Question for techs

[tinydoughboy]

I have a customer that is installing new service. Currently the customer has DirecTV in his home as well as cable (for his locals) just incase the satellite goes out. We established a order for him for Dual tuner HD/DVR 722 receiver. When the tech went to the house they said he needed at 621 and a 311 because of the set up the customer had.

So, we call customer service and they send me to exec office, they stated that because he is a new customer he doesn't qualify for 612 and 311.If he was an existing customer he would ( makes no sense), but he can get 311 and 211.
As well as told me after the 1st the promotions change and he "may" be able to get 621 but can't guarentee.

so my question is I guess, if the tech would have called. . could the customer get what he wanted because that is what he was installing or how would that be handled?

any help would be great....

Thanks!

 

[vegassatellite]

I think the current promotion doesn't permit a 612 as a primary receiver. The customer must activate a 722 or 622 before activating a 612.

Sounds to me like the tech had an issue with CATV running up to the 722 location and felt he couldn't run TV2 back down the same wire as the incoming CATV signal. So, he suggested a 612 for that TV and 311 for TV2. This wouldn't allow DVR functionality at TV2 location, though. Tell him to man up and run a separate wire for the TV2 output. He could also run a set of splitters after the VHF/UHF side of the diplexers to get TV2 to run down the same wire as cable. If the cable system has a filter limiting channels to just basic stations, then he should be good to go, otherwise he'll have to set up TV2 out on a vacant channel.

 

[tinydoughboy]

Thanks for the reply. It did sound to me like the tech was trying to get out of doing some work. Because I used to have a similar set up. But I will see what can be done. .

Thanks again

 

[vegassatellite]

You're welcome.

 

[Laddyboy]

I'm just curious, but why would the installer not just run another cable instead of acting as though he/she had to use the existing cable? Doesn't the installer have to do whatever is necessary to make the customer's setup work?

 

[vegassatellite]

I'm just curious, but why would the installer not just run another cable instead of acting as though he/she had to use the existing cable? Doesn't the installer have to do whatever is necessary to make the customer's setup work?

Some techs just fall in to this line of thinking that if it can't be accomplished with one wire, it isn't do-able. There was a time when a DISH dual-tuner required two coaxial cables from the dish and if there was no existing wiring to the second location, you ran a third separate wire. That's why I said that tech needed to man up. I'm a tech myself, running multiple cables sucks.

 

[webbydude]

Some techs just fall in to this line of thinking that if it can't be accomplished with one wire, it isn't do-able. There was a time when a DISH dual-tuner required two coaxial cables from the dish and if there was no existing wiring to the second location, you ran a third separate wire. That's why I said that tech needed to man up. I'm a tech myself, running multiple cables sucks.

Until the DPP33 comes out, I still run into that 4 or 5 times per month. D500+ installs are a painful reminder of the SD days

 

[Jared Twomey]

Doesn't the installer have to do whatever is necessary to make the customer's setup work?

Nope, we do whatever we can within reason. You get a basic standard professional installation included with a new install.

Maybe how the customers house is laid out would require extensive wall fishing, or whatnot. In that case as an installer, I wouldn't do it either.
Then again, he may just not have wanted to do it.

 

[Laddyboy]

Thanks for the responses, gents.

I guess I'm a bit confused as to why E* is pushing the dual tuner, two rooms (TVs) receiver, i.e., 622 and 722. Won't that normally require running a second cable to TV2? I wired my own home back in 1998 when I first got E* since I had multiple receivers and 4 lines coming from the switches, one for each receiver. I guess I wouldn't have been able to get all the lines run without my having to do it myself if I'd have had a professional install. I can see why installers wouldn't want to do it for only a $50 trip, given the time that it might take. I assume there are separate fishing charges if that's necessary. When I got my HD upgrade, the installer insisted on running new cable to my second TV even though I had an existing RG6 line he could have used. I was surprised by that.

 

[Jared Twomey]

Thanks for the responses, gents.

I guess I'm a bit confused as to why E* is pushing the dual tuner, two rooms (TVs) receiver, i.e., 622 and 722. Won't that normally require running a second cable to TV2?

Nope, it can be done all on 1 cable as long as there is no cable service to deal with.

 

[skyviewmark]

Wait till August 1st.. The 612 will be the primary HD/DVR. The 722 will cost $50 more if you want it as the primary (or at all).

 

[STDog]

Nope, it can be done all on 1 cable as long as there is no cable service to deal with.

You have to run a cable from the receiver to the 2nd TV.
You might get lucky and the customer already has a cable/group of cables that will connect the receiver to TV2, but I wouldn't count on it.

If I'm wrong, please explain how one cable can connect a receiver and 2 TVs.


As to running multiple cables. What would these "installers" do if they had to actually do some work.

How about 6 lines from 2 dishes to a switch, and then 4 separate runs from the switch to each receiver?

And when I installed, it was C-band. Seldom was the installation just the run from the dish to the receiver. Even that usually me attic or under the house work. We did not put holes in outside walls. Houses on slabs always bent an attic run, and fishing the wall.

Then again, We had to dig a 6ft deep hole and mix concrete too.

 

[topcat0399]

You have to run a cable from the receiver to the 2nd TV.
You might get lucky and the customer already has a cable/group of cables that will connect the receiver to TV2, but I wouldn't count on it.

If I'm wrong, please explain how one cable can connect a receiver and 2 TVs.


As to running multiple cables. What would these "installers" do if they had to actually do some work.

How about 6 lines from 2 dishes to a switch, and then 4 separate runs from the switch to each receiver?

And when I installed, it was C-band. Seldom was the installation just the run from the dish to the receiver. Even that usually me attic or under the house work. We did not put holes in outside walls. Houses on slabs always bent an attic run, and fishing the wall.

Then again, We had to dig a 6ft deep hole and mix concrete too.

lots of installer still do "work" pal. were not all lazy ya know.

C-band paid real money back in the day im thinkin. you know what installers are getting now? do you know what the csrs are promising now? do you know what customers are expecting for nothing now?????

maybe you should get back in a truck for a while and see whats really going on.....

 

[digidss]

wow

thats a little off topic

 

[rcdallas]

Diplexers allow you to use one cable for two tv's... or you can get crafty like Vegas had mentioned with reversing a splitter as a combiner.

I liked to just sit around and not do any work, reschedule and cancel every job I went to. No maam, you see that abandoned school bus parked 1/2 mile down the road, it's blocking your signal...

 

[DishSatUser]

As to running multiple cables. What would these "installers" do if they had to actually do some work.

Youch! We recently had our install done as a new customer (switched from D*). I've gotta say that the installers that arrived did an awesome job.

Instead of using the cable existing, they insisted on replacing it. Replaced the grounding blocks and all the connectors. I'd previously had managed wiring in the home and they even replaced the connectors inside. Said the clear center didn't indicate the rating they needed, needed to be blue.

Personally I'd have rated that as an extra cost install, as they stuck to my wiring expectations and connections (replacing the appropriate parts) so that all is routed as previously. No "drill here" and pull wire to TV work.

In any case. They went above and beyond and did more than I expected them to.

Too bad that this quality and work ethic isn't as ubiquitous as one would hope. This would certainly result in a huge influx to their service and less service calls related to problematic installs.

 

[cjwct]

While I cna see some installers are here, I thought I would ask:

I am adding an additional VIP722 on the second floor of my condo. I am assuming they will run a cable from my 622 connections in the basement up to the second floor. I was then hoping to run a line, in the wall, from the 722 to a third floor bedroom (the 722 will be placed in front of a retaining wall and the line can go right up to the attic, and then be dropped down inside the bedroom wall). One last thing I was hoping was for them to run a Ethernet cable from the location of the 722 down to the 622 so that can both use the online features. Hopefully that all makes sense!

I am unaware if installers can do this or if there are any additional fees for this service?

What do you guys think?

 

[webbydude]

You were fine...up to the point you introduced ethernet. No installer is going to do that for free. Heck, most installers won't even do it. You may be better off to either call an electrician or a local retailer for this bit of custom work.

 

[cjwct]

I just figured if the wire is snaked up to the second floor, then we can just snake the ethernet cable back down. Okay, but everything else will be fine for them to do; thanks!

 

[rcdallas]

Or if your in the Austin area I can hook you up.