I see advertisements all the time for free installation for up to 4 rooms. After perusing the forum it seems that some people have to pay the installer extra to fish wires through for rooms outside the the one tv??? What exactly should I expect? I have 5 tvs in 4 rooms and my install is next saturday. Am I going to be charged anything extra?
Is It Really FREE Installation?
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I was planning on making a thread today as well.. My install is tomorrow 12-4pm and I'm sure the installer isn't going to be pleased. We're keeping our local cable co as well as adding DTV. While I've read 4 rooms and or 125ft of cable x 4 many posts here don't say the same thing. From what I've read here installers hit you for everything they can and some. While I get the whole sympathy for the installer thing I refuse to be taken by any private contractor. 
For a normal install there is no charge and the installer should not ask you for money. If you want cables fished or any other extra work done then you can ask him how much.
It was free for me.
They ran well over 125 of cable. I am custom installed on a post that is 40 feet away from the house. The cable is in conduit that is buried 3 inches under ground. They did use the existing cable for the two tv's upstairs, but ran new cable for my primary set.
They were at my house for 5 hours. They refused to drink anything - I kept offering.
They were very neat and did a great job.
The problem with boards like this (same at the BMW sites) - is people mostly use them to complain. You here the horror stories but rarely here the good things.
Don't be overly concerned if this is your first install. The thing I would be more concerned with is LOS issues.
They ran well over 125 of cable. I am custom installed on a post that is 40 feet away from the house. The cable is in conduit that is buried 3 inches under ground. They did use the existing cable for the two tv's upstairs, but ran new cable for my primary set.
They were at my house for 5 hours. They refused to drink anything - I kept offering.
They were very neat and did a great job.
The problem with boards like this (same at the BMW sites) - is people mostly use them to complain. You here the horror stories but rarely here the good things.
Don't be overly concerned if this is your first install. The thing I would be more concerned with is LOS issues.
Basic install is FREE custom work is at the disgression of the installation company. Most will charge extra because it means more work and also affects the number of installations that can be done in a day.
I havent read much on the directv forum as I dont have it but thats changing here shortly on the 19th. Mastec will most likely be installing my system for an hr20 and a standard digital box and a slim line 5 lnbf dish. In my situation it will be easy, the dish will go onto a fascia mount on the north side and the two cables run under the eave all the way on the back to the south side to the grounding and two existing cables and their done. In my situation there are no reasons for additional charges as this will fall within the scope of a standard install.
Again the basic 4 room install is free. As most use existing cable when able to. But it even says in d,s install site that custom installs could cost you money including fishing wires through walls. The installer i have had here were excellent. I saw were a post said that they dont want to be taken advantage of by the contractor. On the other hand the contractor does not tp be taken advantage of by the customer either.
Where can I find the terms of this pro install? Can someone provide a link? I have a feeling I was mislead by the DTV rep and I'll be mislead by the installer. I need to get things in order if I expect this to be done anytime soon. I have a feeling while my install is tomorrow 12-4pm it won't be getting installed. From what I'm reading an install isn't really an install anymore. When we first got DTV in NY they ran wire and did everything they had to for the install and it didn't cost us anything. Now a few years later it sounds like if they have to do anything past the multi other then program the box it's gonna cost you. :down This idea of anything more to get it running being a "custom" install is ridiculous. I'm sure the terms of the install leave lots of room for the contractors to make some $$$. In the end it isn't our problem if they let themselves be taken advantage of as installers.. if that's what you'd call it.
I don't understand how having to fish cable is not considered part of the standard installation, when the dual tuner dvr's requires two home runs (well, for D* anyway). Most "standard" houses have one cable going to each room, not two. So perhaps they should say installation is free unless you are ordering any dual tuner receiver, until they figure out how to do what E* has been doing for years.
Im sure I have my model number wrong, HR - 20 is the hd dvr correct? Im getting the hd receiver without the dvr so that should be one coax correct? If not then the tech will have to go into the attic and use the existing coax to pull the new one down the wall wich I'll be the one doing that.
Not sure why they arent doing it because I dont believe E has a patent on it though they may have a patent on the hardware/software part of it in the lnbf/switch/receiver.
Yea I got it wrong, its the H20 so a single line, and this will be a 5lnbf if Im correct. I'll be getting a fascia mount plate this week from a local contractor.
Because a fish is a lot more work and takes more time than going through an exterior wall or the floor.
"Standard" houses...not that's funny! :haha Standard as in RG-59 with multiple splitters in line? And what about the customers that don't want the TV to be where their "standard" cable run is?
Exterior runs, depending upon the house, can usually be done in such a manner as not be be noticeable.
It's like this:
Standard installation is running cable either through the floor from a basement or crawlspace, or through the outside wall, period.
It does not include wall fishing. Wall fishing in some cases adds considerable time to a job depending on how difficult it is to do. If the easiest route would to drill through a floor or exterior wall to run new cable or even for a DVR 2nd line, but you'd rather have it fished in the wall for aesthetics or appearance, then yeah, you will get charged extra. Wallfishing is not considered standard work. Either you can run your own lines or be ready to shell out a few extra dollars to have it done by the installer.
When I installed satellite a wall fish for one line could take 20 minutes or 90 minutes depending on the house and the layout. Houses that have been remodeled including restructuring and adding on additions are nightmares when its work thats been done by shady contractors or well intentioned but uneducated homeowners ( I recommend watching Holmes on Homes on Discovery Home channel before you higher anyone to do any kind of remodel on your home ). Wall fishing entails measuring, locating utilities, locating studs, drilling, cutting drywall, using fish tape or glow rods, working in attics / crawlspaces / basements and all of this adds time and scenario's and its a part of an install that should not be free.
The DW is requesting for us to ditch cable and get D*. I'm looking at 2 HD-DVRs, 3 standard boxes. I have old RG59 cables ran through a crawl space. So from what I'm reading here, I should be able to get a free install if I run my QS RG6 from each location (2 for each HD-DVR) and leave enough slack to reach the end of the house and to the roof? Or do they go through the roof into the attic? Also if I leave the cables unterminated on both ends, would they terminate them and attach a wall plate at each TV as part of the free installation? Lastly, approx. how much would it cost if I let the installer fish the cables up to the attic and mount the dish on my roof? BTW I have a single story rancher.
If you run the wire yourself just bring all of the wires to the same point on the outside of your home. Preferably by the electric and phone.
My installer had a charge to run the cable through the attic and down through the wall. Actually, he didn't even want to take money to go in the attic.
Otherwise he wanted to do a run over my porch, through my porch and punch a new hole in through the exterior wall. Sounded sloppy so I asked if I could do the attic run. He said yes and gave me the cable. I made a 75' run through the attic and wall before he had the dish mounted. No charge.
Otherwise he wanted to do a run over my porch, through my porch and punch a new hole in through the exterior wall. Sounded sloppy so I asked if I could do the attic run. He said yes and gave me the cable. I made a 75' run through the attic and wall before he had the dish mounted. No charge.
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