Upgrade to HD FREE?

[T4Runner]

Dish subscriber for several years. Existing receiver is a 322 even though only using the main TV. I own my own receiver. Outside my contract for a while. I have a WA 1.2k antenna installed now. I subscribe to the smart pack.

So, if I buy a VIP211 or VIP222 to replace it do I get HD free and no receiver fee?

 

[Mr Tony]

Dish subscriber for several years. Existing receiver is a 322 even though only using the main TV. I own my own receiver. Outside my contract for a while. I have a WA 1.2k antenna installed now. I subscribe to the smart pack.

So, if I buy a VIP211 or VIP222 to replace it do I get HD free and no receiver fee?

receiver fee wont change
only thing in HD you will get are locals (if available) and freeviews. You cannot add HD to the smart pack for your "cable" channels in smart pack
211 you can pay $40 fee (one time) to allow you add a hard drive for DVR. the 222 cannot do that

 

[dishcomm]

Dish subscriber for several years. Existing receiver is a 322 even though only using the main TV. I own my own receiver. Outside my contract for a while. I have a WA 1.2k antenna installed now. I subscribe to the smart pack.

So, if I buy a VIP211 or VIP222 to replace it do I get HD free and no receiver fee?

You must be in an agreement AND be on auto pay. I also believe a customer must be subscribed to a certain level of programming.
My Parents are Top 200 w/ auto pay. They get HD free.

 

[Tampa8]

There is no level. Obviously if you are in a package with no HD (only locals and freeview) you wouldn't get or need HD for life however you keep it if you had it and move to a non HD package.
DISH has reinstated getting HD for free for life by having auto pay and paperless billing.

 

[T4Runner]

Thank you all.

 

[Mr Tony]

There is no level. Obviously if you are in a package with no HD (only locals and freeview) you wouldn't get or need HD for life however you keep it if you had it and move to a non HD package.
DISH has reinstated getting HD for free for life by having auto pay and paperless billing.

but there is still a minimum level of programming

Additional $10/mo HD fee waived for life of current account. Requires continuous enrollment in AutoPay with Paperless Billing. Must maintain minimum qualifying monthly programming, including America's Top 120 or DishLATINO Plus.

 

[Tampa8]

If you can give me an instance of where someone having HD for life with Top 120, dropping to the Welcome package and then having to pay $10 for HD programming? Obviously there would not be a fee for the package, would there be a fee if you add an add on package such as HBO if you have HD for life?
That "minimum" is covering the fact that HD is not included at all in lower packages. If they did not give a "minimum" it would look like you could get HD in the lower packages if you had HD for life.

If an add on package is not in HD such as HBO even if you have HD for life but are in the Welcome package I would agree.

 

[Mr Tony]

If you can give me an instance of where someone having HD for life with Top 120, dropping to the Welcome package and then having to pay $10 for HD programming?

that is not what I am saying. The OP has a SD only receiver and Smart Pack. So if he gets a HD receiver he cannot get HD for life with his existing package. He would only get his locals in HD and any freeviews

That "minimum" is covering the fact that HD is not included at all in lower packages. If they did not give a "minimum" it would look like you could get HD in the lower packages if you had HD for life.

irrelevant. The OP has a package that does not qualify for HD add on. He has a SD only receiver so never had HD. To get the cable channels in HD the OP needs to upgrade his programming package tor AT120 at minimum

 

[Tampa8]

But that ignores the fact there is no HD to get then. (If you can't add HBO or whatever) So it isn't there is a true minimum, but there is no HD to get. That is the exact thing I think they are trying to avoid by saying you can't get HD for life in the lower packages - otherwise it would look like you can get HD channels in them. HD for life can only work when the package you have actually has HD channels in it.

Further, making my point, I would continue to have HD for life if I had the welcome package, so there is no minimum. It's the fact there are no HD channels in that package to apply HD for life to. It isn't like you will pay $10 for HD in the welcome package and to avoid that charge you must get the Top120 or higher. If that were the case I would certainly agree.

 

[Mr Tony]

Regardless of programming package you get (with a HD receiver and a dish aimed at 129 or Eastern Arc) your locals (if they are in HD) and any freeview/add on programming in HD.

When I had the Welcome Pack I got my locals in HD and when I added the "Outdoor Sports" package (for like $3 at the time) I got a couple stations in HD. When channels were in freeview I got them in HD and when the movie channels were in freeview I got those in HD

The only channels I couldn't get in HD were the channels in my programming package.

 

[Mr Tony]

back in 2012 that is how it was (I doubt it has changed)
http://www.satelliteguys.us/xen/posts/2956830/

If you have Welcome Pack or Family Pack(now called Smart pack) the only HD you get is
-locals (if applicable)
-freeview channels (again if its in HD)
-any add on packages like Heartland, HBO, Outdoor Sports

 

[Tampa8]

I'm not at all disagreeing with that. (I wasn't sure if you could add HBO I thought you could, doesn't really matter then) My point is, it isn't that there is a minimum where you can get HD free. There is a minimum where you can get HD at all. (Short of locals/freeview etc) If there was a choice, you could get HD for the channels in the Welcome package but had to pay $10, then I would agree you can't have the HD free for life in that package. You can have it, but there are no channels to apply it to.

HD for life doesn't give you HD channels when there are none being offered, it gives you them for no additional charge when they are offered in HD. Similar is NBA TV in the Sports package that is in SD there but HD in the package it is in. (Top 200 or higher) HD for life does not give you that channel in HD if you only get that channel in the sports package.

 

[osumike]

Posted Via The FREE SatelliteGuys Reader App!

 

[dare2be]

Posted Via The FREE SatelliteGuys Reader App!

Good for you.

 

[Mr Tony]

Posted Via The FREE SatelliteGuys Reader App!

Yay whee!

 

[matt314159]

If you have Welcome Pack or Family Pack(now called Smart pack)

Could I get some clarification on this? Just because of the wording I was a little confused. Welcome pack still exists as a standalone, $19.99 (at present) plan, right? You just have to call in and get it since it's not listed online? Sorry I didn't mean to hijack OP, here.

 

[Tampa8]

Both the Welcome pack and Smart Pack (Formerly the Family pack) are available, yes. And I see them online both as a non subscriber and as a subscriber.

 

[matt314159]

Great thanks. I think you have to call for the welcome pack, as it's not an available option to change your account to from the web dashboard.

[/hijack]

 

[dare2be]

Speaking of Welcome Pack and Smart Pack, and to add to the further hijacking...I thought I remember seeing GSN in both of those packages, but now I can't seem to find it in either one. Are my eyes deceiving me?

 

[T4Runner]

Whats GSN? And highjacking approved by OP. Interesting comments!