Equipment for new Dish sub

[marsworth75]

I was looking at the receivers I would need when I change to Dish,to basically duplicate the setup I have with Directv.
I was on the phone to Dishstore yesterday trying to get it figured out but couldn't find a solution that did not involve putting out money up front.
So here's what I am looking for.
722k for HD in living room and a TV in the bedroom. (That situation is not an issue.)
SDDVR for second bedroom, this is for my Mother-in-Law. This receiver needs to be a stand alone unit for her.
The problem arises with the fact that I am being told that because I have an HDDVR and HD programming Dish will not install a SDDVR, it has to be an HDDVR, with that comes a $100 charge. Grandma does not need HD, just needs the TV.

I did PM Claude with basically the same question but thought I would throw it out here to see if you guys have any thoughts or suggestions.

I'm not looking to get something for nothing, just looking to get what I want without laying out that $100 up front for something I don't need.

 

[KAB]

This is surprising coming from Dishstore. On the Dish network website, they show one HD DVR and two HD receivers for free. Sounds like you may be in the Eastern Arc coverage which is now all MPEG 4 and does require HD equipment, but for a new install, it should not matter. If push comes to shove, just get the HD receiver for Grandma's room, HDTV or not.

 

[Drdeceased]

I think the issue is that grandma needs a dvr also.
having more than one dvr on the account requires the 100$ upgrade charge.
I have no solution without talking grandma out of the dvr.

 

[harshness]

Second and subsequent DVRs have never been free (they aren't free from DIRECTV either). The stinker is the extra $2/month lease fee for an HD DVR.

While DISH is essentially trying to get rid of SD DVRs (these are all under fire from TiVo), you may still be able to find a 510. Being in an Eastern Arc market would certainly foul that up though.

 

[KAB]

I think the issue is that grandma needs a dvr also.

Got it!

 

[marsworth75]

Sacramento, Ca

We're not in the Eastern Arc.

 

[KAB]

Marsworth, if you were to get a 211 solo HD receiver, you could pay the $40.00 one time activation fee for an external HD which turns the 211 into a DVR and which at present, does not incur a DVR fee. But, you are still money out up front.

 

[marsworth75]

Looked at that

Marsworth, if you were to get a 211 solo HD receiver, you could pay the $40.00 one time activation fee for an external HD which turns the 211 into a DVR.

Yeah, we looked at that option yesterday too, but with the cost of the EHD and then the $40 to activate the USB we're back up to the $100+ mark.

 

[Jonhern]

I actually got two hd dvrs free from Dish directly. We have two 612s and two 211ks. Basically said I would not switch if we could not get two dvrs free and we got them to include all four boxes with no extra fees. This was in November.