Equipment needs for HD setup

[bimmers]

First Post, please be easy on me . .

I currently have a 322 and a 522 receiver. I want to now connect a HD tv in place of TV1 on the 322. Dish rep says I can swap my 322 for a 811 for $100. To serve my TV2 she says to buy a 301 for $114 or a 942 for $798. Ouch! After Xmas I plan to replace TV1 on my 522 with a HD tv, so this is where I think the 942 should go. Since I see lots of 301,322, 522 and 942 receivers on Ebay, some with cards and some not and some touting "no balance" (what's that?), I wonder if I should buy a cheapo 322 and send it to Dish for their $100 "swap" deal for the 811 and keep my 322 to send a signal my TV2? Or when I upgrade next year to the 942, should I then use my 522 in place of the 322? Or do I have to use a 301? Maybe there's a better and more reasonable and cost effective solution that you can help with. There was some disconnect language wise with the Dish rep so she was not a lot of help. Maybe "ll call back when I know better questions to ask.
Thanks for any guidance or solutions.

 

[ats7627]

Welcome to SatelliteGuys!

If your immediate need is 1 HDTV receiver, why not look at adding an 811 to your account and keeping the 322 for DVR purposes on the new HDTV. You may be able to pick one up on Ebay. I saw a demo 811 at a CompUSA store in MD the other day for $170.00, which is cheaper the the $214 you would have to spend on the swap out and 2nd receiver purchase. If you are going the Ebay route, ask the seller for the receiver & smartcard numbers. Any reputable seller will give you these numbers. You can then call Dish Network to inquire if any balance is owed on that receiver (PayPerView purchases, ect.) As far as smartcards go, most newer receivers are cardless(311,322,522,942). The cards are embedded in the receiver. Older receivers will not work without a smartcard