What do you think

billy62

New Member
Original poster
Aug 20, 2009
4
0
OH
I am a new customer who has the Gold 250 DVR package with a two year commitment. I also have a 510 which I wanted to activate. Do not mind the extra receiver fee of 5 dollars but refused to pay the extra DVR fee. This is my thinking. I get $15 off each month for a year and free HBO, Showtime free for 3 months and Cinemax a year, for a penny. This is a savings for the first year of $180. Really upset about the DVR fee. D does not do it. I want out of my commitment as soon as possible so I am not tied to Dish. If at the end of a year I buy back my commitment for $180 ($15 X 12) for early cancellation I will be free of it and would be able to do what I want to do. Maybe, maybe go to D if they have one heck of a deal. Of course if I like dish I may rethink this. This is my point. If I do the above I will pay just what anyone even a 10 year customer would for a year. The $180 I got in refund I pay back and get out of the commitment. Still had HBO and Showtime, and Cinemax. It is like me using their money for a year and get out of jail card also. I would explain to Dish this is how much I hate the extra DVR fee, but I know they will not care so why waste the time. I will admit this is for principle only and I am mad. What do you think?
 
You could just buy a 501 or 508 off Ebay and be done with it (both units have dvr but no fee).
 
You can rationalize it this way, but it's still going to be $180 paid out of your pocket when you leave. So in one year, you will need to compare what you are paying for Dish at that time with whatever offer D* has PLUS install cost PLUS $180 spread out over the promotional period for D*. This is the way to look at it if you are making a decision based on cost.
 
I know my local cable company charged $20/month for their DVR two years ago. I shudder to think what it might be now.

I'm not crazy about that Dish Network charge, but find it much lower than cable. I don't know all of DirecTV's charges, not having had their service, but I am happy to have an E* 622 and 722, which are terrific receivers and DVRs.

Why don't you use the service for a while before writing about ditching it? You might really enjoy it! :D If not, you can ask about cancelling then.
 
That may be one of the oddest strategies ever. It's amazing what people will do because one thing upsets them. I would ride it out for a bit. Who knows, maybe before then Dish will change their DVR fee to one fee for the whole house.
 
I can see the rationale for a lease fee. But just a flat out DVR fee has always baffled me. It's not a service- it's a function of the box. 501/508/510 are identical machines (hdd the exception), yet only one carries a fee.

It upsets me that I own my equipment (i refuse to be in a contract) and the I have to pay a DVR fee. I love the HD and wonder what kind of a fee it will turn into when HD in the norm.....?

Get a 501/508 and forget about it. Or upgrade to the AEP.
 
I can see the rationale for a lease fee. But just a flat out DVR fee has always baffled me. It's not a service- it's a function of the box. 501/508/510 are identical machines (hdd the exception), yet only one carries a fee.
They got to pay the Tivo lawsuit costs off somehow. ;)
 
I don't know, but every time I try and look at the cost's of D* vs E*, E* wins. Even with the extra DVR fee you pay more for D* to begin with. There is the EXTRA receiver fee you pay for with D*. There is the $400 you would pay upfront to get 2 HD DVR's and 2 STD DVR's, plus at this time you don't have multi room viewing of those DVR's.

People come back with you pay a premium for a premium service. Where is D* a premium service, they both give you pretty much the same channels.
 
Here is an even better option. Get a 211 from Dish with a promotion that they have. You should get it for little or nothing. Pay Dish $40 for the DVR functionality so that you can attach an external hard drive to it. You will have no DVR fee. Sometimes you can twist their arm and get the $40 fee waived. You save $6 x 12 months = $72 per year (minus the $40 for the fee to activate the functionality). This will give you LOTS of recording capability, hundreds of hours of SD or many many hours of HD recording capability. The 211 allows you to receive HD programming as well.
 
I did that very thing. I had 3 dvrs on my account at one time; Two 722s and a 622 dvr. I then traded in all 3 and got a 722k and a 211k . I paid for the dvr feature for the 211k and now my kid watches his kid shows on the 211k and I got the 722k hooked up to two tvs in the living room and master bedroom. The tv 2 in the bedroom is hooked up to a dvd recorder with hdmi that upconverts the pq to 720p. I am on the dvr/local channels bundle so I pay no dvr fee . Saved one additional receiver fee at $7.00 and two dvr fees at $5.98 = $11.96 or $18.96 a month. So I have the functionality of two dvrs and no dvr fees.
 
I did that very thing. I had 3 dvrs on my account at one time; Two 722s and a 622 dvr. I then traded in all 3 and got a 722k and a 211k . I paid for the dvr feature for the 211k and now my kid watches his kid shows on the 211k and I got the 722k hooked up to two tvs in the living room and master bedroom. The tv 2 in the bedroom is hooked up to a dvd recorder with hdmi that upconverts the pq to 720p. I am on the dvr/local channels bundle so I pay no dvr fee . Saved one additional receiver fee at $7.00 and two dvr fees at $5.98 = $11.96 or $18.96 a month. So I have the functionality of two dvrs and no dvr fees.
Great idea, I'd like to see more people do this to save some money and still get what they want.

What did it take to 'trade in your 3 receivers' for the new ones ($, committment)?
 
I didn't trade them in to DISH , I did it for credit towards my new 722k and 211k with an online retailer , that can't be named because he isn't one of this site's supporters. But I think that you can do it with this sites online store; dishstore.net. Ask for Claude.
 
If you could get a good deal - a trade credit would be a great idea - especially if it works toward lowering your monthly bill. I'd only save $6/month and couldn't use my 722 EHD on a new 211, so I't not very appealing right now. Too bad they aren't compatible for EHD swaps - they ought to be.
 
They got to pay the Tivo lawsuit costs off somehow. ;)


:haha

only reason I could think of too. they must have known it was coming...

missingteeth.gif
 
I got a 211K in April for $25 to replace my owned 510 and since I already had a 211 with EHD activated, no fee and my monthly bill actually went down net (+$2 lease/extra rcvr fee and -5.98 DVR fee).
 

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