Coming back to DirecTV

[lparsons21]

I was with D* a couple of years ago and left on good terms with them. Reason for leaving was that the HR21-700 was such a POS in response to the remote I couldn't stand it. But now with the HR24 things look about right to return, especially with MRV. But a few questions (of course).

1. Assuming I can get the same deal a new customer gets, This is what I see as monthly cost :
Choice Ultimate = $68.99
DVR Fee = $ 6.00
MRV fee = $ 3.00
Showtime+HBO= $23.01
HD Extra = $ 5.00
Maintenance = $ 6.00
Lease fee = $ 5.00
Total w/no discounts = $118.00
1st Year monthly = $89.00
2nd Year Monthly = $104.00

Does that seem correct.

2. I want to get 2 HR24s for one tv so I can record 4 things at once like I do with my E* 722k. Plus something additional. With MRV, what additional would work? And again assuming new customer offer, at what upfront cost?

3. MRV - does the install include this including SWM and DECA?

I know I lose a few channels that I like (BBCA HD, Epix 1 &2 and IndiePlex, but I gain locals in HD. But that isn't as critical as it once was to me, except for the locals in HD, that is nice.

I'm thinking of using a local dealer, but would going direct with D* be better in this case? And are there any costs upfront or monthly that I'm missing.

BTW, even with no discounts, D* is $10/month cheaper for this than E*. But surprisingly to me is that if I went to Premier, D* is higher.

Comments/answers appreciated.

 

[sundrop]

upfront costs.
1 HR-24 is free.
$199 for the second one.
A second reciever HD would be free.
You can get 1 HD-DVR. One HD and one SD for free. (This is what I was offered)
MPEG4 HD comes out here on the 16th and they sent me a HD reciever to replace the SD reciever.

The SWM comes from the new dish they install, it has nothing to do with MRV
The HR-24 has built in DECA. Therefore you would not get a DECA

 

[johns70]

When DIRECTV installs MRV they will install DECA. That's the only way they do it. In order to have DECA you have to have SWM. So SWM has everything to do with MRV and yes, you will get DECA.

 

[ranmic]

Welcome back! Your HR21 may have been a POS, but I'll bet my HR22 can beat yours......I'm ready to take it out to the street and play soccer with it.

That thing has a mind of its own and the response it so slow sometimes I could actually walk over to the box and change the channel manually (but I would never get out of my chair to change the channel) :up.

 

[lparsons21]

upfront costs.
1 HR-24 is free.
$199 for the second one.
A second reciever HD would be free.
You can get 1 HD-DVR. One HD and one SD for free. (This is what I was offered)
MPEG4 HD comes out here on the 16th and they sent me a HD reciever to replace the SD reciever.

The SWM comes from the new dish they install, it has nothing to do with MRV
The HR-24 has built in DECA. Therefore you would not get a DECA

Thanks for the info. It looks like the install would be the way I had pictured it.

BTW, according to D*'s website when I built a system, I can get one HR24 for free and the second costs $99. If I then want to add an HD receiver, it would cost another $99 or a 3rd HR for $199. I'm tossed about which way to go.

I want to be able to record 4 locals in HD on the few nights during primetime that all 4 have something I want to watch. That's not often, but it can be often for 3 of them to have something at the same time I want to see. My son's preferences are secondary as he isn't paying the bills (adult son).

 

[lparsons21]

Welcome back! Your HR21 may have been a POS, but I'll bet my HR22 can beat yours......I'm ready to take it out to the street and play soccer with it.

That thing has a mind of its own and the response it so slow sometimes I could actually walk over to the box and change the channel manually (but I would never get out of my chair to change the channel) :up.

I feel your pain!

When I had first signed up for D* back then, I used a local dealer and got an HR20 so I could have my locals OTA. Because of my failure to research a bit, I didn't realize that it could only do 2 recordings at once, while my E* HDDVR at the time could do 2 sat and 1 ota. I figured 4 tuners, 4 recordings. I was a bit ticked off at that idiotic design. Then I proceeded to go through 4 of them for 772 errors on tuner 2 issues before they graciously sent me a tech with a new HR21.

That HR21 worked a tad slow then, but a few updates later and D* had it working slow as molasses in January. I finally just got so ticked off at the remote response that I switched. I can tell you that if D* had not brought out the HR24, I wouldn't be having this discussion at all.

 

[lparsons21]

Oh, btw, I still have the 5 LNB dish from D* that was from my previous install. I assume they change that or change something on it?

 

[jcrandall]

If the dish is in good shape and mounted well they will just change the lnb. The new ones have SWM built in so single wire use and MRV capable.

 

[TDK1044]

I have a slimline 3 Dish, SWM and an HR21-700. I find that if I use the channel numbers on the remote then channel changing takes 3 or 4 seconds, but if I use the 9 favorite settings on the remote then it changes the channel in 2 to 3 seconds.

 

[lparsons21]

When I had the HR21-700 if you could punch in three numbers before it changed to the 2 numbers you sloooooowwwwwllllly punched in, you had just done a miracle.

 

[lparsons21]

Well, it looks like I won't be making the change. I guess I've not been gone long enough to get a deal that even comes close to a new customer deal. That makes the savings very slight and not worth the hassle of changeover.

I knew I wasn't going to get a good deal when I called as when I went to my preferred local dealer he couldn't do anything at all.

Oh well, it's good to exercise the brain occasionally...

thanks to those that responded with good info.