Dishnetwork deal at Radio Shack and maybe elsewhere: Mods if this messsage violates any rules I will edit it as needed.

[Bekker]

Was shopping in RS yesterday for nothing in particular when a rep showed me the Dishnetwork receiver/recorder and then went into his sales pitch. I had NO desire for the product since I have cable, but I think he changed my mind. I was impressed. The essentials of the deal are as follows:

Prices of packages: local and America's top 60 $29.99, top 120 39.99, top 180 49.99, top 120 with 8 HBO and 5 Cinemax channels 56.99 monthly.

Receiver recorder has pic in pic so two TV's can be used for each, and the recorder can hold 100 hrs of programming. Package has two and price is 4.99 higher.

No contracts at all, so can stop anytime without penalty.

Upfront payment of $50 applied to first month's fees, and that is the total upfront.

Now cames the part that has me about sold on the deal:

Radio Shack includes a $50 store credit card, but the offer with card is over as of July 1.

Dishnetwork gives $10 monthly credit for a year for each of up to 5 people who sign up as referrals from you, and they get the same when they sign up others. So, if you get 5 referrals the first year is basically free. Sales rep suggested I find 5 friends and get them to sign up and then cancel the service since there is no fee or contract, but I imagine the credit you receive from them would only be for as long as they stayed a subscriber, although he did not think so.

Seems likie a good deal to me. I know this forum cannot be used for referral sites, etc, but there might be some other way we could volunteer to come in sequentially as a subscribers to someone who already has this deal. I certainly am not asking anyone here to come in after me if I subscribe, especialy since I have not decided to get it yet, so please don't consider this a request for referrals. If anyone is already a subscriber and wants to use me as a referral in case I do sign up, I would probably volunteer to do so unless someone in my family has already signed up and needs me as their referral. I have not asked yet. Mods, please delete this sentence from the post if it is against the rules

 

[blurredvision]

Originally posted by: Bekker
Sales rep suggested I find 5 friends and get them to sign up and then cancel the service since there is no fee or contract, but I imagine the credit you receive from them would only be for as long as they stayed a subscriber, although he did not think so.

This is BS in my eyes. When signing up for any satellite service, you're automatically entered into a year agreement. You can't sign up and then cancel, atleast not to my knowledge.

 

[Bekker]

No, he was absolutely certain about that .. I made him pledge that about 100 tims since I won't have anything to do with a contract. That was the most appealing part to me. If you have a RS give them a call to verify and if he is wrong, please post what you find out. My current cable bill is higher than their prices, but I am not willing to gamble and give it up for a year being locked into any contract.

Bekker

 

[msh111]

Originally posted by: Bekker
No, he was absolutely certain about that .. I made him pledge that about 100 tims since I won't have anything to do with a contract. That was the most appealing part to me. If you have a RS give them a call to verify and if he is wrong, please post what you find out. My current cable bill is higher than their prices, but I am not willing to gamble and give it up for a year being locked into any contract.

Bekker

You made him pledge...but did you make him show you that in print? I'd ask him for a copy of the signup sheet and where they expect your SS# and personal info etc., you will most likely find it in there whether or not for 'certain' there is a contract.

 

[Bekker]

Did not get that far but am big boy and can read fine print, which he knew. All it takes for anyone to confirm or disprove the claim is a call to their local RS. Or, maybe Dishnetwork has a website that lays it out. I cannot call mine for confirmation since both clerks were present.

As I said, the no contract stuff was a big deal to me, as was the referral stuff and store card for $50. It is also why I posted saying some may not be aware of the deal. As an added incentive to me, I have 6 tv's on 3 floors. All can be hooked to satellite, with 4 being able to watch different channels. Two will have to watch whatever one of the two others are watching.

I would say check it out for oneself, especially if you are interested in getting satellite anyway.

Bekker

 

[TheCoop]

but you will pay $4.99 per each TV that views different channels. This is where they get you. Cable company charges nothing extra for each TV. Maybe they will change this one day but I doubt it.

 

[HoosierDadE]

You can cancel at any time and you don't pay extra to hook up a second TV.

Its $29.95 for the top 60.

You don't pay for the receiver and since you can get dual tuner recievers, you can hook 2 TVs up to it. It is an additional $5 (approx) for additional recievers if you need to watch more than 2 things at once in your house.

And its $5 (approx) per month for the DVR service if you get that type of reciever.

Its called digital home advantage. I've been on it for a few months. RS, deal is not all that great since several places give you a $50 credit toward your first bill. I guess if you need to spend $50 at RS anyway, its a wash.

 

[Bekker]

Originally posted by: TheCoop
but you will pay $4.99 per each TV that views different channels. This is where they get you. Cable company charges nothing extra for each TV. Maybe they will change this one day but I doubt it.

No, thew plan does not charge for the other TV's. The way it works is this: One receiver/recorder has picture-in-picture capabilities, just as some tv's do. Two tv's then use one receiver, with the pic in pic feature, one can be tuned to one station and the other to another. Then for two more tv's, they charge a single $4.99 fee. For 6 tv's they split signals using a splitter for the other two, which means those two have to watch the same channel as one of the other tv's. If one receiver is recording programs while it is being viewed, I guess the other one must either watch the same channel as the first is viewing since the pic-in-pic tuner would be tuned to the programs recorded. I really like the ability to record 100 hours of programming.

But, you have raised a question I need to have clarified by the rep. If the pic-in-pic is used for the second TV, does that mean the usual pic-in-pic window will always be visible when watching the two tv's. If so, that is a real turnoff for me.

I would try scanning and posting the details of the brocure but don't have a scanner here. There is also the fine print that might not be readable if scanned. Your local RS will have brocures if interested.

Hope that clarifies some stuff. BTW, installation is free with up to 100 feet of cable. If more is needed, there will be an eztra charge. To get the store credit card one has to sign up for the service before July 1, but it does not have to be installed by that time.

Bekker

 

[Rabb]

Cable companies already do this. In Boston they already removed every single non basic channel (by scrambling things like ESPN even if you pay for it) and are forcing you to rent a cable box to get even USA network. Of corse you cant buy these cable boxes so you are screwed. Just like satillite but worse service and no choices. Comcast of corse BTW here.

 

[DustBunny]

They didn't scrambled all the stuff and sorts... Its digital cable, rather than analog... all channels are REQUIRED to switch broadcast to digital by something like early '05 or something... its FCC... complain to them...

 

[Bekker]

Originally posted by: HoosierDadE
You can cancel at any time and you don't pay extra to hook up a second TV.

Its $29.95 for the top 60.

You don't pay for the receiver and since you can get dual tuner recievers, you can hook 2 TVs up to it. It is an additional $5 (approx) for additional recievers if you need to watch more than 2 things at once in your house.

And its $5 (approx) per month for the DVR service if you get that type of reciever.

Its called digital home advantage. I've been on it for a few months. RS, deal is not all that great since several places give you a $50 credit toward your first bill. I guess if you need to spend $50 at RS anyway, its a wash.

You beat me to the answer, and maybe you can help me out some. Does the pic-in-pic window always show on both tv's using one tuner? How do you like the service?

As to buying from RS, you are right re this program being available other places too. I referred to them only because that is where I was introduced to the deal AND because of the $50 store credit card ... I don't know if others offer the store credit or a similar rebate of some kind.

If you have only neen a member for a few mos and have the plan where others can sign up under you with you getting $10 of for a year I will use you as a reference if none of my family need it, but we may not have time to get that done if the deal ends July 1. I don't think it does ... I think only the store credit does. Let me know if you are interested in doing that,

Bekker

 

[PHL1365]

Originally posted by: DustBunny
They didn't scrambled all the stuff and sorts... Its digital cable, rather than analog... all channels are REQUIRED to switch broadcast to digital by something like early '05 or something... its FCC... complain to them...

I'd beg to differ on this. All broadcast channels are required by the FCC to switch over and return their analog spectrum back to the FCC. However, I don't think this applies to cable. The cable infrastructure is not a public resource. Where I live in Southern California, basic cable still has unscrambled analog signals for the Over-the-Air channels, but all the "standard" cable channels were scrambled, even though they are still being broadcast in analog.

To me, that was just a blatant move to generate more revenue by leasing set-top boxes.

 

[crypticlogin]

I think that referral program is $5 credit per person/month for 1year, up to 12 people a year.

If the pic-in-pic is used for the second TV, does that mean the usual pic-in-pic window will always be visible when watching the two tv's. If so, that is a real turnoff for me.

I thought that the PIP is only for one TV? I mean, each of the receiver's tuners can only tune one channel at any time... so if the first TV has chan4 in the main and chan8 as the PIP, wouldn't the second TV have to be on either chan4 or chan8? I've been keeping an eye on Dish for the past few weeks and am still on the fence.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Originally posted by: Bekker
I would try scanning and posting the details of the brocure but don't have a scanner here. There is also the fine print that might not be readable if scanned. Your local RS will have brocures if interested.

That must be some mighty tiny "fine print", considering that even a cheap scanner will pick up the individual fibers on a piece of paper if scanned.

PS. Sure you don't work for RS and are trying to get people into the store or something?

PPS. Never trust just a salesman's word on anything. Nothing is true unless it's in writing. If a salesman *is* telling the truth, then they should have no problem putting it in writing for you.

 

[brucekatz]

This is probably a lease plan.

 

[nsafreak]

What Bekker is referring to is indeed the Digital Home Advantage plan (yes I work for Dish, no I'm not a CSR) which is our rental plan. I'll give some basics on how this plan works. For more detail you can click here. Some basics of the plan are:

1) There is no commitment period. At least from Dish Network. If you sign up through a retailer they may have you sign a 3rd party agreement. Typically Radio Shack does not do this.
2) The two room DVR, more specifically the 522, works pretty simply. Right now it can ONLY be used as a two room DVR. The software that enables the DVR to work in a single room enviroment and Picture in Picture has not been released as of yet. For right now that is only available on the 721 and 921 model receivers. Keep in mind that this unit is subject to the $4.98 a month DVR fee unless you subscribe to the America's Everything Package.
3) In order to not get charged for the access fee for either the 522 or 322 they MUST be hooked up to a phone line at all times. If either of these units are left unplugged from a phone line long enough the $4.99 charge will be automatically put on your bill until it is plugged in again.
4) If you sign up and get one or two 811 units you MUST also sign up for the HD programming package. You cannot get a high definition unit and just use it for OTA HD.
5) The referral program he was speaking of is a bit off. The referral program is called the Club Dish program btw. The way it works is pretty simple. You have Dish send out Club Dish cards (they come in a welcome package with some other stuff) and hand one to the person that's going to sign up. They then tell Dish or the retailer when they sign up that you referred them and present the card to the retailer or installer. After they have maintained service for at least 31 days you are able to get credits from them. Takes approximately 8-10 weeks before credits are reflected on your account. Each referral gets $5 a month for 12 consecutive months and you can refer up to 12 people per calendar year. I know of a few customers that give their cards to dealers so that the dealers can use them to have the normal $49.99 activation fee waived. Win for both the retailer and the customer in that case .

 

[Bekker]

That must be some mighty tiny "fine print", considering that even a cheap scanner will pick up the individual fibers on a piece of paper if scanned.

PS. Sure you don't work for RS and are trying to get people into the store or something?

PPS. Never trust just a salesman's word on anything. Nothing is true unless it's in writing. If a salesman *is* telling the truth, then they should have no problem putting it in writing for you.[/quote]

No, I do not work for RS .. I am a university prof who had no interest in Dishnetwork at all when I went to RS. The salesperson was young and I told him I was looking for nothing when asked. He picked up the rermote and said "have you seen this ...." I was impressed becaause I had considered getting a TIVO and thought that was what he meant initially. Since I teach marketing, a sales presentation that really impresses me does not happen often, if at all. From what the Dish rep has said, about all he desxcribed wrong was the referral plan since he said it was 10 a mo for up to 5 ... 5 for up to 12 is potentially better.

You are correct in saying you have to read any contract, and I certainly would not be so stupid as to not do so.

If you read the title to my post it clearly says that this deal may not be hot, but there might be some people who did not know about it. I certainly must have been right since I have been called all but an outright liar, stupid because ALL sattelite plans require contracts, etc. I posted my message because I wanted to bring it to the attention of other Anandtechers because they have been of great help to me over the years and I thought it was a contribution I could make.

I did not mean that the fine print COULD NOT be copied ... I meant I did not want to do so because of the file size would be large and anyone interested enough could easily pick up a brocure/

HYop-e that clears things up some.

I still do not understand how the pic-in-pic dealeo works so sure cannot answer another post about how the tuner can be used by another tv. Maybe the Disnetwork poster can inform us about that.

Bekker

 

[nsafreak]

The picture in picture works by enabling the Single mode on the 522 receiver. You then hit one of the buttons on the remote and it displays another picture on the TV screen. Bekker it sounds like you're saying that the Radio Shack representative demonstrated the picture in picture functionality right then and there. That's interesting as I had stated before that software has not been released quite yet, although the possibility exists that I missed that on the internal web page. I'll check next time I go into work and see if indeed that software has been released.

 

[Chevydriver]

My parents signed up for this deal by calling up dishnetwork direct. We were going to get the 2 room deal which includes a 322 or a 522 but decided to create our own package in a sense. Why? Well because those 2 receivers only have 1 s-video output. So that means for the 2nd room you would have to either use the crummy coax connection or rca video/audio. Since both our tv's have a s-video connection and surround sound system, we decided that we didn't want to string rca wire between both rooms (20ft or so) and not be able to use s-video for the video. So we changed the package and got 1 311 and 1 510 instead. This way each room could have its own receiver. We were thinking about 2 510's but doubt we'ld use that feature in one of the rooms so we didn't bother. So by doing this and choosing americas top-60, the bill is $42/month ($30 for programming, $5 for additional receiver (getting the dual tuner receiver would have saved us from this fee), $5 for the dvr fee, $2 for outdoor channel). After looking at that worthless selcection of channels, we called them back up to change to americas top-180 which changed the bill to $60/month ($50 for programming (includes outdoor channel, encore, the movie channel), $5 for 2nd receiver, and $5 for dvr fee). Expensive, but i'm not the one paying the bill. Btw locals are included in the programming package/price. They installed the system with a superdish and dp34 switch which allows room for 2 more receivers in the future. No contracts in this deal, and they said when/if we ever cancel whether its a month from now or a yr from now, all that will happen is we will have to give the equipment back. We never actually own it. Hope this helps anyone whos thinking of getting dishnetwork.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Originally posted by: Bekker
No, I do not work for RS .. I am a university prof who had no interest in Dishnetwork at all when I went to RS.

Sorry. I guess some days, I'm just too much of a cynic. I apologize for the assertion. It just seemed you like were asserting some as true here, that you had taken on faith from a salesman at RS. That set off my "skepticism detector" big-time.

Originally posted by: BekkerThe salesperson was young and I told him I was looking for nothing when asked. He picked up the rermote and said "have you seen this ...." I was impressed becaause I had considered getting a TIVO and thought that was what he meant initially. Since I teach marketing, a sales presentation that really impresses me does not happen often, if at all.

Hmm. Maybe that's what I detected in your posts, it did seem kind of like you were trying to "market" this deal. Now it all makes sense.

Originally posted by: BekkerFrom what the Dish rep has said, about all he desxcribed wrong was the referral plan since he said it was 10 a mo for up to 5 ... 5 for up to 12 is potentially better.

You are correct in saying you have to read any contract, and I certainly would not be so stupid as to not do so.

If you read the title to my post it clearly says that this deal may not be hot, but there might be some people who did not know about it. I certainly must have been right since I have been called all but an outright liar, stupid because ALL sattelite plans require contracts, etc. I posted my message because I wanted to bring it to the attention of other Anandtechers because they have been of great help to me over the years and I thought it was a contribution I could make.

Fair enough. I'm surprised myself. I'm not in the market for satellite tv right now, but I was also under the impression that most required a contract, if only to amortize the cost of the dish, etc.

Originally posted by: Bekker did not mean that the fine print COULD NOT be copied ... I meant I did not want to do so because of the file size would be large and anyone interested enough could easily pick up a brocure.

Again, sorry, I mis-understood. If you can look at it from my angle, it did seem strongly like you were trying to get people into the store, perhaps for a sales pitch, etc.

It's interesting information (for some people) I'm sure, so thanks for posting it. I hope I didn't offend you.

 

[Bekker]

VirtualLarry, fogeddaboutit as Tony might say. No prob at all. I just hope it helps someone get a better deal than cable or another satellite plan And, yes I can see why you might have thought what you did re the various things said. My cable bull (bill that is) runs more than $60 a month and I get only one HBO, Cinemax, and Showtime channel and no built in recorder. I feel they are reall ripoffs and would like to change but have to be able to have multiple tv access since I have 3 gkids and a wife and no one agrees on what to watch.

I also thought we could start something similar to the thread where invites to email are distributed so we could inform others who have the plan of when we were going to enroll in the plan and offer to act as one of their referrals. If enough of us did that, given the number of subscribers of Ababdtechers we have, maybe many could basically get their first year free. That is why I offered to enroll as being referred from an earlier poster who has had the service a few months. I don't really want to push this idea though since it might violate Anan's rules.

Have a great day.

I am going to try to sleep longer since I awoke at 4:30 and am too lazy for that.