# Cost of 622 for 921 swap



## jdauler (Aug 12, 2002)

I called customer service today to get the total price for a swap of my 921 receiver for a 622. I currently do not get HD programming (other than OTA) and do not want to get it (the local HDs are fine). I also own my own 921 so I want to keep it. The CSR, after many other answers, finally told me that it would cost a one time charge of $149 for the receiver with nothing additional each month.

If that is so, I definitely want to do it. Does anyone know how to get a firm, documented commitment from a CSR?


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

jdauler said:


> I called customer service today to get the total price for a swap of my 921 receiver for a 622. I currently do not get HD programming (other than OTA) and do not want to get it (the local HDs are fine). I also own my own 921 so I want to keep it. The CSR, after many other answers, finally told me that it would cost a one time charge of $149 for the receiver with nothing additional each month.


There will be the following additional monthly costs to your account:

$5.98 DVR fee
$6.00 lease fee
$6.00 HD enabling fee

The CSR was wrong.


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## jdauler (Aug 12, 2002)

harsh said:


> There will be the following additional monthly costs to your account:
> 
> $5.98 DVR fee
> $6.00 lease fee
> ...


Thanks for the info.

I can understand the DVR fee (I assume that would not increase since I'm already paying it for my 921) and the $6 lease fee (It is their receiver after all). What is the HD enabling fee? --I'm not getting any HD programming.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

jdauler said:


> I can understand the DVR fee (I assume that would not increase since I'm already paying it for my 921) and the $6 lease fee (It is their receiver after all). What is the HD enabling fee? --I'm not getting any HD programming.


Because the ViP622 is a $700+ piece of equipment, part of the HD package fee goes to subsidize the receivers. If you don't pay for HD programming, you still have to pay the subsidy.


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## jdauler (Aug 12, 2002)

harsh said:


> Because the ViP622 is a $700+ piece of equipment, part of the HD package fee goes to subsidize the receivers. If you don't pay for HD programming, you still have to pay the subsidy.


Now that makes sense! They made it sound like it was a charge for something I _wasn't_ getting.


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## Michael P (Oct 27, 2004)

jdauler said:


> Now that makes sense! They made it sound like it was a charge for something I _wasn't_ getting.


The "enabling" fee is charged because you have an MPEG-4 HD receiver without subscribing to any HD programming. What is being "enabled" is the OTA HD - which is already included at no extra charge on the 921.

Unless you want to subscribe to satellite-delivered HD content you are better off without the 622 for now. MPEG-4 capability is not necessary to receive OTA HD programming, only the satellite-delivered channels.

Keep in mind that fee is charged every month $6 x 12 = $61.20/year


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## leemathre (Sep 25, 2003)

Michael P said:


> The "enabling" fee is charged because you have an MPEG-4 HD receiver without subscribing to any HD programming. What is being "enabled" is the OTA HD - which is already included at no extra charge on the 921.
> 
> Unless you want to subscribe to satellite-delivered HD content you are better off without the 622 for now. MPEG-4 capability is not necessary to receive OTA HD programming, only the satellite-delivered channels.
> 
> Keep in mind that fee is charged every month $6 x 12 = $61.20/year


Is that new math? I always thought that 6x12 = 72.


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## Michael P (Oct 27, 2004)

leemathre said:


> Is that new math? I always thought that 6x12 = 72.


:blush: OOPS my internal math co-processor shorted out again.

Anyway @ $72/year down the drain you are better of keeping the 921. If and when you get an HDTV that woulld be the time to make the switch - and then only if you sub to the satellite-delivered HD content.

For now the best HD content is on free OTA TV. Much of what is sold as "HD" on the "cable" networks are either upconverted from SD or "HD Lite".


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## jergenf (Mar 31, 2005)

harsh said:


> There will be the following additional monthly costs to your account:
> 
> $5.98 DVR fee
> $6.00 lease fee
> ...


The cost is even higher that that because Dish wants people to subscribe to the silver, gold or platinum packages. These packages do not have annual cost savings that the old packages (ie everything pak or AT180 + mega movies) had. The new platinum pak does not have cinemax where my mega movie pak does. Generally I save $100 by subscribing on annual basis so I would have to pay nearly $200 more a year because of the package differences and lease fee.

What's also weird is the lease fee does not include maintenance so after a year of leasing you have to pay for repairs just as if you owned it outright.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

jergenf said:


> The cost is even higher that that because Dish wants people to subscribe to the silver, gold or platinum packages.


The metal packages are no longer offered; they went away about a month ago.

Comparisons to the bygone packages are valid, but suggesting that Dish is trying to convert people to them is not.

The AEP package does include what Dish carries of Skinamax (not SkinamaxHDTV).


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