answer to "is it worth it?" For the guy who lives in a decent climate and has one receiver, it almost certainly isn't from a monetary perspective (D* wouldn't offer it if the average customer needed it, after all--is it a revenue generator by the company, not an act of kindness). But the family that gets hit by hurricanes or other storms frequently and has 6 DVR's could get great benefit out of the PP.

We also have different personalities and thought processes. Some will pay the small fee for "peace of mind," while some of us want to cut costs every where we can because wealth isn't created by spending money on stuff that you don't need. That is why some people work 40 hours a week and are happy while some of us work 80 hours a week and wish we had time to do more.

We are all in different situations and can't use "group think" to decide what is best for each circumstance. Run the numbers, do both an expected and worst case scenario, and decide if $6 is a good investment. If anyone wants to ridicule you for your choice, tell them to smooch your backside.


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## BattleScott (Aug 29, 2006)

Jive Turkey said:


> People have different circumstances so there isn't a right answer to "is it worth it?" For the guy who lives in a decent climate and has one receiver, it almost certainly isn't from a monetary perspective (D* wouldn't offer it if the average customer needed it, after all--is it a revenue generator by the company, not an act of kindness). But the family that gets hit by hurricanes or other storms frequently and has 6 DVR's could get great benefit out of the PP.
> 
> We also have different personalities and thought processes. Some will pay the small fee for "peace of mind," while some of us want to cut costs every where we can because wealth isn't created by spending money on stuff that you don't need. That is why some people work 40 hours a week and are happy while some of us work 80 hours a week and wish we had time to do more.
> 
> We are all in different situations and can't use "group think" to decide what is best for each circumstance. Run the numbers, do both an expected and worst case scenario, and decide if $6 is a good investment. If anyone wants to ridicule you for your choice, tell them to smooch your backside.


While I certainly support the closing sentiment, this is supposed to be a "users forum" where we exchange ideas and try to help each other. In that respect, I think it is very important that everyone understands the facts and that they are looking at the right numbers when making their decision.

Here are the "Big 3" areas that I think have the most "mis-placed" association when it comes to these periodic PP debates.

#1 - "I have a lot of Receivers / expensive to replace"
Unless you "own" your receivers, they really should not be part of the equation. The most you will ever have to pay is $20 shipping to replace a defective receiver.

#2 - "I Can't do it myself (too old, disabled, etc.)"
This is not a particular reason to have/not have the protection plan. All this means is that in the event you did need service, you would have to pay for it at the time. There are no services, no preferential treatments, etc. available to Protection Plan subscribers that are not available to everyone else.

#3 - "No Commitment on replacements"
There is absolutely no difference between protection plan or not when replacing defective leased receivers. The commitment is unaffected in either case.

There really is only one consideration that needs to be made and it is strictly monetary risk/reward. Is it worth the monthly amount to insure against incurring a potentially higher repair bill should something happen?

As others have correctly stated, some users have a lot of money invested in high dollar multi-switches, owned receivers, etc. Those users have a better chance of realizing benefit from the plan simply because they have far more investment to proctect. But for the vast majority of users, there simply is not enough investment, or even risk to it, to warrant protection.


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## Jodean (Jul 17, 2010)

Davenlr said:


> Were the SWM LNB's that burned out grounded correctly? Was the ground wire burnt? Just curious if it was actually from the lightning, or a power surge on the house wiring. That is precisely the reason I keep my whole home entertainment system, including DirecTv and its SWM network on a APC UPS, even though DirecTv says not to.


They were all grounded, no signs of burned anything. Just dead lnb. All those jobs still in working order since the new lnb was installed.

Seeing how nothing else in the house was damaged by the storm, even if you call it a surge......thats unacceptable that a swm lnb is the ONLY thing lost due to the lightning.......and of course the customer has to pay for it.

The customers also had to pay for the incompatible lnbs to be switched out a year and a half ago when direct was sending out bad lnbs ( the ones that didnt work with h24-700's)........really??? They produce a part that doesn't work and the customer has to pay for it??

Very bad practice.


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## MrShowtime (Apr 8, 2009)

n3vino said:


> Homeowner's insurance usually has a deductible. Depending on the insurance, some have a 1% deductible, some $500.00 and others might have $250.00
> 
> I have the pp because if any of my units go out, I want a tech to come out and replace it. That gives me a chance to say don't come in if you don't have what I have, on your truck.
> 
> ...


on the subject of receiver types, you are mis-informed. The warehouse is at the mercy of DTV just like you are, and the boxes that come in are first in, first out. I haven't seen an HR24 in our warehouse in two weeks, and there would be no way for me to get one for you if you absolutely had to have one. So your plan could keep you waiting a couple weeks for a specific model replacement



Jodean said:


> The customers also had to pay for the incompatible lnbs to be switched out a year and a half ago when direct was sending out bad lnbs ( the ones that didnt work with h24-700's)........really??? They produce a part that doesn't work and the customer has to pay for it??


I remember that, but it was something with the software on the h24-700s and all you had to do was swap a legacy kaku lnb on, download software, then swap back to a swim lnb. its a pain for you but no charge for the customer


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## n3vino (Oct 2, 2011)

MrShowtime said:


> on the subject of receiver types, you are mis-informed. The warehouse is at the mercy of DTV just like you are, and the boxes that come in are first in, first out. I haven't seen an HR24 in our warehouse in two weeks, and there would be no way for me to get one for you if you absolutely had to have one. So your plan could keep you waiting a couple weeks for a specific model replacement


 If that's the case, what extra work would you have to do, and what extra equipment would you bring in order to replace an HR24with a lesser model, seeing as how the HR24 has a built in decca? It's decca, right? In addition, all my wiring is through the inside walls. Would you have to run additional wiring from the dish, or just from the wall? How about the H25?

If I didn't have the PP, could I do the job myself, or would I have to pay someone to do the job?


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## MrShowtime (Apr 8, 2009)

n3vino said:


> If that's the case, what extra work would you have to do, and what extra equipment would you bring in order to replace an HR24with a lesser model, seeing as how the HR24 has a built in decca? It's decca, right? In addition, all my wiring is through the inside walls. Would you have to run additional wiring from the dish, or just from the wall? How about the H25?
> 
> If I didn't have the PP, could I do the job myself, or would I have to pay someone to do the job?


the only thing you would need to add on is a reciever deca, no extra wires or anything.

As for the h25s, they are swim only, we haven't been low on them since they came out, but in a pinch you could put in an h24, or an h21/h23 with a reciever deca and get the same exact functionality (just a larger sized box)


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## n3vino (Oct 2, 2011)

MrShowtime said:


> the only thing you would need to add on is a reciever deca, no extra wires or anything.
> 
> As for the h25s, they are swim only, we haven't been low on them since they came out, but in a pinch you could put in an h24, or an h21/h23 with a reciever deca and get the same exact functionality (just a larger sized box)


How about the HR24 with a lesser model? JUst add a decca?

I have an HR24, two H25's, a slimline dish, LNB3 with Swm.

It's like I said in an earlier post. If it turns out that there is no advantage in replacing the H25's with H25's, and the HR24 with the same model, by having a tech come out, I will cancel PP.


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## joshjr (Aug 2, 2008)

BattleScott said:


> It was the upgrade from SD to the HD-DVR that triggered the new commitment. The PP will only cover a "*like for like*" swap, and has nothing to do with commitments.


Not always the case. If he lives in a MPEG 4 area they would have to upgrade it to HD equipment for free. In that case they shouldn't add a new 2 year agreement to the account. I do agree that is why it happened in this case more than likely though. Although I dont understand what happened to the old SD box. I would of sold it and used its earnings to help fund a owned HD box.


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## inf0z (Oct 16, 2011)

robl45 said:


> uverse has been to my house multiple times, no charge. their box died, they came and replaced it twice already, no charge. sorry, you obviously don't have uverse.


The biggest thing that you are missing out on in your argument is any cable, fiber optic, or telephone company will levy taxes to service their lines. No such tax levy exists for satellite companies.


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## ts7 (Nov 1, 2011)

"inf0z" said:


> The biggest thing that you are missing out on in your argument is any cable, fiber optic, or telephone company will levy taxes to service their lines. No such tax levy exists for satellite companies.


Umm... Only units of government levy taxes and govt is who to blame for any taxes on your bill. Granted some of the taxes levied may go to support infrastructure but they are still levied by the govt. Service providers charge fees and may pass on govt mandated fees (such as USF).


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## inf0z (Oct 16, 2011)

ts7 said:


> Umm... Only units of government levy taxes and govt is who to blame for any taxes on your bill. Granted some of the taxes levied may go to support infrastructure but they are still levied by the govt. Service providers charge fees and may pass on govt mandated fees (such as USF).


So you are telling me that the government decided to just give them that money out of the kindness of their heart?


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## ts7 (Nov 1, 2011)

"inf0z" said:


> So you are telling me that the government decided to just give them that money out of the kindness of their heart?


Taxes (including franchise and USF fees) go to the govt (federal, state or local) - period. The companies collect them on their bills and forward them to the appropriate govt agency. They DO NOT get to keep them. If you have a beef with the ridiculous taxes added to your bills, take it up with the appropriate politicians.

As far as giving back to the companies "out if the kindness of their heart" many would argue that the govt has no heart! That aside there are many mechanisms in place where communication companies have lobbied politicians to obtain subsidies, tax breaks and other "benefits" from the govt - typically involving donations to the politician's campaign fund.


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## inf0z (Oct 16, 2011)

ts7 said:


> As far as giving back to the companies "out if the kindness of their heart" many would argue that the govt has no heart! That aside there are many mechanisms in place where communication companies have lobbied politicians to obtain subsidies, tax breaks and other "benefits" from the govt - typically involving donations to the politician's campaign fund.


Bingo! My point exactly. I rest my case.


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## BattleScott (Aug 29, 2006)

ts7 said:


> Taxes (including franchise and USF fees) go to the govt (federal, state or local) - period. The companies collect them on their bills and forward them to the appropriate govt agency. They DO NOT get to keep them. If you have a beef with the ridiculous taxes added to your bills, take it up with the appropriate politicians.
> 
> As far as giving back to the companies "out if the kindness of their heart" many would argue that the govt has no heart! That aside there are many mechanisms in place where communication companies have lobbied politicians to obtain subsidies, tax breaks and other "benefits" from the govt - typically involving donations to the politician's campaign fund.


In the case of the cable companies, your could argue that they desever at least part of it. They are more like a utility company and are required to service their entire area and even offer free minimum services in some cases. There is no such requirement put on Sat COs. And the Fiber services are just cherry picking the affluent areas.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

Right, and in areas where a big storm goes through, and not just one where hurricanes are common, like we did, the cable company has a lot of lines to re-run. It's expensive. DirecTV and dish just has to reaim or replace dishes.


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## inf0z (Oct 16, 2011)

dpeters11 said:


> Right, and in areas where a big storm goes through, and not just one where hurricanes are common, like we did, the cable company has a lot of lines to re-run. It's expensive. DirecTV and dish just has to reaim or replace dishes.


I think that cost is more than offset by the fact that satellite companies have to pay to build and launch these satellites on their own.


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## ts7 (Nov 1, 2011)

"inf0z" said:


> I think that cost is more than offset by the fact that satellite companies have to pay to build and launch these satellites on their own.


Perhaps, but despite the high cost putting a satellite up ($200-600M), averaged out over DirecTV's subscriber base (est ~20M) works out to a cost of $10-30/sub and that doesn't include any additional revenue gained from subleasing excess capacity. Since they only seem to put a new bird up every couple years or so and they last typically 7- 10 years or more, this is actually a relatively low cost when put in perspective. (These numbers are from google searches in case anyone is wondering)

By comparison, a land-based cable plant can easily cost >$100K per mile plus the cost of the drops and distribution equipment. For what it's worth, I believe most of these systems are built out without much, if any, govt subsidy and quite often the cable companies are paying franchise fees (typically passed on to the customer) directly to local govt that go into the general fund coffer.

Also, like the telcos and cable companies, the DBS companies contribute to and lobby politicians as well. They too have benefitted from the process or they would not participate - it is, unfortunately, the way government works.


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