Can't get the new HD...but can't go EA either...what are my options?

Andrewwski

SatelliteGuys Pro
Original poster
Aug 24, 2007
1,205
4
I cannot get the new HD as I have a 110/119/61.5 setup, as is standard for this entire region. We have a 722, 322, and 311.

When I call/chat with Dish, they tell me I need to be upgraded to EA. Fine, but my SD locals are on 110. So I ask them what I can do about that...they tell me nothing. My choices are either the new HD or not to get my locals in SD.

Plus everyone I've talked to at Dish is extremely awful as of late. I had a really bad experience with one CSR (Philip M - see another thread). I've had two other CSR's on an online chat that have been just a tad better - none of them seem to be using capitals or periods any more and none of them demonstrate more than a basic understanding of what is going on. Today I even asked to speak with Level III CSR (a tip that a CSR gave me a few years ago) and was told that I already was. He was even unable to offer any advice.

I've tried calling on the phone, only to get put on hold while "I look that up for you" and waiting 15 minutes before hanging up.

I've sent an email to the CEO address without any response.

Is there anything I should be doing, or is it finally time to kick Dish to the curb? Anyone know what my likelihood of getting decent signal on 129 is? It's very low to the horizon I believe.

Or, since I have a D500 pointed at 110 and 119 and another D500 with one LNB at 61.5, can I try throwing another LNB on that dish for 72.7 and try using all of them?

Dish isn't giving me any help. They're offering me an upgrade to EA for $15 and a new 2-year contract. Ha. Like they expect me to want to sign longer with them after their new receiver fees and their awful customer service lately. But that won't get my SD locals - and not all of my locals are in HD (nor are they all strong enough to get OTA). So if I want my locals, I can't get the new HD, or vice versa.

This is extremely frustrating. All I want is to be able to get all my channels that I am supposed to get. Dish is being about as useless as they can be, nobody there seems to have a clue (or a hint of professionalism). Plus they decide to raise my bill by over 10%. Maybe the grass really is greener on the other side...
 
where are you located? why cant you get your HD threw 129? if you can then that would be the best way.

Unless you want your 322 and 311 to be replaced with a 222k and 211k. then have E/A installed with a wing dish for 110.

another setup could be have a dish 500 for the 322+311 and a E/A dish+wing 110 for the 722.
 
I cannot get the new HD as I have a 110/119/61.5 setup, as is standard for this entire region. We have a 722, 322, and 311.

When I call/chat with Dish, they tell me I need to be upgraded to EA. Fine, but my SD locals are on 110. So I ask them what I can do about that...they tell me nothing. My choices are either the new HD or not to get my locals in SD.

Plus everyone I've talked to at Dish is extremely awful as of late. I had a really bad experience with one CSR (Philip M - see another thread). I've had two other CSR's on an online chat that have been just a tad better - none of them seem to be using capitals or periods any more and none of them demonstrate more than a basic understanding of what is going on. Today I even asked to speak with Level III CSR (a tip that a CSR gave me a few years ago) and was told that I already was. He was even unable to offer any advice.

I've tried calling on the phone, only to get put on hold while "I look that up for you" and waiting 15 minutes before hanging up.

I've sent an email to the CEO address without any response.

Is there anything I should be doing, or is it finally time to kick Dish to the curb? Anyone know what my likelihood of getting decent signal on 129 is? It's very low to the horizon I believe.

Or, since I have a D500 pointed at 110 and 119 and another D500 with one LNB at 61.5, can I try throwing another LNB on that dish for 72.7 and try using all of them?

Dish isn't giving me any help. They're offering me an upgrade to EA for $15 and a new 2-year contract. Ha. Like they expect me to want to sign longer with them after their new receiver fees and their awful customer service lately. But that won't get my SD locals - and not all of my locals are in HD (nor are they all strong enough to get OTA). So if I want my locals, I can't get the new HD, or vice versa.

This is extremely frustrating. All I want is to be able to get all my channels that I am supposed to get. Dish is being about as useless as they can be, nobody there seems to have a clue (or a hint of professionalism). Plus they decide to raise my bill by over 10%. Maybe the grass really is greener on the other side...

Hi,

If you go EA all your receivers must be HD capable as EA is MPEG4 so doing that would also require you to upgrade your 322 and 321, CSR didn't tell you that did he! Maybe you should talk to a retailer that does dish installs at least you might get some concrete answers to use for decision making.

Ross
 
I too am seriously po'd. I am currently considering a DPP44 and a DP twin for my Dish 500 to point at 61.5 and 72, which simultaneously gets me all channels for which I am paying and retains my SD receiver option.
 
Oh, I know that I need all HD receivers for EA. But there's no way I'm paying a large amount of money or signing another contract to do so.

I believe 129 is too low to see here, that's why we look at 61.5.

I already have a DPP44, so I'm thinking I could throw another LNB on my 61.5 dish for 72.7, however I don't know how good the signal will be seeing as the spacing isn't exactly the same - I don't want to compromise my current signal on 61.5.

I suppose if they were to convert me to EA and throw a wing dish at 110 that would work.
 
This is from a supervisor:

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]I do apologize sir but we can't install a wing dish for only the 110 satellite. We don't have a specific satellite dish that can only pick up the 110 satellite signal.[/FONT]
 
oh good lord....

YES you can have a single dish for 110. Folks have them set up that way (MikeD-C05 as example)

the issue is you have 2 MPEG2 only receivers that wont work on EA at all so what you could do is 2 dishes
EA for the 722
110/119 for the other two receivers

what market are you in? Some EA markets the SD channels are on EA also in MPEG4
 
This is from a supervisor:

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]I do apologize sir but we can't install a wing dish for only the 110 satellite. We don't have a specific satellite dish that can only pick up the 110 satellite signal.[/FONT]

uh yes they can and yes they do

They do it for Int'l folks on EA. They hook up a D500+ and only use the 118 slot

They can take a D500 and put in a DP single or dual that ONLY sees 110 and attach to the EA dish
 
I'm in Buffalo NY.

I know that I need all MPEG-4 receivers for EA...so if I upgrade to those, I'd probably still need 110 for SD locals (I do not believe they are on EA - we are not actually an EA market).

I know that a wingdish at 110 will work, however, Dish seems to think differently.
 
Now I'm disgusted. I just spoke with a "Partner Helpdesk Subject Matter Expert (an Escalations Team)" person and he told me (1) my SD locals are on 61.5 (which I believe is untrue) and that (2) the only way for me to get the new channels is to pay for an upgrade to EA and sing a 24 month commitment.

He was telling me that it was fair for me to pay and commit, as I need to upgrade my SD receivers to HD. He did not understand that I don't have HDTV's there and could care less if I have SD or HD receivers, the only reason I need the upgrade is to get the channels that I already pay for.

His response to this was that I already get those channels in SD. DOESN'T HE KNOW I ALREADY KNOW THAT? I want the channels in HD, as they are included in the programming I pay for, but he tells me that I have to pay for the upgrade, and this is fair.

I pointed out to him that I already paid to upgrade to HD when I got my HDTV - I had to pay for my 722 and new dish. He said this is different, now I have to pay to have an upgrade to the "new signal system," and it's fair for me to pay as I will be upgrading all rooms to HD now.

But I don't have HD in those rooms!

He also told me that there's nothing else Executive Resolutions can do, but I'm still going to pursue it. Either they help me or I go to DirecTV. We'll see how much they want their customers.
 
Now I'm disgusted. I just spoke with a "Partner Helpdesk Subject Matter Expert (an Escalations Team)" person and he told me (1) my SD locals are on 61.5 (which I believe is untrue) and that (2) the only way for me to get the new channels is to pay for an upgrade to EA and sing a 24 month commitment.

He was telling me that it was fair for me to pay and commit, as I need to upgrade my SD receivers to HD. He did not understand that I don't have HDTV's there and could care less if I have SD or HD receivers, the only reason I need the upgrade is to get the channels that I already pay for.

His response to this was that I already get those channels in SD. DOESN'T HE KNOW I ALREADY KNOW THAT? I want the channels in HD, as they are included in the programming I pay for, but he tells me that I have to pay for the upgrade, and this is fair.

I pointed out to him that I already paid to upgrade to HD when I got my HDTV - I had to pay for my 722 and new dish. He said this is different, now I have to pay to have an upgrade to the "new signal system," and it's fair for me to pay as I will be upgrading all rooms to HD now.

But I don't have HD in those rooms!

He also told me that there's nothing else Executive Resolutions can do, but I'm still going to pursue it. Either they help me or I go to DirecTV. We'll see how much they want their customers.

Keep your current setup for your SD receivers and put up a 1000.4 for the 722. Do you have the choice of paying $99 with no commitment? A 1000.4 probably will cost that much to buy yourself.
 
I just had an installer leave. He put me on EA (1000.4) so i could get all the new HD channels. I did have 110/119 and a 61.5 dish 500. What we did not realize till after he left was that since i get my locals through AAD (which is 119), i lost those channels. I called dish and they are going to come back and try to give me a 1000.2 dish as long as they can pick up the 129 from my area. Isnt it possible for them to just add a wing dish to my setup to pick up the 119 sat?

I live in the Salibury, MD DMA
 
yes
All the tech needs to do is replace the Twin LNB on 110/119 with a DP dual or single LNB. That can tie into the EA dish for 61.5/72/77/119
 
Indeed. Just got my 1000.4 installed today. 10 minutes after the guy left, I ran the cable from 110 on the old superdish it was replacing to the LNB-IN port and reran the checkswitch. Problem solved.

LNB-IN port on a 1000.x will work to add ANY single additional E* satellite to the matrix.
 
yes
All the tech needs to do is replace the Twin LNB on 110/119 with a DP dual or single LNB. That can tie into the EA dish for 61.5/72/77/119

Indeed. Just got my 1000.4 installed today. 10 minutes after the guy left, I ran the cable from 110 on the old superdish it was replacing to the LNB-IN port and reran the checkswitch. Problem solved.

LNB-IN port on a 1000.x will work to add ANY single additional E* satellite to the matrix.

I thought this was possible but i have been trying to get the techs on dish chat to set this up for me but they keep saying it is not possible:

(04-23tu) Brad T. V6H: I am very sorry but we won't be able to do that

(04-23tu) Brad T. V6H: I understand your concern with this, while it is possible to do that type of install, our system will simply not support it and you will lose authorization on many of your channels if this was setup like that
 
True, some things are just not in their system. That's when you either do it yourself, or if you're lucky you get a tech that knows what he's doing and actually understands what you're asking for and has enough spare parts and gumption to get it done. These things get done "off the books" because it would just confuse the CSR when he calls to close out the workorder.