Posted: 6/9/2005 12:12:35 PM EDT
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Hey guys. A college aged kid stopped by the house today peddling Dish Network from Atlas Communication. We have been thinking about getting a dish but where planning on holding off until this fall. He is offering a $12 per month discount off the standard rate plans, free install, Showtime and HBO for 3 moths for free, and a $49 rebate for the activation fee of $49. Sounds like a pretty good deal to me, but I told him I wanted to mull it over for a while (while I look on the net and see if it’s a good deal) so he’ll be stopping back later tonight. He is offering the DVR 522 which I think may be an older “box” as the dish network website is only showing the DVR 625 as the current issue “box”. Does anyone know if this is the case and what is the general consensus on Dish Network? We cancelled cable a year ago and planned to go to a dish but have been dragging our feet. Thanks for your thoughts and experience.  Echap |
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I have Dish Network and really like it so far. But if you going to go with them, you should get a DVR box. It is well worth the extra $5/month fee. You can record, pause, rewind, fast forward, etc. I'm holding out until they come down in price on their HD DVR boxes before I upgrade from my current DVR box. Our monthly bill is around $50 and we have 150 channels, including local, and the DVR for 1 TV. If we want an additional functioning rec'r, it's another $10 month. I'm not sure what kind of cable is available in your area, but in my neck of the woods Dish Network was a much better deal. |
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I believe that package the kid is offering you is the standard new customer package Dish is offering at this time. They said in last months technical chat the DISH Player-DVR 625 is basically the 522 with the capability to do video on demand in the future… I had no idea that satellite could do video on demand? |
Yes... that you should do. Overall I like Dish. I have the mid-level so no of the "premier" movie channels, but they usually suck anyway IMO. The picture is crystal clear but the MPEG compression is very visible on larger screens or up close. No matter what they tell you..... YOU WILL LOSE RECEPTION IN HEAVY RAIN. It's my only gripe (and it can be a big one in May and June). My signal is 118-120 so it's not a marginal install either. Wife doesn't like it when her football game goes by-by cause of rain. Much better value to me than the half-assed digital cable offered in the area. |
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I would not buy from someone knocking on my door. You can call Dish direct and get the same deal and know you are dealing with the vendor direct. Or use a local satellite dealer and get the same offer. Just about every dealer for Dish and Direct TV have offers for free install, receivers and programming when you sign up, including the DVR. Only thing I have heard different about Direct TV and Dish is Dish is more likely to lose signal in a rain storm before Direct TV. |
Only 4 years here, but ditto. All 3 of my receivers are DVR receivers (1 dual-tuner and 2 standards) and I LOVE that feature!
I've lost the signal due to weather FAR less than I did when I had cable (back when I lived where cable was available  ). Only once or twice per year, tops, and then only briefly (and you can still watch stuff back off your DVR while the signal's out  ). BUT, my dish is on a ground-mounted, concrete-reinforced metal pole down from the house at the edge of an open field (no obstructions at all), so that may be why my signal is so reliable. 
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Thanks for all your comments. I called Dish Network and they did not know who this was, so maybe it was a scam, but then the guy from Dish network told me he had an old list so he could net be for sure. I decided to give the kid the benifit of doubt. He did come back at 6PM, just like I asked him to do. I was pretty much ready to sign up, and then I asked about the 625 DVR. He played dumb and I invited him over the computer that was on the Dish Network website. He then called his "boss" and his "boss" backed him up and said the 625 was not released yet (I knew they where lying as I have read alot stuff about the DVR625 on www.pepper.com this afternoon). So I basicaly told him I am going to pass and decided to just call up Dish Network and get signed up thru them. Well I started talking to this woman that I could not understand and did not even seem to know anything so I decided to pass. Maybe I'll look into Direct TV. Thanks for all your comments. Eric |