Some final pre-installation questions

[jabels]

Hopefully, sometime between 12-5 today a nice installer-type person should be coming to my house. I have some final questions (and hopefully, I won't need to write again for help *after* it's installed. Everything will just work, right?

1. I ordered from dishnetwork directly (I know, I know). Will they be able to give me the number of my local installing contractors? (You know, in case nobody shows up?)

2. Would it be prudent to call this local installation outfit to confirm they actuallly have me a work order for me today?

3. The place where the 522 is going doesn't have a phone jack. Should I call in advance and inform them of this? Also, do installers carry the wireless phone jacks, and what's the price difference between one of those and getting a jack installed? (I can buy one myself for $80 at Best Buy, and possibly less at Radio Shack).

4. I have a DVD player that plugs into my RCA jacks on the TV (The Red, White, and Yellow.) I also have a VCR that plugs into my coax on the back. Since my TV only has one set of RCA ports, is this going to work? Or am I going to just have to switch between the DVD and Sat at the moment (one of these days, I'll have a real tv, with stereo sound even).

5. How long does installation take if there are no "surprises". I absolutely have to be gone by an hour after the install window (12 - 5) and I'm wondering if I should call the dispatch before hand to tell them that.

 

[Sky King49]

Well..first about the install. Its depends on how much he has to do. My guy was here
for almost 3 hours and he still did not do everything he was suppose to. I have a 36in tv hooked up to my stereo plus I have a VCR, CD player, DVD player and sony receiver all hooked up for surround sound. I also have a radio shack switch box that I use when
playing a DVD. If you have two tvs hooked up to one receiver, like me, make sure your second tv looks as good as the main tv. About the phone cord. My guy told me I did not have to keep it connected for long...two days he said, so I just hooked it up
in a temp position thinking I could remove it soon. Wrong..according to the folks at dish. I had to drill a hole going downstairs and back up behind my tv so I could hide
the cord...what a pain. Make sure he grounds the system..usually to a cold water pipe in the basement. Make sure he explains everything to you. If it is a contractor I think they get paid by the job so they may rush though. I got a tech straight from Dish. The first thing he said to me was, "I think we might have to do this another day"..it had snowed about an inch the night before and he did not want to go on the roof. Turns out he was able to install it low enough so that a small step ladder was enough. Its good for me too because I can clean it off easily if need be.


Yesterday I got up and had no color and spent over 2 hours with the tech folks trying to get it back. Well it worked but now my surround sound does not work. They are coming out tomorrow to fix it. I know its something simple like an RCA jack problem but I got fed up with trying to fix it myself. I have a ton of wires hooked up. First they said they would be out in a few days but they called back later and gave me a quicker appointment. I had told them that if they could not fix it to be prepared to take their stuff out of my house. I am not a patient person when it comes to this stuff. I am glad I didn't sign any contract. I think it gives me more clout because they know I can simply cancel at any time. I am happy with the picture and the sound. They do have to make it easier for those folks like myself that are not very technical. I can see why some older folks don't want to switch from Cable. My parents who are in their late 70's would not have been able to troubleshoot any problems over the phone with a tech person. Good luck.

 

[Sky King49]

An update. The tech person did not come on Monday. I called them up and they said
the "new" date that I was given was not entered into the computer. I was first given an appointment for this thursday but later on Saturday a Customer service person called and told me they had an opening for Monday, yesterday. They said she might
have penciled it in. I have never heard of that especially in the age of computers.
Anyway they gave me a new date...wednesday afternoon. I told them if they did not show up I could simply cancel and go with Direct TV. I am so glad I did not sign a contract. This is the only problem I can see with Dish or Direct TV..it seems that it takes them a lot of time to fix the problem. I had cable since it first came out and I
never had to have a tech come out and do anything. They also did not have be troubleshooting the problems for them. Like I said, I spent well over 2 hours on the phone Saturday trying to solve the problem with a tech. I wasted Monday and lost
over $300 because I was home waiting for them. I will lose the same amount of money
on wednesday.....that is $600 dollars I am losing which I could use to pay my bill.
I am not happy.