Why is Dish shutting down the 721?

[Stargazer]

How do I edit the posts? It has been a while since I have done so and it seems like something has changed since then on how to do so.

 

[Stargazer]

Let me know how that works for ya!

If they do not want to do this then that automatically shows some dishonesty on their part and that they DO plan on and WILL charge us those fees eventually.

Eventually the same thing will happen to television that happened to the telephone industry and it will become cheaper and everything on demand (IPTV). There are already some people cancelling their television service now and watching all the content online. This nickel and diming is getting rediculous.

 

[SoonerDude]

I read this whole thread and have a headache now.

My question is about the phone line. I don't use a phone line on my 721, am I going to be required to do so on my 522 that's on its way?

I have 1 phone line in my house, it's in my office and I have a cordless phone system. I removed all my old lines from the phone box outside and ran 1 band new line because of static problems I was having. I do not want to have to run a phone line to this TV because it's on an inside wall and I'm too fat to get in the attic to make it look nice, and the wife isn't going to have an ugly phone line running across the floor from the outside wall.

Thanks.

 

[lakebum431]

If they aren't waiving the phone line fee for you then you have two options to keep from running a new line:
1) pay the fee
2) use a wireless phone system, I think they are about $50 at radio shack.

 

[makman]

I read this whole thread and have a headache now.

My question is about the phone line. I don't use a phone line on my 721, am I going to be required to do so on my 522 that's on its way?

I have 1 phone line in my house, it's in my office and I have a cordless phone system. I removed all my old lines from the phone box outside and ran 1 band new line because of static problems I was having. I do not want to have to run a phone line to this TV because it's on an inside wall and I'm too fat to get in the attic to make it look nice, and the wife isn't going to have an ugly phone line running across the floor from the outside wall.

Thanks.

try asking a CSR to waive the phone line charge, if they don't, email CEO at echostar dot com.

 

[CFGuy]

People that are happy with their 721 and have never had any problems with it- consider yourselves lucky. In fact, the 721 has been trouble-prone. HDD and power supply failures. Maybe you should look on this as an opportunity to get a newer, more reliable model before your 721 dies and is worthless. Dish has been sending out 522s, WITH DVR FEE, to replace dead 721s.

I must be very lucky. I have three 721s and no problems with them.

I am going to catch some flak from my wife as I recently bought a new stereo receiver. It is silver to match the 721.

 

[neljtorres]

Yeah I had to change my 721 for a 522 and I am feeling sad. Never had really big issues with it, brought it from dishstore.net. I know about the tivo lawsuit but It was my best reciever. RIP 721!

 

[lakebum431]

I must be very lucky. I have three 721s and no problems with them.

I am going to catch some flak from my wife as I recently bought a new stereo receiver. It is silver to match the 721.

Sounds like a good reason to upgrade to a 622 to me

 

[CFGuy]

Sounds like a good reason to upgrade to a 622 to me

I thought about that, but if I am reading the thread right my bill would go up $6 for the DVR fee plus $5 for the lease. If I just take the 522's, then I get grandfathered in for no lease or DVR fee.

Would I still have the $5 mirror fee or does the lease fee replace that?

I currently have DishDVR package ($49) with Top 250 ($10) and HD ($10)
For the receivers I have
1 - VIP722
3 - 721
1 - 508

 

[kstuart]

I am going to catch some flak from my wife as I recently bought a new stereo receiver. It is silver to match the 721.

The color thing is hopeless.

I have about half silver things and half black things.

The only way you get coordination is to buy everything the same year, and then buy all new stuff whenever you change one thing.

I bought my son a DVD-R DL drive for his PC for his birthday. Most places had black, but I managed to find a beige one of that brand and model to match his beige PC.

Last week, he found a great deal on a good PC case. Of course, it is black...

 

[STDog]

The color thing is hopeless.

I have about half silver things and half black things.

The only way you get coordination is to buy everything the same year, and then buy all new stuff whenever you change one thing.

If you aren't concerned about warranties there is a solution.

The parts can all be painted what ever color you want. Just carefully remove the case/front panel and any doors. Mask any lenses. Scuff the surface with 320-400 grit sand paper. Use an "adhesion promoter" for plastics. Then paint with your desired color.

I've done several items in the past. I bought a computer once (still use it) where the CD drive had a painted front to match the case (an odd silver/gray color).

 

[pfil]

Hmmm...I know a post earlier said Novermber 3rd was when they'd stop working but my CSR told me I couldn't watch any stored shows on it after Oct 1st. Maybe that's just the date they're telling people so I don't try using it in October....who knows. They're sending me a 508. I can get $10 if I return the 721 but I'll probably salvage the HD or take a sledgehammer to the 721; I think I'd get $10 worth of fun out of that .

They aren't charging me a lease fee but I had to specifically ask about the PVR fee and the best they offered was a 10 month waiver on my 721 that I owned and was grandfathered into not needing to pay it. I didn't feel like arguing today and I figure I might upgrade to HDTV within 10 months anyway.

Thought I'd pass only my experience.

 

[hookem1969]

[ They're sending me a 508. I can get $10 if I return the 721 but I'll probably salvage the HD or take a sledgehammer to the 721; I think I'd get $10 worth of fun out of that .

[/quote]


How did you get a 508? The csr I spoke with told me that all I could get was a 522. She also told me that these were being replaced because everything was going to MPEG4 and that I needed the newer receiver. She had no answer for me when I told her that the 522 was not a MPEG4 receiver and was only a MPEG2 unit.

Well I knew I was not getting anywhere with her so I asked her the a bottom line question; "When will the 721 stop working for me?" and she said. JANUARY 2010 is when the 721 will no longer function. I said 2010? she put me on hold and spoke to someone else and she said YES! I immediately replied back to her and said that I would wait until the last minute to get my replacement receiver so that I would save money on rental and pvr fees and she said that she understood and did not blame me.

But 2010? This date is not the same date that everyone else is saying. I guess I need to call back and confirm.

 

[mike123abc]

I bet it is January 2009 when they finish the smart card swap. The 721 will of course continue to work, but you will really want to be an advid fan of Dish 101 and other PI channels

 

[Jason Kragt]

... and don't forget the Point Dish channel (a personal favorite of mine).

 

[kstuart]

NASA works on all Dish receivers, subscribed or not.

My car mechanic has an old mid-90's Dish receiver that he uses only to watch all the space station stuff on NASA TV.

I suspect that he may finally be out of luck when they change to the new smart cards...

PS 508 already has no DVR fee, and is never leased, so you are probably getting a 522, not a 508 - or else CSR was confused.

 

[navychop]

AH- CSR roulette! Never fails.

 

[Stargazer]

If you disconnect the satellite to the 721 then would it still be able to do DVR functionality after their "shutdown" date? It takes a while to watch the 100 hours of shows on the 721 when you have recordings on the other receivers to catch up on.

 

[pfil]

How did you get a 508? The csr I spoke with told me that all I could get was a 522. She also told me that these were being replaced because everything was going to MPEG4 and that I needed the newer receiver. She had no answer for me when I told her that the 522 was not a MPEG4 receiver and was only a MPEG2 unit.

I have no idea; could be the CSR didn't know what she was talking about. We'll see what actually shows up in the mail.

Ok, so I just looked at the back cover of the PVR's as shown on the manual for each and it looks like the 508 only has one satellite input but the 522 has 2 satellite inputs. If that's the case I actually want the 522 rather than the 508 the CSR said they were sending; I need 2 satellite inputs. That's what the 721 had. I need to be able to watch one channel live while recording another or record two channels at the same time while watching a pre-recorded show. Maybe I'm missing something and the 508 can record two channels off of one input? If not they better be sending me a receiver that can record two channels at once or I'm going to have to send it back in the mail and make them send me one with the same dual tuner functionality as a 721.

 

[TheKrell]

Maybe I'm missing something and the 508 can record two channels off of one input?

Nope. Single tuner, full stop.