Is this correct info???????

[texxas guy]

I have been a Dish network subscriber since 97. I now want to move up to the 921, since I've had my HDTV for a year now. I currently have the Dish 500 with 4 receivers. One PVR501 and 3 basic receivers. I have a SW64 switch.
I called Dish about their $549.00 offer on the 921, and they told me they would give me the HD pack for half price for a year and the PVR fee would be waived since I subcribe to everything. The CSR said they would only ship the unit to me, no install , since I am only replacing a unit and not adding an additional one. He said all I would have to do is hook up the 921 in the location where I have the 501. Is this correct?

I appreciate any info you experienced guys can offer!

Thanks!

 

[markdl]

Nope - you either need 2 satellite lines to connect to your 921, or you need to swap out your LNBs and Switch to DishPro and DishProPlus and add a separator to connect one line to the 2 inputs on the 921.

 

[texxas guy]

I appreciate the response, however, being the novice that I am, which is the best way to go? When you say I need 2 lines connected to the 921, would one of these lines be the one that is currently connected to the 501? Where would I connect the other line on the SW64? There is no more room for another line coming out. There are 6 inputs going in, but only 4 going out.
If I go the other route, with the Dish Pro and Dish Pro Plus, is this just a matter of swapping the LNB"s, and then I don't need the other line? I'm sorry for all the questions, but I don't have much experience with this.

Thanks again.

 

[dturturro]

You would have to either buy another 64 switch or a DP Twin AND a DPP44 with a separator. Call them back, you got a CSR who can't count.

 

[Neutron]

If you have a DishPro Plus LNB or switch you will not have to run another line for the 921, you would just get a DPP seperator (looks just like a splitter) and connect the one coax to one side and 2 short pieces of coax to the other, run to your satellite 1 and 2 inputs.

 

[wyseguy]

Very interesting. This is the TOTAL opposite of what I experienced.

I called Dish, and wanted to just get the 921 ASAP. I didn't want an install, since that meant waiting 14 days for an appointment. I already had D500 and D300 (119, 110, 148), an SW64 switch, and an old DishPlayer 7100. All I wanted to do was yank the DP, run a second cable from my SW64, and be up and running in an hour.

They told me that they COULD NOT just ship it to me. They could only send it to a reseller, who would bring it with them when the did the install. There was no way to get one WITHOUT an install!

I am capable of running some sat-rated RG-6 cable, and crimping the connectors on, so I really didn't want to wait for an installer. I called around and found a local reseller that would just sell me one, no strings attached. That was before Costco had them for $489.

It's very frustrating when you get inconsistent information from CSRs.

 

[texxas guy]

Thanks guys! I really appreciate your help.....nice to know there is someplace to go and get correct info. Looks like another call to Dish and never ending hold!

 

[ajohnson]

As far as I know, the only DishProPlus LNB that out is a twin, so that wouldn't drive your for receivers. The only single switch that will drive all 4 receivers is the $200 DPP44 as mentioned above, and it would require you to change your LNB for a dishpro (not plus) twin or quad, which adds even more money.

The next option is to add a second SW64 using feedthroughs and such (see http://www.dishnetwork.com/downloads/pdf/technology/installation/install-5.pdf).

A third option is to convert your stuff to dishpro as if you were going the dpp44 route, but instead get two dp34's - they have cascade ports for built in daisy-chaining.

As crazy and it sounds, if you only have a D500 and not a second dish, you might consider a fourth option of just getting another D500. It's cheaper. You'd probably want to keep the 921's 2 connections on the same dish though.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

This DishPro Plus Twin will not be out until late January. I have seen a few sites advertising them, but if you read the small print it points out it wont be available until January.

 

[Cyclone]

You could always change this to an "add" a receiver, which they would pay for the installation, and then drop the 501 a month or two later. Sure it might be an extra $5 or $10, but that's pretty cheap for installation.

 

[dendavis]

One More Would-be 921 Customer with Questions

Texxasguy and I may be twin sons of different mothers, we both have the same setup equipment. I have also been considering jumping to the 921, as the HDTV I have seen on my OTA STB is phenomenal.

Given all the technical talk about having to change to DISHPro, or whatever (is SuperDish in this mix?), there is no way I am doing the antennae changeout. Would DISH include all this new rooftop equipment as part of a 921/HD package upgrade? When I added locals, I got a second antenna, so now I have the dual LNB for 110/119 (with "DISH 500" on the dish face; and a single LNB on the other dish [also labeled "DISH 500] which gets 148), all of which go to a SW64.

Thanks

 

[SimpleSimon]

Den: It depends on how many existing boxes you've got and are keeping.

You have a 3-bird setup, which fills your Legacy switch (2 wires per bird for Legacy switching). BTW, you are misrefering your LNB names. A Legacy "single" can NOT feed a SW64, and if there's only one housing on the other dish, it must be a Legacy Quad to get the necessary 4 wires. More likely is a pair of Duals on the D500, giving you a total of 3 Legacy Dual LNBFs.

If you are going to end up with more than 4 tuners, the SW64 can NOT handle it, and a switchout to DishPro is the most desirable answer.

 

[dendavis]

I knew someone would understand it all Most likely would keep the two existing receivers, as I have lifetime TiVo for their companion PVR's, and then have the 921 feed my Sony 57."

So, to ask a really dumb question: "Legacy" refers to the original DISH equipment, and is not otherwise labeled as "Legacy?"

Thank you

 

[ajohnson]

I'm bored, I'm going to do an information dump here

"Legacy" just refers to all non-DishPro equipment. This covers any receivers with 4 digit model numbers, any switches with models starting with the letters "SW", and any lnbfs that do not have a big black "DP" symbol on them.

The flip side of this is that "DishPro" stuff is all receivers with 3 digit model numbers, all switches with models starting with "DP" (short for DishPro), and all lnbfs that do have the black "DP" symbol on them.

Some caveats to converting to dishpro:

You cannot mix dishpro lnbfs and switches. They must all be dishpro or all legacy.

Dishpro receivers will work with legacy lnbfs and switches

legacy receivers require an adapter to work with dishpro lnbfs and switches, except for the dpp44 and dishpro twin lnbf (directly connected)

The dpp44 and dishpro twin lnbf can feed a dual receiver unit (322, 522, 721, 921) with a single cable, using a seperater at the receiver.

The dpp44 and dp34 switches have cascade ports so you can easily daisy chain multiple switches and get more than 4 receivers. A dp34 may be chained off a dpp44, losing the 4th satellite feed.

 

[dendavis]

I love it!

Thanks so much.