Then you have cable company that isn't like the one where I live. We call it Suckenlink.
upgrading to HD with Dish Network
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Oh, don't get me wrong, my local cable company has big issues. I once wound up writing a lengthy letter published in the Consumerist about a ridiculous series of things they put me through trying to sign up for Internet that even the commentators who normally defend the companies people complained about said was horrific. They also played a little game while I subscribed to them where they'd include one of my local regional sports networks and not it's overflow channel (Which carries some games when, say, the Wizards and Caps are playing at the same time), then added the overflow channel for a season, and then got rid of the overflow channel again and acted like they didn't know what I was talking about when I called up to request they bring it back. I have no great love for them either.
Honestly, there's no television or Internet provider out there that really provides a top to bottom total package that one would really consider acceptable in an ideal world. I think part of the reason for that is probably that most people only have 3 or at most 4 choices, some as little as one choice. It's too close to being a monopoly to create the competitive environment that would produce companies that really gave a combination of great product, great customer service, and great pricing with no gotcha type charges.
But I will say when I was a long-time cable television subscriber and wanted to upgrade to HD, I simply drove to their office and swapped boxes with them. Then I went home and wired the new box up- 5 minutes. Extra like $6 a month. End of story, I was watching HD. No credit checks, no contractual commitment, no appointments to schedule, no equipment fee, etc..
When I switched to Dish, despite their advertisement of free install and free HD for life, they made me pay $99 to install (plus first month upfront), and told me HD would be an extra large fee for equipment (I think we were talking like $150 or more extra). If cable hadn't gotten to be more than I could afford (I'd actually cancelled it several weeks before), I would have flat out told Dish no, but I needed that promotional rate. So, I just went with SD only to avoid the extra equipment fee. When I inquired about upgrading to HD later (Actually really just mentioned not having it on the forum and they contacted me), they reiterated the equipment fee (Which I will never pay, just on principle and plus because, I'm you know, not made of money) and said I'd have to add to my contractual commitment term (Something that is a tough sell for me when they are always getting into disputes with sports channels that could be dropped at any time).
I think what helps Dish is that cable sucks, and Directv probably sucks to some degree, too. But if you want to watch your favorite sports teams (or whatever you subscribe to cable for), you've got to deal with and pay one of the three (Some people also have the option of FIOS). So you try to figure out who sucks the least and offers the best prices and most channels that you want. Also, what's going to be the least hassle. Right now the equation is pretty similar for people in most parts of the country. Regular non-promotional prices are roughly similar, channel lineup isn't drastically different (little stuff added or missing here and there), and they're all hassles in different but mostly equivalent ways. But if one, say, drops ESPN, it becomes a completely different ball game.
Dish does have a real perception issue with sports fans already, though. I occasionally see someone bring up having Dish in sports forums ("Like, hey what's this Versus channel I don't get that has tonight's game on it?", "Why isn't my game in HD?", or "What channel is the game on with Dish tonight?"), and usually they get several people saying "Dish is the worst television provider out there, why in the world are you subscribing to them in the first place?". When people mention Directv or Comcast or whatever, usually no one says anything like that.
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Since you are new here, you don't know about DIRT (Dish Internet Response Team) Tehy are employes of Dish. Their names will be in red. You can find out which of them is on line at the bottom of this page
http://www.satelliteguys.us/forum.php
PM (Private Message) one of them with your question and ig you are a Dish subscriber add your phone number so they can look up your account.
Dirt members on duty will show in red type at the bottom of the Forum page. PM one of them.
So glad to see DIRTs so active on the forum! I have a VIP622 connected to two TVs. Optimally, I would love to have a two-room setup with both TVs viewing content in HD, both sharing as large a hard drive as possible, and both having a Slingbox capability. What are my options for upgrading? I had looked at the 922 a while back, back it doesn't look like that's available any longer.
Thanks in advance.
PS: I can't PM until I've posted at least once, thus my public post.
Sincerely,
Robert Bernstein
Thanks in advance.
PS: I can't PM until I've posted at least once, thus my public post.
Sincerely,
Robert Bernstein
So glad to see DIRTs so active on the forum! I have a VIP622 connected to two TVs. Optimally, I would love to have a two-room setup with both TVs viewing content in HD, both sharing as large a hard drive as possible, and both having a Slingbox capability. What are my options for upgrading? I had looked at the 922 a while back, back it doesn't look like that's available any longer.
Thanks in advance.
PS: I can't PM until I've posted at least once, thus my public post.
Sincerely,
Robert Bernstein
The 922 is still available but would only provide HD to one TV. I would get a Hopper Joey set up but in order to provide two remote viewing sessions at the same time, you would need two Hoppers and a Sling Adapter connected to each one.
