So I am planning to switch to Dish on Wednesday. First, for all those thinking DirecTV is the answer to everything I have been on DirecTV for 8 years (switched when Dish wanted to charge me $149 for a new receiver DirecTV would give me for free). DirecTV wants to charge me $650 to upgrade to their Whole Home Program, so on my end, it seems like a pretty good deal that existing customers get 2 hoppers and 3 joeys for around $100-$200 with Dish.
Anyway, I'm still having the internal debate about 1 versus 2 hoppers. We are only a 3 TV household. I think with PTAT we SHOULD be okay, since most of our viewing is of recorded programs, but my experience has told me that if we might need a second hopper in the future, it would be better to just pay and get it now.
Of course, everyone connected to Dish has been trying to talk me into the 1 hopper/2 joey setup. We are planning to go with a local guy here in our small town. He is asserting that if I am unsure about needing the second hopper that I would be better off waiting a few months. He claims that if I just wait 4-5 months, I will be upgrade eligible and the upgrade from the joey to the hopper will only cost $99, instead of the $199 it would be now. The only thing would be I would have to extend my contract so it went a full two years from that point.
What do you think? Right now, 3 tuners is probably enough because my three boys are little, and like I said, my husband and I watch very little live TV. As the boys get older we may need more, but not for a while. I guess I'm just nervous because even with our basic setup right now we have 5 tuners, so going to 3 is scary, whether we really need five or not. Are there considerations besides the fact that the install guy may not be adding in the install fee some people are being charged during the upgrade (anywhere from $15 to $99 it appears) ? For example, I know very little about wiring and setup, but will they make me buy anything additional to get the second hopper (like a dual node) that would have been free if I did it now?