I would be contacting someone high up about losing your HD Absolute grandfathered package. Their system probably automatically killed the package off but they should give you some type of programming discount to make up for it.
Why is Dish shutting down the 721?
- Thread starter caseyatbt
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update from above - I raised a little hell on the phone and got transferred to the Exec CS level (the ceo@echostar crew). They ended up giving me Turbo HD Gold, the Platinum HD add-on, and Locals for the same $34.99 price as I had HD Absolute and Locals before the 722 swap -- for 6 months. It was done as a $20 monthly discount. At first they tried to make me have one of the SD packages also, but I didn't go for it. Net effect - same price and I get my RSN now. I did have to drop the 721/522 from my service, as he said they will not do TurboHD only with any non-HD receivers on the account. I will just do TV2 for the room that had the 721. It was worth it to keep all my HD and get my RSN at $34.99 for 6 months.
Well guess what - 10 days ago when I called the discontinued receiver 800#, I told them THREE times to send my replacement receiver to my mailing addy when I called about a 522 replacement for my 721. They even told me it was no problem to do this.
After waiting until yesterday & still not receiving anything, I called back & they told me it was sent to the service addy & gave me a UPS tracking #, which did show them attempting to deliver to the service addy. After asking repeatedly WHY, after I was told THREE times it wasn't a problem, he then tells me they CAN'T send equipment to the mailing addy & that it MUST be sent to the service addy. (I KNOW this isn't true, 'cause I & others have done so otherwise
)So, just so I could get it & get done with this crap, (& didn't feel like playing CSR roulette last night) I had him change the service addy to the billing addy & after I get the new receiver activated, will just move back.
I have an old model 721 and a model 510 that I never got around to selling on EBAY. Is the model 510 a paper weight also? "John"
Not yet. The 501,508, and 510 have the new software.
I think the current installed base for them is much larger.
When Dish goes all MPEG4 they'll be replaced, but I don't expect that to happen soon
I am currently going through this. I drove down to the ups they sent the recievers to and picked them up. They ended up not being the 522's but the 508's and one of them was bad. They told me the 522's had to be installed when I called about the bad reciever. I ended up having to move back to billing address and was also told I had to do a 2 contract since it involed a move. If cable was not so much higher I would of switched. It just doesn't make since to me why I can not get the same channels on dish that I can get on cable when they are available on satellite. I am going to try to get a waiver for ABC and get the superstation package for the others.
Well guess what - 10 days ago when I called the discontinued receiver 800#, I told them THREE times to send my replacement receiver to my mailing addy when I called about a 522 replacement for my 721. They even told me it was no problem to do this.
After waiting until yesterday & still not receiving anything, I called back & they told me it was sent to the service addy & gave me a UPS tracking #, which did show them attempting to deliver to the service addy. After asking repeatedly WHY, after I was told THREE times it wasn't a problem, he then tells me they CAN'T send equipment to the mailing addy & that it MUST be sent to the service addy. (I KNOW this isn't true, 'cause I & others have done so otherwise
So, just so I could get it & get done with this crap, (& didn't feel like playing CSR roulette last night) I had him change the service addy to the billing addy & after I get the new receiver activated, will just move back.
They called me awhile ago as I never did try to get a hold of them after receiving the letter. The CSR was totally incompetent. Sounded like it was his first day. Couldn't / Wouldn't tell me what I'd get for my 2 7100's as replacements. Then the "order" wouldn't go through. I should've just hung up right there. He finally had another CSR come over and help him. Talked him through the steps while he answered to most "I already did that", etc. Finally tells me I'm all set and the receivers should arrive in 7-10 days.
A couple of days ago I come home and find 4 receivers sitting on my deck. the box says "promo 501's" on the outside. I open one up and it's really a 508 which at least is a little closer to the 120GB I had upgraded my 7100 to. Don't know how they managed to send me a double order.
One thing that has me a little concerned. There's paperwork in the box thanking me for doing the DIU upgrade. Is this counting as my yearly DIU? Does that mean I've got to wait a whole year before being eligible for a 722 DIU upgrade? I was thinking of going totally HD in the spring. I got one 722 last Feb. under DIU. If this is going to reset my DIU clock for another year maybe I'll just send em' all back.
Well, my 721 is still running, so November 3 is definitely not the date.
Maybe this is the actual end date?
I just got another postcard in the mail stating to call immediately or risk losing service.
I'm still waiting to either get a return call from the CEO contact or get something other than her voicemail.
Scott
The CSRs haven't been given a killdate... You don't give the burger flippers information they can do harm with (or at least you try not to). That, would be very harmful...
The new purple cards coming out say the new security system kicks in within 2 weeks. Has anyone rec'd a purple card for their 721?
This will be interesting to follow. Please let us know when/if your 721 stops receiving from the satellites. And then let us know if you can still access your recordings.
This will be interesting to follow. Please let us know when/if your 721 stops receiving from the satellites. And then let us know if you can still access your recordings.
The 721 is not being updated to use the purple cards - that is why they are doorstops.
I finally swapped in 2 of the 508's they sent me to replace my 7100's. Tried to activate them online, but the final step would always give a "technical error. Please try again later." "Later" must be the same as "soon" 'cause I tried 3 more times in the next hour without success. Finally broke down and called them. Took the heavily accented CSR over 15 minutes, but they finally are activated. One of the remotes wouldn't work and she wanted to switch me to tech support for that. I said no thanks and went out to the garage and opened one of the extra receiver boxes they sent. Dug out that remote, changed the address, and everything is fine. I'll check out my billing info online shortly to make sure they didn't screw that up. So far so good. I guess I'll remove the drives from the 7100's and rip a few of the movies off of there.
That's my understanding. And if the new security system really is kicking in soon, anyone with a 721 in use might be rather disappointed. Can't see why someone is holding out upgrading. I doubt a better deal is coming, and they can cancel the current offer at any time.
My 721 is still going strong, but.....
I haven't received any new cards, nor has my 721 stopped working, so should I just wait this thing out, or just give in and activate my 522?
I have the mindset that says if it still works, don't fix it.
Any word on an official turn off date, or will it be when the new cards come?
Please advise.
Thanks.
I haven't received any new cards, nor has my 721 stopped working, so should I just wait this thing out, or just give in and activate my 522?
I have the mindset that says if it still works, don't fix it.
Any word on an official turn off date, or will it be when the new cards come?
Please advise.
Thanks.
Don't trust the 'official words' - Dish pursuit own interests, not yours.
If it works for you and you satisfied with 721 functioning, then you shouldn't worry.
If it works for you and you satisfied with 721 functioning, then you shouldn't worry.
That sounds good - except that none of it applies to this situation !
Dish Engineering says that the 721 will NOT be upgraded to use new smart cards.
At some point, the 721 will not work on Dish Network.
Like most, my 721 was replaced with a 522:
- No cost to me of any sort.
- No additional monthly cost.
- Second output, so two different TVs can watch programs recorded on the 522 at the same time.
- Name Based Recording, so it automatically catches shows when they are scheduled to run late or are shown earlier or later.
- Uses exact same system as other Dish DVRs, so no more "pressing stop to leave a playback even though you never do that on other Dish DVRs", etc.
- $10 credit if you send them the 721, or else keep it - works well behind rear tire to keep your car sliding down the driveway.
I can't think of one advantage of the 721 over the 522.
PS There is certainly a target date for completion of the smart card replacement, but they do not want to cause problems for subscribers who simply did not get the smart cards delivered correctly by the Post Office (or else a family member accidentally threw them out).
Perhaps you're lucky person, but many reported after the swap-out they are got charging DVR fee.
I told them if they charged me the DVR fee to shut my account off and that I was switching to DirecTv. At least they only charge one DVR fee per account.
I never got my new cards yet and know of others that haven't gotten them yet either. I think they start with the higher priced packages then work their way down when they start securing certain channels if they do that like they did the last time.
I never got my new cards yet and know of others that haven't gotten them yet either. I think they start with the higher priced packages then work their way down when they start securing certain channels if they do that like they did the last time.
