Statement from DISH - Not Getting the New HD?

[SatelliteGAL]

That was not where I was going. The point I was making was because the Buffalo DMA is NOT eastern arc, contractors and DNS do not carry the 1000.4 setup as part of their inventory.
Right. 129 will work provided there is a lne of sight. Signals will be weak however.

I guess you may have been commenting on someone elses post then. I already said in a previous post that they did not have the 1000.4 in this area so that was what was confusing me.
Also, I guess it depends on what you consider a weak signal. I also posted my signal strengths from my 129 sat and they are not really bad or significantly weak. Some of my 61.5 readings are worse. Others in this area have posted the same thing.

 

[will53033]

Please help a dummy!
Currently I have a dish ponited at 110/119 in my back yard and a dish ponited at 61.5 on the roof of my house in the front. I can not get 129 becuase of LOS.

I want the new HD channels. The tech that came out said he could not install a 1000.4 dish because I could not get sat. 77. Alsom, he said that he only install new customers on EA.

Is it reasonable that I could get 61.5 and 72.5 but not 77? I need to keep the dish in the back yard because some of my locals are on 110 - no all of my locals are in HD (al least on Dish).

I really don't care about 77 because I can not see any channels on there that I would miss.

Any advice that you could give would be appreciated. Is it possoble that the tech was using an excuse because he did not have an EA dish?

Thanks.

 

[navychop]

77 may well have more channels in the future. Best to plan ahead.

 

[Andrewwski]

I hope Dish gets their act together and gets all the Buffalo channels on one arc soon, or at least gets some kind of clue how to hook up wings to do it correctly (WA+61.5 or EA+110), because most of their CSR's (and even high-level "specialists") tell me it can't be done. If they start moving HD off 61.5 and can't figure out how to set us up to receive the right channels, there's going to be a lot of angry people.

I'm already mad that I'm not getting the new HD channels, but Dish is being very unhelpful. They're telling me I can switch to EA, and lose a few SD locals because their system doesn't allow for a wing at 110. And they want me to pay to upgrade a 322 and 311 for a few hundred dollars.

I've fired off several emails to CEO address and haven't gotten a single response. I've been patient so far, but when I get the chance I'm calling executive resolutions (have a few phone numbers from past experiences). It really shouldn't be that hard for them to get it right...

 

[120inna55]

Athens TX is at 95, so it is right in the middle of the 2 arcs, also far enough south that the elevations should be fairly high...

So, being in the DFW (Dallas/Ft. Worth) DMA, would I be losing anything by going with full Eastern Arc? According to "The List", my HD LiL's are on both 61.5 and 110.

I won't be home when the tech/installer comes today, so I left him a note for my wife to give him. Here's an exerpt:

...if I understand it correctly, I need to be either full Western Arc (110/119/129), full Eastern Arc, to or be left at my current configuration of 110/119 with a 61.5 wing, which means no new HD channels. I know you’re intending to install a Western Arc 1000.2 and you probably didn’t bring a 1000.4 with you, but is there any reason we can’t go Eastern Arc if line-of-site dictates? We already know that 61.5 is easily obtained from my roof, and your tech proved that 72.7 is also easily obtained. If you can find 77, that would be full Eastern Arc. I’m pretty sure my HD Locals are on both 61.5 and 110. Perhaps you know of a reason I shouldn’t have Eastern Arc. I’m just concerned you won’t be able to get 129 due to my trees and its low orbital location. Ultimately, I don’t care as long as I get all my channels....

 

[MMG]

Uh-oh! Since aiming my 61.5 to 72.7, I no longer receive FOX NEWS in HD, I only have the SD version. What else is missing???

Now, I wish he hadn't taken my word for it...

Ideally, I wish he'd at least tried to look for 129.

He's supposedly coming back. If he can't find 129, I'll have to have him put it back on 61.5 because I don't want to lose any of my previous HD channels.

What other channels did I sacrifice by moving 61.5 to 72.7? (keeping 110/119).

Glad I'm not the only one that did this! I lost 23 HD channels having the tech re-aim 61.5 to 72.7. He tried to get 129 first but trees were blocking it. The best signal he could get was about a 10... My next step is to keep the 110/119 and get another DISH 500 aimed at 61.5/72.7. I paid the guy 110 so far. He says the next job will be more but he's not sure how much... will need to get a DISH 500 dish and a DPP44.

Is HD moving from 61.5 to 72.7? Are the 9 HD channels coming to 61.5? I need some answers before I do this or I'm just throwing money away. The new 9 HDs are worth it... especially INDIE and RETRO...

 

[Laddyboy]

So, being in the DFW (Dallas/Ft. Worth) DMA, would I be losing anything by going with full Eastern Arc? According to "The List", my HD LiL's are on both 61.5 and 110.

I won't be home when the tech/installer comes today, so I left him a note for my wife to give him. Here's an exerpt:

Western arc and eastern arc are identical in programming. There may be some differences in public interest channels and internationals. Since DFW is a western arc market, they would first attempt a western arc solution. Given your location, 129W is really not a very low orbital location for you compared to subs in the east and NE. Also remember the actual sat signal comes from several degrees higher than where the antenna points since the antenna has an offset LNB. If 129 isn't receivable through the gap, they may have to leave the D500 pointing at 110/119 and relocate the wing dish to where it can see 129 through a gap in the trees. There's several possibilities including the eastern arc one.

 

[plumerman2003]

First time trying to post.

 

[Bobby]

First time trying to post.

Well, you did it, next......

 

[plumerman2003]

I just had my my two dish's replaced this weekend. I logged into dish online and found the online tech help. I told the tech i could not get certain HD channels, knowing why already, but wanted them to tell me. After about 5 minutes she told me i had the wrong setup to receive the new hd channels. She said i could upgrade my second receiver which was not a hd receiver and would not be compatible with the new dish. That was on Thursday, dish replaced on Sat. installer was great, took both old dish's away and now i only have one dish and can pick up all the hd's now and my locals. Cost me the $15 dollars, and an extra $3 per month for the hd receiver instead of the sd receiver i had, but it is a 722 dvr, which i was only supposed to get the 600 series model installed. Now i have to 722's. Channels are coming in great. My experience turned out very well. I believe my hd channels are coming in from the 72 sattelite.

 

[jbernardi]

Installer left an hour ago. He took the two dishes that pointed at 110-119 and 61.5 and installed a 1000.4. Getting the new HD channels, of course.

What HD channels did some of you lose?

 

[flampher]

I just had my my two dish's replaced this weekend. I logged into dish online and found the online tech help. I told the tech i could not get certain HD channels, knowing why already, but wanted them to tell me. After about 5 minutes she told me i had the wrong setup to receive the new hd channels. She said i could upgrade my second receiver which was not a hd receiver and would not be compatible with the new dish. That was on Thursday, dish replaced on Sat. installer was great, took both old dish's away and now i only have one dish and can pick up all the hd's now and my locals. Cost me the $15 dollars, and an extra $3 per month for the hd receiver instead of the sd receiver i had, but it is a 722 dvr, which i was only supposed to get the 600 series model installed. Now i have to 722's. Channels are coming in great. My experience turned out very well. I believe my hd channels are coming in from the 72 sattelite.

Good to hear!

 

[navychop]

Is HD moving from 61.5 to 72.7? Are the 9 HD channels coming to 61.5? I need some answers before I do this or I'm just throwing money away. The new 9 HDs are worth it... especially INDIE and RETRO...

Some HD will move to 72.7. The 9 new HD channels will not move to 61.5.

An EA setup is the way to go. Dish is declining to install new hybrid systems, such as EA with 110/119, although some have such setups and report no problems. Dish seems to think some problems may develop in the future.

Many have posted that Dish has installed EA for them for $99.

 

[120inna55]

Well the "lead tech" (company owner) came out today. My wife told me when he got there, he immediately got on his cell and chewed out the original "green" tech that came out Saturday and aimed the wing dish to 72.7, which I later had to re-aim back to 61.5. He was upset with him for even touching our dish citing that now they are "connected to the job". Then the owner called me on my cell and explained to me that DISH will not allow them to install on metal roofs, and that if they do anything to a setup that involves a metal roof, DISH can deem it a "failed install" and will not pay the installer.

I wonder why they have a problem with metal roofs? My metal roof is installed on top of a composite roof, by the way. This is just my ignorance, I'm not trying to tell the installers how to do their jobs. I just wonder why it's DISH's policy to avoid metal roof installs. The owner said he really didn't know why, only that DISH has a strict policy.

Additionally, he said there was nothing he could do for me. He said, "I don't know how you're getting any signal now." Yet I told him, we've had zero trouble for over 10 years. This seems to be a pattern. Everyone that's ever looked at the place shoots it down before even getting on the roof. This installer never even got up on the roof.

I'm no installer, so maybe I'm being unreasonable, but shouldn't they at least get on the roof and have a look? Sure there's a canopy of mature trees around the house, but my house is pretty tall. It's on pier and beam, and the floor at its lowest point is 5' off the ground. When you get on the roof, you realize that the extra height makes a difference when you aim the dish. When they say things like, "I don't know how you're getting any signal," perhaps they should look and see how its happening. Even the "green" tech found 72.7 in less than 2 minutes and he was using the dish that has been picking up 61.5 rock solid for several years. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's 2 of the EA, right? The only one missing would be 77, right?

He suggested I hire an independant local guy to install a DP44 and a second wing dish to the 72.7. He suggested I buy the DP44 on eBay to save money. He even left behind a used DISH 500 with a DP Pro LNB for me to use for that purpose. (I already have that out in my storage shed). I felt like he was making a peace offering. I have no idea why he would do this. He even told my wife that he would "help me tune it in" if I wanted to try to do it myself. Frankly, I don't want the new channels that badly. I was just trying to prepare for the future and have a setup that DISH preferred. I figure if I start adding things on my own, then DISH can rightfully refuse to support or upgrade me when they change things like this.

So, for now, I'm gonna leave it alone with my hybrid 110/119/61.5. (Which, years ago, was installed by a DISH-contracted installer...I believe the 61.5 was originally added to pick up CBS HD, if memory serves.) For the many years I've been a customer, I've allowed DISH to make the decisions as far as my configuration and I've never modified it. This ranges from my original setup with a DISH 300 with a single LNB (legacy) back in 1996, and then eventually the DISH 500 with dual, then DP Pro and the wing, etc.

Maybe in the future, I'll be able to convince a local independent installer to put up a 1000.4 at EA since I can't get a DISH-contracted installer to touch my setup now.

 

[jbernardi]

My installation of the 1000.4 was free. Maybe because I've had America's Everything Pack and all HD available for nine years. I tipped the installer $10 because he did a good job and was polite.

The installer told me he was told that all future installations will be free.

 

[Laddyboy]

I figure if I start adding things on my own, then DISH can rightfully refuse to support or upgrade me when they change things like this..

I sure see a lot of antennas on metal tops here in Florida and Hawaii and I'm sure the owner didn't do the install. I've done lots of my own installs over the past 13 years and E* has never batted an eyelash when I needed a service call for anything, although that's been rare for me. If you don't want to do the work yourself, you probably need to hire a local to do it. You will not get any additional HD now or in the future as things currently stand unless you add the 72.7 to your configuration. A DPP44 costs lots of bucks. So unless you already have one, you'd be better off erecting a 1000.4 or a 1000.2. Sounds like a weekend project with a pal and a cooler of cold beer awaiting completion.

 

[TheKrell]

The installer told me he was told that all future installations will be free.

Good to see that. How did you initiate your upgrade? Another member mentioned that he got it free several weeks ago from the ceo email address. So I tried that and so far no response.

 

[dmag]

Good to see that. How did you initiate your upgrade? Another member mentioned that he got it free several weeks ago from the ceo email address. So I tried that and so far no response.

How long ago did you send the email?

I sent one about two weeks ago. They got back to me with an email response in three business days. If you've been waiting longer then a couple of weeks I would resend.

The fellow from the executive offices was very nice ans professional. He arranged for everything. They installed the 1k4 dish and replaced my DP301 receiver with a VIP211, but I still had to pay the standard $15 service call fee, (I already had the DHPP). They also did not make me sign up for the two year commitment that usually comes with a receiver replacement.

 

[multnomah]

I wonder why they have a problem with metal roofs? My metal roof is installed on top of a composite roof, by the way. This is just my ignorance, I'm not trying to tell the installers how to do their jobs. I just wonder why it's DISH's policy to avoid metal roof installs. The owner said he really didn't know why, only that DISH has a strict policy

I had the same problem when I asked to be upgraded to a DISH 500. I was told that DISH has this policy for liability reasons. If they drill a hole in the metal, they will have to seal it to prevent leaks, and reportedly there were problems with that in the past. In my case, and yours apparently, they weren't going to be drilling any holes, but the rules still apply.

When I got that response, I waited a week and then phoned DISH again, requesting the same thing again, but with a different installer, and the second one was more accommodating. Maybe he was a felon and didn't believe in following the rules, who knows?

I didn't tip the first one, but I gave the second guy a large tip.

 

[120inna55]

...You will not get any additional HD now or in the future as things currently stand unless you add the 72.7 to your configuration....

Understood. But, as it currently stands, I'm quite content with the HD I have. The additions have no appeal to me.

...A DPP44 costs lots of bucks...

I keep hearing this. I have seen some sites (one in particular being a advertiser here) selling them for ~ $200. However, amazon is selling them for $49. Is this not the same product?

$200: Dish Network DishPRO Plus DPP44 dp44 Switch

$100: DP44 Multi-Switch w/ Power Inserter from AllstarWholesales.com.

$49: Amazon.com: Dish Pro Plus 44 Switch and Power Inserter Kit:?@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/315R1XMMRDL.@@AMEPARAM@@315R1XMMRDL

I must be missing something