upgrade to HD - advice on options.

[reece]

I'm thinking of upgrading to a new tv, and then by a bit of a necessity, a new reciever.

I'm currently using a 522 that I bought years ago on eBay, and pay a $5.98 dvr fee, and a $5.00 "programming access fee" (which I'm guessing is because I'm not hooked up to the phone line?)

So... My question is a simple one - should I buy a new HD DVR/dish from eBay or the like, to avoid the rental fee, or is it going to end up being a wash due to other fees?

 

[WiCkeDuDe]

Just depends on what you want. If you are replacing the 522 with the 722 then the fees will be the same since you are not connected to a phone line. With the 722 you will need to subscribe to a HD package to avoid the HD enabling fee however. The 722 can also be connected via broadband to get rid of the programming access fee.

As far as the receiver itself I bought a new 722 off ebay for less than $300 and never had a problem with it. I already had a 1000.0 dish with the HD satellite I needed to get my locals. If you pay dish for a DIU you get the install, needed dish and the 722 for a pretty good price. I simply dont want the 24 month contract so I bought mine. I also dont trust most DNS techs to come in and do my install as I have a pretty complex media closet and im picky on my cable runs. To avoid these hassles I bought mine.

Plus I figure down the road when a newer receiver comes out I can sell the 722 and get some cost back. I guess it just comes down to if you want to extend your contract.

 

[Laddyboy]

You can avoid the 5.98 DVR fee. Sign up for the DVR Advantage Plan. It includes locals.

There is no lease fee on the first receiver on the account. I have the America Top 200 DVR Advantage w/ locals (50) with Silver HD (10) and a 722 hooked to internet and pay $60 per month.

As WiCkeDuDe noted if you don't hook the receiver to a phone line or the internet, they will ding you another $5 per month. If you have an HD receiver and don't subscribe to any HD programming (locals don't count), you'll be dinged another $7 monthly fee. Since the Silver HD package is only $10 per month, you might as well sign up for HD if you want the HD DVR.

To summarize, if you lease the 722 from E*, sign up for the DVR Advantage Plan, and hook the receiver to your phone line or internet, you will not pay either the DVR fee or the programming access fee you mentioned. They will make you sign a contract for a 24 month commitment.