Why is Dish shutting down the 721?

[Dirty_D]

I've got 2 upgraded 120GB 7100's. For the last couple of years they've been EXTREMELY stable. No comparison to the early days of frequent firmware upgrades (and each one seemed to make the Dishplayers flakier!). They finally found software that works, and kept it.

I received the discontinued/free upgrade letter but I haven't had a chance to call DISH yet. I never thought I'd say this, but I'm going to be sorry to see em' go.

Agree wholeheartedly. I've been using 2 7200's since '99 (plus the 721). Upgraded hard drives of course, very stable. Except for the annoying 3am guide download, I'll miss those things. No receiver out there has the "unlimited" pause buffer which has forever changed the way I watch TV. Any other receiver out there I consider a downgrade with less features (that are useful to me).

I've been toying with adding DirectTV for HD stuff because I don't like the direction Dish is heading and refuse to invest more $$$ in their equipment. This shutoff may just spur me to ditch Dish totally, which frankly is sad. I know several friends in the same boat - long time subs who are VERY frustrated with their treatment of late.


UPDATE: Just called and ordered the 522 to replace the 721. CSR said replacing the 7200's would cost $$$ (didn't ask how much). She said they may start losing signal on those by end of Nov I'll have until then to decide whether to stick with Dish or not.

Thanks to BobMurdoch for the office address suggestion. I offered that to the CSR but she actually agreed to have it shipped to my billing address!! We'll see if it shows up. Also from what she said, I can activate the new receiver whenever I'm ready (until they start shutting them down obviously) so i have time to dump the recordings.

 

[TheKrell]

I have two recievers and would like to set both new ones up with the dual tuner. What all am I going to need?

I don't understand the need for SW-21s if you had a legacy twin LNB on a DIsh 500 and only 2 single-tuner receivers. (Legacy twins had SW-21's inside.) The simplest solution if you are replacing 2 single-tuner receivers with 2 dual-tuner receivers, is to replace the legacy twin with a DishPro Plus twin. (You would remove any legacy switches.) You can even do this swap without realigning your dish.

 

[kstuart]

UPDATE: Just called and ordered the 522 to replace the 721. CSR said replacing the 7200's would cost $$$ (didn't ask how much). She said they may start losing signal on those by end of Nov I'll have until then to decide whether to stick with Dish or not.

Try another CSR.

You should be able to get a replacement DVR for each 7200 for no money.

If necessary, ask to speak to "Customer Retention Department".

By the way, if you have two 7200s, you should consider asking for one 522 to replace them. Same number of tuners and outputs, but you should have actually a lower monthly bill, due to one less "additional receiver fee". And, you won't have that "oh, that recording is on the other DVR" problem, since they will share a hard drive.

 

[brian_tr]

Thanks for the info. Thays how it was installed seveal years ago. I would guess the best place to start looking for DishPro Plus would be on Ebay? Will I have to run another coax to both recievers?

I don't understand the need for SW-21s if you had a legacy twin LNB on a DIsh 500 and only 2 single-tuner receivers. (Legacy twins had SW-21's inside.) The simplest solution if you are replacing 2 single-tuner receivers with 2 dual-tuner receivers, is to replace the legacy twin with a DishPro Plus twin. (You would remove any legacy switches.) You can even do this swap without realigning your dish.

 

[BobaBird]

No. DishPro Plus makes it possible to install a dual-tuner receiver with just one run of RG6. A DPP Separator is installed behind the receiver to feed the 2 tuner inputs.

 

[TheKrell]

I buy all my Dish stuff off Ebay, usually for very reasonable prices. I think I paid under $20 for my DPP twin, which I promptly cannibalized for it's DPP32 switch.

 

[v0rt3_x86]

You have to pay to get a 522 in place of a 7xxx.

You get a free reman 501/508, I just can't remember which one.

 

[brian_tr]

I guess I better call to see what they are sending me. I never asked just assumed they would be 522.

You have to pay to get a 522 in place of a 7xxx.

You get a free reman 501/508, I just can't remember which one.

 

[kstuart]

You have to pay to get a 522 in place of a 7xxx.

You get a free reman 501/508, I just can't remember which one.

But I was saying he should ask for one 522 in place of TWO 7200s.

 

[kstuart]

I don't understand the need for SW-21s if you had a legacy twin LNB on a DIsh 500 and only 2 single-tuner receivers. (Legacy twins had SW-21's inside.) The simplest solution if you are replacing 2 single-tuner receivers with 2 dual-tuner receivers, is to replace the legacy twin with a DishPro Plus twin. (You would remove any legacy switches.) You can even do this swap without realigning your dish.

If he has SW-21s, then he has two Dual LNBFs on the Dish500. IIRC, the 7200 pre-dates the "Twin" LNBF that has switches inside.

I think if he gets two 508s or one 522, both ways it will work with his existing setup. I think it only needs to be changed if he wants to use two dual tuner receivers.

 

[brian_tr]

One reciever would not work for me. I have surround sound in both rooms. You did get me to look at my statement and I have been paying for a reciever I turned off over a year ago. Will have to call them when I get home. Have two extra reciever charges. I sure wish I would of asked what they are sending me. I really wanted the dual tuners.

 

[brian_tr]

Call dish and they said I am getting the 522's. I bought a dish pro plus twin LNB and separator's. Thank you for all the help.

 

[TheKrell]

Should work well. Separators will come with your new 522s. If they are installing these receivers for you, you might have gotten the DPP twin for free as well.

 

[Stargazer]

They never sent me seperators with mine and I asked about it before I was to get my 722 and 522 and they told me that they were not sure.

 

[Smith P.]

We lost total meaning of the thread .

Discussing separators and what you getting instead of old 721 is not what the thread created for !

Please stay on topic.

 

[v0rt3_x86]

Each:
7x00 = 501/508.
721 = 522.
6000 / 811 = VIP211.

I think that's all they're doing now.

 

[Smith P.]

How your post answering to the topic ?

Why Dish shutting down a lot of 721, replacing by already obsolete 522 (no MPEG-4, 8PSK) ?

I'll concur in counting a cost for such 'solution' rather then add G3 SC support in FW ( actually DishLinux what should be much easy ) as Dish DID for 501/508/510 ?

 

[Smith P.]

Heads up Got my tracking number today. They sent to service address when they told me they would send to billing address. Got myself In a pickle now.

Would be more appropriate to create your own thread and name it as "I got my purple card".
So far your post didn't add value to THE topic.
:down:

 

[kstuart]

We lost total meaning of the thread .

Discussing separators and what you getting instead of old 721 is not what the thread created for !

Please stay on topic.

It is on topic.

While it is not necessary for people to report every detail (such as receiving a tracking number), nevertheless whatever people report about the Replacement Program is relevant to the topic.

I do agree that the parallel thread " Received Letter... " is better named by being more general, and perhaps this one should be merged into that one.

 

[nhs510]

Anyone else do the required 721/522 swap that has the grandfathered HD Absolute package? Did you lose it?

My 522 is on the way, but I swapped out a faulty 722 tonight for a replacement 722 and my HD Absolute went away. I knew I couldn't make any programming changes, but I wasn't aware that I was going to lose my package just for swapping out their crap 722 that reboots constantly!!

That being said, I think it was going to happen to me anyway as soon as the 522 gets here and I activate it.