New customer - AM21 ordering issue

[ciscore]

I called today to order DirecTV service after having Dish for close to 10 years. After the BTN/Dish issues, I'd had enough. With the haphazard phone call into DirecTV to get service and not knowing what they offered and what they didn't, I realized I wasn't able to get HD locals yet. Supposedly my local markets are listed for 2012 HD locals, but it's fairly late in the year so I can't count on that happening. After assurance from a supervisor at the time of ordered that I would somehow get HD locals because I was getting an "HD satellite dish," I found on my own that he was incorrect. I called tonight to try to order an AM21 so I could use my antenna to get HD locals. What a mess! First they had no idea what I was talking about with the AM21, then after "researching," the supervisor comes back and says the HR34 doesn't support the AM21 so they can't sell it to me. I figure these are my three options:
1. Cancel the DirecTV order/install and go with local cable for now until Dish and BTN get their act together
2. Live with SD locals until whenever DirecTV gets HD locals here
3. Order an AM21 on my own and hope that it works

Any advice? I have to say, so far, DirecTV's customer service has been really crappy and I'm not feeling so great about this move and new 24 month commitment.

 

[Mr Tony]

The HR34 and AM21 work great together....I have one with NO issues (as do others)
http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/282047-AM21-HR34-OTA-happiness

You can order a AM21...once your account is set up online go under account, then equipment, then accessories and you can order a AM21 for $50 + tax

What market are you in? The HR34 will "scan" for locals that are not in the database. Other DVR's just wont show them but the AM21 shows them but no guide info.

 

[Mr Tony]

in all honesty, I'd ask questions here. We're pretty good at getting you the right answer

 

[ciscore]

I think I had seen one of your replies about it working fine in my searches and told the supervisor that I had read multiple sites stating it worked. He claimed it had something to do with the dual tuner of the AM21 and the 5 tuners in the HR34. As long as I know it'll work and I can get it through DirecTV, I might as well go ahead with the install and just get it ordered afterward. It kind of sucks to be given false information at the time of ordered just to push the sale, then have to spend an additional $50.

Thanks for the info, I really appreciate it!

 

[ciscore]

Oh and sorry, I'm in the Rochester MN-Mason City IA-Austin MN market.

 

[Mr Tony]

The AM21 uses 2 tuners so if you have a HR24 as example you still have 2 tuners total.
The HR34 has 5 so it can be
0 OTA 5 sat at one time
1 OTA 4 sat
2 OTA 3 sat <------doing that right now

Adding the AM21 doesnt add any tuners

 

[ciscore]

Ok great, that makes perfect sense.

 

[Mr Tony]

Oh and sorry, I'm in the Rochester MN-Mason City IA-Austin MN market.

right now these are in the database according to a spreadsheet
KIMTDT 3.1
KIMTDT2 3.2
KAALDT 6.1
KTTCDT 10.1
KTTCDT2 10.2
KSMQDT 15.1
KSMQDT2 15.2
KSMQDT3 15.3
KSMQDT4 15.4
KYINDT 24.1
KYINDT2 24.2
KYINDT3 24.3
KXLTDT 47.1

so the HR34 would "Scan" in the following
3-3 Weather
6-2 ThisTV
47-2 MeTV

sadly here in Minneapolis its the same way. 5-3 (meTV) and 5-6 (ThisTV) show no guide info (but you can set manual timers)

 

[stonecold]

Yes many DTV people get confused about the AM21 when they get calls from customers. It is because they are poorly trained half the time and simply do not understand it well enough.

The reason why the AM21 does not add tuners is that it is doing no actuall processing of the raw digital stream coming off the antenna. AM21 picks up tune to the freq , but processing still gets done on one of the mp4 decoders on the box tieing up tuner.

 

[levibluewa]

Do they ever waive the $50 fee? or are there HD-DVRs with OTA built in? I had H20-100 boxes and they had OTA capability built in.

Regarding HR24/34 boxes...is it $8 a month dvr fee, and $6 for each additional HD (non-DVR) box...I've noticed for new subs...$20 monthly "advanced receiver fee" ... so is it $28 a month for 1 HD-DVR? I'm more confident I'll get the right answer here than from a Dtv CSR

 

[Mr Tony]

Do they ever waive the $50 fee?

rarely

or are there HD-DVRs with OTA built in? I had H20-100 boxes and they had OTA capability built in.

nope not anymore

Regarding HR24/34 boxes...is it $8 a month dvr fee, and $6 for each additional HD (non-DVR) box...I've noticed for new subs...$20 monthly "advanced receiver fee" ... so is it $28 a month for 1 HD-DVR? I'm more confident I'll get the right answer here than from a Dtv CSR

The $20 "advanced receiver fee" is the following
DVR
Whole Home DVR
HD

So you're saving a $1 over the alacarte prices.....but then there is a $10 HD credit

If you are a current customer they bill you alacarte. I have just a HR34 and pay the $8 DVR fee only