Help with Dish'n It Up and DVRS

[Meathead]

Hi All- Lurker for a few months.. love the forums.

Currently have a 508, 510 and 2 301's (one of them in a box - unused). All hooked up to a DP Quad. No switches.

Spoke to Customer Service tonight and the quoted me $149 to lease a 522 and it will replace 2 receivers. However, they claim I can only run it hooked up to two TVs. I explained that I want to use both tuners on only 1 set but she insisted that I must have it hooked to 2.

From lurking I understand I CAN do what I want with the 522 but will require a DPP44 and a DP-Separator. I couldn't imagine any installer preferring to run a 2nd line to the location I want the 522 in, nor do I really want them to. If I were to order the 522, would these two items be included if I told the installer to put it in one room only?

Believe it or not, I would probably return the 510 and a 301 (don't need 3 sets with DVR, one 301 is in a room that I rarely use for watching TV). Essentially I think this would give me a Net savings of $5 per month by returning the 510 (which has a DVR fee) and a 301 which has a $5 lease fee right?

Also, if what I am asking is possible (to specify 522 install in one room only, and have free DPP44 and DP Separators included), does anyone know any reputable installers/retailers in the Metro Atlanta area (Cobb County) they would recommend?

Thanks much! These forums have been a wealth of information just lurking alone.

Meatie

 

[Liquidforce88]

So if I am reading your post right you will have a 522, 508, and a 301 left in service. If that is the case you don't need any switches. A DP quad will run 4 tuners. All the installer would have to do is get a second line into the 522 at the location you want.

As for running both tuners off the 522 to one tv, we do it all the time. I suppose this is so you can record one program and watch another live at the same tv. It will also give you picture and picture on that tv, if your tv can do that. If it is an older tv with only an F-conn as it only input you will need a spliter/combiner though.

 

[boba]

The DPP44 and separator isn't FREE you will have to pay for them. The equipment you have now is more reliable than the 522, and you will have a $5 lease fee on the 522 and a $4.98 DVOD fee on the 522. If you don't have a phone line connected 24/7 to the 522 you will also incur a $4.99/Mo. mirroring fee for the second tuner.

 

[Stargazer]

You could run the 522 in single user mode if you want to view both tuners on your one television set. This would allow you to use the PIP (Picture In Picture) functionality and also be able to swap between both tuners simultaneously. Having the 522 in single user mode allows it to work like the 721 does.

 

[thiggin2]

Believe it or not, I would probably return the 510 and a 301 (don't need 3 sets with DVR, one 301 is in a room that I rarely use for watching TV). Essentially I think this would give me a Net savings of $5 per month by returning the 510 (which has a DVR fee) and a 301 which has a $5 lease fee right?

If it was me I would look into selling those receivers and buy the 522, But thats just me I would rather own my stuff then pay the money they want to just "lease" it.

 

[Stargazer]

I agree with thiggin2. I wouldn't return those receivers if you own them because they are only going to give you $25 each for them when you could get about $150-225 out of both of those receivers. That is enough to buy a new 522.

 

[Meathead]

Thanks for the help so far everyone. To answer points made:

I do not own any of the receivers I currently have. They are all leased.

So essentially by paying $149 to install a 522, I am really just paying for the installer to run a second line to one of my receiver locations.

What would I have to do to get Dish to throw in a DPP44? Order a second (free) Dish at the same time so I can get all of my locals?

This is a bit frustrating and it's making Comcast's 2tuner DVR look really tempting. I've compared prices and it would be almost identical for the same set of services with the exception of a $25 per month credit from Comcast for Ditchin the Dish.

NOTE: Right now, HD is not a feature in my decision making. Need those DLP sets to come down in price some more .

Thanks!
Meatie

 

[thiggin2]

Thanks for the help so far everyone. To answer points made:

I do not own any of the receivers I currently have. They are all leased.

So essentially by paying $149 to install a 522, I am really just paying for the installer to run a second line to one of my receiver locations.

What would I have to do to get Dish to throw in a DPP44? Order a second (free) Dish at the same time so I can get all of my locals?

This is a bit frustrating and it's making Comcast's 2tuner DVR look really tempting. I've compared prices and it would be almost identical for the same set of services with the exception of a $25 per month credit from Comcast for Ditchin the Dish.

NOTE: Right now, HD is not a feature in my decision making. Need those DLP sets to come down in price some more .

Thanks!
Meatie

Nope cant sell the lease ones .

I dont think a DPP44 is part of a normal install. I have heard of people having them install one with the install but it probably depends on the installer. You might have to pay for that swtich.

I dont think I would pay Dish $149 to lease anything, then alone any company at that Dish, Direct or cable.

 

[Stargazer]

It depends on whether Dish Network will reimburse the retailer for that switch or not.

 

[mxr]

Thanks for the help so far everyone. To answer points made:

I do not own any of the receivers I currently have. They are all leased.

So essentially by paying $149 to install a 522, I am really just paying for the installer to run a second line to one of my receiver locations.

What would I have to do to get Dish to throw in a DPP44? Order a second (free) Dish at the same time so I can get all of my locals?

This is a bit frustrating and it's making Comcast's 2tuner DVR look really tempting. I've compared prices and it would be almost identical for the same set of services with the exception of a $25 per month credit from Comcast for Ditchin the Dish.

NOTE: Right now, HD is not a feature in my decision making. Need those DLP sets to come down in price some more .

Thanks!
Meatie

We had 2 301s. Signed up for the 522 install for $148. I requested the 522 to replace one 301 and be run in single mode. The installer (actual Dishnetwork employee) came and installed a DPP44 switch and I have the 522 connected to a phone line running in single mode. I have a VCR connected to the TV2 outputs. I switch to Dual mode and record to VHS from TV2.

 

[GaryPen]

This is a bit frustrating and it's making Comcast's 2tuner DVR look really tempting. I've compared prices and it would be almost identical for the same set of services with the exception of a $25 per month credit from Comcast for Ditchin the Dish.

Are you saying the prices are comparable BEFORE the discount? If so, why are you even considering all of this? Just call Comcast. No out-of-pocket, and 16 months of $25 off is icing.

 

[dtanderson]

Spoke to Customer Service tonight and the quoted me $149 to lease a 522 and it will replace 2 receivers. However, they claim I can only run it hooked up to two TVs. I explained that I want to use both tuners on only 1 set but she insisted that I must have it hooked to 2.

Meatie

I had called to inquire about leasing a 522 and was quoted $198. I am supposed to pay them about $200 to lease a piece of equipment, are they crazy or just smoking something?? Do they outsource to India becuase the CSR that I got had a very heavy accent and I could hardly understand a word that he said I want a dual tuner PVR but don't want to fork out $200 to lease, maybe $49 or $99 install fee.

 

[Meathead]

Are you saying the prices are comparable BEFORE the discount? If so, why are you even considering all of this? Just call Comcast. No out-of-pocket, and 16 months of $25 off is icing.

Yep... it's solidified my decision already. Only problem I have now is a big backlog of DVR recordings (the entire season of 24 so far included!) that I want to watch before I give up the Dish receivers!

I went over to friends house the other day and played around with Comcast's VOD also. Swift, real swift. Imagine being able to watch any movie in HBO's (or Showtime, SkinaMax and Starz) current playlist at the touch of a few buttons without having to set a record timer? Including their shows. He told me they change the list every month to keep it fresh (some movies stay on the list longer).

Meatie