Switching from DirecTV to Dish this weekend - excited!

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KasumiX

SatelliteGuys Guru
Original poster
Mar 27, 2012
132
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Denver, CO
#1 issue being cost, the $39.99/12 months promo price for America's Top 250 + free HD for life + no equipment fees (722 receiver for 1 HD set and 1 SD set) was just too good to pass up. We were paying $29.99 for DirecTV's family plan + $10 for HD + equipment fees, so for less money (for a year) we'll be getting a LOT more. Plus we'll be able to access the DVR on the upstairs SD set, something for which my wife has been asking for years but I could never justify the cost until now. If Blockbuster at Home looks like a winner, I'll be ditching Netflix as well.

So I'm excited, and looking for any tips for a new user! Best way to circumvent all the shopping/god channels from the onscreen guide? How the 722 functions being connected to 2 sets? Any surprises? Thanks all!

EDIT: One thing that will be sorely missed is the Sunday Ticket. I'm thinking of adding the sports pack during football season for the Redzone channel - but I wonder if this can easily be added/removed week-to-week depending on whether or not the Packers are playing a nationally televised game? Last year felt like such a waste, as at least 10 of the 16 games were nationally televised anyway, and the Sunday Ticket didn't help at all when the beginning of those games were preempted by the end of overlong Lions games *shakes fist at Lions*
 
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KasumiX said:
#1 issue being cost, the $39.99/12 months promo price for America's Top 250 + free HD for life + no equipment fees (722 receiver for 1 HD set and 1 SD set) was just too good to pass up. We were paying $29.99 for DirecTV's family plan + $10 for HD + equipment fees, so for less money (for a year) we'll be getting a LOT more. Plus we'll be able to access the DVR on the upstairs SD set, something for which my wife has been asking for years but I could never justify the cost until now. If Blockbuster at Home looks like a winner, I'll be ditching Netflix as well.

So I'm excited, and looking for any tips for a new user! Best way to circumvent all the shopping/god channels from the onscreen guide? How the 722 functions being connected to 2 sets? Any surprises? Thanks all!

EDIT: One thing that will be sorely missed is the Sunday Ticket. I'm thinking of adding the sports pack during football season for the Redzone channel - but I wonder if this can easily be added/removed week-to-week depending on whether or not the Packers are playing a nationally televised game? Last year felt like such a waste, as at least 10 of the 16 games were nationally televised anyway, and the Sunday Ticket didn't help at all when the beginning of those games were preempted by the end of overlong Lions games *shakes fist at Lions*
Click to expand...

:welcome

I think you will be quite pleased with Dish. We along with other family members have switched from DirecTV to Dish and have enjoyed it along with the extra savings.

With the 722, you can use the PIP (picture in picture) mode in single mode.

The Multi-Sports pack is $9/month. It would probably be easier to add and remove by the month rather than weekly. I believe that there is no "early" removal fee for removing it or/and adding it on a monthly basis. I am not sure if it can be added annually anymore. Someone may jump in and answer that. :)

Here is a channel line-up guide (if you want to get started on learning channel numbers): http://www.mydish.com/downloads/Channel-Lineup/StandardHDChannelGuide.pdf
[The installer will probably give you one, but it probably will not be up-to-date.]

Here is a Sirius Channel Guide, too: http://www.mydish.com/downloads/Channel-Lineup/SiriusChannelGuide.pdf
[It's missing the last few Spanish Sirius XM channels that were added recently.]

If you want a head start on the receiver:
User Guide:
http://www.mydish.com/support/filestream.ashx?ID=666

Quick Reference Guide:
http://www.mydish.com/support/filestream.ashx?ID=637

DVR Quick Reference Guide:
http://www.mydish.com/support/filestream.ashx?ID=647
 
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Welcome.

I also have 722k DVR....feeding 1 HD & 1 SD tv in the kids room. Your installer will set the DVR in dual mode for you....& you will be able to watch 2 LIVE channels on 2 TV (or watch DVR programs on these 2 TVs while 2 sat programs are being recorded). Read the manual for DVR dual mode tuner settings (I have set mine to 1st select TV2 tuner for any recording & then tv1).

You can also attach an EHD for extra storage free of charge. Dont expect a great On-Demand menu as you are used to Netflix. Its quite tedious.

Have fun and enjoy your TV.
 
There are some more options as well.

I think that you can also add the Sling Adapter to the 722. You may want to check your Internet speed before buying one, though. I think that it is $30 (was $99 at one time although there was a rebate at one time).

FMI: DISH - MyDish - Upgrades - TV Everywhere

There is also an optional OTA module (for $50 from Dish or for possibly less if you can find it somewhere else) for the 722k. You can connect an OTA antenna with this if you want. From what I have read, the 722k is capable of recording up to four shows at once (two on satellite and two on OTA).
 
:welcome to the site KasumiX!!!!!

Any questions just ask 'em, we are here to help.
 
There are two 722 models, the 722 and the 722k. The 722 has a built-in single OTA tuner that can only be accessed from the main TV (TV1), but any recordings made from the OTA tuner can then be accessed at both TVs from the DVR. The 722k has no OTA tuner but a 2-tuner OTA module ($50 I believe) can be purchased for it that would give access to both OTA tuners to both TVs. HD channels can be viewed at both the HD main TV and the SD TV2 feed...of course the HD feed would be downconverted to SD for the 2nd TV.
 
KasumiX said:
#1 issue being cost, the $39.99/12 months promo price for America's Top 250 + free HD for life + no equipment fees (722 receiver for 1 HD set and 1 SD set) was just too good to pass up. We were paying $29.99 for DirecTV's family plan + $10 for HD + equipment fees, so for less money (for a year) we'll be getting a LOT more. Plus we'll be able to access the DVR on the upstairs SD set, something for which my wife has been asking for years but I could never justify the cost until now. If Blockbuster at Home looks like a winner, I'll be ditching Netflix as well.

So I'm excited, and looking for any tips for a new user! Best way to circumvent all the shopping/god channels from the onscreen guide? How the 722 functions being connected to 2 sets? Any surprises? Thanks all!

EDIT: One thing that will be sorely missed is the Sunday Ticket. I'm thinking of adding the sports pack during football season for the Redzone channel - but I wonder if this can easily be added/removed week-to-week depending on whether or not the Packers are playing a nationally televised game? Last year felt like such a waste, as at least 10 of the 16 games were nationally televised anyway, and the Sunday Ticket didn't help at all when the beginning of those games were preempted by the end of overlong Lions games *shakes fist at Lions*
Click to expand...

:welcome to the DISH Family!

Regarding your NFL RedZone Question (part of the Multi Sport Pack), there is a $5 fee to remove programming from an account that has been added within 30 days of adding it, so you may be better off keeping it active the entire season.

You can set up channel locks on the receiver, and then hide the locked channels to get rid of the "shopping/god" channels as well.

As mentioned, the 722 does have a $6 DVR fee as well.

Please let us know if you ever have any questions.
 
Not to thread jack, but what's the trick to get PIP to work on a 722k? I hit the PIP button and nothing happens. Never thought much of it but now I'm wondering why it's broken.
 
PokerMunkee said:
Not to thread jack, but what's the trick to get PIP to work on a 722k? I hit the PIP button and nothing happens. Never thought much of it but now I'm wondering why it's broken.
Click to expand...

HIFI said:
single mode.
Click to expand...

As HIFI mentioned, the 722k needs to be in single mode in order to do PIP. There is a mode button on the front of the receiver if you want to change it.
 
I suggest you use Favorites Lists and simply don't put shopping channels in them. Of course, locking/hiding the shopping channels could be a good idea also, if SWMBO let's you! ;)

Dish is good. You'll like the snappier equipment.

BB gets you about 10-12 HD channels, IIRC. And one disc out at a time. I placed no value on that last part, but darned if I haven't found myself using it!


And stick around SatelliteGuys. You'll find we can answer a LOT of your questions, and more accurately than D* or E* CSRs. And the DIRT people here are superb! Best support anywhere!
 
Hope you enjoy Dish. If you just need one receiver, it is really a hard deal to beat.
 
Thanks for all the replies! Yes I was aware of the $6 DVR fee, that's pretty standard. I'm not sure if I'm getting the 722 or 722k - I would be happy with either given our usage, really. We had Netflix back when it was the great deal of $9.99 for 1 disc + streaming. Mostly I stream but on occasion there's a movie that's disc only, so it's a nice option. I'll have to wait and see how the selection is, though. Good info on the $5 cancellation fee for services within 30 days of signup.

So everything right now is "prewired" with coaxial from the DirecTV setup - I heard that the install tech won't use any of those and instead rerun new wire? Seems like kind of a waste, especially down the side of the house (dish on the roof). True?
 
KasumiX, also get the $30 Sling Adapter if you want to stream live TV or watch your recorded shows on your phone or a computer. Just need to connect your 722 to your highspeed Internet and it works great. Nothing like pulling up the big game on your phone while driving down the highway :D

Here is a screenshot of my HTC Rezound (SD quality...don't have the upstream bandwidth for HD, yet)

552919_946470199371_40012926_38318987_947107281_n.jpg
 
PokerMunkee said:
KasumiX, also get the $30 Sling Adapter if you want to stream live TV or watch your recorded shows on your phone or a computer. Just need to connect your 722 to your highspeed Internet and it works great. Nothing like pulling up the big game on your phone while driving down the highway :D
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This won't apply until I get a smartphone. Love the idea, but I haven't yet reconciled with the exorbitant (IMO) costs of data plans.
 
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