New install this Saturday...what to expect?

[jjnanj]

I have a tech scheduled to come out this Saturday morning for a new install. Getting the Choice Xtra + HD DVR package.

I am switching over from Dish (great service, sad to leave) for the NFL Sunday Ticket. Getting rid of the Lions season tickets so I can watch some better teams:up

Dish is allowing me to keep the dish setup since it is roof mounted. I have a dormer addition so the places to mount the dish are very limited.

Will the installer be able to use that setup, or will I need another dish mounted to the roof?

Is there anything that I should make sure gets taken care of before the Tech leaves?

Thanks!!

 

[thetech2009]

what dish do you currently have, a smaller round 18" dish or a larger oval dish?

 

[mini1]

You can't use a Dish500 with DirecTV. You will need a brand new 3 or 5LNB Slimline multi-sat dish.

 

[jjnanj]

i have the bigger oval one.

 

[thetech2009]

the reason i ask is becasuse there is a E* dish that has the same size mast as the ka/ku

 

[thetech2009]

i have the bigger oval one.

depending on which one they may be able to use same mast

 

[btedford]

I have a tech scheduled to come out this Saturday morning for a new install. Getting the Choice Xtra + HD DVR package.

I am switching over from Dish (great service, sad to leave) for the NFL Sunday Ticket. Getting rid of the Lions season tickets so I can watch some better teams:up

Dish is allowing me to keep the dish setup since it is roof mounted. I have a dormer addition so the places to mount the dish are very limited.

Will the installer be able to use that setup, or will I need another dish mounted to the roof?

Is there anything that I should make sure gets taken care of before the Tech leaves?

Thanks!!

Let me know how your install goes because I too am switching from Dish to DirecTV (mainly for the HD channels that are available on DirectTV that aren't currently carried by Dish and also for the MLB network). My install is March 24th.

 

[imthedevil]

I have a tech scheduled to come out this Saturday morning for a new install. Getting the Choice Xtra + HD DVR package.

I am switching over from Dish (great service, sad to leave) for the NFL Sunday Ticket. Getting rid of the Lions season tickets so I can watch some better teams:up

Dish is allowing me to keep the dish setup since it is roof mounted. I have a dormer addition so the places to mount the dish are very limited.

Will the installer be able to use that setup, or will I need another dish mounted to the roof?

Is there anything that I should make sure gets taken care of before the Tech leaves?

Thanks!!

Keep an eye on your credit card that is attached to the account. When I left Dish a few years ago they wanted the receivers AND LNB back and tried to charge me saying I didn't return them. I keep copies of EVERYTHING especially shipping numbers. I tracked it and told them that the package was delivered and who had received it. They then stated they had gotten the receivers back but not the LNB, which was in the same box as the receivers.

It took a few days and elevating the call until it was resolved. Nothing worse then my wife calling me in a fit asking what the $600 hold was for on our account (she works at the credit union) Her working there is the only reason that it got caught as soon as it did so that is could be resolved prior to the money actually being taken from our account.

Bill

PS: Congratulation's on D*

 

[Joe Diamond]

The tech can hand you the DISH LNB. The DISH wire is as good as or better that what DTV uses. The DISH system has a power inserter in it that the tech will need to find. He may have to run a second line for the DVR but it should be an EZ job.

There may be an issue if you have benn using an OTA antenna..........bypass the recorder into the TV is easiest.

Give him access to the TVs. Take all the pictures and snow globes down. Make a path through the kids' room and tie up the dog.

Report how it goes.

Joe

 

[HDinCincy]

Will the installer be able to use that setup, or will I need another dish mounted to the roof?


My installer would not get on the roof. My E* dish was up there and he said he wasn't allowed up there (second story.) I even offered to tip him to use the E* mount. Oh, well. He did a very good job all-in-all and I did tip him but he put the dish on my garage roof. My $.02

 

[meldar_b]

I have a tech scheduled to come out this Saturday morning for a new install. Getting the Choice Xtra + HD DVR package :up

ME TOO

the ATT installer is scheduled here between 8am to noon, I can't wait

 

[Liquidforce88]

I have a tech scheduled to come out this Saturday morning for a new install. Getting the Choice Xtra + HD DVR package.

I am switching over from Dish (great service, sad to leave) for the NFL Sunday Ticket. Getting rid of the Lions season tickets so I can watch some better teams:up

Dish is allowing me to keep the dish setup since it is roof mounted. I have a dormer addition so the places to mount the dish are very limited.

Will the installer be able to use that setup, or will I need another dish mounted to the roof?

Is there anything that I should make sure gets taken care of before the Tech leaves?

Thanks!!

Unless you have a Superdish, the mount needed for the D* KA/KU is a 2" mast and is larger than the 1 5/8" that E* uses. If the tech uses the same locations as the dish you have now, he will remove the old dish leaving the foot in the roof and install the new mount.

Other than that have all the TV's pulled out or have the mount brake loose so he can get behind the tv.

 

[jjnanj]

thanks for all the replies.

i will definitely keep an eye on my credit card bill for that dish setup. the rep told me that dish did not want me to climb up on the roof myself to take it down, and they weren't going to pay someone to come out to remove it.

hopefully that stays true...on the off chance that direct has crappy service or something, we would love to be able to get dish back up and running with as little effort as possible.

it would be great to have the dish mounted to the garage, but i believe that more than 150' would be needed on that run.

i read somewhere that the signal degrades beyond 150', is that true?

i will repost saturday or sunday with a followup. i hate these things, i get so on edge for everything to go smoothly...and if my wife can't have food network up and running immediately after install, there WILL be hell to pay.

 

[jjnanj]

well the install is now complete.

everything went pretty well. the dish was pole mounted in my front yard (line of sight problem) for an additional $75. 2 ft of cable was buried. the whole process was about 2 1/2 hours.

the installer was pretty nice, however he never once asked if he should remove his boots, nor did he attempt to put the paper booties on when coming through the house.

he also did not pick up after himself with the plastic zip tie ends or the dust from drilling. that didn't seem very professional, and it cost him $10 of the $25 i had out for a tip.

he also didn't offer to do the "this is how everything works" spiel. he possibly saw my set up and decided that i already knew what i was doing, but that is not a good thing. not everyone is overtly savvy when it comes to electronics.

as far as the service itself, i like what i see so far. there are just nitpicky things that irk me, but i had that when i switched from cable to dish.

i got a refurb 22 dvr (the dish 722 is way better).

now if only i could log in at the direct site to get these rebates processed. i certainly hope this is not a harbinger of things to come customer service wise.

overall, i am happy and would so far recommend directv. thanks to all that responded previously!!