HD upgrading: cost and national feeds

[chuckles2]

I currently have 3 d*tivos (SD) in use with tivo for life service .
I have both west and east national channels.

If I upgrade to HD -
1- cost of 3 units
2- PVR fee?
3- national HD channels available (locals are available in HD)?

I really don't much at all about this stuff, so if I've failed to ask a question I should have your help is requested.

 

[Jimbo]

I currently have 3 d*tivos (SD) in use with tivo for life service .
I have both west and east national channels.

If I upgrade to HD -
1- cost of 3 units
2- PVR fee?
3- national HD channels available (locals are available in HD)?

I really don't much at all about this stuff, so if I've failed to ask a question I should have your help is requested.

If you call D* and tell them you would like to upgrade, they will probably discount the recvr(s), first one at least.
Normal price for them ate H Recvrs $ 99, HR Recvrs $ 199, you may do better than that depending on your account status with them. (HR is the DVR unit)

DVR fee is $ 6.99, but it covers ALL DVR's on the account, not a separate fee like some others.

National HD channels available, YES, you'll have to look at the list at D*'s website, too many to post.
As for your Locals in HD,you didn't say where you are, so probably, but can't say for sure.

If you call D* they will set up an appointment and come out and install all the new equipment for you free, including a Slimline (probably SWM ) Dish free.

 

[texasbrit]

I think the OP means can he keep the national feeds of the networks (DNS). In theory, if his locals are available, he should lose the DNS channels, although it depends whether they were "grandfathered", many people have kept them and just kept quiet about it.

 

[chuckles2]

thanks guys!
and yes I did mean the national feeds.

What would my monthly bill run for 3 PVRs, HD, and PVR fee (reckon the "new" tivo would accept my tivo forever ;-) )?

 

[mini1]

You might think about just waiting, because if the new DirecTivo comes out, you could (most likely) transfer your lifetime sub over to it and save the $6.99/month.

 

[NGeorge]

Now that D* stopped differentiating HD and SD dns feeds, you should be good as long as you don't change your service address. If you got your DNS after the "just tell them you can't get it with an antenna" phase, but before the 2nd revision of SHVIA, you should be grandfathered in and they shouldn't give you any hassle. That's a window from 1999-2003 IIRC.

--Nat

 

[Jimbo]

You might think about just waiting, because if the new DirecTivo comes out, you could (most likely) transfer your lifetime sub over to it and save the $6.99/month.

You really think so ?

And thats still a Big IF, for it really coming out, no dates as of yet.

 

[dishrich]

You should NOT loose your lifetime DVR fee - period. When D* took this over from Tivo, it should stay with you, as long as you are a D* DVR subscriber, REGARDLESS if you have actual "Tivo" type DVR's on your account.

 

[raoul5788]

I'm not sure about that dishrich. I thought the free lifetime dvr was for the TIVO brand only. Any one here have a Directv dvr that has free lifetime service transfered from a TIVO?

 

[harshness]

I think the OP means can he keep the national feeds of the networks (DNS). In theory, if his locals are available, he should lose the DNS channels, although it depends whether they were "grandfathered", many people have kept them and just kept quiet about it.

HD DNS is still a different bird from SD DNS and there is NO grandfathering on HD DNS. DIRECTV must qualify you for HD DNS and if you don't qualify, they can't offer it to you.

STELA (that superceded SHVERA) doesn't change that. What STELA did change was that you can qualify for DNS if you can't receive signal from your DMA as opposed to SHVERA that required that you couldn't receive the network's signal from a any station (or repeater).

If the OP doesn't currently qualify for HD DNS and chooses to keep SD DNS, they won't get satellite delivered HD national networks (DNS or LIL).

DIRECTV's policies do not take precedence over STELA.

 

[harshness]

And thats still a Big IF, for it really coming out, no dates as of yet.

With the recent buzz, the new DIRECTiVo is pretty certain. I'll bet it is released within six months (probably before the HR34 and the nomad).

 

[dishrich]

I'm not sure about that dishrich. I thought the free lifetime dvr was for the TIVO brand only.

Again, NOT after D* took over all the DVR billing, etc. from TIVO. On their policies manual, it stays on the account forever, as long as you are a customer in good standing - & does not make any mention of it needing to be a "TIVO" type DVR. It even goes on to say that if you DO disco & then reopen your same account, you still retain it even then.

Now that being said - the CSR CAN certainly screw something up when the last TIVO is removed from an account, & NOT being able to get it reinstated. The OP MUST make this VERY clear to the CSR & caution them about this, & should take plenty of notes when talking to D* about this.

 

[Jimbo]

With the recent buzz, the new DIRECTiVo is pretty certain. I'll bet it is released within six months (probably before the HR34 and the nomad).

I agree, but I think 6 months is much longer than the poster was wanting to wait.

 

[chuckles2]

"if the OP doesn't currently qualify for HD DNS and chooses to keep SD DNS, they won't get satellite delivered HD national networks (DNS or LIL)."

I don't quite follow this - maybe the low tech version? and what is LIL?

 

[charper1]

LiL = local into local