Greetings, DIY upgrade?

[kidrem]

Greetings all! : Great forum packed with info!

I am eagerly seeking OTA HD! But ran into a Dish snag....

I currently have SkyAngel on a 301. I am thinking about upgrading to OTA HD and/or a dual display box. SkyAngel told me I could just get the new box then call Dish to tranfer my account (card?) from the 301 to the new box. I called Dish to confirm and they were insistent that they come out and do the install. They also wanted to sell me the box for way more than I want to pay. Is this typical? I really want to buy my own box from a source and price of my choosing, install it (I installed my current system and am a fairly accomplished DIYer), and have SkyAngel and/or Dish switch my account to it. Am I in left field here?

Another option I'm considering is getting an activated Voom box for OTA HD. But if I can't get one of those... back to the new Dish box idea.

What do you think?

 

[Mr Tony]

you cannot transfer the card form the existing box to the new box. Most of the new Dish boxes have the card built in

If you call Dish directly, they will want to do the install. If you buy one outright from a dealer, then you can DIY

 

[kidrem]

Thanks for the info, and the fast reply!

So after I buy one outright and install it... then call Dish to activate it? Are they willing to do that since I didn't buy it from them? If I remember correctly, I only had to call SkyAngel for activation of my current system. So it doesn't seem right to call Dish for activation this time. Maybe I will need to call both SkyAngel and Dish?

 

[Wescopc]

Once you are setup with Sky Angel (and activated with dish network), you will be set up with dish and have an account with them. To activate a new receiver you just need to call dish network, they won't care that you bought it from a dealer.
Bob

 

[Mr Tony]

Are you a SA only customer or a Dish customer too?

If you are SA only, I thought you would call them to do the receiver swap.

 

[kidrem]

I am a customer of SA only. I also would think that I would just call SA. But SA did say that I'd need to call Dish to do the swap.

Sounds like I can do it my way, buy a box myself and install it then have Dish activate it. Dish sure wouldn't have you believe that. Both on the phone and in an email they want to 'Dish-it-up' and pro-install it. Anyway, thanks for the help guys!:up

 

[Wescopc]

Yes, a SA only customer calls Dish Network to activate a replacement or additional receiver. If it is an additonal receiver then you will get a bill from Dish for the five bucks a month.
Bob

 

[Mr Tony]

Thanks wescopc
Did not know that

 

[ShaneLinder]

When I bought a new reciever I had to set up an account with DISH first before I could activate the reciever. I get the five-dollar bill each month.

 

[andrews777]

I am not sure I follow, but is this an HD receiver? If so, you may get hit with the "HD enabling fee" since you do not subscribe to any DIsh HD packages.

I know I have to pay the DVR fee to Dish, even though I am "SkyAngel only" right now. (Though I did add locals recently.)

Brad

 

[Mr Tony]

I am not sure I follow, but is this an HD receiver? If so, you may get hit with the "HD enabling fee" since you do not subscribe to any DIsh HD packages.

If he buys a 811 (or leases a 381) there is no HD fee since you can't get any HD on it but OTA. I have DishFamily and a 811 and there is no HD fee. get my OTA nice and clean. The 921/942 don't have the fee either. All 3 of these can get both digital and analog TV

Only the 622 (if he gets a DVR) will. The 211 & 411 do too but no DVR in them. These only get the digital channels (no analog so if a station hasnt upgraded to digital you wont see it on these)

 

[gearheadchnc]

The 811 is mpeg2 only and is replaced by the 211 but dish may be coming out with a 222 early 2007 which will do hd on one tv and sd on the second but you'll a phone. This is not a dvr though and pricing of purchase or upgrade pricing hasn't been determined.