Forced 811 upgrade questions

[redline65]

Since this community seems to know more than Dish CSRs, I figured I better ask my questions here. I got the letter to upgrade my 811 or else I'll lose HBO and Showtime HD.

1. Since I own my 811 now, will they take it from me and I'll own the new receiver? Or do I keep my 811 and they will own the new receiver?

2. I have no HD package - just AT200, HBO, and Showtime. Are they going to force me to subscribe to an HD package or make me pay an HD-enabling fee? (I don't pay one now). I don't want my monthly payment to change.

3. Will I need a new Dish? I have a Dish 500 now.

4. I get my locals OTA with the 811. I assume the new receiver will do the same?

5. I use a DVI connection with my 811. Does the new receiver have DVI or will I need some sort of HDMI-DVI converter? Is this included with the new receiver?

6. Will I still be able to record HBO/Showtime to my DVD recorder over S-video with the new receiver? Or does the new receiver have copy protection to prevent this?

Thanks!

 

[Carl B]

1. You can keep your owned 811, but you lease the new Dish HD receiver.

2. Not sure, you should be able to keep your present package.

3. It appears that Dish is moving the HBO HD to the 129 bird for 8/1/08, so you will probably need a Dish 1000 antenna to receive HBO HD.

4. Yes.

5. The new Dish HD receivers use HDMI. If your TV uses DVI, like mine does, then you need a new cable. Dish doesn't supply such cables, but they are really cheap through MonoPrice.com.

6. Yes. Copy protection doesn't apply to analog outputs like s-video.

 

[garys]

Also note, the 811 would also add analog locals to the guide, the newer Vip receivers are HD/digital tuners only.

 

[topcat0399]

Also note, the 811 would also add analog locals to the guide, the newer Vip receivers are HD/digital tuners only.

i here to tell you that if the Tech that swaps out your 811 for a new receiver, without bringing back the 811 as an RA to the shop, that tech will be paying for the new receiver.

per memo from DNS



the deal is: the customer gets the FREE upgrade, no commitmant, no charge BUT: they must give up the 811 and the 211 will be LEASED.


otherwise the standard Dish n It Up program is used.

 

[nsaspook]

i here to tell you that if the Tech that swaps out your 811 for a new receiver, without bringing back the 811 as an RA to the shop, that tech will be paying for the new receiver.

per memo from DNS



the deal is: the customer gets the FREE upgrade, no commitmant, no charge BUT: they must give up the 811 and the 211 will be LEASED.


otherwise the standard Dish n It Up program is used.

I got the standard "send it in for $10 or you can keep your owned receiver" with my upgrade. Mine was a three 211 receiver self-install. If you want to keep your "owned" receiver contact the executive office to put it on the ticket.

 

[topcat0399]

I got the standard "send it in for $10 or you can keep your owned receiver" with my upgrade. Mine was a three 211 receiver self-install. If you want to keep your "owned" receiver contact the executive office to put it on the ticket.

yours is a DishnItUp im thinkin. did you sign a commitmant? pay an upgrade fee?

if so - its not part of the 811 upgrade project. different rules apply.

 

[kb7oeb]

Unless you can fight with them to waive it you will get charged the enable fee or need to add the $10 hd package.

 

[nsaspook]

yours is a DishnItUp im thinkin. did you sign a commitmant? pay an upgrade fee?

if so - its not part of the 811 upgrade project. different rules apply.

Nope. It's part of the MPEG4 upgrade. No fees or commitments. I called so early in the program that they had to make custom codes for my self-install.

http://www.satelliteguys.us/dish-hd-discussions/136289-dish-start-upgrading-hd-customers-mpeg4-post1393262.html#post1393262

 

[williamkmurphy]

I believe the 811 uses a UHF remote, the 211 does not. I was disappointed when I got my 211 when it came out, but on the upside the ATSC tuner seemed to be more robust in the 211. At least it seemed that way for me.

I think the guide menu is nicer as well.

 

[Jerryinvirginia]

i here to tell you that if the Tech that swaps out your 811 for a new receiver, without bringing back the 811 as an RA to the shop, that tech will be paying for the new receiver.

per memo from DNS



the deal is: the customer gets the FREE upgrade, no commitmant, no charge BUT: they must give up the 811 and the 211 will be LEASED.


otherwise the standard Dish n It Up program is used.

What memo???????????

 

[topcat0399]

What memo???????????

its not a memo sent to customers. sorry.

 

[Jerryinvirginia]

its not a memo sent to customers. sorry.

I could be mistaken, but a close friend recently received a letter from E* announcing the swap out MPEG2/MPEG4 program. The RSP rolled a truck, installed a 211 for his purchased 811 and left the 811. My friend had used a 301 in a second room till it smoked. He connected the 811 at the second room location and called E*. It was authorized for SD channels in his package, no problem. Am I to guess that your example involved a leased 811?

 

[harshness]

I got the letter to upgrade my 811 or else I'll lose HBO and Showtime HD.

1. Since I own my 811 now, will they take it from me and I'll own the new receiver? Or do I keep my 811 and they will own the new receiver?

They shouldn't take your owned receiver; don't let them wander off with it.

2. I have no HD package - just AT200, HBO, and Showtime. Are they going to force me to subscribe to an HD package or make me pay an HD-enabling fee? (I don't pay one now). I don't want my monthly payment to change.

You're currently not entitled to receive the HD versions of HBO and SHO so you're getting something for nothing. As a replacement receiver would come with either an enabling fee or a HD channel package, your cost is going to go up.

3. Will I need a new Dish? I have a Dish 500 now.

It is suspected that the channels will be moved to a wing slot, so you would need a different dish setup.

4. I get my locals OTA with the 811. I assume the new receiver will do the same?

Yes, but in order to get guide data for your OTA channels, you will have to subscribe to satellite delivered locals. The 811 is unique in this respect; another one of those "something for nothing" features.

5. I use a DVI connection with my 811. Does the new receiver have DVI or will I need some sort of HDMI-DVI converter? Is this included with the new receiver?

monoprice.com sells an HDMI to DVI adapter for $3.63 plus shipping.

6. Will I still be able to record HBO/Showtime to my DVD recorder over S-video with the new receiver? Or does the new receiver have copy protection to prevent this?

You should be able to do this with any content that you've been able to do it with on the 811.

 

[tonyp56]

The only thing I didn't like about the 211 is that it didn't have very many outputs (only HDMI, optical audio, and 1 composite output) and no inputs like the 811 did.

Beyond this, I'm very happy. They gave me $10 credit for my 811, but i wasn't forced to let them take it... I didn't have any use for it so I sent it on with them. I too have DVI and I hooked up 211 via component and used audio from the 1 composite output (RCA cables). I have a Female DVI to Male HDMI adapter on order so i can use my DVI connection on my TV.

 

[Tyralak]

its not a memo sent to customers. sorry.

Apparently it's not a memo sent to DNS technicians either, because we weren't given a copy at our block training.

 

[topcat0399]

Apparently it's not a memo sent to DNS technicians either, because we weren't given a copy at our block training.

ok, you got me.

it was a "corporate" memo from our RSP HQ.

 

[Carl B]

I believe the 811 uses a UHF remote, the 211 does not. I was disappointed when I got my 211 when it came out, but on the upside the ATSC tuner seemed to be more robust in the 211. At least it seemed that way for me.

I think the guide menu is nicer as well.

The 211 does have a better ATSC tuner than did the 811; however, it is all relative. The 211's ATSC tuner isn't anywhere near the quality of the ATSC tuner in my 8-month old Sammy LCD HDTV (earlier generation of tuner I suspect). But, overall, the 211 is a significant improvement (tuner, software, firmware) over the 811.

Not having the UHF remote was an initial cause for concern. However, the IR Blaster in the 211's remote is so powerful, you almost have to sit on it for it not to work your electronics.

 

[Carl B]

You're currently not entitled to receive the HD versions of HBO and SHO so you're getting something for nothing. As a replacement receiver would come with either an enabling fee or a HD channel package, your cost is going to go up.

That's not entirely true! With the advent of the 811, any subs to HBO and ShowTime were entitled to receive the HD versions (MPEG2) of those premium services as long as one subscribed to the premium service. I'm guessing there were a lot of 811 owners that dropped the $9.99 (5-channel) HDPak, but continued to receive the single HD channels for HBO and ShowTime if they were subs to those services.

However, it is quite possible and probably likely that Dish will try to squeeze an HD enabling fee out of this poor sub along with the upgrade to MPEG4. If they do, it would be a good time to go to the executive CSRs and threaten to switch to D*. Since this is a forced upgrade and not a Dish It Up upgrade, different rules apply. Under DIY, one has to subscribe to some HD package or pay an enabling fee to lease an HD receiver. Forced upgrade, maybe not.

 

[redline65]

Thanks for all the responses guys. I called a Dish CSR to make sure my bill wouldn't change and she assured me it would not. She said they will also be installing a Dish 1000 for me at no cost, so I guess it was worth holding out for an upgrade. HBO HD and Showtime HD have always been included if you subscribe to those packages, no need to subscribe to an HD package.

One thing I'll be sort of pissed about is if I lose the OTA guide info. I've lived without it before when 811 firmware updates took it away, so no biggie.

 

[eaamon]

what really has me PO'd about the whole thing was when I purchased the 811 I was told it would be completely software upgradeable. why could they not upgrade mpeg2 to mpeg4?
software is software is it not???
I feel they just are trying to upgrade all to leased receivers. income from all!
the 211 installation went bad. picture did not fit screen....ballooned all around and larger on the left.
could not see espn bottom line or the left side of screen.
I turned off the service and sent the 211 back in a box they shipped me.
using dtb-h260 smasung tuner now for ota. picture is much better than 211 (fits the screen) and I get 5 more channels more than the 211 gave me. 211 gave me the same number of channels as the 811 did.