Fellow Dish Subscribers, help keep me with you

[primetimeguy]

I'm serious considering switching over to Direct because I think the HR34 system may be better for our needs. Can anyone over on the Dish side of things point out reasons why I should NOT switch?

Yes, being a new Direct customer it would be cheaper each month as well as upfront costs. I want to be able to share recordings in 4 rooms so need two Hoppers to have enough tuners, and would be waiting for OTA as well.

The biggest downside for the family is all the channel number changes. But that and cost aside, are there really any big reasons not to switch to the HR34?

My list so far:
- no true DVR functionality (trick play) in each room, only on HR34 but can press Record on all other HD receivers
- add to the collection of dishes already on my roof

I think I have read all the other threads related to this topic and can't come up with more

I'm hoping my fellow Dish subscribers can find more cons with the HR34 to keep me with Dish just because I don't want to go through the pain of the switch.

 

[dare2be]

I can't really talk about cons with the HR34 as I don't know enough about it. The only potential cons I can come up with would be:

- as you said, the pain of switching
- take inventory of the channels you watch the most, and compare packages to see what the package differences are to get those same channels from Dish to Direct.

 

[bwexler]

After the "honeymoon" year your cost will probably be higher.
If you go through executive resolution/retention your up front cost can be matched and you may be able to negotiate a similar first year deal.

 

[mdram]

from the other side
1. look at the channels you want and see who has it
2. if you are truly happy stay with dish

what are your needs, cant really evaluate without it
what are your viewing/recording habits? network stations that will benifit from ptat or other?

 

[primetimeguy]

I can't really talk about cons with the HR34 as I don't know enough about it. The only potential cons I can come up with would be:

- as you said, the pain of switching
- take inventory of the channels you watch the most, and compare packages to see what the package differences are to get those same channels from Dish to Direct.

Yep, done that. Channel differences don't have much of an impact.

 

[primetimeguy]

After the "honeymoon" year your cost will probably be higher.
If you go through executive resolution/retention your up front cost can be matched and you may be able to negotiate a similar first year deal.

thanks, yes, first two years cost will be lower but then will be higher after that.....so then I switch back to Dish

 

[Tampa8]

What specifically makes the HR34 better for your needs, you never say in your post other than OTA. Whatever it is, I would say just switch and be done with it. Go to another provider in two years or so to get another discount.

 

[primetimeguy]

from the other side
1. look at the channels you want and see who has it
2. if you are truly happy stay with dish

what are your needs, cant really evaluate without it
what are your viewing/recording habits? network stations that will benifit from ptat or other?

Right now I have 2 722's, using the SD output to connect 2 HD and 2 SD TVs. But want all 4 HD (will upgrade the last SD TV). Wife has nights where she records 3 shows already, which ties up two TVs so I need to go downstairs. And I may be recording 2 there as well.

So even with PTAT I think I need two hoppers to fill our needs. My main reason to switch is HD in all rooms and see all recordings in all rooms.

 

[mdram]

Right now I have 2 722's, using the SD output to connect 2 HD and 2 SD TVs. But want all 4 HD (will upgrade the last SD TV). Wife has nights where she records 3 shows already, which ties up two TVs so I need to go downstairs. And I may be recording 2 there as well.

So even with PTAT I think I need two hoppers to fill our needs. My main reason to switch is HD in all rooms and see all recordings in all rooms.

2 hoppers may o may not fir your needs.
if all 4 tvs are live at one time that leaves 2 tuners to record, 1 can do ptat and get 4 networks, the other would be for whatever
but 1 hr34 would onlyhave 4 available, since the others have their own tuners
so its really similar availability, if your use the ptat
if they are not network, the hr34 comes out ahead

 

[primetimeguy]

2 hoppers may o may not fir your needs.
if all 4 tvs are live at one time that leaves 2 tuners to record, 1 can do ptat and get 4 networks, the other would be for whatever
but 1 hr34 would onlyhave 4 available, since the others have their own tuners
so its really similar availability, if your use the ptat
if they are not network, the hr34 comes out ahead

Two hoppers, one running PTAT and also having OTA (need that because for sports I still prefer the better signal to Dish compresses signal) I think would take care of me. So that is what I'm comparing to the HR34.

Until full two hopper integration exists, how easy is it to see from one hopper to the other and switch a joey from hopper to hopper?

The pluses I see now are better integration with Direct, and OTA is available. And seems to be fewer bugs with HR34 at this point. I won't go with the hopper until OTA is available.

 

[keckge]

Two hoppers, one running PTAT and also having OTA (need that because for sports I still prefer the better signal to Dish compresses signal) I think would take care of me. So that is what I'm comparing to the HR34.

Until full two hopper integration exists, how easy is it to see from one hopper to the other and switch a joey from hopper to hopper?

The pluses I see now are better integration with Direct, and OTA is available. And seems to be fewer bugs with HR34 at this point. I won't go with the hopper until OTA is available.

It's very simple you just hit dvr and go to the top of the menu and select which hopper you want to view, my other half can do it and if he can anyone can. Also do you really want to learn a new remote a whole new guide and everything else. I find it horrible to switch. But yea its not difficult at all to switch views hopper to hopper. added
the picture so you could see you just select between which hopper you want. I actually have a third hopper but it is not integrated because I didn't want the down stairs to mess with my upstairs but you can see its as simple as pushing a button.

 

[primetimeguy]

Thank you very much for that, it may even be better that way since it segregates the recordings. Does the hoppe allow creating folders and moving shows into them like on the vip series?

 

[duke02]

What specifically makes the HR34 better for your needs, you never say in your post other than OTA. Whatever it is, I would say just switch and be done with it. Go to another provider in two years or so to get another discount.

Exactly what I did. I hope I wind up liking Dish more so I don't have to switch back, but I now feel like a sucker for not starting this whole switch earlier.

To the OP, when I was considering the HR34 vs 2 hoppers, aside from the fact that DTV wanted to charge me $499 for the HR34, the biggest decision point was:

the HR34 has a bit better functionality when it comes to listing all your shows on one master list and you can control all the recordings on one box.with 2 hoppers, you have to maintain 2 separate lists of timers BUT you can pause from any TV. That's the decision point in my mind.

 

[primetimeguy]

Yes pause is a factor but I think I can get myself to hit record rather than pause although not as convenient.

I can see the need for recording 4 shows while 2 other tvs watch something live...so I need 6 tuners which both have. With dish I can pause tv in any room but may have to switch to a different hopper sometimes to find the open tuner. With hr34 I never have the issue but can't truly pause tv. I can't decide between those two options.

 

[dare2be]

Yes pause is a factor but I think I can get myself to hit record rather than pause although not as convenient.

Let's put it this way...is rewind a factor? You are watching live TV and you miss a piece of dialog...you can't just hit record so you can rewind back to the missed dialog now, right?

 

[keckge]

You also have to take into consideration that dish is not finished yet, the list will eventually be integrated. They seem to be working on these things in a timely manner. also you have the choice to add a third hopper and have 9 tuners and you can see them all on each machine, mine just don't because of the way I had it installed on purpose but that should be far superior to Directv's system. Although honestly I should not speak on this matter because I have no idea what directv has and doesn't have. I am a Dish person.

 

[primetimeguy]

Let's put it this way...is rewind a factor? You are watching live TV and you miss a piece of dialog...you can't just hit record so you can rewind back to the missed dialog now, right?

Correct and is exactly why I think I should stay with dish.

 

[primetimeguy]

You also have to take into consideration that dish is not finished yet, the list will eventually be integrated. They seem to be working on these things in a timely manner. also you have the choice to add a third hopper and have 9 tuners and you can see them all mine just don't because of the way I had it installed on purpose but that should be far superior to Directv's system. Although honestly I should not speak on this matter because I have no idea what directv has and doesn't have. I am a Dish person.

If I've learned one thing it is not to switch based on future promises. Hence the reason if I decide on dish I'll wait for ota first assuming it will be in the next couple monts....if not that may be the deciding factor too.

 

[keckge]

If I've learned one thing it is not to switch based on future promises. Hence the reason if I decide on dish I'll wait for ota first assuming it will be in the next couple monts....if not that may be the deciding factor too.

I really want an OTA module as well!

 

[ltownsend]

I really want an OTA module as well!

+1