j123vt_99

Just got a dish from Dish Network installed yesterday. I had cable via Time Warner. I will be saving about $15 a month, but the main thing that I will be missing is a DVR.. I have one through Dish, but it is only 1 channel and basically a glorified VCR.... so now I have a few options....

1) return the dish and keep cable... bad point is $15 more and prices always seem to go up... good point is no contract & dvr is just $10 a month

2)keep the dish and suffer... save $15 and learn to live with a single channel DVR

3) buy a TIVO.. obviously most expensive... concerns: does tivo work with Dish Network... what happens in a year when tivo is considered obsolete?

Red Dog

Frankly, I don't why people buy from Dish Network. If I had the ability to get a dish, it would be Direct-TV in a heartbeat.

j123vt_99

direct tv seemed to be identical, but about $20 a month more

das Monkey

Do we need to put it in a sticky? DirecTV + TiVo.

Unless your main goal is to get something cheap, in which case, you get what you pay for.

das

Chew

Maybe the question should really be: Can you do anything?

If Dish has been installed and a contract signed (I'm guessing that is the case as you said Time Warner would involve no contract), the penalties would likely be steep to get out of it.

j123vt_99

well i got dish yesterday.. and i have 3 days to cancel

j123vt_99

i'm going to cancel the dish..for $15 a month extra or whatever, but getting what i want it worth it... i think

Chew

Then, as das said: DirecTiVo. It can be gotten for $100 online for new customers.

You'll have your two tuner DVR. A much better one than the Time Warner version.

j123vt_99

where for $100.. looked and could only find it for $250

sherm42

Must echo here. DirecTivo is the only way to go.

j123vt_99

is directivo assocaited with direct tv? looking at tivo's site and just see the tivo #2

sherm42

"directivo" is just a kind of slang term. It's really called a DirecTV receiver with Digital Video Recorder powered by Tivo.

Chew

Here: http://tivo.orbitsat.com/product.asp...R7000D-DSX5500

BE SURE to read all of the fine print!! You won't be able to change your mind on this deal after it's been installed. They will send you a contract to sign after purchase. I ordered a cheap additional receiver through them a few weeks back.

j123vt_99

oh.. but you need to have direct tv

j123vt_99

now i'm on the phone with dish network and they are telling me they won't refund all my fees.. damn

Chew

I'm not sure who this comment is in response to, but the link I gave is for new DirecTV customers and gets you set-up with service, a DVR, and a second room receiver.

j123vt_99

sorry to all.. sort of using this thread as a venting/thinking outloud.. now they won't refund $100 for "installation" fees.. i guess i'm kind of stuck and will be learning how to use my vcr again

Chew

$100 for "installation fees"?

j123vt_99

well .. the non-refundable part comes to $100.. it is like $50 for the upgrade to dvr and $50 for installation... and I just got back from my cable company and they gave me a good deal to stay with them.. so looks like i'll have to eat the $100 as a learning lesson

BenCJedi

I have no problems with Dish Network (customer of almost 5 years). I have a Dishplayer 7100 to make perfect digital copies of shows I want to archive to disc (not tape). I have a standalone TiVo connected to my basic dish receiver that is much more intelligent than the dishplayer. Because it is standalone I lose quality (unlike DirecTiVo), but TiVos are great in general. Mine is over 3 years old and it has not become obsolete. I recently installed a Turbonet card and added TiVo to my network. I can easily extract shows and access my TiVo remotely with the TiVoWeb software I installed. It's all good!

As far as installation fees.. $100?!?! That's crazy! I recently referred a friend that bought a house. She paid $0 and got 4 receivers, free installation and 3 months of HBO (which she declined because she was afraid she would not shut it off after the 3 months). I forget how long it is, but if she stays a subscriber for a certain amount of time, I will get $5/month off my service bill.

j123vt_99

i got the same deal your friend got... the problem is if she tried to cancel it during the 3 day trial period

nshing

jbrotheim

Regarding your option#3 - Tivo is currently offering a 40 hour for $199 with free shipping at their Website with the Tell a Friend promotion. This price does not include the subscription fees which can be paid monthly or per the life of the Tivo unit.

I have a 60 Hour Series 2 unit which I upgraded with a 120GB hard drive that gives me 144 hours of recording time at the basic level. Upgrading the unit is failrly straightforward if you have experience with upgrading a PC hard drive.

The Tivo unit should work with DISH. I use my Tivo with Cablevision digital cable.

I highly recommend checking the tivo community forum at www.tivocommunity.com for additional information if you decide to pursuit the Tivo option.

sherm42

One thing I love about DirecTV(and maybe Dish has this too) is that you change/add/delete your programing package on the web. I wanted to to add Showtime so I could watch Out of Order that night and it was activated instantly. You can get rid of and add pay channels instantly.

Chew

The standalone TiVo does work with DishNet, but requires an IR blaster which can be unreliable at times. (Unless Dish's newest receivers have gone to a serial connection, that is).

Chew

Unlike DirecTV, Dish requires a $5 fee everytime you downgrade.
Another reason I prefer DirecTV.