Trying to upgrade my parents to a DISH DVR - Is this a good deal?

[Wilhite]

I'm trying to get a DVR for my parents and hope that I can get some help/opinions here.

They have been with Dish for 4 years now. Always on time with their payments. Currently have 4 receivers and the America's Top 60 programming package (downgraded from higher programming packages within the past year).

They are in their late 60's and I want to minimize the impact to their environment as much as possible. I'm also wanting to minimize the impact to their checkbook as well.

I talked to Dish Customer Service today and asked them if they have any offers to get a DVR in their home. The CS agent offered me a $50 package that included 1 or 2 Dish DVR 510 (same price whether I took one or two). Dish will ship the receivers to my parents, they unhook the old receivers and connect the new ones and send the old ones back to Dish (all shipping paid by Dish). The $50 fee covers the entire swapout charge. The additional cost of each DVR is $4.99 - which I understand is standard for Dish DVRs unless you're in a high price programming package.

I'm totally ignorant as far as Dish Network's offerings since I'm a DirecTv subscriber. Basically, what I'm wanting to know is:

* Is this offering a good one?
* Can I do better (i.e. better DVR for the same price)?
* Does Dish ever offer any programming credits or other ways to minimize the overall bill?
* Is the swapping of the receivers as easy as the CS agent stated that it would be?

Thanks in advance for any help or insight that you can offer.

 

[catnap1972]

Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I'd watch out that they don't stick any additional monthly fees onto the quote they already gave you. There should be a $5 lease fee on at least one of those receivers (if not both), and possibly another $5 fee for one being an additional receiver (beyond #1). Could add another $15 to the monthly bill if you're not careful.

 

[dfergie]

You might check on a 501 or 508 for them, there is no monthly dvr fee with those receivers...

 

[SimpleSimon]

If they are replacing existing single-tuner receivers with DVRs, there's no additional receiver charge - just the DVR fee.

 

[griz_fan]

* Is this offering a good one?
It sounds like a good deal, $50 shipped for up to two DVR recievers sounds good. The only real question is how much extra per month will your parents be willing to spend, $5 or $10?

* Can I do better (i.e. better DVR for the same price)?
Not with out a lot more hassle (I believe). The 510 is a solid DVR, but it is only a single-tuner model, which means you can't watch one live show while recording another. But, to move up to a dual tuner model would most likely require a lot of upgrades in how your parents dish equipment is wired into the house. I have both the 510 and 522 (dual tuner with NBR). I like the extra features of the 522, but am quite happy with the 510 as well.

* Does Dish ever offer any programming credits or other ways to minimize the overall bill?

Not that I'm aware of, other than the club dish program, which gives you $5 monthly credit for a year for each new customer you refer to Dish Network.

* Is the swapping of the receivers as easy as the CS agent stated that it would be?

I think it should be. It sounds like you'll just be swapping out an older single-tuner receiver for a newer one. So, all the existing connections can be reused. Just be sure to remember what cable goes where.


I guess one question to consider would be one or two DVR's? If your parents watch an average amount of TV (or more), and if they different tastes in TV (Dad likes Monday Night Football, Mom can't stand it, that type of thing), you may want to consider spending the extra $5/month for the 2nd 510. It has been my experience that it is hard to explain the benefits of a DVR to the technologically challenged, but once that person actually gets his/her hands on a DVR, they quickly realize how nice it is. Not having to fight over the DVR is a nice thing

 

[Purogamer]

Absolutely do NOT switch them out for 510's. They'll have to start paying DVR fees every month, as mentioned.

Get them 501's or 508's, INSIST to the CSR that you don't want a 510 or anything other than a 501/508 (508 most likely) and they'll cave. If not, hang up and call back...

Dish is going to push a fee-based receiver EVERY TIME, it's the customer's job to know better and now you do.

 

[Van]

They wont be able to get a 501 / 508 from dish, you will have contact claude for those. Heres my question though, are your parents able to operate a vcr such as setting up a timer and so forth, can they easily use a computer to check email and cruise the web, if theyr not comfortable with technology then you could be setting yourself up for a headache. I get install jobs every so often where the adult children of senior parents who albeit are well intentioned push theyr parents into something they have no clue on how to use and still struggle with rotary phones.

 

[dfergie]

Vans right... the "flashing vcr clock syndrome"...

 

[Wilhite]

Thanks to all for the input.

My parents aren't feeble or technology challenged. They actually asked me to do some research and see if I could get them the best deal that I could. They are wanting to move to a DVR instead of the VCR so that they don't have to mess with tapes and A/B switching, etc. They like the idea of being able to pause TV and record Survivor, CSI, Law & Order to watch later.

$5 a month isn't a stretch for them; $10 a month probably isn't either. I'm probably going to make a yearly payment to their account to cover part or all of the DVR fees anyway (birthday presents that they will actually use ).

Your comments have brought up additional questions:

* What is the difference (besides a monthly fee) between a DVR 510 and a DVR 508?
* Do both of these DVRs (510 and 508) allow them to do the scheduling that I mentioned above? They aren't looking for Tivo Season Pass capabilities. Just a "record the program that comes on Channel 10 at 7:00pm Thursday" capability.
* From casual reading, it appears that the 5xx series is supposed to get a software upgrade to allow Name Based Recording. I'm assuming that hasn't happened yet. Is there any set timetable for that to happen or is it "sometime soon"?

I really appreciate the feedback from everyone. It's places like this that make informed consumers.

 

[Purogamer]

I think the only difference in a 510/508 is the size of the hard drive. If you can handle the 5 bucks a month get the 510...

Yes they can do the scheduling you mentioned. If it's monday night, and they want to record something on friday night, they press guide, press the "30 second skip" button to move ahead a day (x4, to get to friday), find the show, press select, then select again, and it's set to record. Couldn't be simpler...

Name Based Recording may come tomorrow, may come in a year, nobody knows and nobody is really asking for it. Waste of time...

VCR's aren't really comparable because they tend to have slightly different ways to change that damn clock, that's why people don't bother with it. Plus mine doesn't keep time well anyways. It's fast, a few weeks go by and it's 2 minutes ahead for some reason...you'd think i'd just buy a clock...

 

[dfergie]

501 has 35 hours 508 has 70 and 510 has 100 hours of Recording capacity( be aware sports programs and others with a lot of action(and less compression) will reduce recording capacity) as for programming these have a 9 day guide, so you find the programs you want to watch in the guide and select them... you can set up daily and weekly timers also. NBR was promised has yet to be seen...

 

[Jared Twomey]

personally, i would contact a local retailer, have them run the dish-n it up claim for you, they should come up with the same deal, plus they will install it and show your parents how to use it. also, i don't know if they are still doing it, but they were giving a $25 credit on every receiver you sent back into dish.

 

[ju421019]

Who's Claude, does the person have a deal to get a 508? Thanks

They wont be able to get a 501 / 508 from dish, you will have contact claude for those. Heres my question though, are your parents able to operate a vcr such as setting up a timer and so forth, can they easily use a computer to check email and cruise the web, if theyr not comfortable with technology then you could be setting yourself up for a headache. I get install jobs every so often where the adult children of senior parents who albeit are well intentioned push theyr parents into something they have no clue on how to use and still struggle with rotary phones.

 

[AudioInstallers]

why not just purchase a single 625 (dual dvr) and activate it, have the two other receivers taken off of your account at the same time.

 

[Van]

Claude is the owner of dishstore, you can find links to his website at the top of each page in this website.

 

[SimpleSimon]

...you'd think i'd just buy a clock...

You've got one - the program banner on your receiver. Fully synchronized clock.

 

[Anole]

508's

I've dealt with Claude and can highly recommend him!
He can sell you 508's if he has them. They seem to come and go from his web site.

Of course, Dish lists the 508 for sale on their web site, so if you can do as was suggested above, and get them to supply you 508's instead of 510's you save $5/mo per unit.
Of course Dish likes to lease things now, and I can't recommend that path.
(another $5/mo - they've got a one-track-mind )

Regardless of claims, 501's get 25 to 30 hours and 508's get about 45 hours, all of which is fine.

The three differences of the 510, with the same box, same board, and same firmware are:
1) bigger drive, for more recording time
2) a two hour scroll back buffer instead of one hour.
Back up a live show if you missed the beginning, and even record a show after it's started, if you happen to be on that channel.
3) the extra $5 per month (and for what?)

my 2-cents.
.

 

[SimpleSimon]

Anole: Item #2 also applies to the 50x boxes - except maybe the buffer size.

 

[Anole]

Correct.
I should have put the explanation of what the scroll-back buffer was , in parenthesis.

So, if size matters,...

 

[blabber]

...I get install jobs every so often where the adult children of senior parents who albeit are well intentioned push theyr parents into something they have no clue on how to use and still struggle with rotary phones.

I still can't get my mom to understand how the clock on her VCR is auto-set by the local PBS station, so no more blinking 12:00. I also explained how you can watch one show while recording another. Tried to explain the TV does NOT need to be left on for this to occur, or even be in the same room for recording.

Deer in headlights. :shocked Gotta love moms!