How to ask for an Eastern Arc upgrade?

[chkord]

Evening
I created a thread on this site a few months ago asking a few questions about Western verses Eastern Arc service through Dish. I have had Dish Network for many years, all SD equipment looking at satellite 110 and 119 via a Dish 500 dish. I have been very pleased with the Dish service over the years.
Well….I have my local programming squared away after just getting a new eight bow channel master antenna up and operational. I get approximately twelve high def channels, the picture is amazing. I live approximately 35 to 40 miles from the transmission towers here in Central Illinois. I see no need for any local high def programming from Dish as a result.

However, I am very interested now in brining in additional high definition from Dish Network utilizing the new Easter Arc. My Western Arc service today will surely have problems within the next few months because of a tree my neighbor planted years back. Due to this situation an Eastern Arc solution would be a perfect fit for me allowing me to use the same mount point on my house for the new 1000.4 dish.
I realize that I live in a Western Arc DMA based off what I have read on this forum. What I really want is an upgrade to the Eastern Arc. With this in mind my questions to you are what is the best way to proceed with asking for an EA upgrade.

- Go through Dish Customer services
- Attempt to go through a local installer.
- Attempt an E-Mail to the Dish CEO email address.
- All Three.

Any recommendations on how to proceed with the Dish folks would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks
Gary

 

[Sigma]

Dish changed me over to the Eastern Arc at my request several months ago when some of the local stations were only available in HD on 61.5.

I called Dish Tech support in the evening and asked if it was possible to have an installer come out and install a 1000.4 dish.

Had no problem getting this done within a week, and it cost me nothing.

Installation went off without any problems, and I was very pleased the way Dish handled my request.

 

[CowboyDren]

You need to subscribe to locals via Dish for the integrated channel guide and name based recordings. I pay about 60 per month for Turbo Gold, DVR, and locals. I also have coupons for ten dollars per month, with which I pay for Platinum HD.

 

[InHouse]

Changing to EA setup will be np especially once that tree is in the way as it will be NLOS and have to switch. Only hang up is you will have to upgrade to all mpg4 equipment and there will be upgrade fees involved unless you are a good enough customer and raise enough stink to get it for free.

Just did a similar change over for an existing customer as he refused to have a wing dish for HD mounted to his house, he wanted one dish only. Dish wanted to charge him an extra $100 to upgrade an old 510 receiver to a 211k but after he spoke with them it was all done for free or so they said on the phone. Advised him to watch his billing regardless.

 

[chkord]

Thanks for the replies guys.

I also only want one dish mounted on the house. And.....I only want it mounted at the current location of my existing dish which has an excellent view of the EA.

I have read many times that switching from the WA to the EA has a lot to do with where your local HD's were, 129 or 61.5. Since I have an antenna I do not get my locals, don't even think HD LOCALS have ever been turned on here.

In any event........I will contact tech support and at least ask the question about the switch in equipment to the EA and go from there.

Thanks again for our replies.

Gary

 

[InHouse]

Yes, your HD locals will play a part, here we are on 61.5 so switching to EA is easy enough. As for where on the house the dish might go depends on where/how it is currently mounted. Over living space for us is a no no and reachable from a ladder only.

 

[Laddyboy]

Thanks for the replies guys.

I also only want one dish mounted on the house. And.....I only want it mounted at the current location of my existing dish which has an excellent view of the EA.

I have read many times that switching from the WA to the EA has a lot to do with where your local HD's were, 129 or 61.5. Since I have an antenna I do not get my locals, don't even think HD LOCALS have ever been turned on here.

In any event........I will contact tech support and at least ask the question about the switch in equipment to the EA and go from there.

Thanks again for our replies.

Gary

Peoria-Bloomington and Champaign-Decatur-Springfield were place on 129W in February.

 

[dishcomm]

Evening
I created a thread on this site a few months ago asking a few questions about Western verses Eastern Arc service through Dish. I have had Dish Network for many years, all SD equipment looking at satellite 110 and 119 via a Dish 500 dish. I have been very pleased with the Dish service over the years.
Well….I have my local programming squared away after just getting a new eight bow channel master antenna up and operational. I get approximately twelve high def channels, the picture is amazing. I live approximately 35 to 40 miles from the transmission towers here in Central Illinois. I see no need for any local high def programming from Dish as a result.

However, I am very interested now in brining in additional high definition from Dish Network utilizing the new Easter Arc. My Western Arc service today will surely have problems within the next few months because of a tree my neighbor planted years back. Due to this situation an Eastern Arc solution would be a perfect fit for me allowing me to use the same mount point on my house for the new 1000.4 dish.
I realize that I live in a Western Arc DMA based off what I have read on this forum. What I really want is an upgrade to the Eastern Arc. With this in mind my questions to you are what is the best way to proceed with asking for an EA upgrade.

- Go through Dish Customer services
- Attempt to go through a local installer.
- Attempt an E-Mail to the Dish CEO email address.
- All Three.

Any recommendations on how to proceed with the Dish folks would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks
Gary

Add a dish 500 pointed to the 61.5 orbital slot.
add a dish pro plus tiwn LNB to your exist8ing dish.
Connect the 6-5 dish via coax to the input on the DPP Twin and your all set.
All of the necessary equipment is available from Satelliteguys.us advertisers.
No need to play musical CSR's.
As of right now Eastern Arc is available to new customers only.

 

[chkord]

Hi Laddyboy!

I was pretty sure SD locals were here in Bloomington but I didn't realize that HD locals had been turned on.

I guess that may be bad news for me in attempting to get the EA as we all know that 129 is in the WA.

But......what the hell.......all they can say is no, in which case I can try Direct and if I can't get a solution that I want from them I will check out Comcast.

Cause.......when it gets right down to it.......it only TV....................

Gary

 

[chkord]

Add a dish 500 pointed to the 61.5 orbital slot.
add a dish pro plus tiwn LNB to your exist8ing dish.
Connect the 6-5 dish via coax to the input on the DPP Twin and your all set.
All of the necessary equipment is available from Satelliteguys.us advertisers.
No need to play musical CSR's.
As of right now Eastern Arc is available to new customers only.

Thanks for the reply Dishcomm!

I am really trying to stay away from more than one dish. My current 500 dish is mounted to a rock solid location, tucked away back in a corner of my house.

I am pretty sure it would hold the 1000.4 dish with no problems. I have been a customer with Dish for over 10 years now and the current dish has never had to be touched.

Its just getting Dish to ok a move to the EA.

Gary

 

[dishcomm]

Dish changed me over to the Eastern Arc at my request several months ago when some of the local stations were only available in HD on 61.5.

I called Dish Tech support in the evening and asked if it was possible to have an installer come out and install a 1000.4 dish.

Had no problem getting this done within a week, and it cost me nothing.

Installation went off without any problems, and I was very pleased the way Dish handled my request.

That's progress. And good news. Since the locals in HD are still availabel from both the 61. and the 118.7 1000.4 is for news customers only while existing customers are assigned to 1000+ (Western Arc)/.
Apprently it is different in other areas.'
Now if a customer does not have all MPEG 4 equipment then WA is the only option.

 

[dishcomm]

Thanks for the reply Dishcomm!

I am really trying to stay away from more than one dish. My current 500 dish is mounted to a rock solid location, tucked away back in a corner of my house.

I am pretty sure it would hold the 1000.4 dish with no problems. I have been a customer with Dish for over 10 years now and the current dish has never had to be touched.

Its just getting Dish to ok a move to the EA.

Gary

ok..Hopefully Dish will be kiond enough to bring you EA.
Is/Are your receivers(s) MPEG4? Those models are 222, 222k, 612, 722 and 722k.
Note *** 222's and 722's more than a year old are most likely not EA compatible.

 

[chkord]

ok..Hopefully Dish will be kiond enough to bring you EA.
Is/Are your receivers(s) MPEG4? Those models are 222, 222k, 612, 722 and 722k.
Note *** 222's and 722's more than a year old are most likely not EA compatible.

I do not have any MPEG4 equipment. I have a 501 DVR and two 301's. I realize that I would have to upgrade to MPEG4 gear. At this point I believe all I would need is a single 722K. That would push my 42 plazma and my SD 19 inch in the basement. I also assume that I will have to send all my older equipment back (leased) and getting a single MPEG4 722K will cost me something for upgrade. That and the new dish install as well.

 

[dishcomm]

I do not have any MPEG4 equipment. I have a 501 DVR and two 301's. I realize that I would have to upgrade to MPEG4 gear. At this point I believe all I would need is a single 722K. That would push my 42 plazma and my SD 19 inch in the basement. I also assume that I will have to send all my older equipment back (leased) and getting a single MPEG4 722K will cost me something for upgrade. That and the new dish install as well.

ok.. well then good luck. post back and let the board know how you made out

 

[Laddyboy]

chkord, if you have line of sight issues with 129W, the local installer should be able to submit an application for a change to the EA. It may delay the installation a bit while they get a 1000.4 dish.

 

[wetz73]

I live in central IL and the only sat HD locals are on is 129 (Ciel 2). They look great since they were flipped on, too! You get no more HD channels on EA than you do on WA and Ciel 2 is a much newer and more powerful sat than 61.5. My HD channels come in great off of 129 even in bad weather, and folks with a wing dish pointed at 61.5 around here get weaker signals than I do off of 129. Other than LOS, there is no reason to pick EA over WA or vice versa here.

 

[nrholland]

They won't likely give you an EA dish if you want internationals off 118. I get Euronews off 118.

 

[chkord]

chkord, if you have line of sight issues with 129W, the local installer should be able to submit an application for a change to the EA. It may delay the installation a bit while they get a 1000.4 dish.

Well.......the adventure offically started this afternoon. I called Dish and simply explained my situation. The fact that I will soon loose my line of sight to the Western Arc satellites. I then explained that I wanted to upgrade to HD equipment but the WA would not work for me due to the tree my neighbor planted a few years back.

They listened, put me on hold for just a little over five minutes, came back on and said it would be no problem. So, a new 1000.4 dish and a single 722K to the Eastern Arc is no problem, according to Dish.

I explained that I would like a local retailer in my area to actually do the work and they said again no problem. They did ask if he was familiar with EA installs and I explained to them that he had done several EA installs.

So....I called my retailer and he told me fine. He will go through his contacts at dish to ensure that they will bless the change over and we will go from there.

After reading some of the horror stories on this board about upgrades it will be interesting to see if this process works out. Will let you all know how this plays out.

Gary.

 

[585960]

The only way to gaurantee EA, is if all local programing, HD and SD is on EA.

 

[chkord]

The only way to gaurantee EA, is if all local programing, HD and SD is on EA.

That's the way I understand it as well from readings on this board. And.....that's why I am taking a wait and see attitude on the overall process.

My locals are on 129 and that's what I expected the Dish rep to tell me during the phone conversation. But, according to them, its not an issue, at least at this point. Locals will not be an issue for me because of my antenna pulls 100% signal from my local stations.

Bottom line, I do not have a workable line of sight from any acceptable mount point on my house for 110, 119 and 129. It would be possisble to get 110 and 119 from another mount point but because 129 is so low I would not be able to get it. The EA solution is my only option.

Gary.