Could someone recommend a contractor who knows where the D* sat's are and where the new ones are going to be, who will go the extra mile,do a site survey to give me a better location to get all satellites (I currently have lost 119 after the leaves came out in March) and then do what is needed to bring them all in. (it might require a tall pole - I have the 5 LNB Slimline) and I'm at zip 29732 near Charlotte NC.
Here's what I have learned after upgrading to HD. (1) Do your instal in the spring after the leaves have come out because then the installer can't leave without giving you all your channels or at least tell you why you can't, and can't lie that you will have no problem in the spring (2) be prepared to spend hours just to get someone to schedule service. I have spent as much as 90 mts trying to get someone to schedule ONE service, being passed around, repeating my request every time (3) the local instal company will not miss a service call, because otherwise they won't get paid (or may be docked too). So they will arrive even 4 hours late, when it's pitch dark and can't do a site survey, do the easiest thing that they can, like rotate the dish and tell you what you already knew that you don't have a signal. (4) techs don't seem to know where the sat's are located. I had one point to an offending tree to the west, the next tech told me no, it was the clump of trees off to the east (about 20 deg east of the other tree). (5) No one at D* will directly take responsibility to fix your real problem, any person you talk to is programmed to do only one thing and they will cheerfully do it, like schedule another service call. Sorry I don't usually rant and I've been very patient and respectful so far but I hope someone else will take some caution from this.
Here's what I have learned after upgrading to HD. (1) Do your instal in the spring after the leaves have come out because then the installer can't leave without giving you all your channels or at least tell you why you can't, and can't lie that you will have no problem in the spring (2) be prepared to spend hours just to get someone to schedule service. I have spent as much as 90 mts trying to get someone to schedule ONE service, being passed around, repeating my request every time (3) the local instal company will not miss a service call, because otherwise they won't get paid (or may be docked too). So they will arrive even 4 hours late, when it's pitch dark and can't do a site survey, do the easiest thing that they can, like rotate the dish and tell you what you already knew that you don't have a signal. (4) techs don't seem to know where the sat's are located. I had one point to an offending tree to the west, the next tech told me no, it was the clump of trees off to the east (about 20 deg east of the other tree). (5) No one at D* will directly take responsibility to fix your real problem, any person you talk to is programmed to do only one thing and they will cheerfully do it, like schedule another service call. Sorry I don't usually rant and I've been very patient and respectful so far but I hope someone else will take some caution from this.
DTV has pushed the industry in this direction and are getting exactly what they must have wanted. Incompetent techs who do everything for Free, and NOTHING at all right.
Even though most people would probably be better off with that now vs what they get. 
