Need help understanding mandatory upgrade..

[brcidd]

My RCA model receiver that is said to go blank on 8/25 is a DRD435RH receiving signal from 101A. satellite according to my on screen system info. The tech said she just learned this herself- she had been trying to put in the computer for an upgrade for all my receivers- but the three other receivers kept coming back with the same model as I already have. So she seeks her supervisor's help and they discover my remaining 3 receivers are good to go as long as I don't need/want local channels.

BTW with local channels over the air- I get approximately 30 channels-- try that on a satellite- I think you only get the base channels. Plus right now Dish has broken ties with our most popular Dayton, Oh channel 7 whio, because of contract disputes. I don't have that issue with over the air broadcasts and don't want the squabble you get when attached to a satellite, not to mention they charge you extra for that squabble.

 

[HoTat2]

Ok;

"101A" is just the old style nomenclature of referring to "101W which is arbitrarily assigned the "Satellite A" position.

Just like "Satellite B" means the 119W position and "Satellite C" is the 110W position.

But anyway, it still doesn't make any sense why the RCA should lose all service on 8/25 and all the other SD receivers only the locals when they are all currently getting the same service from 101W. But whatever the case, if DIRECTV says so. ...

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[Jimbo]

My RCA model receiver that is said to go blank on 8/25 is a DRD435RH receiving signal from 101A. satellite according to my on screen system info. The tech said she just learned this herself- she had been trying to put in the computer for an upgrade for all my receivers- but the three other receivers kept coming back with the same model as I already have. So she seeks her supervisor's help and they discover my remaining 3 receivers are good to go as long as I don't need/want local channels.

BTW with local channels over the air- I get approximately 30 channels-- try that on a satellite- I think you only get the base channels. Plus right now Dish has broken ties with our most popular Dayton, Oh channel 7 whio, because of contract disputes. I don't have that issue with over the air broadcasts and don't want the squabble you get when attached to a satellite, not to mention they charge you extra for that squabble.

You should tell them that you DO want your Locals ...
This would force them to do the Correct upgrade.
You are suppose to be upgraded to MPEG4 HD recvrs, most are old, but many generations newer than what you have.
If you have the old dishes, which you do, they will replace them as well.

You getting your locals OTA is Great, but you can't record them, with the new equipment you would be able too.

Also, they don't charge extra for your locals, its all part of your package.

 

[Jimbo]

Ok;

"101A" is just the old style nomenclature of referring to "101W which is arbitrarily assigned the "Satellite A" position.

Just like "Satellite B" means the 119W position and "Satellite C" is the 110W position.

But anyway, it still doesn't make any sense why the RCA should lose all service on 8/25 and all the other SD receivers only the locals when they are all currently getting the same service from 101W. But whatever the case, if DIRECTV says so. ...

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I'm wanting to see what actually happens on 8/25 ... If he actually does lose service or locals or anything.

 

[HoTat2]

....
If you have the old dishes, which you do, they will replace them as well. ...

Although I wonder if this part would make it a custom installation, requiring the OP to co-pay a certain amount. As DIRECTV may not install four Slimlines as part of a free upgrade.

One for sure, but perhaps not three additional. ....



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[Jimbo]

Although I wonder if this part would make it a custom installation, requiring the OP to co-pay a certain amount. As DIRECTV may not install four Slimlines as part of a free upgrade.

One for sure, but perhaps not three additional. ....



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Don't know .. guess it might depend on who ya get ..
Also, they MAY find a more efficient way of doing it ...
Seeing they are scattered all over, ya never know.

 

[brcidd]

You should tell them that you DO want your Locals ...
This would force them to do the Correct upgrade.
You are suppose to be upgraded to MPEG4 HD recvrs, most are old, but many generations newer than what you have.
If you have the old dishes, which you do, they will replace them as well.

You getting your locals OTA is Great, but you can't record them, with the new equipment you would be able too.

Also, they don't charge extra for your locals, its all part of your package.

They wanted to create another account (at the same address) to do the proper upgrade- because no one needs four dishes- the upgrade is only for "Whole Home" use which includes a Genie and a mini that somehow feeds off a Genie in the same house- which I don't do. They were going toput me in for a mobile for my camper- which they say mobiles will/can never have local channels anyway. And the fourth unit could not be dealt with since it is not part of the whole home- and I would have to create a separate account for it-- and separate billing etc. So I figure I'm better off to replace only the one that has to be replaced.

This is the first I have heard that locals are free- everything I have seen in the past says $6 per month per receiver- perhaps this is new. Also I can and do record any local over the air channels with my HD converter from Walmart- $39 and it records to a thumb drive or external hard drive through its USB port. And I carry thumb drive in my pocket and can watch recorded stuff at work on my phone with this thumb drive attached.-

This is a great forum- am really learning a lot. Last time I set up a receiver- I found out you have to specify a round dish to see 15v and 18v out the coax. I thought I had bought dead units- because no voltage- that's how I'd test mine. Then I found out that once you specify round dish, you get the even /odd transponder voltages. I have been away from satellite for several years- with no issues until now.

 

[Jimbo]

This is the first I have heard that locals are free- everything I have seen in the past says $6 per month per receiver- perhaps this is new. Also I can and do record any local over the air channels with my HD converter from Walmart- $39 and it records to a thumb drive or external hard drive through its USB port.

This is a great forum- am really learning a lot. Last time I set up a receiver- I found out you have to specify a round dish to see 15v and 18v out the coax. I thought I had bought dead units- because no voltage- that's how I'd test mine. Then I found out that once you specify round dish, you get the even /odd transponder voltages. I have been away from satellite for several years- with no issues until now.

Of course , you may be on an older package as well, the packages now days have the Locals as part of them.

 

[slice1900]

Having four dishes makes his install a bit more problematic - Directv will upgrade one for free but not four on a single account. If they were on different accounts I'm sure they'd do it. But he could maybe get the installer to do it if he slipped him $100 for the extra time it would take...

 

[TheTechGuru]

Having four dishes makes his install a bit more problematic - Directv will upgrade one for free but not four on a single account. If they were on different accounts I'm sure they'd do it. But he could maybe get the installer to do it if he slipped him $100 for the extra time it would take...

He also can't use a Genie system. Will need 4 H24's.

What I would do is get them to install 1 dish and 4 H24's in the main house then buy 3 dishes from SolidSignal $49.99 each ( DIRECTV SlimLine 3 SWM LNB Satellite Dish with Stub Mount Kit (SL3T-SWM) from Solid Signal OR DIRECTV SL3 SlimLine 3 SWM LNB Satellite Dish Antenna with J-Mount Kit (AU9-SL3-SWM-B) from Solid Signal ) and move 3 of the receivers. That'd be the cheapest route. Now if they won't provide these older receivers he will be stuck having to pay $99 each for them though someone like SolidSignal. DIRECTV HD Satellite Receiver with IR Remote (H24) from Solid Signal

So to do the entire upgrade yourself it'd be $49.99 x 4 + $99 x 4 = $595.96 + shipping. If you can get one done and the 4 receivers from DirecTV the it's just the $49.99 x 3 = $149.97

 

[Jimbo]

He also can't use a Genie system. Will need 4 H24's.

What I would do is get them to install 1 dish and 4 H24's in the main house then buy 3 dishes from SolidSignal $49.99 each ( DIRECTV SlimLine 3 SWM LNB Satellite Dish with Stub Mount Kit (SL3T-SWM) from Solid Signal OR DIRECTV SL3 SlimLine 3 SWM LNB Satellite Dish Antenna with J-Mount Kit (AU9-SL3-SWM-B) from Solid Signal ) and move 3 of the receivers. That'd be the cheapest route. Now if they won't provide these older receivers he will be stuck having to pay $99 each for them though someone like SolidSignal. DIRECTV HD Satellite Receiver with IR Remote (H24) from Solid Signal

So to do the entire upgrade yourself it'd be $49.99 x 4 + $99 x 4 = $595.96 + shipping. If you can get one done and the 4 receivers from DirecTV the it's just the $49.99 x 3 = $149.97

I think hes already got the dishes, depending on what dishes he has, its a case of changing out the LNB ... unless he has the old 18" round dishes in which case he'd want to upgrade.

 

[texasbrit]

This post is horribly confused and the responses (from some of the posters here and from Directv) are just plain wrong.

OK, as far as Directv is concerned, the OP has one account with one dish with four SD receivers. The free update to this (as slice 1900 says ) would be a single slimline dish with either an HR54 genie and two mini-clients, or an HS17 genie and three clients. THe standard update gives you only three receivers. Neither of these solutions will work for you because you have four separate systems on a single account at a single address. Whatever anyone at Directv might tell you, this is PERFECTLY LEGAL . And all the comments about some receivers getting locals and others not , and "whole home", are BS. The people at Directv you are talking with simply don't know how this works.
Tech Gurus post is correct. You need a slimline dish plus three "real" receivers (NOT genie clients) from DirecTV . You need a fourth "real"receiver, either free from DirecTVor paid for by you. You need three more slimline dishes.

 

[TheTechGuru]

I think hes already got the dishes, depending on what dishes he has, its a case of changing out the LNB ... unless he has the old 18" round dishes in which case he'd want to upgrade.

He has all old 18" dishes.

 

[TheTechGuru]

This post is horribly confused and the responses (from some of the posters here and from Directv) are just plain wrong.

OK, as far as Directv is concerned, the OP has one account with one dish with four SD receivers. The free update to this (as slice 1900 says ) would be a single slimline dish with either an HR54 genie and two mini-clients, or an HS17 genie and three clients. THe standard update gives you only three receivers. Neither of these solutions will work for you because you have four separate systems on a single account at a single address. Whatever anyone at Directv might tell you, this is PERFECTLY LEGAL . And all the comments about some receivers getting locals and others not , and "whole home", are BS. The people at Directv you are talking with simply don't know how this works.
Tech Gurus post is correct. You need a slimline dish plus three "real" receivers (NOT genie clients) from DirecTV . You need a fourth "real"receiver, either free from DirecTVor paid for by you. You need three more slimline dishes.

Installers have to account for inventory so I don't think there is any way he can get extra dishes from them. At least they're pretty reasonably priced at SolidSignal.

Best option is to get them to install 4 H24's in the main house along with the new dish. Explain to the installer what is going on and get him to install all 4 at the same TV on a 4-way splitter to avoid running new lines all over the house for no reason then when he leaves move the 3 receivers where they need to go and get 3 dishes from SolidSignal.

 

[HoTat2]

Installers have to account for inventory so I don't think there is any way he can get extra dishes from them. At least they're pretty reasonably priced at SolidSignal.

Best option is to get them to install 4 H24's in the main house along with the new dish. Explain to the installer what is going on and get him to install all 4 at the same TV on a 4-way splitter to avoid running new lines all over the house for no reason then when he leaves move the 3 receivers where they need to go and get 3 dishes from SolidSignal.

What is the usual HD STB DIRECTV distributes nowadays anyhow?

H24s or the H25s?

Haven't had a (non-DVR) STB in so long I wouldn't know ....

Anyway, I would still like to see if the OP's current SD setup is really going to stop working the way DIRECTV says it will on 8/25. Since from everything that is known nothing is going to change to the service from 101W by the 25th.

All that has been publicly released about 8/25 is the scheduled shutdown of nationwide programming from 119W. Spanish, Chinese Direct, and a few foreign genre Music Choice channels. As they've all been duplicated on 103(ca).

All of which is totally unrelated to 101W. ...

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[texasbrit]

Directv had previously announced that all MPEG-2 service will be shutdown. That means that ALL the OPs equipment will stop working, not just for locals. 101w will deliver "a popular selection of channels" in MPEG-4 (Directv's words, not mine). Looks like that conversion is being phased, locals first. But you are right, there is very little real information.
And the H25 are apparently being held back for commercial users (bars etc) because they are SWM with less cabling.

The OP also should understand that his installation while not illegal is completely outside Direct's normal configurations so most people at DirecTV will be no help in resolving this.

 

[Jimbo]

If I were the Sub, I think seeing no one knows, you'd think there would be announcements by now if it was being turned off ...
If nothing else, the haters would be complaining to have something to complain about.

Anyways, I think I would wait till after 8-25 and see what happens ... if nothing happens, he didn't waste his money, if it does go down, Call D* and have them update what they will and go from there.

Its only a week and a half away at this point.

 

[brcidd]

Well, the installer was here today- he upgraded my receiver that had to have it. He never asked about any other receivers. He mounted my new oval dish and handed me the new receiver. I was able to take it inside and hook it up and he was able to activate it with his phone while he sat in his van. He did not enter my house. So now, I have a new system and new remote- to learn, (he even gave me a second one for helping hand him things while installing the dish). The new receiver recognized my lack of HD TV and had me set it up for standard definition-
.
On-screen commands look really bad with SD- hard to read- so I'll be forced to upgrade TV soon. All other receivers should continue to work according to the Tech assist at DTV. That's really all I want. I showed the installer my old RCA remote- he said he'd never seen one like that- but had only been doing DTV installs for 7 years- My remote was from late 90's vintage. My old receiver would actually wig out and go into searching for satellite mode about every six hours or so- DTVs answer to that was to reboot (unplug it) it if that happens- so I had a remote controlled 110v box so I could reboot it without getting up. Guess I won't miss that "feature" now. So thanks for all your help.

 

[slice1900]

Interesting that they only wanted to replace your RCA receiver. What models are your other receivers that they didn't replace?

 

[brcidd]

Interesting that they only wanted to replace your RCA receiver. What models are your other receivers that they didn't replace?

I am not sure now- without pulling them out to look. Two of them are away from home- mobile use now. I do know they use the white remotes if that helps. Used to be I could go on Directv's website and look at my equipment- but now that they have combined with ATT, I have searched everywhere and can't find my equipment listing- All I get with searching equipment is my cell phones listings. I'm also mildly concerned that he replaced the correct receiver and not one of my others. How would I know without my equipment list? I guess if one of the others stopped working- I'd know in a heartbeat. I have one that hardly ever gets used.

Also, ever since I spoke with Directv, and ordered my free upgrade- I have received two 800 number voicemails telling me I am eligible for 50% discount from Directv and to call back on the same number (800) that I received the voicemails from to be able to claim my discount. The voice had a strong Indian accent as well both times. I suspect this is a scam of some sort- that DTV would never call me- all communications have been by text or e-mail up until now. Do you have an opinion?