# The 942 is ONLY available to New customers?



## mfrodsha (Sep 15, 2004)

What is this all about? Can someone answer? My Dad is a long time subscriber to Dish - well, 2 years - and he goes to buy a 942, and Dish says "no". They then tell him he can buy the 942 from a local retailer, but the local retailer says that they would be able to buy the 942 from Dish, but that Dish won't activate it for him since he's not a new customer.

Can someone please explain this insanity? May Dad is seconds away from telling Dish to screw off, and that he's going to go to Directv.


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## lazaruspup (Mar 18, 2005)

mfrodsha said:


> Can someone please explain this insanity? May Dad is seconds away from telling Dish to screw off, and that he's going to go to Directv.


I was die-hard Dish Net for years until situations like this turned me off cold to them. You will slowly learn that how long you have been a customer only means how much money you have paid them. Dish has no concern for customer loyalty.


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## mfrodsha (Sep 15, 2004)

lazaruspup said:


> I was die-hard Dish Net for years until situations like this turned me off cold to them. You will slowly learn that how long you have been a customer only means how much money you have paid them. Dish has no concern for customer loyalty.


Have you been happy with Direct TV's HD DVR?


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## lazaruspup (Mar 18, 2005)

mfrodsha said:


> Have you been happy with Direct TV's HD DVR?


I only have the standard def DirecTivo and a standard Hughes receiver but I have had much better luck out of DirecTV than with DISH. My DISH equipment was flaky at best and of course you are encountering their customer service. I looked into the HDTivo but couldn't justify the cost of the equipment or the programming.


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## BFG (Jan 23, 2004)

any customer can buy one and activate it, you heard wrong.


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## mfrodsha (Sep 15, 2004)

BFG said:


> any customer can buy one and activate it, you heard wrong.


Tech support just confirmed to me that the customer service guys were jacked up.

Incidentally, do we know what the non-promotion, retail price is on the 942?


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## KingLoop (Mar 3, 2005)

mfrodsha said:


> Incidentally, do we know what the non-promotion, retail price is on the 942?


MSRP is $699...Anyone who remembers the 921 when it first came out knows hot new releases take a little while to get flowwing to the general public. Within a month or so 942s will be readily available to just about anyone who wants one.


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## mfrodsha (Sep 15, 2004)

KingLoop said:


> MSRP is $699...Anyone who remembers the 921 when it first came out knows hot new releases take a little while to get flowwing to the general public. Within a month or so 942s will be readily available to just about anyone who wants one.


I thought the $699 was a promotion for new customers. No?


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## lazaruspup (Mar 18, 2005)

No, that is DISH's MSRP. If you need the new DISH with it, it is $749. Basically, they are not giving any breaks on the suggested pricing to new or existing customers.


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## BFG (Jan 23, 2004)

The only special thing new customers get is the ability to pay them $250 just to lease the thing.

But exisiting customers will get a similar promo sometime after may...


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

Moving to 942 forum.


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## quixotedish (Jun 22, 2005)

I called dish to replace my 522 with a 942 (dual tuner DVR for HD DVR dual tuner) right now new customers can get a 942 for $250 with a 2 year commitment.

$699 for an existing customer.

Does it make sense to lose existing customers to direct or cable? They tell me I have to be away 6 months to be considered a new customer. That does not seem that long to save $500.


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## Bichon (Jun 5, 2003)

$250 is the price to lease. $699 is the price to own. If the 942 is your only receiver, owners save $5/month lease charge. Rumor has it that the $250 lease deal will be made available to existing customers next month.


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## cebbigh (Feb 27, 2005)

Isn't the 250.00 lease offer still available if you contact the executive office?

.... Just reviewed recent posts on the 942 lease poll. Looks like they are gearing up to offer the 942 to existing subs on starting 7/5.


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## josem3 (Jan 6, 2005)

Starting next month, the existing customers will be elegible to lease a 942 receiver with $250 upgrade fee.


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## thomopolis (Apr 27, 2005)

People were repeatedly saying that in May. I got sick of calling Dish and begging for info or the deal, so I finally broke down and bought the thing from a local retailer and hooked it up myself.

I am very, very happy with this reciever. I have an ED plasma, the HD pictures are gorgeous, and all the SD channels look quite a bit better than they did from our 501 (think it was a 501, might-ve been a 508).

I also heard recently that while Dish and DirecTV are planning on switching over to MPEG4, their are issues with all of the patent and royalty rights that went into MPEG4. They may have to use Microsofts VC-1, which is also very good, but considering everything, it could end up delaying the transition to a higher density transmission soon.


Though, even if they switch over early next year, I think the $700 has been worth it.


thom


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## zephyr (Jun 25, 2005)

Just got off the phone with a polite representative from the 'executive office.' They have been instructed to no longer offer the 942 lease deal to existing customers. The stated reason is that a new offer for existing customers will be coming out 'mid-July.' Who knows?


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## robo45h (Jul 8, 2003)

zephyr said:


> Just got off the phone with a polite representative from the 'executive office.' They have been instructed to no longer offer the 942 lease deal to existing customers. The stated reason is that a new offer for existing customers will be coming out 'mid-July.' Who knows?


 Same thing happened to me via email recently.


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## Foxbat (Aug 1, 2003)

Back in March, I had shot an e-mail to the [email protected] asking about "investment protection" in the case that an MPEG-4 HD-DVR became available within a year. I never received a response, but then a few weeks ago, one of the folks in the Executive Office left me a message on my answering machine. He said that a deal was coming up for existing customers for a 942, but he didn't have any details. I called him back at the number he gave me and told him sorry, I already had one, it's very niiiiiiice.

BTW, I used Dish Depot and was able to trade in two old receivers, so I was able to "trade up" to an 942 for only $499.


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## DRJDAN (Apr 28, 2002)

I don't understand why the investment protection would not still be applicable to you. Where ever you purchased it, it still a Dish product that would be effected when MPEG-4 comes out. Did he say the investment protection was going to be pnly for customer who bought direct from Dish?


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## robo45h (Jul 8, 2003)

I called Dish earlier this week. The "new offer" for the 942 for existing customers did arrive mid-July (about the 15th) as promised. It's not up on their website yet, but the CSRs know about it and have it in their scripted system. Unfortunately, as reported elsewhere, it's not much of a deal. 

In the past, existing customers could not purchase directly from Dish; they had to purchase from a reseller for $699 plus installation costs, while new customers could get a 942 lease for $250.

The new offer? Existing customers can now purchase directly from Dish for about $790 (I forget the actual number) including installation.

Those lucky few that emailed the CEO and received the new customer lease deal as an existing customer made out like bandits. Right now, Dish doesn't have enough competition in this niche market (multi-tuner HD DVR and HD service). But Verizon just pulled fiber to my town (I can get FiOS "real" broadband now), and plans to roll out video service eventually to compete with the cable company (Comcast), so some day there will be a bit more competition.


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## cocokola (Jan 16, 2003)

I'm kicking myself for not going after the lease deal now. I can't believe this happened.

I've been waiting since 6 months before the 921 for a HD PVR, I suppose I can wait longer for the next unit to come along, or Dish gets their heads on straight and provides the same deal for existing customers. I can only hope once there are more 942's than people who want them Dish will drop the price like they did with the 921 (or was that after the 942 became available?)

<grumble>


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## hdaddikt (Jul 2, 2005)

It's too bad we can't shop receivers/PVRs competitively like we do phones and other electronics and just have Dish concentrate on the service. That would put an end to this situation as well as provide improvements in a timely manner, and at lower cost. 
Barring that 'dream', another one might be a lease-to-buy option. 
I can understand cable and Sat. providers wanting more control because privacy and theft concerns, but there is more than one way to do that, the paranoia of the 70s should be history.
Cell phones now have GPS capability, and while not hard to steal, a simple phone call will render your service inactive. Look at the millions of phones out there, and there still exists good controls for the most part.
Or maybe it's just greed, and they want to whole pie.
Sorry to be so cynical. Maybe sometimes I just think too much!

(grumbling too..)


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## zephyr (Jun 25, 2005)

Given the 'legs' this has had, it would seem there is significant demand for a leased 942. If a politician got this many messages on an issue, it would be perceived as a groundswell. For every one that writes, there are several others who act (or not) without saying anything.

$5/mo for PVR
$5/mo if no phone line connected (pay for privacy)
$10/mo for HD
$5/mo for VOOM (plus $100 installation)
$5/mo for local channels just to get the guide data
equals $30/mo = $360/yr

Another $5 per month to lease is negligible from a consumer point of view, and even the $250 up front would be perceived by many as a fair price for being on the leading edge. Dish's deal for existing customers is to pay $798 for the opportunity to pay the costs above. For me, that is not negligible. I do not mean in absolute dollars; I'm referring to perceived value. Dish's own statements have cast doubt on how long the technology will last.

I respect and have no quarrel with those who have chosen to purchase the receiver outright. Individual situations vary and it is apparantly an amazing piece of equipment. It just seems Dish is missing a win-win opportunity.


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## MrC (Jun 6, 2005)

> Dish is missing a win-win opportunity


I suppose its lose-lose for Dish's retailers. I'm sure they love being undercut by Dish, losing their profit margins, etc.


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## zephyr (Jun 25, 2005)

MrC said:


> I suppose its lose-lose for Dish's retailers. I'm sure they love being undercut by Dish, losing their profit margins, etc.


yup, supporting their retailers is the best explanation.


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## BobaBird (Mar 31, 2002)

zephyr said:


> $5/mo for PVR
> $5/mo if no phone line connected (pay for privacy)
> $10/mo for HD
> $5/mo for VOOM (plus $100 installation)
> ...


Cut that by half. Why would you buy an HD receiver w/o HD programming? (I did, but have Showtime and waiting for the HD pack to improve.) You are actually getting something. The rest is because they can or think they can.


> Another $5 per month to lease is negligible from a consumer point of view, and even the $250 up front would be perceived by many as a fair price for being on the leading edge.


It's actually a buy-down or acquisition fee (not sure of the right term) to allow the lease payment for a $700 receiver to be the same $5 as for a ~$100 receiver. It will take almost 6 years to make up the difference. I call that a bargain.


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## zephyr (Jun 25, 2005)

BobaBird said:


> Cut that by half. Why would you buy an HD receiver w/o HD programming? (I did, but have Showtime and waiting for the HD pack to improve.) You are actually getting something.


Good catch. Half the $30 goes for content, so there is real value. The point is that if Dish doesn't find a way to bring all under the tent, they are missing an opportunity for any of that $30.

Making a conservative assumption about resale value (50% after two years), the actual costs of leasing and purchasing are very close for the consumer over a two year period. The issues are upfront cost and who bears the risk cost of new technology.

Anyway, an interesting diversion for a rainy Saturday...

Brian


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## MarkoC (Apr 5, 2004)

zephyr said:


> $5/mo for PVR
> $5/mo if no phone line connected (pay for privacy)
> $10/mo for HD
> $5/mo for VOOM (plus $100 installation)
> ...


It all depends on your situation before you get the 942. I have AEP so I don't pay the PVR fee, I connect my 942 to a phone so I don't pay for that, I already had locals so that isn't any additional and the other $15 is for HD programming, which is why I got the 942 in the first place.


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## swade (Jul 16, 2005)

In May I tried to get the Voom deal but after telling them I was a former customer I was shifted to a different department and the deal changed each day. 

I went to my local installer who carried both dish and Direct TV. He sid I probably could not get the 942 and would have trouble adding it later. He said the problem is that it was too new and the demand outwayed the supply. 

He then checked with his supplier and they just got two in. They purchased both of them. The sold me one on the lease plan and after we talked to a supervisor at Dish I got most of what the voom special included. I also got the new DVR for SD a 625. 

Now it came with the insurance plan for the life of the lease. The min commitment was suppose to be 2 years but the contract I signed said only one year. 

If the Mpeg 4 comes out and the insurance helps me fine, if there is a modest price to upgrade and get more HD channels great but at one year I figure I have a lot options including going to Direct TV next May. 

From what I have read of the 921 and the Direct TV DVR the 942 is a better unit.

I love mine and it has performed well. The recorded picture is top notch, no different than the broadcast. 

The 625 is great as well. 

I think as soon as enough units can be made, they will be available for all. Why wouldn't they want to sell it to as many as they can. While they were short in supply they wanted to use it as candy for new business marketing. Here again I did not see much of a pitch for this to newbee either. 

I just am not as impressed with their marketing & customer service departments.

I don't see that Direct TV is any better .. you have to buy all your equipment with them. 

:nono2: :eek2:


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## Bichon (Jun 5, 2003)

swade said:


> I think as soon as enough units can be made, they will be available for all. Why wouldn't they want to sell it to as many as they can.


Because MPEG4 is coming soon - most likely all new HD content will be MPEG4, and customers will require a new DVR to receive them. Dish realizes that subs who purchased or leased the 942 are going to expect a heavily subsidized (or completely free) upgrade. At $250 and $5/month, the unit will be nowhere near paid off when customers start demanding that it be replaced with one that can receive the latest HDTV channels.


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## QasDishGuy (Jul 23, 2005)

I have never understood the philosophy on this. I can order as many of any unit as I like from Dish and have it shipped to my warehouse, the problem is I have to pay for them, and get reimbursed. I was once installing an SBC customer who wanted an 811- I had 3 on my truck and he wanted one, I think no problem called to add it, and they simply would not allow him to have one at that time, saying they did not have any in stock. I would have normally used that 811 on any 811 job I had, and SBC jobs qualified for it, they just wouldnt let him have it. Needless to say he cancelled.


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## hdaddikt (Jul 2, 2005)

'Dish Guy'..that's why hardware should be sold or leased in a competitive market, and not controlled by the service provider. 
Maybe an FCC ruling that all service providers have to use a standard interface that allows users to use aftermarket receivers and PVRs....wow, I must be dreaming!

I speak 'blasphemy'!


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## cyphire (May 28, 2004)

*3rd complete post of this same message deleted by Mark. *


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## MrC (Jun 6, 2005)

cyphire said:


> Anyway - sorry for the rant


Apparently not... you double posted your rant for us to read again!


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