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I have a few technical and non-technical questions about upgrading a relative's Dish Network setup from SD to HD. I helped her purchase a 50" HDTV recently and assembled a matching TV stand. I used to know quite a bit about the various setups, configurations and programming options when I had Dish, but it's amazing how quickly you forget these things when you haven't had the service in 3 1/2 years.

Anyway, here are all the facts in a nutshell:

- She is in the Baltimore DMA and, until recently, had one (1) SD TV connected to a DP311 receiver via a Dish 500/DPP Twin. She now has a HDTV connected to that same DP311.

- Needless to say, she receives SD national channels and SD Batimore locals from 110/119. I noticed she had only one (1) RG-6 coming down from the DPP-Twin LNBF which is all she really needed for the 311...however, next week I am bringing along one of my old VIP622s that has been sitting in a closet the past 3 1/2 years (OK, I sometime watch some old VOOM recordings, but it's mainly just gathering dust).

- She doesn't watch a lot of TV (probably has the Top 100/120 package plus locals) but she has been with Dish for 11-years...so I am wanting to make this as painless and inexpensive as possible. Can I assume since she will only have one receiver on her account (the replacement 622) there will no additional fees (beyond the $6 DVR fee). In other words, will she have to pay a Duo-DVR receiver fee even though she only owns one (1) TV and one (1) receiver in her house?

- She had an old motorized Channel Master VHF/UHF antenna on the roof that had not been used in 15+ years. The motor controller was missing (and probably no longer worked), but the antenna still functioned perfectly regardless of old RG-59 wiring...expecially since she's only 17 miles from the Baltimore towers. I connected the OTA antenna to her HDTV and she picks-up all the Baltimore HD locals, and almost all of the Washington DC locals too (although they are in the opposite direction the antenna is pointed). Anyway, does she still need to subscribe to her locals in order to receive guide data, or did Dish do away with this nickel & dime fee?

- The EKB Channel Chart disappeared, but I noticed Digi is maintaining "The List" here at SatGuys. While some of the National HD channels are on the 110/119 sats, the Baltimore HD locals appear to be on 61.5. Offhand, I would have thought Baltimore would have been moved over to the Eastern Arc (61.5, 72.7 and the 77 satellites). Anyway, I have two Dish 500s and two DPP-34 switches sitting around the house. I could install a side 61.5 dish, but my initial impression is that I will have a major tree issue...in which the Eastern Arc is useless. Regardless, what satellites does she need to hit for HD in the Baltimore DMA? To be honest, she receives her locals via OTA...and she really wouldn't noticed if some HD channels are missing since 70% of her viewing is the broadcast networks.

- I don't feel like drilling another hole to run a 2nd line for the dual-tuner 622. I do have a half-dozen DPP-Separators...can't I just use them on each end instead without running a second line into the house? Also, if I do install a 61.5 Dish/500...I will need to install a DPP-34 switch, correct?

- What is the minimum programming package she would have to subscribe to in order to active my old 622 on her account? In other words...does free HD for life mean that Dish got rid of TurboHD and all the old HD package? Will she have to pay a separate "HD" change for the HD channels? As the pictures show, I was up on the roof and I wasn't too impressed with the quality of the work. Perhaps I'll just pay the $15 service call and get Dish Network out here to install a VIP612 if they want to charge for anything extra for her VIP622 (Duo-DVR fee?). Can I assume the first receive is still free regardless of type?

Thanks in advance....your comments are greatly appreciated! :