I just bought an RCA DTC 100 on Ebay yesterday for $350. Should I search for the dish on Ebay as well or can you recommend an on-line retailer, or should I just go to BB or CC?
Garry, Are you an existing DirecTV customer? If you are, try calling 1-800directv and asking for the customer retention department. Tell them you are considering a switch to the Dish network HDTV receiver. Many people have received free dishes, credits toward a receiver, and programming promotions using this approach. It would probably involve you signing up for Total choice for a year. Don't tell them you already purchased a box. Ralph
Garry, If you are not a Directv subscriber, call them and tell them you want to sign up for the Para Todos package. They'll send you a free eliptical dish and a receiver, all you have to pay is shipping. Plus they install it for free. Now, after the installation, when you call to activate just sign up for the total choice, and activate your STB instead of their receiver. Thats what I did. No problems. They didn't even ask me about the Para Todos. Good luck.
Ok I called DirecTv a few minutes ago, and this is their deal: For $49.00 they will send me a new multi sat reciever and oval dish and install it. But I would have to sign up for ONE year of Para Todos, no exceptions. I'm confused about the statement "you'll need a new multi sat reciever". My current setup is that I have two RCA Direct Tv recievers, one up stairs and one down stairs, running off the one 18" round dish. The upstairs one gets replaced by the new HD Reciever. If I just buy and install my own oval dish to work with the new HD reciever, the downstairs reciever wouldn't work with it too, even with some type of multi switch?
If your old receivers aren't multi-sat compatible, they will still work and get all of the channels you currently get. They will not be able to access any of the standard definition channels on the 119 satellite like NASA or RFD. -Robert
I take it you are already a directv subscriber; so if you buy and install the eliptical dish yourself, your current receiver should still receiver the channels you currently get.
Vlad: That's correct, I should have mentioned it in the beginning. I'll buy the elliptical dish myself and just bite the bullet!
About the customer retention department....at DirectV they are morons! they told me last week they were sending me an oval dish, sat c kit and free installation for $49. Today i get a Sat c lnb (THAT SOUNDS BROKEN because it's rattling badly inside) and no dish...and now DirecTV is saying they never said they'd send me an Oval Dish. This *was* the customer retention dept. It took 30 min. on the phone to get them to send me an oval dish, and now my installation date is pushed wayyy back.
I don't want to even get started on DirecTV Customer service. It is so terrible. I went through that retention department because I was moving and I actually wanted to cancel and re-establish service later. This would permit me to get discounted receivers from retailers. However, they offered me the eliptical dish for free with multi-switch. I just paid 10 bucks shipping. Having said that - the installer was 12 hours late. He was a moron. They didn't have a network toner with them so they couldn't track down cables. He took until 11 pm at night for one drop. AFter complaining to DirecTV through several phone calls, they did offer to have additional rooms installed free. However, they then took that deal off the table and tried to charge me for the additional drops. DIRECTV IS AS BAD AS CABLE. JUST PICK YOUR POISON. They both stink.
Wow that sucks. I have actually had a lot of good luck with my directv representatives. One day I needed a new Card and I called at 4pm that day and got my card at9 the next morning fedex. Like Michael Said DIRECTV IS AS BAD AS CABLE. JUST PICK YOUR POISON. They both stink. Totally true!
Where I currently live, I don't have any access to cable so I have been a DirecTV customer for 7 years. (I bought my first dish and receiver for $500 and it was a deal!) I have always installed my own. It is really easy and I am very particular. I did do the 2 way Internet using a dish and was forced to have it professionally installed. (FCC Rules) The installer was totally unprepared. He didn't have any crimpers so we used mine. I expected some fancy tool to find and pinpoint the dish to the sat. Nope! His tool was broke so he just pointed it close and then had me yell out the window when the signal came in. He left it a mess and I ended up cleaning installation and adjusting it myself to get another 10 points in signal strength.
I rememeber when I installed my first dish. It was between Christmas and New Years in 1998 and I was bound to get it going in the bright, clear and sunny 20° weather. The instructions read: if you can install a cieling fan, or a garage door opener, continue reading! While it took me about 6 hours, I got a signal strength of 90 and I was quite proud of my work. So then what's the big deal then with no more self installs? Is DirecTv worried about piracy, which I could understand, or are they worried about frustrated customers that can't get a system up and running?
