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Dish Network letter dated 7/29/2011


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I got a letter in the mail from Dish Network on Monday. Basically it states that "due to improvements in our system's technology, it may be necessary to reconfigure your dish antenna or replace some of your existing equipment".

I called today and made an appointment. They're coming to my house on Saturday. From what I understood, I think they're replacing my dish. As far as equipment (i.e. receiver) they will replace it if the new dish is not compatible w/ my current receiver.

Everything is being done free of charge. Finally we get something free. :)

If we could only get ERT for free.

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ERT HD is still in a testing phase in Greece and judging by how things work in Greece it will probably be quite a while before it actually launches. You are in for an even longer wait for ERT World to launch in HD- if it ever does!?

Some of the other channels have been whining about how ERT should not be allowed to launch an HD feed, something about some agreement or other?! It looks like the private networks are crying because they are too cheap to upgrade their signal to HD quality and so they are trying to prevent ERT from doing the same. :rolleyes: I say good for ERT, hopefully once ERT HD launches they will look to launch ERT World in HD as well.

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ERT HD is still in a testing phase in Greece and judging by how things work in Greece it will probably be quite a while before it actually launches. You are in for an even longer wait for ERT World to launch in HD- if it ever does!?

Some of the other channels have been whining about how ERT should not be allowed to launch an HD feed, something about some agreement or other?! It looks like the private networks are crying because they are too cheap to upgrade their signal to HD quality and so they are trying to prevent ERT from doing the same. :rolleyes: I say good for ERT, hopefully once ERT HD launches they will look to launch ERT World in HD as well.

HellasHab, that is not exactly the case. SKAI has been ready to broadcast in HD for years now, and the ESR does not allow them based on some deal they made when they were planning the digital transition, claiming that unless they all make the switch to HD it would give some an unfair advantage. The complaint against ERT is that suddenly it deemed itself not bound by the deal the state has imposed.
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ERT World is currently broadcasting on MPEG2 Digital format world wide. If they start broadcasting in HD they will switch to a new digital format MPEG4 H264.

For the end user to receive ERT World HD FTA will need a new Mpeg4 digital receiver (Box) and that's about $200 US.

DKsat

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DKSat... It would be great although I very much doubt it that it is going to happen, but assuming that ERT World starts broadcasting in MPEG4 H264 while still with Dish Network, would that mean that we would be getting it in HD through Dish?

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HellasHab, that is not exactly the case. SKAI has been ready to broadcast in HD for years now, and the ESR does not allow them based on some deal they made when they were planning the digital transition, claiming that unless they all make the switch to HD it would give some an unfair advantage. The complaint against ERT is that suddenly it deemed itself not bound by the deal the state has imposed.

I know that Skai is broadcasting in wide screen format but I was not aware that they had gone to full HD?!

I knew there was some sort of deal involved but I could not remember the specifics. I am surprised they would make such an agreement in this day and age?! Each broadcaster should be allowed to do as they wish- if ERT wants to launch an HD feed then all the power to them! Someone has to get the ball rolling or else I don't think anyone will ever switch to HD unless they absolutely have to.

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For the end user to receive ERT World HD FTA will need a new Mpeg4 digital receiver (Box) and that's about $200 US.

ERT World is not available FTA in North America, only on C-Band which requires a large dish thus putting it out of reach for most average users. Also, by the time ERT World becomes available in HD or MPEG-4, the price of receivers will have come way down so no need to worry about the high cost. We are talking about Greece here- the wheels move very slowly there so it could be another decade before they start launching HD channels- heck they haven't even completed the switch from analogue to digital yet! B)

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Dish Network tech just left my house. Basically he took out the old dishes and installed one new dish which is able to receive both American and int'l programming (SD only). The only difference is my old dish for int'l channels faced the SE sky while this new one faces the SW sky. Receiver remained the same.

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Dish Network is moving international customer from 61.0w over to the 118.7w location

Dish Network has started to switch out QPSK receivers, eliminating older QPSK receivers 301's, 2700 , 2800, 501, 508 and 510 and replacing them with a newer 8PSK receiver 311 and 512.

DKsat

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I thought they did this a few years ago. I know they changed mine like in 2008

Yeah, that's what they told me back in July of 08 when they did repair work on my dish and replaced my receiver because it went bad. They said they would be upgrading everybody w/in a couple of months and those couple of months went by and nothing ever happened--until I got that letter in the mail last week. So a couple of months was actually 3 years--at least for me.
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Dish Network is moving  international customer from 61.0w over to the 118.7w location

Dish Network has started to switch out QPSK receivers, eliminating older QPSK receivers 301's, 2700 , 2800, 501, 508 and  510 and replacing them with a newer 8PSK receiver 311 and 512.

DKsat

Are you guys behind the times? The Greek channels have been available on 118.7W for 3 years now. As far as the receivers even 512 is ancient receiver in my mind. I have two 722k for almost a year now.

Dish customers are eligible for a free upgrade every year. All you have to do is ask. I did not have to pay anything for the upgrades.

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There are lots of international customer on 61.0 w that did not move to 118.7w location yet.

Every time you do a upgrade with Dish or Directv you automatic role in to a 2 year contract.

The SD channels are not going any were for a long time so the 311,.222 ,and 512 are not ancient receivers, There is going to be long time before any international channels will be broadcasting in HD , special Greek ones.

DKSat

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Dish has done a good job consolidating the international channels on 118.7W.

If I remember well, initially they were on both 61.5W and 148W so they could be accessed from the whole US. The difference between the two was that you had to have a second dish if using 61.5W whereas only one the SuperDish if using 148W.

At some point they were gone from 148W and I believe they moved to 118.7W. It must have been exactly the time when MEGA left Dish for DirecTV. I kept Dish but without the Greek channels and followed MEGA on DirecTV.

Later when the local HD channels became available in my area, initially they were coming in from 61.5W and so I had them install another dish on my roof for that. Then I got also the Greek channels from 61.5W. I am not sure if it was my location or the satellite but the picture quality of the Greek channels was terrible.

When eventually all local HD channels became available from 110W or 129W I am not sure, I had them yet one more time, install the new HD Plus Dish and get rid of the 300 Dish that was pointing to 61.5W.

So now I get everything American and Greek HD and SD with just one dish.

The quality of all the Greek channels from 118.7W is excellent but I think part of the reason is also the newer receiver (722K).

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I know that Skai is broadcasting in wide screen format but I was not aware that they had gone to full HD?!

Skai is not in HD yet. They are ready to broadcast in HD, in fact have been for a few years now, but they are not allowed to because of the stupid provision mentioned by likos earlier. As for broadcasting in widescreen (16:9) I believe all of the main Greek channels will be doing so by the end of the year from what I read. I know Star Channel started broadcasting all their programs in 16:9 earlier this year after ERT launched in HD. It is a start I guess.

ERT World is currently  broadcasting on MPEG2 Digital format world wide. If they start broadcasting in HD  they will switch to a new digital format MPEG4 H264. 

DKsat

Isn't it converted to MPEG4 (or planned?) on Home2us, or am I mistaken?

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  • 4 months later...

Hello everybody

I recently had a technician come out to reconfigure my Dish Network hardware so I can be on the new satellite and continue to receive my Greek channels. I was told that this service call was free when I scheduled the service but now Im being charged $95. The customer service agent said that they would waive the fee if I agreed to a $6 per month protection plan which is truly unethical.

I was wondering if the letter that was sent out in July from Dish Network asking everybody to change to the new satellite mentions a service charge. Also, I was wondering if anybody still has that letter.

Thanks!

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Did the technician install the new 118 dish ?

If the technician install the new 118 dish and replace the receivers the upgrade is free.

Dish receiver , 2700, 2800, 301, 501, 508, 510 those receiver need to be replace the upgrade is free.

DKSat

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Yes,

They changed out my dish and updated my box. The box was $50 but they gave me a $50 refund. The $95 was just for the technician. They told me that I had to pay because its a cost needed to support this type of programing. Then they hit me with the $6 per month offer. I called ANT1 this morning and they told me that they were not aware of this charge and they will look into it.

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Did the installer came with a Dish network van that had the Dish network logo on , or some off the street guy with a pick up truck with no Dish network logo.

If they replace the receiver with a SD receiver the upgrade is FREE, if they replace the receiver with HD receiver then they charge you.

DKSat

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The truck did have a Dish Network sign on it, or at least a magnet from what I remember. The charge for the box was waved with a two year commitment. The service charge was supposed to be free but it wasnt. I just got off the phone with them again and they said that everybody will be charged to does the reconfiguration. From the people that I have talked too who have had this service, the charge is not true.

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The $6.00 per month home protection plan is a Dish Network feature that you can elect to have or not have it. You can drop it at any time. I have elected to have it for quite sometime now as I also have also American programming.

It covers the dish the receivers and remotes for any issue they might have.

If you have it a technical visit would cost $19.95 as opposed to $95.00.

In your case however, because you had no option but to install a new dish pointing at 118 satellite it should have been free.

In my case I always had the Greek Channels coming of 118 so I don't know if they would have charged me anything.

I would call DISH and demand a refund for the money.

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Hello everybody

I recently had a technician come out to reconfigure my Dish Network hardware so I can be on the new satellite and continue to receive my Greek channels. I was told that this service call was free when I scheduled the service but now Im being charged $95.  The customer service agent said that they would waive the fee if I agreed to a $6 per month protection plan which is truly unethical. 

I was wondering if the letter that was sent out in July from Dish Network asking everybody to change to the new satellite mentions a service charge.  Also, I was wondering if anybody still has that letter.

Thanks!

I wasn't charged a service charge because I've been paying a $6 per month protection plan for over 3 years. In the letter, however, in small print it states "there are no equipment upgrade fees or service call charges associated with this program. However, a small number of customers may see a slight increase in their monthly additional outlet fees". I still have that letter if you have any other questions. And for the record, they only replaced my dish. The receiver(311 model) remained the same (check out my previous posts on this topic).
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