Dish 500+4700 owner--what's needed to go to 722K+HD Free?

[bfrandse]

Hope I can keep this short. I purchased (own) and installed by myself a 4700 receiver and Dish500 dish 10 1/2 years ago and installed myself. In the past couple years the 4700 receiver has begun to randomly lock or reset to system info page. It does this in spurts -- 20 times in a week, then nothing for a few months.

Anyway, it's clearly time to upgrade and I received the RETEN398 offer from Dish to upgrade to HD mostly on their dime.

I REALLY want to self-install -- I hate having service people in my home and wrecking things (seen way too many bad jobs with friends with Dish in the area that I've had to go fix or they've had to do multiple followups to fix)

My techinical questions are as follows:
* With a 4700+Dish500 (separate heads)+Dish21 switch, what will I expect they send me? I believe I need a 34 switch, but will I need a new dish/heads? I am in upper midwest -- SD/MN/ND area if that makes a difference.


* I understand that I can use the MT2 to get OTA antenna but MUST pay for locals in order to integrate it into the program guide. I assume there is no way around that (other than manual VCR like recording?)


Policy / Upgrade questions (probably meant for another forum but will ask here):
* Will they really allow me to self-install and will they send you all the stuff you really need? (Understand if they don't send coax but would expect everything else)

* Can I request and actually get the 722K vs the 622? Seen lots requesting the 722 but only getting 622. (See next note below)

* Since I've been a 10+ year customer never playing games of threatening to leave but always paying 1 year in advance (getting essentially a 1 month discount), do you believe that I could receive the OTA box and possibly the external hard drive fee waived? Or at least the allowance of self-install if that's not typically allowed?

* Can you get a discount for not getting locals?

* What other things can I expect, should ask for, need to verify given my standing, etc... One main concern is that I pay the yearly bill once at the end of March but then will their systems be able to handle incremental pricing to add the DVR fee and extra other fees since if I did this now it would be offset by ~6 months.


Thanks in advance.

 

[Jim5506]

Replace your D500 dish with a D1000.2 dish and replace your receiver with the 722k with OTA module. that's it!

This assumes your HD locals (if available) are on the Western arc (110/11/129).

I'd call dish and sound them out on what they "might" install, then purchase the equipment and DIY.

If you tell us what market you are in, we can be more specific about the dish.

 

[TheKrell]

I predict that Dish will not give you a Dish 'n It Up upgrade without an installer coming to your home. But... You can always buy stuff yourself and DIY. If your market is a Western Arc market, Dish would normally install a 1000.2 with integrated switch. But if you insist, you could install your own wing dish using a DP dual pointed at 129, and then replace your legacy duals with a DishPro Plus twin. Come to think of it, that's probably the cheapest way. Cheapest HD single tuner non-DVR receiver would be a 211(k).

 

[bfrandse]

Replace your D500 dish with a D1000.2 dish and replace your receiver with the 722k with OTA module. that's it!

If you tell us what market you are in, we can be more specific about the dish.

Thanks for the quick follow-ups. My local DMA is Fargo-Valley City ND.

Is the D1000.2 one that requires two feeds to the receiver or just one? My D500 only has one after the 21 switch but I left another RG6 cable up there just in case I needed another someday

I predict that Dish will not give you a Dish 'n It Up.

Dish would normally install a 1000.2 with integrated switch.
...
Cheapest HD single tuner non-DVR receiver would be a 211(k).

So sounds like D1000.2 is the current standard for the dish? I'll have to see if I have any extras -- during cleanup week I've gathered a few spare dishes and heads and a switch or two. I'll have to look up to see the differences since it's been years since I last was up on the current specs.


As for receiver, I definitely want just a 722k. I have 2 plasmas on 2 backing walls (living/bedroom) and never watch both at the same time, so would connect with HDMI switch, then use the TV2 output to send the to the rest of the house as SD to the old and non hd tv's.


I don't think this is considered Dish-n-It-Up.. it was a separate promo sent by email and then later in snail-mail. But then I don't know the technical names of all their promos. This is what they sent. Basically it's the exact same as the promo running for new customers *without* the $15 a month credit for 6 months. It expires at the end of September:

Dear XXXXXX,

At DISH Network, we realize you have a choice in television, and we appreciate your business.

As one of our most valued customers, please enjoy over $650 in savings: a FREE HD DVR upgrade, HD programming FREE for life, 3 FREE months of the best movies and original programming with HBO® and Showtime® and 3 FREE coupons to watch the latest Hollywood hits.

We look forward to providing you the best in television service for years to come. Thank you for being a valued DISH Network customer.

Sincerely,
DISH Network

1-888-807-5780
Promo Code: RETEN398

 

[Haysoos]

That's a Dish'N it up promo. They won't send equipment without sending a tech to install it. With the 1000.2 you won't need any external switch, just 1 cable from the dish to the seperator (or triplexer) on the back of the receiver. Since you'll be feeding the rest of the house, though, you'll probably need a diplexer in-line, then a splitter. Hard to say without knowing your cable configuration.
So long as you have RG-6 running from Dish to receiver, it should be a pretty simple upgrade, however, you won't be able to take advantage of their offer without having someone come out and install it.

 

[AngelHeart]

I've also been a customer for approximately 10 years and I pay ahead; WAY AHEAD. I couldn't get them to wave sh*t (not even the fee for declining auto billing) so if you do let me know how you did it.