Avoid additional receiver fees

Poppa Smurf

Member
Original poster
Dec 28, 2003
10
0
What can one do to avoid the additional receiver fee's Dish charges for multiple receivers. I inquired about the 722 but for some stupid reason its only available to dish lease customers. I own all my equipment so thats not an option for me. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
 
Sorry there is no way to get around the additional receiver fees, Dish must pay Niagra a fee each month for the security card in each box, this is what a portion of the additional receiver charge is for.
 
Somewhat off-topic....

Every so often (I've had Dish about 3 weeks and it's happened FOUR times) I'll have an on-screen message telling me something to the effect "In order to avoid an additional $4.99 monthly fee, make sure this receiver is continuously connected to a phone line". Well, it is and always is. I got that message last night and cleared it off and went straight to the 'diagnostics' page to "test" my phone connection. Guess what ?? Yeap, it worked just fine....

I'm just waiting for this to show up on my bill one month. I'm sure they'll remove it the first time but after that, I have a feeling they'll get suspicious and think I'm lying. Maybe at that point I'll argue that the receiver is defective and to ship me a new one.

I have (1) 522 receiver, by the way. The first two times the message came up on TV2. The third time on TV1. Last night it was TV2 again.
 
hall said:
Every so often (I've had Dish about 3 weeks and it's happened FOUR times) I'll have an on-screen message telling me something to the effect "In order to avoid an additional $4.99 monthly fee, make sure this receiver is continuously connected to a phone line". Well, it is and always is. I got that message last night and cleared it off and went straight to the 'diagnostics' page to "test" my phone connection. Guess what ?? Yeap, it worked just fine....

I'm just waiting for this to show up on my bill one month. I'm sure they'll remove it the first time but after that, I have a feeling they'll get suspicious and think I'm lying. Maybe at that point I'll argue that the receiver is defective and to ship me a new one.

I have (1) 522 receiver, by the way. The first two times the message came up on TV2. The third time on TV1. Last night it was TV2 again.

I don't get the message and they STILL keep charging me on my BIll. Called up 1st time and CS was like, well, plug a phone into the back of it. I said their is one and I don't even get the message anymore, but they still cahrge me anyway.
I have to call tomorrow and get 2 months credit for it. Have a feeling I am going to have to do it every month now.
 
RF Modulate

You may not be able to completely avoid additional receiver fees (legally), but you can minimize them by using RF Modulators to redistribute a smaller number of receivers to every TV in the house.

In a nutshell, you plug the AV output from the DishNetwork receiver into an RF Modulator. The RF Modulator then converts the satellite output to an unused UHF or CATV channel that can be added, via a simple 2-way splitter, to your household antennae or cable wire. As long as you pick a clean channel (nothing else broadcasting on it), the pictures competes with the S-Video out going directly into the TV. The good RF Modulators let you pick any legal channel and retransmit the audio in MTS Stereo format.

Net result is that you usually only need as many receivers as independent viewers in the house. In my setup, we have 3 PVRs modulated and redistributed to 8 TVs. This allows three different DishNetwork channels to be watched on any TV in the house by simply tuning to channel 84, 86, or 88. The system is so easy to use that my 3-year-old knows that Toon Disney is usually on channel 86.

Then, since most of the good DishNetwork receivers and DVRs use UHF remotes, you can change channels anywhere in the house. We bought some extra remotes and keep one set of remotes upstairs and one downstairs.

As complicated as this all sounds, it sure beats spending an additional $25 a month on additional receiver fees.
 
hall said:
Every so often (I've had Dish about 3 weeks and it's happened FOUR times) I'll have an on-screen message telling me something to the effect "In order to avoid an additional $4.99 monthly fee, make sure this receiver is continuously connected to a phone line". Well, it is and always is. I got that message last night and cleared it off and went straight to the 'diagnostics' page to "test" my phone connection. Guess what ?? Yeap, it worked just fine....

Yeah this is the same for me as well, the 322 manual says to check connection, then dial out. But i cant do that since it says no dial out pending. Since my bill is currently covered till april, it'll be interesting as to what happens after then.
 
Poppa Smurf said:
What can one do to avoid the additional receiver fee's Dish charges for multiple receivers. I inquired about the 722 but for some stupid reason its only available to dish lease customers. I own all my equipment so thats not an option for me. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Did no one else catch the fact that there is no such thing as a "722"?

The 522 and 322 are the only X22 receivers right now. They are both only available to new lease customers as far as promotions are concerned.

You can buy one if you want, but a 522 is going to set you back about $350. You can pay a lot of A/O fees for $350.
 
Phone Line

hall said:
Every so often (I've had Dish about 3 weeks and it's happened FOUR times) I'll have an on-screen message telling me something to the effect "In order to avoid an additional $4.99 monthly fee, make sure this receiver is continuously connected to a phone line". Well, it is and always is. I got that message last night and cleared it off and went straight to the 'diagnostics' page to "test" my phone connection. Guess what ?? Yeap, it worked just fine....

I'm just waiting for this to show up on my bill one month. I'm sure they'll remove it the first time but after that, I have a feeling they'll get suspicious and think I'm lying. Maybe at that point I'll argue that the receiver is defective and to ship me a new one.

I have (1) 522 receiver, by the way. The first two times the message came up on TV2. The third time on TV1. Last night it was TV2 again.


I have the same receiver but it has never appeared on my main tv. My son is in the Military so I seldom turn on his tv upstairs. I did the other day and I got the same message that you got. I was told that they "know" my line was
not plugged in. Well, they were right because they never told me to keep in plugged in at all times. The Tech that did the install said to leave it connected for a couple of days and others told me its only useful for paying online or ordering PPV movies. Strange eh?
 
boba said:
Hall call DISH now and complain about that message on your 522 get it noted on you account.
I called this afternoon and the guy said it's a "known issue" that will be fixed soon. He mentioned "L162" but also said the digits at the end of the software version are relevant also, like "dot" revisions in computer software. Obviously I don't have it yet.

He specifically said -- take it for what it's worth -- that I will not get charged. I question if their "billing" system knows I have a 522 and that this is a "known issue" and it's NOT to be charged to people.
 
Warning stay away from Dishnetwork 322 receiver.

322 Receiver needs software modification, to eliminate incompatibility issues with non Echostar DVR units!
Screen Saver with Dish network Logo and Text (Push Select to Continue) pops up and gets recorded by my ReplayTV 5040 after daily Dish Network Software update and or every 4 hours if no remote control button is pushed. This Logo stays on screen and renders my ReplayTV 5040 TOTALLY USELESS.

EXTREEMLY ANOYING and TOTALLY UNEXCEPTABLE
I never had these ridiculous problems with my ReplayTV 5040 and Cable Company!
After more than 2 days and several calls to Dish Network Tech support, I may or may not have workable solution.
Whether this solution works or not it is very poor workaround at best.
I currently have 8 reminder timers (1 every 3 hours) set to simulate remote control activity, in order to keep the 4 hour inactivity screen saver from activating. Due to software updating Daily at 4:00 AM I had to set additional timer at 4:10 AM to keep from having screen saver started after software update.
SUGESTION PLEASE EXPEDITE SOFTWARE MODIFICATION ON 322 RECEIVERS TO INCLUDE CHECK BOX.
[ ] DISABLE SCREEN SAVER
This would be much preferred to my current workaround that may or may not work.
322 Receiver incompatible with non Echostar DVR units due to poorly written software!
Dishnetwork has very inadequate tech support only way to get real help is to contact.Dishnetwork Home office 18886212078 Ext. 48689
 
First, who are you to say "WARNING, STAY AWAY" when it's a very minor issue and you KNOW that a very, very small percentage of ppl have a similar setup to yours. Now instead of jumping up and saying, makes my replay totally useless, why don't you figure out a solution? If you make duplicate timers, one on the 322 telling it to auto-tune during the program you want, then you wouldn't have a problem.

A bit more work, but you shouldn't be using the Replay with Dish anyway. I mean, it would be a lot easier just using Dish's DVRs, and if not then crawl over to DirecTV for their Tivo.

Another solution, not sure if it's feasible is have your Replay unit transmit something to your 322 every 3 hours that won't affect anything. Like a single button press, or make daily 1 min timers every 3 hours. I'm not sure, but I'm sure you can figure something out to not make your Replay unit totally useless.

Edit: Sorry, didn't read all of your post. Instead of suggesting disable screensaver and such to Dish, how about suggesting that instead of having to press select to disable the screen saver, that you could press any button?


Delta4C said:
322 Receiver needs software modification, to eliminate incompatibility issues with non Echostar DVR units!
Screen Saver with Dish network Logo and Text (Push Select to Continue) pops up and gets recorded by my ReplayTV 5040 after daily Dish Network Software update and or every 4 hours if no remote control button is pushed. This Logo stays on screen and renders my ReplayTV 5040 TOTALLY USELESS.

EXTREEMLY ANOYING and TOTALLY UNEXCEPTABLE
I never had these ridiculous problems with my ReplayTV 5040 and Cable Company!
After more than 2 days and several calls to Dish Network Tech support, I may or may not have workable solution.
Whether this solution works or not it is very poor workaround at best.
I currently have 8 reminder timers (1 every 3 hours) set to simulate remote control activity, in order to keep the 4 hour inactivity screen saver from activating. Due to software updating Daily at 4:00 AM I had to set additional timer at 4:10 AM to keep from having screen saver started after software update.
SUGESTION PLEASE EXPEDITE SOFTWARE MODIFICATION ON 322 RECEIVERS TO INCLUDE CHECK BOX.
[ ] DISABLE SCREEN SAVER
This would be much preferred to my current workaround that may or may not work.
322 Receiver incompatible with non Echostar DVR units due to poorly written software!
Dishnetwork has very inadequate tech support only way to get real help is to contact.Dishnetwork Home office 18886212078 Ext. 48689
 
Thank you for your helpful input several others having same problem follow link below

AppliedAggression said:
First, who are you to say "WARNING, STAY AWAY" when it's a very minor issue and you KNOW that a very, very small percentage of ppl have a similar setup to yours. Now instead of jumping up and saying, makes my replay totally useless, why don't you figure out a solution? If you make duplicate timers, one on the 322 telling it to auto-tune during the program you want, then you wouldn't have a problem.

A bit more work, but you shouldn't be using the Replay with Dish anyway. I mean, it would be a lot easier just using Dish's DVRs, and if not then crawl over to DirecTV for their Tivo.

Another solution, not sure if it's feasible is have your Replay unit transmit something to your 322 every 3 hours that won't affect anything. Like a single button press, or make daily 1 min timers every 3 hours. I'm not sure, but I'm sure you can figure something out to not make your Replay unit totally useless.

Edit: Sorry, didn't read all of your post. Instead of suggesting disable screensaver and such to Dish, how about suggesting that instead of having to press select to disable the screen saver, that you could press any button?
http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=5236&highlight=dish+network+Replaytv
I have received replacement 322 receiver and have it set up now if nothing changes this unit will unsubscribe me by 10:30 or 11:00 PM like other one always did. If your helpful hints do not work then maybe 301 receiver arriving Monday will work. These options failing I can and will return to Roadrunner Cable.
Software Version Yesterday L151GCED-N
Software Version Today L152GCED-N
Maybe this will improve things?
Wonder where I can find out what software changes where implemented?