make a decision

[mikekomm]

I've been a Time Warner cable customer with 2 high def DVR'S for 5 years. I've been fairly pleae with the quality and service from Time Warner. I'm considering Dush networks offer which will save me $300 per year. But, I'm not sure of the quality from

1. Satelite broadcast


2. Dishnetwork customer service


3. Signing a 1 year contract for an unknown entity (to me)

any help would be appreciated.

 

[chaddux]

I've been a Time Warner cable customer with 2 high def DVR'S for 5 years. I've been fairly pleae with the quality and service from Time Warner. I'm considering Dush networks offer which will save me $300 per year. But, I'm not sure of the quality from

1. Satelite broadcast


2. Dishnetwork customer service


3. Signing a 1 year contract for an unknown entity (to me)

any help would be appreciated.

Yikes. First of all, it's DISH Network not Dush Networks. You do not have to sign a contract of any kind. The current promotion requires no contract.

 

[OoTLink]

1. Satellite broadcast quality is surprisingly good.
2. The customer service is usually okay, but sometimes there's "CSR roulette" -- when new things occur not all the CSRs know of it.
3. Same as above. You don't have to sign any contracts though, but the HD DVR I'm not sure if you can get for free lease.

 

[mikekomm]

Sorry for the typo. Frankly, these are the kind of issues that create concern. The salesman is telling me that the promotion requires a 1 year contract and you say it doesn't. Are you affiliated with the company? Also, are there transmission issues on windy or rainy days?

 

[chaddux]

Sorry for the typo. Frankly, these are the kind of issues that create concern. The salesman is telling me that the promotion requires a 1 year contract and you say it doesn't. Are you affiliated with the company? Also, are there transmission issues on windy or rainy days?

If you are signing up through a retailer, you will have to sign a one-year contract WITH THE RETAILER. If you sign-up directly through DISH Network, you don't have to sign any contracts. In my time with DISH Network, I've experienced rain fade only twice and that was in a sudden down-pour. It lasted approximately 20 minutes before the signal returned. As long as the dish is properly mounted and fully peaked, rain fade and wind fade should be very, very minimal.

 

[DWS44]

The salesman is telling me that the promotion requires a 1 year contract and you say it doesn't.

Were you talking to Dish directly, or talking to a local retailer? I know when I spoke to a local retailer last year when I hooked up, they wanted me to sign a 1-year contract, but going thru Dish directly, Dish didn't require one.

Rain isnt usually a problem for me, except in unusually heavy downpours or severe thunderstorms going directly over the house. In a little over a year, it has gone out, maybe 3 times...never for more than 5-10 minutes.

 

[gutter]

If you are going for the $19.99 offer for 3 months for 180 channels they will require a one year contract.

 

[chaddux]

If you are going for the $19.99 offer for 3 months for 180 channels they will require a one year contract.

Very good point. I didn't realize that offer required a contract. The plain Digital Home Advantage still has no contract so you can have it either way.

 

[SimpleSimon]

And retailers requiring contracts is for their protection. If you disconnect before a year, E* takes back money from them.

The advantage of using a truly local retailer is that you're much more likely to get a good install.

 

[thiggin2]

Also, are there transmission issues on windy or rainy days?

Depending were your located. Most people dont have to many problems but if you live in an area that rains VERY heavy (like Florida) you will have problems and it doesn't matter how well your dish is aimed .

 

[KKlare]

If you live in snow country, then the signal will fade with a couple of inches on the dish. Just use a broom. I hope it is mounted for easy access but that will depend on your line of sight problems.
-Ken

 

[R-U-Q-R-U]

Depending were your located. Most people dont have to many problems but if you live in an area that rains VERY heavy (like Florida) you will have problems and it doesn't matter how well your dish is aimed .

The only time I've had rain fade that lasted more than a minute or so is a few months ago when we received over THREE INCHES of rain in a couple of hours. Central FL gets pretty heavy rain but it seems to be a problem with really severe storms.

 

[bcshields]

Guys.. there's a one year commitment to the HD pak to get an 811. DHA or not.

 

[DWS44]

Guys.. there's a one year commitment to the HD pak to get an 811. DHA or not.

Is that a fairly recent change? I have an 811 on DHA, but signed no committment. The only requirement was that I have to keep the HD pack or return the 811.

 

[zimaad]

Just an idea, but I'm considering switching to DISH from cable now simply b/c of cost and I would like to have digital on all my TV's. Right now, digital cable plus a few movie channels is around $100/month..way too much!!!

Anyways, near me, Sam's Club sells dish through them. It's a $29.99 basic install plus the $49.99 rebate on first bill and no contracts to sign (by what the guy told me, but I wasn't looking into HDTV though)

 

[nsafreak]

Guys.. there's a one year commitment to the HD pak to get an 811. DHA or not.

I'm going with DWS411 on this one as this is the first I've ever heard of it so you might want to double check your information. I do know that they are still running the promo where you get the first 6 months of the HD package at no charge. Now to answer a few questions that the original poster asked.

1) The picture quality (in my area) for satellite broadcast is a fair bit better than what I can get from the local cable company

2) As a few other folks have said most of the time good but every now and then you have to play CSR roulette. I think some folks play it as a pass time on these boards

3) As others have said Dish does not currently require that you sign up for a 1 year agreement if you go directly through them. If you go through a retailer they likely will but there are advantages to going through a local retailer as opposed to a direct sale as stated by other posters.

One other point of note. It is possible to get a HD DVR from Dish but as it stands right now it is not for free. In order to get a 942 (HD DVR) you have to pay a $250 lease upgrade fee. That's right, $250 to lease the unit not to purchase it. Keeping in mind that this is a two room unit which does have some advantages in saving money on additional outlets. However only one room can display HD content. The other room can watch recorded HD programming but it downcoverts it to SD (480i) in order for the second room to watch. To the best of my knowledge you can't get two 942s although if I am incorrect and you can it wouldn't be inexpensive to get a pair.

 

[rngraing]

Can anyone compare Dish pic quality with Cox cable from SE Virginia? I'm interested in dish, but afraid to pull the trigger.

 

[Titan_Wireless]

Anyways, near me, Sam's Club sells dish through them. It's a $29.99 basic install plus the $49.99 rebate on first bill and no contracts to sign (by what the guy told me, but I wasn't looking into HDTV though)

You should get a FREE Pro Install! You should not have to pay $29.99 for a "Basic Install". We dont charge for our installs in the Central TX area.

 

[bookwalk]

Just an idea, but I'm considering switching to DISH from cable now simply b/c of cost and I would like to have digital on all my TV's. Right now, digital cable plus a few movie channels is around $100/month..way too much!!!

Anyways, near me, Sam's Club sells dish through them. It's a $29.99 basic install plus the $49.99 rebate on first bill and no contracts to sign (by what the guy told me, but I wasn't looking into HDTV though)

If you order either online, direct via phone or a local retailer, you can get a FREE basic install ($50 discount value) by getting a Dish Club Referrral Code from a current Dish subscriber. I have a few left and if you will Private Message me (click on my username), I will send you one, which you must have at Sign-up.