FLASH: No Name Based Recording on 921, 721, 501, 508, 510

[gpflepsen]

Dropping NBR, as I see it, is just them stopping energy spent on dead end receivers. It's a shame it came to that.

E* better be working on very attractive conversion terms for owners of these outdated DVRs. Personally, I will probably take advantage of another provider's services instead of taking a bath on my E* equipment. Ownership of SAT equipment these days just doesn't make sense. Unless it's a unit like the 921 which is only available through outright purchase. Maybe E* is doing the only thing they can to lessen the financial hit of the lame duck 921, and that's by selling them to get rid of them.

 

[jlhugh]

I got my emails sent in. They better turn that 522 lose to exisiting customers if they are going to do this to us. I don't like the direction things are going right now. Being a 7 year customer, this is hard to swallow.

 

[video62]

its odd also how 7100/7200 has had nbr now since the day it came out, i guess thank microsoft for that gift

Well, sorta. The Dishplayer 7100/7200 would change its timers if a show moved its timeslot, but you could not program it to record based on a show name. You still setup recordings just like you do in a 501/508/510.

(A former Dishplayer veteran. )

 

[dswallow]

You know DirecTV is going in the direction of Echostar and have one brand of DirecTV receivers. That'll standardize the receivers' technology but the big negatives about DirecTV's new D10 receivers is that it's hard to setup. Plus, their download updates come VERY FEW AND FAR BETWEEN. Case in point is in installing the new DirecTV 95 dish. They have the installers do all kinds of weird things to try and make the signals come through. So every company has its shortcomings and in the case of DISH Network, it's a business decision over customer service I guess.

This really doesn't make much difference; among the DirecTV DVR's they were always identical hardware just relabeled/in a different looking box. The only substantive difference was with the original Sony SAT-T60 which came with a different remote control that could also control some Sony devices, had different backgrounds on the menus, and could control a Sony brand VCR when you used the "Save to VCR" option. Even it still used exactly the same motherboard as all other series 1 DirecTV DVR's.

The newest receiver, the DirecTV R10 DVR, currently has multi-room viewing capabilities in beta testing (where you can use any DirecTV DVR in your home to watch programming recorded on any other DirecTV DVR in your home). The software supporting this will roll out to all other Series 2 DVR's in early 2005.

If it wasn't DirecTV-branded, it'd just be some other electronics manufacturers name(s) on the box with everything else the same as it is now, and all the innards for each differently branded unit would still be getting assembled at the same plant that's making them now.

 

[bcshields]

I do wish all you Direct TV people would butt out. We don't need twisting the knife that's already in our backs.

Not a directive from a moderator, but a polite request.

 

[bcshields]

Ok, let's put some perspective on this. I'm just as pissed as you are but let's look through Dish's eyes.

1) If you purchased a DVR you did so with no guarantee that new features will be implemented. In many cases your 1 year warranty has run through.

2) The 522 is their latest DVR, and the software is still in the bug-fix stage. It'll be the easiest to intergrate.

3) Added features on lease-only equipment raises it's value, and since Dish owns most of them, raises their value.

4) This allows them to focus on new equipment and new customers instead of focusing on old equipment which might need to be replaced if the software doesn't take. Tech time, replacement costs... just overall cheaper. New DVR's will be released faster because the software team isn't busy working the bugs out of 3 year old programming, some of which is outsourced.

5) It encourages existing customers to upgrade their equipment, which might be needed anyway with MPEG4. This will cause existing customers to lease new equipment instead of own it, force a commitment, and raise more revenue for the company in lease fees and credit card auto pay.

Business-wise it sounds like a good decision. Customer-relations-wise, baaad decision.

 

[mrschwarz]

In my experience, if something is bad customer-wise, it's usually bad business-wise.

For an existing customer, the most economical thing to do is to change providers. There needs to be another compelling reason to stay with Dish. Obviously economics isn't it.

I am one of the lucky ones that just signed up so I have reason to change, yet. In the future, if I am presented with the opportunity that bcshields outlined, I might be taking my business elsewhere.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

My question is why does Dish Network LIE to it's customers?

They are the ones who went on the March Tech Chat and announced that name based recording would be coming this Summer to ALL Dish Network DVR's! They are the ones who announced the details and order of the rollouts.

They went on their chat and said they have great news for us and made this announcement which pleased a lot of people. Sales of 921's went up because of their announcement.

The announcement was their surprise to us, no one emailed or called in asking where NBR is. I honestly believe Dish now owes us name based recording on all its DVRs, if they can't provide it, I believe they should offer a refund to everyone who wants one because of all the broken promises on the unit.

I am hoping many of you email mhopkins@mediabiz.com and asked him to write about this issue. I am hoping many of you already emailed him.

I am sure many of you have emailed ceo@echostar.com, but I am guessing NONE of you has received a reply from Dish Network regarding this. And it would not surprise me if you never received a reply. It's a shame how Dish treats its paying customers, it's also a shame that this company won the JD Powers award for Customer Service.

Another question also pops up in my head, and that is when did Dish plan on telling us that no name based recording would be coming?

If SatelliteGuys did not break the news would you still be waiting for NBR? And not that I am picking on Mark Lamutt but I have to wonder if he would have let users know, and I am saying this not because Mark would want to withhold information but because of the limits which are placed on him by Dish Network by his non disclosure agreement with them.

Another question I have in my head is how come almost every receiver released from Dish does not have all the advertised features available out of the box? Why must we wait YEARS to get all the features that were promised? Unless I am mistaken, when you buy a DirecTV receiver all advertised features are there when you buy it, there is none of this "coming in a future software update" crap.

One final thing in closing that I must state, and that is SatelliteGuys is a consumer run website to help consumers. I am not worried about burning any bridges at Dish Network one bit. 90% of the news I report is stuff I dug for myself and without the help of Dish Network, I don't need their help or support and I will continue working hard digging for news to keep you our SatelliteGuys members informed.

I am proud of the fact that here at SatelliteGuys we can call it as we see it. If Dish Network does not like the fact that we speak bad about them at times, then maybe their management should smarten up and give their customers what they promise them.

There is a reason why SatelliteGuys is the Ineternet's Largest and most popular Satellite Forum, and I hope that our honesty with the consumers is one of the reasons why we are the best.

Happy Holidays all!

 

[ShadowEKU]

well said scott... brought a tear to the eye

 

[jlhugh]

Scott, I am behind you. If they want to act like this then we can act or say what we want and not have to worry how E* feels about it. They are not the only ones that are tlked about on this site.

 

[dswallow]

I do wish all you Direct TV people would butt out. We don't need twisting the knife that's already in our backs.

Not a directive from a moderator, but a polite request.

Just correcting the record, since an incorrect implication was made. No need to be testy about it.

I do have Echostar equipment too, though with Bell ExpressVu, so it's always behind the curve of whatever Dish Network releases software-wise.

 

[shadowman11]

Right on Scott!! I did write Charlie, and your theory is correct, as of today I've not received a reply from anyone at Dish. I also forwarded my note to Charlie to Mr. Hopkins. Maybe we should all write JD powers and see if they will downgrade their rating of Dish.

 

[mikew]

Ok, let's put some perspective on this. I'm just as pissed as you are but let's look through Dish's eyes.

1) If you purchased a DVR you did so with no guarantee that new features will be implemented. In many cases your 1 year warranty has run through.

2) The 522 is their latest DVR, and the software is still in the bug-fix stage. It'll be the easiest to intergrate.

3) Added features on lease-only equipment raises it's value, and since Dish owns most of them, raises their value.

4) This allows them to focus on new equipment and new customers instead of focusing on old equipment which might need to be replaced if the software doesn't take. Tech time, replacement costs... just overall cheaper. New DVR's will be released faster because the software team isn't busy working the bugs out of 3 year old programming, some of which is outsourced.

5) It encourages existing customers to upgrade their equipment, which might be needed anyway with MPEG4. This will cause existing customers to lease new equipment instead of own it, force a commitment, and raise more revenue for the company in lease fees and credit card auto pay.

Business-wise it sounds like a good decision. Customer-relations-wise, baaad decision.

All of this would be fine if Dish hadn't stated they were coming out with NBR. They claimed NBR would be available by end of summer, then reduced the price of the 721. I bought two of them with the expectation of NBR coming to those boxes. I'd agree that my 508 & 510 were purchased without that expectation, but I paid $500 for the two 721s with an expectation. Prior to purchasing the 721, I was waiting, and waiting and WAITING for the 522 to become available to regular subs. It's still not available.

Look at your #4 statement. You say..

4) This allows them to focus on new equipment and new customers instead of focusing on old equipment which might need to be replaced....

Your statement should read...

4) This allows them to focus on new equipment and new customers instead of focusing on old equipment AND OLD CUSTOMERS which might need to be replaced....

I've been with Dish for over 4 years and spend over $100 on programming and purchased my equipment at, or near, retail prices. Now I might need to be replaced.

Reading about the upcoming features available on the Series 2 Tivo, my plan is to stay with Dish for another 9 months. I've been wanting to try out Sunday Ticket and I'm sure I'll get a great deal on it next summer. No need to switch now as the news of no NBR doesn't change what I already have. I simply refuse to allow my expenses (well over $1500) on hardware to be shunned because they need to move to MPEG4 and don't want to upgrade the old receivers/old customers.

 

[bcshields]

I absolutely agree with all of you. I think it's a shame and a PR nightmare that Dish has unleashed. I have been waiting patiently for my 721 to get NBR as well, hoping it would be here before the January TV season.

I have been a loyal customer and VOCAL supporter of Dish for the last 2 years, and I am thinking about leaving when my commitment is through now because of this downright lie.

I work for an RSP of Dish, not as an installer but as one of their managers, and I may jump ship because of this.

Just another case of Dish's marketing department not communicating to the hardware side. Dish Network as a company has grown fast and this is one indication that it has grown TOO fast. They really need to overhaul their communication lines. This is why Direct TV does not have these mistakes, and why Dish does. This is also why in the thread about Dish Aquisistion a few weeks ago I stated I believe Dish really needs to be absorbed by a company that knows what it's doing. They need to buy the organization and internal infrastructure that a Fortune 500 company needs, because they certainly don't have it, and they certainly don't show that they have it.

I have this feeling that they said they can do it, then tried for 9 months only to realize they have contractual or physical limitations.. or just incompetent software programmers. Now they are paying the price for their overzealousness in announcing NBR to the masses.

It'll take more than a PPV coupon to shut me up about this too.

 

[ken]

DISH, you screwed me again............

 

[korsjs]

i have dish and will no longer support/defend them when the dish bashers come.

 

[ShadowEKU]

I have dish as well. I have commited my resources and any christmas moneys I have to switching to Direct... Ill be getting an HD tivo and a SD tivo. So I am willing to drop 900 or more to jump ship... taht is how badly mad at dish I am right now

 

[James Long]

My question is why does Dish Network LIE to it's customers?

They are the ones who went on the March Tech Chat and announced that name based recording would be coming this Summer to ALL Dish Network DVR's! They are the ones who announced the details and order of the rollouts.

I'll have to pull that tape. All I heard were plans, not absolute promises.

Some times it is not possible to get a feature to work. They were working on it, and so far have not succeeded. So instead of offering NBR on 522s and future receivers where it *will* work should they just not offer NBR? The choice to go ahead with what they could when they could.

If you don't like it, leave. Goodbye. Don't let the door hit you on the way out. From the tone of the messages in this thread it sounds like many want E* to close up shop and turn of their system over this one issue. Get a grip!

Sorry if you are not getting NBR. Neither am I. Big whoop. Nothing worth screaming about.

JL

 

[bcshields]

I'll have to pull that tape. All I heard were plans, not absolute promises.

Some times it is not possible to get a feature to work. They were working on it, and so far have not succeeded. So instead of offering NBR on 522s and future receivers where it *will* work should they just not offer NBR? The choice to go ahead with what they could when they could.

If you don't like it, leave. Goodbye. Don't let the door hit you on the way out. From the tone of the messages in this thread it sounds like many want E* to close up shop and turn of their system over this one issue. Get a grip!

Sorry if you are not getting NBR. Neither am I. Big whoop. Nothing worth screaming about.

JL

The problem is that after this was announced the 721's price dropped. They inadvertantly tied the two together to sell recievers. then the 921's price dropped.

Everyone stocked up on these receivers and then news filtered out that NBR wasn't going to be available. Whether or not it was planned like that is unsure, I say unlikely given Dish isn't that organized. But it seems like it, and that's what got people upset.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Justalurker, if you have a copy of that chat I would love a copy and so would a number of lawyers who have contacted me about this entire mess.

Actually I would like to make a compulation video of all the times they talked about the 921 and its features on the chats. Just that video alone could make a difference.