# Dishin it up upgrade



## FastNOC (Sep 11, 2007)

So help me here.

i've been a customer for i think 5 years now. My current DVR is screwing up (722k). The remote sensor is going bad. it's so bad, I literally have to have the remote touching the sensor or it won't work. then it'll go back to working a day later.

So i called tech support, and they walk me through the dunce steps, and of course it doesn't work. I ask him 'Am i available for an upgrade now to re-sign the contract' to which he says yes. So I said, ok I want to upgrade to a 922 DVR. to which he says no problem, that will be $200.00. to which I said, wait, you want me to sign a two year agreement then PAY you another $200.00 for a one step upgrade? and he said yes.

I just hung up, but I have been on the fence thinking about going back to directv. I think this is the hit I needed. I pay a lot every month (over 120.00) and i'm not going to pay for an upgrade AND sign another contract. that's insane.

is that the normal procedure? it sure wasn't when I upgraded last time. I didn't pay a dime to move up one step.


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## jessshaun (Sep 14, 2005)

FastNOC said:


> So help me here.
> 
> i've been a customer for i think 5 years now. My current DVR is screwing up (722k). The remote sensor is going bad. it's so bad, I literally have to have the remote touching the sensor or it won't work. then it'll go back to working a day later.
> 
> ...


That IS normal for both Dish network AND Directv. If you upgrade you pay a one time lease upgrade fee on top of the 2 year agreement. That's just how it is. You can always call to cancel, then see if the retention rep will let you upgrade for free. Chances are they might either give a big discount or give it for free if you've been with Dish long enough and have a good payment history with them.


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## scooper (Apr 22, 2002)

That's a "feature" for upgrading to the 922.

You know - you could probably get another UHF remote and use that for TV1 and it would be quite serviceable until the HD decides to quit.


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## jsk (Dec 27, 2006)

Others have said that they have had IR interference from some TVs. It might not be a bad 722K and getting a 922 or switching to DirecTV wouldn't help in this situation.

Have you tried moving your receiver? You could also try using a RF remote instead of IR.


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## FastNOC (Sep 11, 2007)

scooper said:


> That's a "feature" for upgrading to the 922.
> 
> You know - you could probably get another UHF remote and use that for TV1 and it would be quite serviceable until the HD decides to quit.


it's not the remote. it's the reciever. I have a logitech harmony programmed to control it, and neither that or the default remote work,

but I didn't have to pay last time I upgraded. if I'm going to have to pay to do it, I'm going to pay to move. it doesn't make sense to stay


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

I'd look for interference --- something that is on when you're having problems and off when the remote works. My Wii wiped out the remote control on my receivers with IR interference before I moved the sensor bar back to where the signal it transmits wasn't flooding the receiver's inputs. Some TVs and other equipment have been known to do that.

Find the difference between working and non-working.


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## scooper (Apr 22, 2002)

The Harmony and the default TV1 remotes are both IR, not UHF / RF.


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## TBoneit (Jul 27, 2006)

It also may not be the DVR.

I had that problem and found that the first time it was interference from a new CFL that was causing it.

The second time a remote for another device had a button pressed by a book laying on it and it was jamming the DVR remote. In this case and the above case I had to get right up to the DVR for it to work. 

I have seen reports that some HDTVs can also cause interference. Does it work OK with RF?

You might be able to troubleshoot by putting something that will restrict interference except from where you aim the remote from.

Good Luck


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## Mike109 (Jun 28, 2010)

I signed up with Dish as a new customer about 6 months ago and was told the 922 was a $200 option above the normal 722k. I don't think you're being "punished" for upgrading, it's just that the 922 is a $200 option for anyone.


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## tampa8 (Mar 30, 2002)

Yes, Mike109 is correct. I don't think being a customer for 15 years would make a difference. The 922 has a $200 cost associated with it. If you were going from a 612 to a 722 you very may well be able to to that, but not to a 922. 

I also would explore what everyone else is telling you. Yes, it could be the Receiver, but that rarely is the case, especially when you tell us it works sometimes and not others. That smacks of remote problem, or in this case (because you say the harmony does the same thing) interference.

Go through all the remote channels available and see if that helps. See if UHF/IR makes a difference...Is there a glare or glass, or direct sunlight between you and the receiver?


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## JWKessler (Jun 3, 2004)

scooper said:


> That's a "feature" for upgrading to the 922.
> 
> You know - you could probably get another UHF remote and use that for TV1 and it would be quite serviceable until the HD decides to quit.


When my 722 was installed the guys left me an extra UHF remote and reprogrammed it to have a different ID. The IR remote is still in its original plastic wrap. Replacement remotes are not that expensive.

It's also possible that the IR sensor on the receiver is OK but the remote isn't working right, so a new IR remote - or a universal remote that supports the 722 - might fix your problem.


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## JWKessler (Jun 3, 2004)

tampa8 said:


> See if UHF/IR makes a difference...Is there a glare or glass, or direct sunlight between you and the receiver?


I've had problem with some systems when the sun light hit the receiver. It would begin changing channels on its own or the remote would stop working until the sun moved.

I also recall a problem with another IR generating device in the room one time. That device was interfering with remotes.

FYI - you can see the IR light source on a remote or other IR device if you look at it through the electronic viewfinder on a digital camera. That can be used to look for stray sources or to see if your remote is working.


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