First Look: Dish Network's DTVPal Digital Converter

[A guy who read the manual]

DISH won't let me pay my bill

You may recall that I ordered from DTVPal.com on June 26, the first day it was available, and that DISH forgot the sales tax on one of my two DTVPals. Then they sent me a DISH network statement, billing me for the missing $4.92 balance, due July 16.

Well, I tried to pay that balance online today.

Attempt to register at dishnetwork.com with my 16-digit account number got me this message:

We are sorry you must be a Dish Network subscriber to use this website. Please Call 1-800-Dish or visit us at www.dishnetwork.com to sign up.

Somehow, I don't think calling "1-800-Dish" would do me any good.

Attempts to register with my 11-character receiver numbers got me this:

One or more of the numbers that you have entered is incorrect. Please verify the numbers that you have entered and select Continue.

(Same result with both DTVPal receiver IDs.)

It's too late for a payment sent by mail to reach them on time.

So I'm not going to pay it, at least not yet.

It will be interesting to see what their next bill looks like. Reminder? Collection notice? Warning that my "Service will be discontinued?"

(There really shouldn't BE any second bill; it was their billing error, after all.)

Do you think I'm playing with fire by not paying the bill?

 

[steve4810]

Somehow, I don't think calling "1-800-Dish" would do me any good.

Why would you think this? Call them and give them your credit card number and the problem is gone forever

So I'm not going to pay it, at least not yet.

It will be interesting to see what their next bill looks like. Reminder? Collection notice? Warning that my "Service will be discontinued?"

(There really shouldn't BE any second bill; it was their billing error, after all.)

Do you think I'm playing with fire by not paying the bill?

I think this is a bad idea.

 

[A guy who read the manual]

Somehow, I don't think calling "1-800-Dish" would do me any good.

Why would you think this? Call them and give them your credit card number and the problem is gone forever

Well, maybe if I put the "333" into the number, and called 1-800-333-DISH, it could do some good, but the message said to call 1-800-Dish, as I said.

Does anyone else think DISH will ruin my credit rating for not paying the $4.92 that they failed to put on my credit card in the first place?

 

[A guy who read the manual]

DTVPal.com quotes Scott's review

I don't think it's been commented on here, at least in this thread, but Scott's review (first post of this thread) is now quoted at DTVPal.com.

Click "Products Review" (Maybe they meant "Product Reviews"?)

The heading on that page is, at the moment, "Technical Specifications" (oops), but the CNET and satelliteguys.us reviews are quoted and linked there.

Direct link to the quote at dtvpal.com: ( link )

 

[Smith P.]

Yeah, "technical specification' - tell me that, Pal !

 

[Anole]

future availability: SEARS ?

ref: @ SkyReport

Sears Part of DTVPal Efforts
While DISH Network is selling its DTVPal analog-to-digital converter box as a certified retailer with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's DTV converter box coupon program, the company has picked up an outside retailer for distribution of the equipment.

The company disclosed in a Federal Communications Commission filing that it has a national distribution deal with Sears for the DTVPal. The box allows analog TVs to receive digital over-the-air signals and is equipped with an electronic program guide, program search, parental locks and VCR auto-tune tuners.

The FCC filing described DISH's efforts tied to the nation's digital TV transition, set for February 2009. The company disclosed in the document that it continues to inform customers about the switch in monthly bill stuffers as well as through the airing of public service announcements, among other endeavors. DISH said it has aired digital TV PSAs more than 4,000 times to date.

DISH also said it has personnel in Wilmington, N.C., which will be a test market for the DTV switch when local stations transition to digital this fall.

 

[rperlberg]

Why would you think this? Call them and give them your credit card number and the problem is gone forever


I think this is a bad idea.

Why, because they're a big scary company that has the power to ruin your life? I'm tired of Americans cowering in fear of these bullies. Stand up for your rights. When you give in you only make the problem worse.

And VOTE for Pete's sake.

 

[partsman_ba]

SEARS - Where America Shops for DTVpals

Just got off the phone with my local Sears store (Springfield, OR, sister city to Eugene). He tells me, "Yeah, we have a bunch of converter boxes. We have the Magnavox, and some new off-brand one." I ask him if he's heard about getting in the DTVPals, and he says, "Yeah, that's the new one."

Dead silence from me...

How much? "$59.99." I'll be out after work!

 

[TalkingRat]

"Off brand"

PS official end date for coupon program is July 9, 2009. I didn't know that coupons expired east coast time. We're being cheated out West.

 

[Jim1348]

Maybe they will price match Ultimate Electronics! (Just kidding!)

 

[Anole]

re: SEARS

I wanted a local retailer so I could take it back if it sucked.
From all I've read, it sucks just fine.
So, I'm waiting on the revised batch.

Actually, I already burned my first coupon, and haven't ordered the second, expecting "the revised batch" to be out toward Xmas! -

While I would prefer if Radio Shack carried the Pal, I can work with Sears.
Give me an excuse to use my Sears card, too.

For those of you with expiring cards, this'll be a big plus:
- local pickup; instant gratification
- immediate burn of your expiring card
- taxes, but no shipping
- a place to possibly exchange it in the future if you are ...anxious... enough to take what they're currently shipping. -

Of course, until we see more members across the country standing up and shouting "I got my Pal at Sears!", I'll wait 'n see. -

 

[TalkingRat]

I feel sorry for Sears. Do you think they know they are taking something likely to have high return rates? And that is my greatest hesitation with Sears, because they are a "put it back on the shelf" kind of place, even when a return comes back as broken.

 

[pabeader]

return rate? I seriously doubt that! There really is nothing wrong with the Pal just has some timer issues that not everyone can duplicate, and most of the intended audience won't even know how to use. Remember, we are not the intended audience. we are the smallest slice of the user base for this product. even if all 10,000+ of us were to buy one and return it, the effect would be small.

 

[eacalhoun]

My Review of the DTV Pal

Since I'm doing a review, for reference I live in Morganton, NC. I live in the Charlotte DMA, however due to the hilly terrain I get better signals from the adjacent Greenville-Spartanburg-Asheville DMA

I've had my DTV Pal for about 2 weeks and here are my pros and cons of the unit. As with most everyone here, the on-screen guide is impressive and I'm mostly pleased with the box. I also have a Zenith DTT 900, and the DTV Pal's tuner seems slightly more sensitive. I'm not minimizing Zenith's tuner sensitivity, because I would certainly still buy another one and would highly recommend it because of availability and value. Two of my stations are unwatchable or unreliable on the Zenith, but have been reliable on the Pal. On the Zenith, the signal often fluctuates from 75-80% for an average 45 sec period, then quickly drops to 20% for average 3-5 sec periods. The signal also rarely if ever hovers in the middle of these (50% or so); it just "spikes" downward to 20% then back up to 80% -- it's all just enough to be annoying and unwatchable. However, on the Pal, the same station hovers right around 67% and doesn't deviate more than 5%. So, the Pal seems to do a better job with certain signal issues. Some reviews I've read have stated the Pal's sensitivity was not much better or even slightly worse than boxes like the Zenith. My only complaint about The Pal is that it I must wait 30 seconds or so for the program guide to download when I power it on (after a day or so). This does not happen when I power it off/on within say a 12-hour period.

Eric

 

[pabeader]

eric- i would suggest just leaving the unit on. It will go into standby after a few hours, but still be able to keep the guide and other stuff updated.

 

[partsman_ba]

re: SEARS

Of course, until we see more members across the country standing up and shouting "I got my Pal at Sears!", I'll wait 'n see. -

I GOT MY PAL AT SEARS!

No shelf tag, right next to the Magnavoxes. Had 14 on the shelf - didn't ask how many in the back room. Haven't hooked it up yet to see what version I got.

 

[eacalhoun]

eric- i would suggest just leaving the unit on. It will go into standby after a few hours, but still be able to keep the guide and other stuff updated.

pabeader, thanks for the info. I'll try that!

Eric

 

[Smith P.]

...
Haven't hooked it up yet to see what version I got.

Umm, turt it on ! Post the version, then your post will count .

 

[Anole]

eacalhoun -
Thanks for your review.
I've read other comments putting the DTVpal sensitivity behind the 900, so this is comforting.
. . . or maybe it was a 901..? So many devices, so little time. -

I'm with pabeader on leaving the darned thing on, if guide-load time is bothersome.
I just got a Channel Master 7000, and it takes a breath every time you change channels, to load up.
Kinda wish it'd remember what it had logged 5 seconds ago. -

I've also seen signal level fluctuations that defied description.
From what you say, maybe the DTVpal has integrated or smoothed out their report to give a slower-moving meter.
Sounds like a positive step.

partsman_ba -
You got one! And at Sears? - - Good for you! - :up
Looking forward to your comments.
Get it hooked up and give it a good workout.
(and in fairness, I realize that does take a couple of days to get used to a box)
Hope your local TV stations cooperate!


everybody -
It would be helpful to know what cities everyone finds DTVpals at their local Sears.
and it would be helpful to know what cities everyone is in when they review their boxes, of any kind.
Here in the Los Angeles area, we get 50+ sub-channels, so keeping track of every one with every box, is quite a challenge!

 

[DallasGuy]

A guy who read the manual,

I've read your explanation of why some of the timer events are having their channel changed. It seems as though ALL of my timer events are having their channels changed now. It seems to happen after the guide data is downloaded when I turn on the machine. I've tried setting the DTVPAL back to the factory defaults, figuring that it would initialize memory on the DTVPAL so I could start over from scratch again. Also, I've added 5 timer events and then deleted them all. But none of that has helped fixed my problem....the channels are still being changed in the timer events. At some point in the past I changed the channel names....could this have caused my continuing problems now? Anyway, what I'm actually trying to find out is....Is there any way I can get my timers to work again? (At this point my DTVPAL is virtually useless to use with my VCR.)

Thanks.