Just thought I'd post this as I seem to see lots of negative stuff here but little positive. Note that this only pertains to my particular experience; I can't speak for anyone else.
I have been a customer for about 3 years now. Using a 625. I have been wanting to upgrade to HD service since I got a 50" plasma last year, but I mostly watch Blu-ray and HD DVD movies so it didn't really matter. I had done the online chat several times, and called once, to see if I could get a lower price for an HD box. They always denied me and said it cost $150 or $200 for a 622 with install.
A few weeks ago I got a card in the mail saying I could upgrade for free. Which is funny because I had just done an online chat a few days prior and was quoted the $150 price. So I called and spoke to someone very pleasant who sounded like she was from the East Coast of the USA, rather than India like my prior call.
I did agree to a 2 year contract. What they ended up giving me was a free upgrade to a 622 including install, 3 credits of $39.99 on my 1st, 10th, and 20th months. Also free HBO and Starz for 3 months, and free HD platinum for 3 months. Also something like a $7 credit for a free HD PPV or VOD movie, which I'll probably never use. I asked about upgrading to a 722, they said it would be an extra $125, so I declined.
My appointment was only 2 days away, and the installer showed up towards the beginning part of the 4 hour window. He was very professional and even chatted with me about home theater in general. He brought a 722 with him and said he had no idea why Dish said I was getting a 622: he had not installed one in a long time.
So far I have been very happy with my 722 and HD service. I am loading up on all kinds of HD movies while I do have HBO, although I am very tempted to keep it after the free promo. Picture quality seems very good on my 50" 1080P plasma, although I can see (and hear!) the improvement on a good HD DVD or Blu-ray disc. Even some SD content looks much better now, like the Soaps that my wife watches.
The only minor issues that I have are the same ones that I had on my 625: some occasional artifacting on my local NBC feed, and more importantly the interuption of a recording program by the nightly update for the box. That last one is really annoying because it really should know better and skip the update for that day, or at least til the recording is done. Also I think in one instance it told me I had a recorded a movie for 1.5 hours when in reality it only had 20 minutes before it got cut off.
I guess we will see how happy I am when my first bill arrives. It should be my usual $56.XX, plus $10 for HD, and then next month a few extra dollars for a price increase next month(which the rep did mention on the phone, saying she believed it would only be a few dollars).
BTW, the installer mentioned the 922. He did not know release dates but said it was basically a 722 with a wireless feed for HD on the TV2 tuner. I have no idea if that is true because I stopped looking at the 922 when I saw the ugly remote.
I have been a customer for about 3 years now. Using a 625. I have been wanting to upgrade to HD service since I got a 50" plasma last year, but I mostly watch Blu-ray and HD DVD movies so it didn't really matter. I had done the online chat several times, and called once, to see if I could get a lower price for an HD box. They always denied me and said it cost $150 or $200 for a 622 with install.
A few weeks ago I got a card in the mail saying I could upgrade for free. Which is funny because I had just done an online chat a few days prior and was quoted the $150 price. So I called and spoke to someone very pleasant who sounded like she was from the East Coast of the USA, rather than India like my prior call.
I did agree to a 2 year contract. What they ended up giving me was a free upgrade to a 622 including install, 3 credits of $39.99 on my 1st, 10th, and 20th months. Also free HBO and Starz for 3 months, and free HD platinum for 3 months. Also something like a $7 credit for a free HD PPV or VOD movie, which I'll probably never use. I asked about upgrading to a 722, they said it would be an extra $125, so I declined.
My appointment was only 2 days away, and the installer showed up towards the beginning part of the 4 hour window. He was very professional and even chatted with me about home theater in general. He brought a 722 with him and said he had no idea why Dish said I was getting a 622: he had not installed one in a long time.
So far I have been very happy with my 722 and HD service. I am loading up on all kinds of HD movies while I do have HBO, although I am very tempted to keep it after the free promo. Picture quality seems very good on my 50" 1080P plasma, although I can see (and hear!) the improvement on a good HD DVD or Blu-ray disc. Even some SD content looks much better now, like the Soaps that my wife watches.
The only minor issues that I have are the same ones that I had on my 625: some occasional artifacting on my local NBC feed, and more importantly the interuption of a recording program by the nightly update for the box. That last one is really annoying because it really should know better and skip the update for that day, or at least til the recording is done. Also I think in one instance it told me I had a recorded a movie for 1.5 hours when in reality it only had 20 minutes before it got cut off.
I guess we will see how happy I am when my first bill arrives. It should be my usual $56.XX, plus $10 for HD, and then next month a few extra dollars for a price increase next month(which the rep did mention on the phone, saying she believed it would only be a few dollars).
BTW, the installer mentioned the 922. He did not know release dates but said it was basically a 722 with a wireless feed for HD on the TV2 tuner. I have no idea if that is true because I stopped looking at the 922 when I saw the ugly remote.
