My Grandparents are on a limited budget and have the Welcome Package (which does not have HD) with Blockbuster they like the programming and do not want to change it. They are having trouble with their 322 SD receiver and they are not sure how long it will last they own the receiver. They just came into a couple of dollars and are considering purchasing a Hopper and a Joey from Dish depot. They know that they would have to upgrade their outside Satellite Dish and by doing so they will be able to see the HD only channels included with the Block Buster Movie pass in SD. Can anyone tell me besides the initial upfront cost which they are willing to pay the benefits of purchasing the Hopper and Joey? Would they be able to use the On Demand feature and stream movies from Block Buster to the Hopper and Joey and would they also be to use the record function and skip commercials (keep in mind that they do not have HD with their package)? Please keep in mind that they do not want to change their programming and that they understand that there are additional monthly costs for the DVR service. The upfront cost makes sense to them since they are on a budget and they can control the monthly cost which fits into their budget. Thanks for any info that you can provide.
Benefits of Purchasing Hopper & Joey with Welcome Package & Block Buster Movie Pass.
- Thread starter lostinthemusiq
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The main benefit of purchasing is that they will not have to do a two-year commitment with the upgrade. Monthly, they would see an $11 increase assuming that the 322 is their only current receiver. So long as you have the proper dish installed, and locals are available in HD in their area, they will be able to see HD locals along with what is included in BB@H. Streaming will be available on the receiver so long as they have the Hopper connected to the internet.
I do want to note that BB@H is no longer allowed with the Welcome Pack, but I do not believe we will be forced to remove the programming when adding the Hopper/Joey to the account (no guarantees).
I do want to note that BB@H is no longer allowed with the Welcome Pack, but I do not believe we will be forced to remove the programming when adding the Hopper/Joey to the account (no guarantees).
MattG@ DISH NETWORK said:
I still do not see why Dish does not allow Blockbuster @ Home anymore with the Welcome Pack as there are probably some customers who would even want it standalone as a package.
That is $10/month that Dish is losing per sub that would want Blockbuster @ Home with the Welcome Pack.
Especially for someone on a limited budget. Why outlay money when you don't have to, and in exchange just have a two year contract. The only downer in this, will they be able keep the blockbuster package.
lostinthemusiq said:
I feel that the Hopper and Joey setup although nice does not have the budget conscious subscriber in mind. That is my honest opinion. I am guessing the 322 supports 2 TVs as an SD Duo and is the only receiver they have.
I have two other options that they may want to consider in order to save upfront as well as monthly. I also have another option that is similar to the Hopper/Joey system.
Option 2:
Buy/upgrade to a 722k. This would support 1 HD TV and 1 SD TV. This should support streaming. The monthly equipment fee of it is the only receiver would be $0.00 ($17 for each one after the first). However, there is a $6/month DVR fee. I think it is possible to connect an over the air antenna on the 722; I am not sure if the 722k requires an OTA add-on.
Option 3:
Buy/upgrade to 2 211 HD Solos. Both would support one HD TV each. These can be converted into DVRs for a one-time $40 fee (optionally). However, there is no monthly DVR fee. You would need to provide your own external hard drive(s). The only downside would be no streaming, but they could record what they would want. Also, the first HD Solo would not have a monthly equipment fee if it is the primary receiver; the second would have a $7/month fee. An over the air antenna can be connected to the back of the 211 with the channels appearing in the guide with guide data if subscribed to locals.
Option 4:
Buy/upgrade (if possible) to a 922. It has a nicer guide. It should be able to do streaming. I believe TV2 can be used now; I think TV 1 is HD and TV2 is SD. One downside is the $10 DVR fee. If this is the primary receiver, then there would be no monthly equipment fee. (I'm not sure how much an additional 922 is; last time I read $21 I believe, but I am not sure if that is with the DVR fee included. I'm not sure if an OTA antenna can even be connected directly to the 922.
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They'll probably add $17 a month to their monthly costs by going from one 322 to the Hopper+Joey. They are currently not paying a dvr fee, whole home fee, or additional outlet fee.
I can't imagine they'll be thrilled with that much of a jump in costs of their bill. I think they'll better off with one of the older receivers.
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I can't imagine they'll be thrilled with that much of a jump in costs of their bill. I think they'll better off with one of the older receivers.
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Tampa8 said:
I have already expressed my opinion on the offering or should I say not offering BB@Home to Welcome Pack subs any longer.
However, I do not think it would be fair to take away BB@Home from this sub for faulty equipment that needs to be replaced in order for them to properly see the channels that they are paying for. I would think that they would be grandfathered in.
Good question, I hadn't considered that. But with such old equipment, perhaps Dish will go for it. Or maybe offer a 625 for a nominal fee. MattG?
sparc said:
They are paying $10 for BB@Home and are not getting to see the HD only channels.
They are not able to view streaming directly on the receiver. However, it may be a good idea to check Internet speeds as well before buying or upgrading to a receiver for streaming purposes.
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Maybe they can just get another 322 from Dish. Or if they're really into paying for it, $170 at the amazing dot com people. That is a ridiculous price, considering you can get a ViP222 and other receivers for a lot less.
Grandfathering isn't forever. I have the "no locals" grandfathering, and have learned that any change to my account, programming or hardware, and I will lose it. And that those of us still with it may lose it anyway in the next year or two.
Grandfathering isn't forever. I have the "no locals" grandfathering, and have learned that any change to my account, programming or hardware, and I will lose it. And that those of us still with it may lose it anyway in the next year or two.
couldn't they buy one of the VIP dual tuners for HD purposes then?
I think the costs would only be $6 more a month for DVR than their previous 322.
That is why I suggested a 722(k) above as an option (Option #2 after the first option the OP gave). It has what the OP is looking for (DVR and streaming). I think this would be less (if purchasing) than a 922 or Hopper/Joey system both upfront and in monthly fees.
I should also point out that I updated an early post about the 211s needing external hard drives for them to work as DVRs as this is an optional feature. The only downside with this would be the $40 upfront fee along with external hard drives, and if they have to buy them, they would need to buy two. However, with all the upfront fees, I think this would be the least in monthly fees although the streaming would not be available through these.
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They certainly have a lot to consider, from continuing as is, to moving to HD and streaming. Being on a fixed budget, I suspect adding streaming is just going to open the door to more expense, especially as so little free material is available.
FYI, I got some refurbished 722's for $200 from Dishstore. That would be your better option, than adding $17 in fees going to a Hopper system
When I bought my VIP622 a few years back it would not work with the Dish 500 I had up on the roof( no 129).DISH came out and installed a 1000.2 dish and took off my dish 500,because I had the DISH Service Plan on my account the cost was $15.00.
You'd be surprised how many free movies are available through the 722K when you have BB@Home. And then there is about triple that available through Dish Online. Not as much as Netflix, but a very nice bonus when you consider you're getting 20 channels plus a disc by mail program. I always say to people that the BB@Home package is the best deal in pay-tv. Maybe that's why it's no longer available to Welcome Pack subs, not enough profit for Dish?
