Return to dish or not

[lparsons21]

Multi-sport pack is $9 per month. You may want to check to make sure the sports you want to watch on Premier is not blacked out for you.

Thanks for the correction.

I mostly just watch boxing and that is never blacked out! The sports pack from D* is much more inclusive of many different sports channels than is E*'s, but for me it isn't much different. Well, other than some NY channels like MSG and some others from there that D* has and E* doesn't. Most of it is small fights in odd venues, 'classic' matches and some other oddities as well as amateur boxing on occasion.

 

[NotMe546]

In general, I would agree with your point. Paying an ETF seems like such a waste of money. But then, you do the math. Here's mine as I ponder a switch, and this assumes that both have almost all the channels I would watch in HD, which is the case.

DirecTV : Current
3 HR24s Lease : $12
Premier : $120
DVR+MRV : $11

Grand total : $143 (OK, it is just $142.99)

New Dish:
Hopper + 1 Joey Lease : $7
Everything : $105
Sports Pack : $6 (I think that's right, just to match the sports in Premier)
DVR+MRV : $10

Grand Total : $128 (Save $15/month all the time)
Grand Total First year : $95 (Save $45/month)

So even paying an ETF of $240, which is where I'm at, still save $300 in the first year.

Wow someone with dtv says Dish is cheaper. I'm glad to see someone from dtv can speak the truth. :clap

 

[JM42]

In general, I would agree with your point. Paying an ETF seems like such a waste of money. But then, you do the math. Here's mine as I ponder a switch, and this assumes that both have almost all the channels I would watch in HD, which is the case.

DirecTV : Current
3 HR24s Lease : $12
Premier : $120
DVR+MRV : $11

Grand total : $143 (OK, it is just $142.99)

New Dish:
Hopper + 1 Joey Lease : $7
Everything : $105
Sports Pack : $6 (I think that's right, just to match the sports in Premier)
DVR+MRV : $10

Grand Total : $128 (Save $15/month all the time)
Grand Total First year : $95 (Save $45/month)

So even paying an ETF of $240, which is where I'm at, still save $300 in the first year.

Don't get me wrong, price is definitely a valid reason if the math works. I have always thought ETFs don't mean much when offset by the 1st year promos, I would calc it out over at least the next three years. I have zero interest in hopping on the switch every 1 or 2 carousel, but thats me.

Right now my no-promo D* and E* bills are within $5 of each other for configs about as close to each other as you can get. Going all E* would save me $$$ with the promos, but I'm holding off on doing anything with the D* house until I see what the RVU units are really like.

 

[Ronnie-]

In general, I would agree with your point. Paying an ETF seems like such a waste of money. But then, you do the math. Here's mine as I ponder a switch, and this assumes that both have almost all the channels I would watch in HD, which is the case.

DirecTV : Current
3 HR24s Lease : $12
Premier : $120
DVR+MRV : $11

Grand total : $143 (OK, it is just $142.99)

New Dish:
Hopper + 1 Joey Lease : $7
Everything : $105
Sports Pack : $6 (I think that's right, just to match the sports in Premier)
DVR+MRV : $10

Grand Total : $128 (Save $15/month all the time)
Grand Total First year : $95 (Save $45/month)

So even paying an ETF of $240, which is where I'm at, still save $300 in the first year.

My figures were lower because of the packages I had and have, but this fits my situation exactly, and is why I paid the ETF and switched. I still saved money.

 

[lparsons21]

With the intro of the Hopper/Joey setup, the price differential between larger installs caused by equipment fees largely disappeared. Before that, D* was a much better price deal for those with lots of equipment, now it takes a lot bigger installation to make that difference.

In my instance, I would actually only have the Multi-sports during football season because of Red Zone, otherwise it isn't much of a package from my perspective. I only showed it to try to match the sub levels to give a like to like comparison as much as possible.

So I would save a bit more between the two even after the promos expired.

That said, there are reasons to stay with D*, especially if sports is a big deal. For me it is only boxing and golf and both are more than good enough in those areas, although if you want the Golf channel with D* these days, you have to have 'Ultra' since they jiggered the channel lineups. Makes comparing packages a bit harder too.

 

[Mr Tony]

In general, I would agree with your point. Paying an ETF seems like such a waste of money. But then, you do the math. Here's mine as I ponder a switch, and this assumes that both have almost all the channels I would watch in HD, which is the case.

DirecTV : Current
3 HR24s Lease : $12
Premier : $120
DVR+MRV : $11

Grand total : $143 (OK, it is just $142.99)

New Dish:
Hopper + 1 Joey Lease : $7
Everything : $105
Sports Pack : $6 (I think that's right, just to match the sports in Premier)
DVR+MRV : $10

Grand Total : $128 (Save $15/month all the time)
Grand Total First year : $95 (Save $45/month)

So even paying an ETF of $240, which is where I'm at, still save $300 in the first year.

why would you go from 6 tuners (3 HR24's) to 3 (kangaroo?) or from 3 receivers to 2?

 

[lparsons21]

why would you go from 6 tuners (3 HR24's) to 3 (kangaroo?) or from 3 receivers to 2?

Simple. I have 2 HR24s at the main location and that is to handle the broadcast contentions. Cable type channel contentions are easy to get around because they incessantly repeat practically everything. I've examined my watching/recording and saw that the only real contention issue is with broadcast.

IOW, the only time I actually need 6 tuners is during broadcast primetime, which is exactly when the 'kangaroo' gives it to me!

 

[Mr Tony]

I see.

 

[Ronnie-]

why would you go from 6 tuners (3 HR24's) to 3 (kangaroo?) or from 3 receivers to 2?

I did just that (3 HRs to one Hopper), and can not think of a single recording conflict that we have had since swapping. (for the same basic reasons he stated above).

 

[aaronwt6]

Also does anyone know of the new dish promotion starting in August is it better or worse than the one going on now

I have the new promotions list in hand and they are basically continuing everything they have now.

 

[Mr Tony]

I did just that (3 HRs to one Hopper), and can not think of a single recording conflict that we have had since swapping. (for the same basic reasons he stated above).

does the hopper fix the Dish infamous back to back recording issue?
(where if you are recording 2 shows back to back on same tuner the overlap gets removed and cuts right at the time the guide says?...or you have to tie up 2 tuners for that 5 minutes.....talking cable channels now)

 

[JM42]

I've examined my watching/recording and saw that the only real contention issue is with broadcast.

IOW, the only time I actually need 6 tuners is during broadcast primetime, which is exactly when the 'kangaroo' gives it to me!

That's pretty much how it has played out for us so far. Even though I never considered that we watched a lot of the Big4, it is amazing how many conflicts PTA has eliminated. I don't think I've ever had to schedule somethingon the second Hopper.

We have 2H/2J. I don't have any regrets getting the second Hopper, it is very nice when needed, but we could get by 90%+ of the time with 1H/3J.

 

[JM42]

does the hopper fix the Dish infamous back to back recording issue?

Only for PTA recordings. This is the only thing I miss from D* DVRs.

If it's non-broadcast "cable" channels that routinely bleed over the cutoff I just stagger the recordings between the repeats.

 

[Ronnie-]

does the hopper fix the Dish infamous back to back recording issue?
(where if you are recording 2 shows back to back on same tuner the overlap gets removed and cuts right at the time the guide says?...or you have to tie up 2 tuners for that 5 minutes.....talking cable channels now)

You know, I am honestly not sure as I rarely have the need to record two shows on the same cable channel back to back. I will check it this evening though unless someone answers before then.

 

[lparsons21]

does the hopper fix the Dish infamous back to back recording issue?
(where if you are recording 2 shows back to back on same tuner the overlap gets removed and cuts right at the time the guide says?...or you have to tie up 2 tuners for that 5 minutes.....talking cable channels now)

I forgot about that issue. I used to just do manual timers for that and block the time out on a regular basis. I'm assuming the Hopper has manual timers, right ???

 

[Mr Tony]

Only for PTA recordings. This is the only thing I miss from D* DVRs.

If it's non-broadcast "cable" channels that routinely bleed over the cutoff I just stagger the recordings between the repeats.

You know, I am honestly not sure as I rarely have the need to record two shows on the same cable channel back to back. I will check it this evening though unless someone answers before then.

That was the biggest issue for me when I had the 211. I record shows that usually have 2 episodes back to back (Pawn Stars, Amer Restoration, Storage Wars, etc) so it always seemed like I either missed the end of the 1st show or I had to try and stagger it (by starting it 2 minutes early) which really screwed up the recordings.

 

[lparsons21]

A couple questions while I ponder about a switch.

1. Does DLNA work? I use Playon/Playlater with the HR24 and it works fine. I wouldn't want to lose that.

2. Is it still true that the HIC is the best way to make everything work on both the Hopper and Joey?

3. Can you have a single wire going into the room for the Hopper and split it or whatever to install the HIC?

4. I read you can use more than one EHD at a time, I assume that is with a USB powered Hub?

5. With refer-a-friend, will it work with a returning customer? And does it come off the amount you pay at sign up?

thanks

 

[JM42]

I forgot about that issue. I used to just do manual timers for that and block the time out on a regular basis. I'm assuming the Hopper has manual timers, right ???

No manual timers. You can set them from Dishonline, but it's not 100% they stick.

 

[JM42]

A couple questions while I ponder about a switch.
1. Does DLNA work? I use Playon/Playlater with the HR24 and it works fine. I wouldn't want to lose that.
2. Is it still true that the HIC is the best way to make everything work on both the Hopper and Joey?
3. Can you have a single wire going into the room for the Hopper and split it or whatever to install the HIC?
4. I read you can use more than one EHD at a time, I assume that is with a USB powered Hub?
5. With refer-a-friend, will it work with a returning customer? And does it come off the amount you pay at sign up?

1: Yes but no frills.
2: Yes IMO.
3: Yes. Use a Tap.
4: Correct. Some use un-powered hubs, but to be safe stick with powered.
5: Don't know.

 

[johnny58259]

Another ? I'm at a friends house that has dish what happened to gac ch 167