# Advantage to 211/EHD instead of ViP612 for New Subscriber?



## marty45714 (Dec 16, 2006)

Is there any benefit, financial or otherwise for me as a potential new subscriber to Dish, to buying 211 receivers and then paying for the EHD option as opposed to buying ViP612 DVR's? My plan is to put DVR's in 3 rooms.

Here's how I see it breaks down:

The 211's are free for me, but I have to pay the $39.99 and buy an external hard drive for each. The cheapest I could find on NewEgg is around $40. So that makes each 211 with EHD costing $80.

The 612 DVR's are $99 each but one of them is free for me.

So this would be $198 as opposed to $240.

But what about the monthly fee? Once the 211 is converted to a DVR, do you still continue to pay $7 per month for it, or does the price go up to $10 like the ViP612?

The last thing I have to consider is installation in a 4th room. Dish told me that it costs $149 to acquire an extra ViP612 DVR. Maybe this is where the cost pays off. What does it cost to acquire a 211 as a 4th receiver?


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

Just for clarification, you aren't buying the ViP's or even leasing them. You'll pay a monthly "fee" based on this policy:








The 211 will be treated as a receiver only, not a DVR. The 211 is a single receiver. The 612 is billed as a Solo DVR but has two satellite receivers which allows recording of two programs off the satellite, as well as one off-the-air, at the same time.

I'm guessing you want independently controlled HD in all four rooms or you'd be getting as your most expensive a 722k which can serve a second room with independently controlled SD or the same HD signal serving the first room?


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## marty45714 (Dec 16, 2006)

You are correct. 4 independently controlled HDTV's which makes the Duo DVR's not an option. 

How much is it to buy the 221 as the 4th receiver?


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## marty45714 (Dec 16, 2006)

phrelin, just to clarify what you stated. Even with the EHD option added, the montly fee for the Solo 211 reveiver remains $7?


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## lparsons21 (Mar 4, 2006)

marty45714 said:


> You are correct. 4 independently controlled HDTV's which makes the Duo DVR's not an option.
> 
> How much is it to buy the 221 as the 4th receiver?


A couple of things to consider...

You might want one Duo DVR as your main one and operate it in single mode. That way you would have PIP and a larger internal HD. Also OTA if that has any value to you. You don't pay a fee for the first one you know.

I assume you meant 211 in your question. You can buy a refurb 211 for way less than $100. It will, of course have the $7 fee. That fee does not change if you add an external HD to it.

If you use all 211s, are you sure you have to pay the one-time EHD fee for each or is it per account like it is for the Vip series?


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## marty45714 (Dec 16, 2006)

lparsons21, you are on to something here, something that could be very econically effecient for me. I have indeed read in the EHD forum that activating the EHD option one time will activate it for all of the 211s in your household. Can anyone confirm this?

Furthermore, you initial statement is my actual plan. I am considering buying the ViP922 as my main DVR, and then buying 211s for the other 3 HDTV's in the house.


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## marty45714 (Dec 16, 2006)

Oh yeah, if I the installer provides me with 411's, do they also have the EHD capability? I noticed that when I set my TV's up on the web site, it says "RCVR 211/411 HD SOLO" as the option. So no guarantee of a 211, right?


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## lparsons21 (Mar 4, 2006)

marty45714 said:


> lparsons21, you are on to something here, something that could be very econically effecient for me. I have indeed read in the EHD forum that activating the EHD option one time will activate it for all of the 211s in your household. Can anyone confirm this?
> 
> Furthermore, you initial statement is my actual plan. I am considering buying the ViP922 as my main DVR, and then buying 211s for the other 3 HDTV's in the house.


You realize that if the 922 is part of the mix, the DVR fee is $10/month vice $7?

You might want to research the 922 a bit before making your decision. It isn't going to support some of the upcoming things that Dish has talked about because as Charlie says, it is underpowered. And some of the things it was supposed to be able to do, it isn't doing. I had considered one at one time, but backed away because of the issues I've read off and on.


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## lparsons21 (Mar 4, 2006)

marty45714 said:


> Oh yeah, if I the installer provides me with 411's, do they also have the EHD capability? I noticed that when I set my TV's up on the web site, it says "RCVR 211/411 HD SOLO" as the option. So no guarantee of a 211, right?


No, there is no guarantee and no, the 411 doesn't have the option of an EHD.

You might want to use a local Dish retailer as you can most times get specific equipment requests easier and the deals are the same.


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## BobaBird (Mar 31, 2002)

The DVR conversion fee for the 211 applies to all 211/411/211k receivers on your account. You don't pay it for each.

The 411 runs the same software as the 211 but doesn't have an ethernet port.


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## lparsons21 (Mar 4, 2006)

BobaBird said:


> The DVR conversion fee for the 211 applies to all 211/411/211k receivers on your account. You don't pay it for each.
> 
> The 411 runs the same software as the 211 but doesn't have an ethernet port.


I didn't know the 411 allowed for an EHD. Good to know.


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## CABill (Mar 20, 2005)

marty45714 said:


> Furthermore, you initial statement is my actual plan. I am considering buying the ViP922 as my main DVR, and then buying 211s for the other 3 HDTV's in the house.


Humm, you also said 211s were free for you. Can you let us in on how to get them for free?:lol:

I'm not sure if you are buying the receivers to avoid a 2 year commitment, but if you are OK with the commit you can come out ahead $ wise. To start with, you could sign up under a referral and get $50. I'd be glad to supply a referral code (because that's $50 too), but you should have no problem finding a family member, co-worker, neighbor, ... that subscribes to DISH to supply a code. The 24 month commit is required for the $50, getting at least one leased receiver. It also gets you $15/month off for a year, Free HD for Life, waive Activation fee, Installation, HBO & Showtime for 3 months - the basic new sub offer. Those aren't choices if you buy all your equipment and activate service.

DISH limits you to three receivers - and they can can service those three receivers with their 1000.x dish. To add a 4th receiver, you need to use an external switch to supply 4 receivers or put up a 2nd 1000.x dish that could serve a 2nd set of 3 receivers (or similar for your 4th). If you really want a 922 and 3 211s, your best course is to contact a local retailer. It shouldn't matter (absent a commit issue) whether you own all 4 receivers or lease 3 and purchase one from the retailer. Myself, I'd probably lease the 922 for $200 and two of the 211s for $0 each up front (until you purchase the EHD for it). Then, you'd have to purchase the 3rd 211 and pay the retailer something for the external switch that supports 4 receivers. A 2nd 1000.2 dish can be cheaper than the external switch, but you'd have two dishes. If you are certain you want to purchase the 922, you could lease the three 211s - but you still have the 4th receiver problem.

A local retailer could come up with a specific equipment deal that included the necessary switch (or 2nd dish). But the new sub offer you see is geared to DISH supplying the leased receiver and "standard dish/switch".


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## Jim5506 (Jun 7, 2004)

Your cost for the 211's would be $160, not $240, because the $40 enabling fee for the 211 only applies once to your account, not per unit.

Another consideration might be to get a USB/SATA dock for each unit and insert internal drives in them, Can save some money there.

I have a 722k as my first unit and 3 211's. The EHD can record OTA and satellite at the same time so there is a bit of an advantage there, plus anecdotally, the 612 is still a bit buggy and you garner an extra $6 per account DVR fee with the 612.


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## marty45714 (Dec 16, 2006)

THanks for everyone's help on this. Installer is coming on Monday to switch me over from DirecTV.


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