New subscriber help - No Superdish or 522?

[rshapiro6]

I am trying to sign up for Dish network. This is my first time, I've decided to finally dump Cablevision. I have done extensive research on this site and the Dish home page. However, I have a lot of questions that the Sales people can't seem to answer. I was under the impression that all new installs that would typically require two dishes would be getting the superdish. Every time I give my location and ask what kind of equipment I would be getting, they say I would need two dishes. When I ask about superdish they say, no, that's only for spanish programming and international channels. What's the truth and how do I get one and do I really need one?

I also asked about getting a 522, and they say I can only get a 522 if I pay for two tv's. I currently would like to do digital homa advantage with 2 811'a and one 522. Why must they make it so difficult to sign up a new subscriber?! I am getting very frustrated already and I am not even a customer yet. I am using a referral code from ClubDish also. One CSR actually told me to go to Radioshack and give it to them, but I didn't think it would work with a retailer.

Can someone please help me make the right setup decisions now so I can enjoy my Dish soon? Sorry if these kind of posts are common, but I couldn't find all my answers with searching alone.

 

[ajohnson]

It depends where you are. What's your zip code?

The locals for different areas are on different satellites. If you like, you can go to http://www.dishchannelchart.com and find the city your locals are normally broadcast from. That should show you which satellite they are on.

You start with a single dish 500 pointed at 110 & 119. If your locals are on either of those, you only need the d500.

If 105 or 121, you need a superdish instead.

If 148 or 61.5, you need a second dish.

Usually this is one of the things the csr's get right, so most likely you do actually need two dishes right now. That doesn't mean stuff won't get moved around later.

 

[Neutron]

As long as you hook up the phone line to the 522 you will not have to pay the mirroring fee.

The CSR was only half right on the superDISH. They use it for internationals but they also use it for some locals too. It just depends on where.

Welcome to Satelliteguys!!

 

[rshapiro6]

I am on Long Island, 11735, and so I'm going down that site, which is awesome btw, and I'm thinking, Hey, everything I need is at 110 and 119. But there's just that ONE extra channel, CBS-HD out of NY that is broadcast at 61.5. So, I guess they were right. I thought that Superdish was somehow tied to the amount of HD content I would receive, so is that not the case? And if I have two dishes, how does that get hooked up? I mean, I will have a professional install done, but it just sounds more complicated than it is. Does one dish get better signal than the other, what if the same channel is broadcast on both dishes, which one picks it up? Sounds messy...

So, with two dishes, I can hit all four birds, what other channels can I receive other than CBS now? I guess I will have to look at that site. And the most important questions of the day is, when will E* add more HD content??

 

[chaddux]

when will E* add more HD content??

I think the consensus answer is "after they buy Voom."

 

[SimpleSimon]

... So, with two dishes, I can hit all four birds, what other channels can I receive other than CBS now? I guess I will have to look at that site. And the most important questions of the day is, when will E* add more HD content??

Just for reference, which 4 birds are you thinking of? It DOES make a difference.

A Dish500 can hit 110/119 or act as a Dish300.
A Dish 300 can hit 61.5, 110, 119, or 148.
A SuperDIsh can hit 105/110/119 or 110/119/121.

All of the above depends on location and line of sight.

 

[Barry Erick]

Looking at the chart, is it just missed that all 105 and 121 locals do not show superdish being required?

 

[Derwin0]

I plugged in 11735, and it shows NYC locals.
The big 4 networks plus WB and UPN and WXTV-TV 41 (Univision) are on 119, but you will need a second dish pointed to 61.5 for the following: WLNY-TV 55 (Ind), WNJU-TV 47 (Telemundo), WFTY-TV 67 (TeleFutura), WLIW-TV 21 (PBS), WNJB-TV 58 (PBS/NJN) , WNYE-TV 25 (PBS), WMBC-TV 63 (Ethnic), and WRNN-DT 48 (Ind) as well as CBS-HD

 

[Bobby]

And because you want that station WLNY , you get that second dish installed for free with all the needed hardware.

 

[Cliff]

But there's just that ONE extra channel, CBS-HD out of NY that is broadcast at 61.5

If you are going to receive HD channels you'll need a different receiver than the 522.

 

[rshapiro6]

If you are going to receive HD channels you'll need a different receiver than the 522.

Yes I know this. I am going to do 2 HD sets with 811's and 1 tv in the living room with a 522. Thanks for all your help guys. I already prepped the wife with the whole "We're going to need two dishes on the roof" and she was ok with it, i mean it is in the back of the house anyway... I will call Dish later and let you know how the setup goes.

 

[rshapiro6]

OK, I just finished the sign up process, man, that was long. I asked for the 2 811's and a 522 and she said the computer wouldn't allow it on a 3 tv system. I said so, so add a 4th tv and she did and the price is the same, if i'm running in dual tuner mode. Then they kept trying to push the 5.99 warranty on me, which I declined. Is this worth it? I figure if there are issues with the system that are not m fault, I wouldn't be paying anyway, correct? Anyway, I scheduled for this monday and hopefully it will go smoothly. Thanks for your help guys.

 

[rshapiro6]

The install was done yesterday, it took the guy 5 hours to get both dishes mounted and three tv's connected. The install wend smoothly though, and it took a while because he was alone. These installs should really be done in pairs. Anyway, after he left I started fiddling around with everything and I noticed a nice side effect, all the remotes in the house control all the receivers at the same time! I found how to change the UHF channel so each receiver is independent but is there any way to change to use IR exclusively (I plan on using a universal remote)?

My only other gripe is that the 522 didn't show local channel guide info for the next day, it only showed the day we were watching up untl 12AM. The 811's did not exhibit this problem, any ideas? If anything, the other way around would have been acceptable, since we're not recording with the 811's.

 

[chaddux]

My only other gripe is that the 522 didn't show local channel guide info for the next day, it only showed the day we were watching up untl 12AM.

That happened to mine and seems to be very common for the 522 for the first day. All you have to do is force a new download of the guide information and it should all be there. No guaranteed way of doing it but I have almost 100% success in obtaining a new guide download by doing a check switch. (Menu > 6 > 1 > 1 > Check Switch > Test.) After it finishes, exit out of all menus and it should be re-acquiring signal. After doing so, if it shows a download screen for the program guide, let it do it's thing.

 

[Barry Erick]

The install was done yesterday, it took the guy 5 hours to get both dishes mounted and three tv's connected. The install wend smoothly though, and it took a while because he was alone. These installs should really be done in pairs. Anyway, after he left I started fiddling around with everything and I noticed a nice side effect, all the remotes in the house control all the receivers at the same time! I found how to change the UHF channel so each receiver is independent but is there any way to change to use IR exclusively (I plan on using a universal remote)?

My only other gripe is that the 522 didn't show local channel guide info for the next day, it only showed the day we were watching up untl 12AM. The 811's did not exhibit this problem, any ideas? If anything, the other way around would have been acceptable, since we're not recording with the 811's.

I had the probelm with my remote, also. Look in the manual for remote address and pick numbers from 1 to 16 for each and make them unique.

My installer did not know how to do it because, as he said, the earlier receivers had it in their menu. I'm just repeating what he said.

 

[Derwin0]

... but is there any way to change to use IR exclusively (I plan on using a universal remote)?

As long as the universal remote only has IR, you shouldn't have to do anything. If the remover can't sent UHF, the reciever has no UHF to reciever.

 

[rshapiro6]

One more question, why are my locals listed 3 times? For example, I have 2, 243 and 8101 for CBS NY. Why is this? I have DVR timers set to record off of some of these, is there a chance the content would be different or one of these stations would not be here in the future? Thanks!

 

[Bobby]

They are all one and the same, no difference in content. The information is all on the same transponder on the same satellite. Not all receivers are capable of mapping WCBS to its local channel 2. Initially WCBS was on channel 243 as a nationwide CBS channel. Later, when local in locals came to be, New York got the 8100 slot. That's why it is also on 8101. Your receiver does all of this mapping. I live in N. California and have the New York Nets. I am able to receive WCBS on 243 and 8101 but not channel 2 because MY channel 2 is KTVU, my local Fox station. Eventually I think channel 243 could go away, no other changes are necessary.

 

[rshapiro6]

I've been very happy so far, however I can't tune CBS HD at 9483, it gives me a message that this Dish On Demand program is no longer available. Is there something set wrong on my receivers? Do I have to call E*?? Thanks!

 

[chaddux]

I've been very happy so far, however I can't tune CBS HD at 9483, it gives me a message that this Dish On Demand program is no longer available. Is there something set wrong on my receivers? Do I have to call E*?? Thanks!

The 522 is not an HD receiver.