Upgrading 1 Receiver From SD to HD

[StealthMonkey]

I currently have a HR24 and H24 that I am happy with. I also have whole-home DVR. I also have a old, gross, D12 SD Receiver (that I loathe with a passion). I am considering getting a new TV for SD room and would obviously want to switch it out for a standard HD receiver (e.g. H24).

Cost: Just to see what it said, I went online and added it to my cart. It wants to charge me $99 (plus an additional TV fee). I actually want to swap, not get an additional receiver. When I call, what should I expect as far as cost for the exchange? $99? Free? Somewhere in between? I am currently under a 1yr contract due to free NFL ST. Any tips or suggestions for this?

Process: Can this just be done by mail, with me swapping the receivers out myself? Or does this require (or do y'all recommend) professional installation?

Thanks guys!

 

[raoul5788]

Being under contract will lessen your bargaining power. Only a call to Directv will tell you how much you have. They may send you one and let you swap it out. Again, you have to call to find out.

 

[Jimbo]

I don't know if they will do a straight out swap, then again if you tell them you want to go from SD to HD with your last recvr they may.

I would expect to pay $99 or less for a H24.

They may try to get you interested in a Genie as well, thats YOUR call on the genie.

Remember, if you add a recvr or swap it out, it's a new 2 year commitment.

 

[Bodo Fenrirsson]

If you have a SWM set-up(one cable coming out of your dish LNB instead of 4 cables),you could ask for a H25 http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.as...iver-(H25)&c=DIRECTV Receivers&sku=8546300061 ,which is smaller that the H24(I have both). Wait until you do upgrade your TV,call Directv & tell them what you want to do,or order your H24/H25 third party,like eBay,for a cheaper price,because no doubt you'll still pay through Directv approx. $99.00 for the new receiver if you go through them. If you order third party,then hook up the receiver to your TV in place of your old D12(you won't need pass band filter,so disconnect that from your cable before hooking your cable up to your new receiver),turn it on so that it can set up up to activation,call Directv & give them the information they need to activate it,then tell them that it is replacing your D12 & you need your D12 deactivated & removed from your account. You should be good to go. Like Jimbo said however is that,no matter how you get your new receiver,because it is considered an upgrade,your contract will be extended 2 years.

 

[texasbrit]

Standard charge for an HD receiver form DirecTV is $99, there is no "swap" as such, you don't get any credit for your D12. If you login to your DirecTv account, you might find you have an offer of an upgrade at less then $99, even free. With DirecTV, you can't specify what sort of receiver you want. If you want a specific type, you would have to get it from an online vendor like Solid Signal. Typically same price, still leased, still a 2 year commitment.
On ebay you will see receivers from third party authorized distributors, typically for the same price as DirecTV or sometimes slightly less, still leased and 2 year commitment. You will also see receivers for "sale" from individuals. Buyer beware, many of these are leased receivers already on someone's account and DirecTv will not activate them! They will only activate "owned" receivers, and a typical price for an owned receiver on ebay is $150 or so. If you want to buy from ebay, ask the seller for the receiver ID and then call DirecTV, ask for the access card department, and they will confirm for you if the receiver is owned and can be activated. Otherwise you are buying an expensive doorstop.

 

[StealthMonkey]

Wow! Well, I am I glad I asked. Thanks everyone who answered.

If I got this straight... activating a new HD receiver (either from Directv or third-party) will add a 2-year commitment? That's nuts.

If I am going to sign up for 2 more years, I want a lot more than a different receiver. I guess I'm just going to stick with what I got.

 

[robjlevin]

Or, call them and find out what they'll do for you. Unless you ask, you'll never know.

 

[Aridon]

If you're going for new gear you are better off canceling and signing up again. They have kind of cracked down on that so you would need to be a little inventive if you run into issues.

They are nuts wanting a 2 year agreement just for adding a box. Especially given they charge you for it and the other 10 people that will get that box over its life.