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Jackonearth said:

Of course not everyone can do the work themselves. And for what we pay we shouldn't be expected to. What I find funny is the claim that a tech is necessary for the HS17 or any other new receiver that at least some of us can install ourselves. There's no practical reason to deny us the self install option that's available for the older receivers. Comcast pulled the same stunt when they came out with the X1. It's a totally new kind of box they said, the technology is totally different. There's no way you could do a self install, we need to send a tech out (and charge you for it). Guess what? No changes to the wiring were necessary and while the X1 equipment operates differently than the old boxes, they were designed to be connected in the same way as all the other cable boxes that came before it. Today you go to the office and they just throw the X1 equipment at you, they don't even include a quick start guide anymore. The only thing the X1 needs to be installed in your house is a MoCA filter on the cable feed but wasn't even included in the self install kit when they finally became available. Comcast said they would send out a tech to install it and I didn't need be home they would just install it and leave. The X1 worked just fine without the filter but that it was best to have so that my equipment wouldn't interfere with the neighbors. They never installed it, when I called back they of course didn't know what I was talking about at first (this is normal for Comcast) when I finally got a tech on the phone he said the filter was only necessary in apartments and I shouldn't worry about it. About a year later when I had a tech out to install a new outlet, he installed the filter. So make of that what you will.

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Jimbo said:

All that is Fine, but if you call in and tell them to turn on Comcast or any other service, they send a Tech out ....
In MANY cases, if that tech doesn't come out then you have NO SIGNAL ... the tech does have OUTSIDE work to get signal to your home.
The person that was to put the filter on your line and said you didn't have to be home was correct, the filter keeps the signal from feeding back into thier system and in MOST cases is placed at the pole .... Are you climbing the pole to place that filter ... ?

There are MANY times when a Tech is needed.

You can't Fix everything from your computer, you have outside trouble you need a TECH ....

Your internet is taking errors, are they inside or outside ?

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Jackonearth said:

I agree the filter is important that's why I called to have it installed. However, they don't install the filter on the pole. The guy that installed my new outlet went up the pole because he thought my signal was a bit weak. I could see what was up there, it was just a splitter feeding four houses, which he replaced and put a new connector on each of the lines. There were no filters up there and he installed my filter in the gray plastic box on the side of my house where the cable feed comes in and splits off to my outlets. The person I spoke with on the phone said they install the filter where the cable comes into my house next to my splitter so they may need to get into my backyard depending on where that's located (not my case). I get the impression they don't put the filter on the pole. Also, when you start new service with Comcast these days you can actually do a self install. You just go to the office, sign up, they give you the equipment right there and you take it home and hook it up. I see a ton of new customers doing this when I'm waiting in line (or on their couch) at the office.

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Jimbo said:

Do they tell you to run your own coax and jacks too ?

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Jackonearth said:

The reason new customer self install is available is because most homes are already wired for cable. So, no you don't need to run your own coax lol

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Jimbo said:

And when you need a line in a room that doesn't have one already ?

Not all houses are set up and have had service ....
I go into homes everyday and end up putting jacks in because the sub wants service on a different wall or a different room than the last person ... it happens all the time.
So, ya, No Tech is ever required.

If a tech wasn't required then why do I have so much work turning service on every day ?

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slice1900 said:

Most cable/phone companies won't touch your inside wiring unless you pay them. They have a monthly 'maintenance' fee for your inside wiring, and charge T&M for running new wire. If you wanted to get cable in an old house that didn't have wiring, or wanted it in rooms that don't have wiring, that won't be part of the standard install. Directv goes sort of 'above and beyond' compared to them, at least at present.

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Jimbo said:

Your slightly off ....
Repair work has the Maintenance fee (for inside wiring).
ANYtime your Adding a line or jk it's an INSTALL ...

For the most part, AT&T works off of a Flat Rate fee for installs, so if you want a jack, its X amount of money weather it is next to the NI or on the other side of the house thru the crawl and in the upstair bedroom.

Businesses are T&M ....

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slice1900 said:

Mediacom is T&M if you want to add any inside wiring in your home, and won't touch it if you don't have their maintenance plan (I assume that like Directv's maintenance plan you have to get it for a year or whatever so people can't just sign up, get a repair, then drop it) I don't know what Comcast etc. policy is - it might be different where you live too I suppose.

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VewDew said:

Thank you guys for all your feedback. Let me tell you about my nightmare now. They sent me an hr44 so I got online and said this wasn't any upgrade. They then apologized and scheduled a tech to come out and replaced my hr44 with..... an hs17. So now I no longer have ota because my am21 isn't compatible and to make things worse the crappy menu/ software upgrade will no longer connect to me WiFi . I have been a dtv customer for 20 years and am seriously considering looking into Dish.

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VewDew said:

Well I'm am idiot? I think the thing that made me the most upset was the tech had to look at his phone to figure out what to do next. I went online with dtv tonight and bitched about the ota since I bought the am21 from dtv and they promised to send out a "Senior tech" for me. So we will see.

Again thank you everyone here!

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