501 with balance

[redbeerd]

I have a 501 DVR I got from a friend and he said it had no balance on it, well, it does. I checked around on the fourms and from the sounds of it there is not much I can do but pay the balance or use it for a door stop. Has anyone found away around having to pay the balance? Or should I just use it to hold up the corner of the desk?

 

[dfergie]

How much is the Balance? and is it worth it to you to pay off and use...

 

[Stargazer]

There was an amnesty program for the retailers but it ran out not long ago although it let me run another one through past that time. They told me they could not clear the receiver but then I get an email stating that they cleared it.

 

[redbeerd]

The balance is $80, and it is not worth it to me to spend that kind of money. Maybe I will yank the drive out and just format it for use in the computer and just junk the rest. I hate to do that to a more or less working peice of hardware.

 

[boba]

The balance is $80, and it is not worth it to me to spend that kind of money. Maybe I will yank the drive out and just format it for use in the computer and just junk the rest. I hate to do that to a more or less working peice of hardware.

Well at $5.98/Mo. for DISH's DVR fee it would take 13 months for you to come out ahead. If it lasts longer than that you are saving money, a 40 gig hard drive probably isn't worth installing in a computer today.

 

[dfergie]

How much did you pay your friend for it? if it was given to you the 501 would still be well worth the 80$...

 

[redbeerd]

He gave it to me, including the remote....

 

[dfergie]

If you have never had a dvr ... you would be in for a treat.

 

[Van]

Theres no dvr fee on the 501

 

[dfergie]

Nor the 508... I have a deactivated 501 I refuse to part with

 

[RandallA]

"The balance is $80"

So $80.00 for a 501, not too bad. I don't know about your friend being a friend though.

 

[redbeerd]

I have a 510 right now and love it. I wanted this one for the kids, I get tired of deleting kids shows off the dvr. I have a standard receiver (I dont remeber the model number) that they use most of the time. It is also the one I use when I take the motorhome out. My plan was to keep the standard on my bill and just use it in the motorhome instead of moving it back and forth. I guess I will have to talk the wife out of the $80 sometime.

 

[dfergie]

Be worth it... the kids can have their own dvr for "their stuff"

 

[DishDave]

Nor the 508... I have a deactivated 501 I refuse to part with

I love my backup 508 Make me feel good not to have a dvr fee.. Along with a 721

 

[Frostwolf]

Its worth it to me to pay $80 bucks to have it activated If you don't want it let me know.

 

[Stargazer]

Some of these 508's were going for pretty good money on ebay and on here. I am not sure if they still are but once they get Name Based Recording I am sure that the demand will increase and the value would go up even more.