After 20 yrs of Satellite I'm lost

[Trouthead]

I started with satellite back in the early 80's. I was a VOOM subscriber, and when they went belly up I went to a leased 811 and DISH. I knew MPEG 4 was coming and I just don't trust dish, expecially after the VOOM demise. (I was lucky my VOOM box was leased and I got to keep it .)

Locals became available in my market (central Wyoming) last summer and I added them. I have two DISH 500's pointed at the 110, 119, and 148.

There is no cable where I live, so that is not an option. We have one digital PBS local channel that I pick up with the old VOOM antenna, and the over the air locals consists of 1 channel in analog.

It does seem like it is time to upgrade hardware, to a 211, a 411, or a 622, although other than ESPN 2 HD I am not sure what I will gain.

If I go to the 622 leased, I will have to pay approx $300 plus a fee each month???, but I will be able to watch two different channels on two different TV???? I won't have to pay an extra fee for the included additional tuner????? and no fee for the DVR feature???? Will I need the DISH 1000?????? Will VOOM be free (included)???? I presently have the HD package, the America;s everything package and the locals. I pay approx $100 per month.

If I go to a 211 leased it will be essentially a free upgrade, with no monthly lease fee??????

I am an old experienced sat owner. This could not be more confusing if Charlie had tried to make it so. I have spent the last three hours reading about all I could and I am still confused. Calling DISH or looking at the Website is not usually very helpfull.

I need help and some answers. HELP. (but keep in mind it is only TV, and if it disappeared tomorrow we'd be fine)

 

[NR2D]

I had a DVR 921 for 1 year and used it once. Was going to up grade to the 942 when my 921 met an untimely demise. I now have 2 411's I got and installed in December. My annual contract is due for renewal in April. I have been looking at the Gold package but I don't think I would gain anything great.

I have the "older" HD package now and I enjoy watching it. The gold package would be 1.25/month cheaper than what I have now. I don't know what I will do but I am leaning staying with what I have now.

I know I have not helped much but I think in my case I realy don't think I would really gain much if I "upgrade". I may change my mind in a month and half plus my boat will be in the water and then I will be able to think much more clearer.

Rich Dunklee
NR2D

 

[Sarang]

I started with satellite back in the early 80's. I was a VOOM subscriber, and when they went belly up I went to a leased 811 and DISH. I knew MPEG 4 was coming and I just don't trust dish, expecially after the VOOM demise. (I was lucky my VOOM box was leased and I got to keep it .)

Locals became available in my market (central Wyoming) last summer and I added them. I have two DISH 500's pointed at the 110, 119, and 148.

There is no cable where I live, so that is not an option. We have one digital PBS local channel that I pick up with the old VOOM antenna, and the over the air locals consists of 1 channel in analog.

It does seem like it is time to upgrade hardware, to a 211, a 411, or a 622, although other than ESPN 2 HD I am not sure what I will gain.

If I go to the 622 leased, I will have to pay approx $300 plus a fee each month???, but I will be able to watch two different channels on two different TV???? I won't have to pay an extra fee for the included additional tuner????? and no fee for the DVR feature???? Will I need the DISH 1000?????? Will VOOM be free (included)???? I presently have the HD package, the America;s everything package and the locals. I pay approx $100 per month.

If I go to a 211 leased it will be essentially a free upgrade, with no monthly lease fee??????

I am an old experienced sat owner. This could not be more confusing if Charlie had tried to make it so. I have spent the last three hours reading about all I could and I am still confused. Calling DISH or looking at the Website is not usually very helpfull.

I need help and some answers. HELP. (but keep in mind it is only TV, and if it disappeared tomorrow we'd be fine)

You may just want to wait till March or February 2007 when you're forced to since it sounds like you're not really interested in the new channels, still it sucks you're paying almost if not as much as a Dish Platinum plan person will be paying and not getting extra.

 

[gbjbany]

OK it is confusing and it's still not 100% clear today, however here is what i understand to be happening.
if you wait till April 2006 (assuming this actually happens) You can upgrade your hd package to HD platinum plus locals. That will be everything you have now PLUS voom,plus the new hd channels and locals when they become available, for about the same money you are paying now.
That upgrade will include the Dish1000 you will need for voom.
If you go for the 211 (single output) the fee is $49 all in. If you go for the 622 (dvr, dual tuner and 2 output) it's $299, less a $200 rebate.
The 211 and the 411 are essentially the same receiver, and the 211 is mostly what is being shipped.

These new receivers will be leased, yes there will be an additional fee per month for leasing, no dvr fee as you have platinum or AEP. NO HD charge as you will be subscribing to a HD pack.
I believe as you are leasing your 811, you will have to return it, when you get your new receiver. This will probably be delivered when they come to install the d1000

Do you have 148 for CBS-HD west ? Not sure what you have on 148 but the dish 1000 will not pick that up so you may need to keep 2 dishes still. this will mean a DPP44 switch will be needed and will mean your single cable to your receiver will still be sufficient

Hope this helps. This is more or less what i am planning to do right now, so if im wrong i will love to hear it.

 

[wied]

If you go for the 211 (single output) the fee is $49 all in. If you go for the 622 (dvr, dual tuner and 2 output) it's $299, less a $200 rebate.

The rebate is only if you currently own a 942 or 921. I have called Dish 4 times on this and have gotten the same answer every time.

 

[Trouthead]

that helped

I would like VOOM channels and I would really like ESPN2 HD. If I can get a HD DVR for 100 up front on a lease, then even though I have not connected a VCR for years I'd jump on that like a dog on a bone. Being able to watch two different channels at the same time would always help things with the significant other.

I really don't mind the lease VS buying as I rightly or wrongly think I have less exposure to getting screwed with equipment changes. Like that which is happening now, or like the VOOM deal where it just went off the air. I would however like it alot better if there was no fee up front or no monthly fee. All things considered I come from the era of BUD, where you bought all your own equipment.

Will the DISH1000 give a better digital signal than the DISH 500's I presently have?

I not sure what I receive on the 148. I started with one DISH for all the normal HD, and the SD channels, then we added locals in my area and I needed another dish, so my guess is that is the local Wyoming channels. As of now I have the old Voom dish still attached and pointing to the east, along with 2 DISH 500, and I still have the BUD hooked up and working for E coast network feeds on a grandfather clause. The more dishes the merrier!

You'd think I must sit home and watch TV all day, but that is really not the case. I just hate wanting to watch a channel, and finding that I dont' have a subscription to it. It was that way with the SUPERBOWL.

All this equipment, and grandfathering, and a SONY HD TV and I am watching it with bars on the side in SD. That sucked.

Thanks for the info. Any other opinions out there.

 

[navychop]

"... It does seem like it is time to upgrade hardware, to a 211, a 411, or a 622, although other than ESPN 2 HD I am not sure what I will gain..."

From what you've said, it would seem that this is NOT the time for you to upgrade. The 811 should work fine for another year (roughly when they will move all HD to MPEG-4), at which time there may be an even better deal for you to upgrade. Upgrading will get you a few more national HD channels, which may or may not interest you, and the ability to get HD LiL (or distants), which sounds like you may be interested in. Of course, you did say you REALLY wanted ESPN2 HD, so I'll assume you are pursuing upgrading. I don't think you'll save on the monthly fee if you buy vs lease. I seem to remember posts saying the lease fee is just replaced by another fee. Maybe that's the DHPP. ON EDIT: If you have more than one receiver, you will pay a "extra receiver fee" or a "lease fee" of $5 or $6 (HD). So after the first receiver, you really don't save on monthly fees on owning versus leasing.

"...If I go to the 622 leased, I will have to pay approx $300 plus a fee each month???, ..."

Yes. This is my best guess as to what your bill would be:
$299 up front one time fee to start a lease on a ViP622, possibly plus shipping.
HD Platinum.........$99.99
locals.................$5.00 (superstations are $5.99)
HD lease fee........$6.00
Plus taxes & regulatory fees.

For more on fees, see post #1 in this thread and post #2 in this thread.

"...but I will be able to watch two different channels on two different TV???? ..."

Yes.

"...I won't have to pay an extra fee for the included additional tuner????? ..."

Correct, no extra tuner fee.

"...and no fee for the DVR feature???? ..."

No DVR fee, since you will likely go with the HD Platinum pack. Once you get used to the DVR, I think it highly unlikely you'll ever want to do without. That 30 second button to skip thru commercials is a wonderful thing. Yes, it's still $299 up front, not $100. But if you wait that year, MAYBE it'll be less. But you'll have spent a year without the DVR and two tuners.

"...Will I need the DISH 1000?????? ..."

Since you have a 61.5 dish left over from Voom, they may well use that. This will likely depend upon your installer and your insistence, if you have a preference. I don't think you'll get a better signal from the Dish1000, and if I understand reports correctly, you may get slightly less of a signal. However, this may not matter much. A "good enough" digital signal gets you everything.

"...Will VOOM be free (included)???? ..."

It is part of the HD metallic packs. Voom has 15 channels now- basically the same 21 channels packed into 15.

"...If I go to a 211 leased it will be essentially a free upgrade, with no monthly lease fee??????..."

$49 up front upgrade fee since you have an 811, plus maybe shipping charges.
HD Platinum.........$99.99
locals..................$5.00 (superstations are $5.99)
HD lease fee........$6.00
Plus taxes & regulatory fees.

"...This could not be more confusing if Charlie had tried to make it so...."

Frankly, why do you think they did NOT try to make it confusing? I tend to think they did, and I am generally supportive of Dish Network. They may figure, once you get your bill and it's a few dollars more than you expected, you may just figure "well, it's only a few dollars more." If you notice at all. Of course, I could be wrong:

Never ascribe to malice, that which can be explained by incompetence.
— Napoleon Bonaparte

 

[gbjbany]

The rebate is only if you currently own a 942 or 921. I have called Dish 4 times on this and have gotten the same answer every time.

Ok thanks, good news for me but not the OP.

 

[CDH]

The rebate is only if you currently own a 942 or 921. I have called Dish 4 times on this and have gotten the same answer every time.

Actually I think this also applies to current *leasers* of 942 boxes. (Or am I wrong on this? If I'm wrong I might as well order the 622 now instead of waiting for 4/1.)

CDH.

 

[gbjbany]

:devil: like i said, if april 1st upgrade happens as currently stated, recent history tells us not to rely too much on something from Dish till it's in writing somewhere. Hence my advice to wait till april 1 and then we wil be at least 90% certain.