Existing Dish customer concerns

[clockman61]

I am a current Dish customer that has been satisfied with my America's Top 180 and 1 "301" . 1 "3900" and 1 "7200"(all owned by us). Until about 2 weeks ago, when I thought it would be nice to record one prime time show, while watching another. The kicker here is, we have been running around the house with video tape trying to effectively accomplish this task. So I started in by calling Dish. Dish has no offers for existing customers. The poor CSRs are so uninformed that they can't even begin to help. I have found solutions for my situation. As an example, the 721 receiver would fill my needs perfectly, but after all that I have read about the 'bugs' and software problems, I am afraid to buy one. Not to mention the thought of obsolescence because of MPEG-4 and HD. The 522 would work nicely also, but Dish won't let existing, and customers in good standing, I might add, have one. "The 522s are for our new customers and are not currently available to our existing customers. However, I think that there is a plan to offer them to existing customers in the spring('05)". Well this is another promise with no time limit on it. I have been searching around the internet and message boards to find out if there is a way to solve my problem. Should I wait? Anyone have any insight on Dish Network's plans in the near future? I'm so confused. One last point-- Dish Network, wake up and take care of your loyal customers!!

 

[jayn_j]

OK, I'll unlurk and add to this. I've been a DISH customer since Nov, 1996. We have 1 508 and 1 4290. I just renewed my annual Top 180 + locals, but I thought long and hard before sending in the check. Here are my issues:

1. Firmware quality and stability. My 508 is finally starting to work correctly after 2 years of ownership. OTOH, my 4290 is just about unusable after 3 years of ownership. The 508 replaced a 4000 that had become totally unusable with a guide that simply diidn't work anymore, days where everything wwent red due to Dish' anti-piracy campaigns, etc. It seems that about the time that the equipment starts working, it is obsoleted and becomes unsupportable. I used to be an early adopter, but these days I am looking for stability. I have a 20 year old TV that works great. I have a 10 year old VCR that still functions. Why can't DISH receivers work properly for more than 3 years? I am not talking about new features. I'm talking about guides that have trouble handling the current program, a picture in guide feature that has been turned off because it never works anymore,

2. Customer support. When the 4000 went red, I was told that I could either purchase a new receiver at list or a new card at $50. This echoes others' comments that absolutely little consideration is given to the existing customer. Isn't the cost of attracting new customers high enough that DISH would want to retain the exisating ones?

3. DISH DVR Fees. I am keeping the 508 untilit hits the unusable catagory (probably any day now) because of the DVR fee. I really resent this fee because I am receiving absolutely no value from it. The guide is available for all subscribers and the firmware cost should be bundled into the cost of the product. Frankly I see DVR fees as a hidden price increase on all levels of programming.

4. HDTV Issues. I own HDTV capable displays and would love to upgrade. However, I do not subscribe to premiums and I simply don't see the value. I live in Northern Colorado, well into grade B for Denver locals, but close enough to Cheyenne, Wyo that I am denied the CBS HDTV feed. Given the cost of a 921, the monthly fee and the threat of MPEG-4, coupled with the lack of meaningful programming keeps me out of the game.

5. Overcompression of channnels. I am not receiving any more meaninngful programming than I did 3 years ago, but the picture quality has gone very soft of late. There may be more stuff out there, but nothing I care about. I am receiving no value from the new programming, but am sufffering from a notable drop in quality of signal. I was a laserdisc early adopter and never could live with VHS quality. It seems that I am being forced to live with it now.

6. Unreliability of communications from Echostar. Lately, I may be guilty of listening to the websites too heavily. II stopped listening to Charlie Chats a couple of years ago when they simply became commercials. However it seems that while there has always been pre-mature promises (Speedvisiion aand IFC anybody), the ratio has plummeted of late.

7. 2 dish solution: There is exactly 1 station that needs the second dish. I have a dish and switches, but haven't gone to the trouble of mounting it. Yet I keep missing that alternate PBS station.

8. Why be loyal? IMHO, DISH Has gone from a companny that was seriously trying to do something different and better to just another cable company. They have me for 1 more year, but next November I am going to do a full analysis of DTV as well as Comcast.

 

[boba]

Directv is waiting for you all you have to do is switch. The 522 is supposed to be available as a lease to existing customers in Feb. 2005, I don't know why you would want it. Although as a lease you can give it back to them any time you get fed up with their poor software.

 

[goose61282]

My 721

I've had a 721 for almost a year now and I haven't had any problems with it since I figured out how it works. The only thing I had trouble with is that to change tuners you use the PIP and swap, which is a little cumbersome. But I haven't missed a recording since then. Also you get around that $5 a month VOD fee, which isn't much, but on principle is nice. Just remember beyond the receiver price you also have to include the price of running the second cable, and all that may entail.

 

[emtownsend]

I hate to say it, but let's face it... The consumer really has no ability to change things. We would like to think so, but we just have to either accept what they have to offer or not (a indirect and long way to assert a change I guess).
I have been with Dish for six years now and actually had Adelphia cable installed this past week because they offered me HDTV locals, a HD PVR and the usual quadrillion channels. After using it for one week, I called them to cancel. Their PQ is terrible compared to Dish and the PVR has SOME nice features, but has small capacity and is cumbersome & lacks fast commercial skip functions and channel changing takes some time betwen button pushes, etc.
Overall, I would replace Dish, if I could, mainly because of their lackadaisical attitude toward existing customers... But, the others have good service and a poor product... It is hard to win for us consumers...

 

[Grandpa J]

I have no direct contact with the VIPs at Dish. I use these forums to get real info.

What concerns me is the Scott G., TNGTony and others who in the past have IMO been more than fair to Dish when many others were complaining about them, seem to have become somewhat negative about them. If they who certainly know more about Dish and its workings (even getting e-mails from CEO) seem to be concerned, then I am concered. Like many of you, I have a investment in Dish equipment which I do not want to just write it off as a loss and go elsewhere because Dish will not provide the programming and stable equipment we all want.

I am still waiting for Ergen's respone to Scott G. last e-mail but am real not expecting anything.

 

[astrotrf]

721s are OK

If you really decide to go with Dish Network, and don't yet care about HD, the 721 is a good choide for the "watch one show while taping another" situation. I have two 721s, and they behave very well. The latest software release introduced a couple of bugs that I hope get fixed soon, but they remain stable and reliable units.

Having said all of that, I'm quite likely to switch to DirectTV soon for HD; I'm kind of waiting to see what D* says about MPEG-4 first.

Terry

 

[rdlink]

Thinking of Switching-But I Have Some Questions

I was an early DirecTV adopter (Remember USSB for premiums?) and still have a bad taste in my mouth about the $1500 that D* charged me for the crappy 1st gen receivers and dish. When E* came along, and D* lowered their prices I was PO'd. That, coupled with the better choices on DISH at the time caused me to switch about 6 years ago.

But now, given broken promises, and "upgrades" that are making my 721s less stable and usable, I'm thinking of going the other way. I have some questions, though. First, is the D* DVR quieter than my 721s? Second, am I reading correctly that the new HD DVR from E* will allow me to integrate my locals (and consequently my HDs) seamlessly?

 

[video62]

The kicker here is, we have been running around the house with video tape trying to effectively accomplish this task.

A dual tuner DVR is the solution for that mess! I left Dish over a year ago and switched to DirecTV and DirecTivos (dual tuner, of course) and never looked back. I even made money from switching by selling my old Dish gear on Ebay. The D* DVRs are very easily upgraded with larger hard drives and 'hackable' if you are of that mindset (hint: I can access my two DirecTivos via the Internet to set/change recordings, etc.)

I too was a loyal "Charlie Cheerleader" since 1996 but some issues surrounding the Dishplayer, the superdish and my locals cinched the decision to switch. The main catalyst for my switching was some rather shabby treatment by a Dish Network supervisor regarding the Dishplayer monthly $10 fee. I'll skip the story unless you are really interested...

 

[video62]

First, is the D* DVR quieter than my 721s?

I dunno about the HD DVR, but on my Hughes HDVR2s I cannot even hear the disk seeking unless I get fairly close to the box. I've never heard a 721 in action... my old Dishplayer was far more noisier than my current D* DVR.