[stickyfingers]

I recently signed up w/E*. It took nearly 6 weeks from my first "install appointment" to my actual install. It was due to the 811 shortage and it's all detailed at length in the HD HW forum - so I'll skip it.


The E* program guides are, IMO, lousy compared to the D* guides.


The E* PVRs (I haven't used a 921 yet) absolutely pale in comparison to the DTivos.


The programming offered on E* is really random as well..."The Bingo Channel?" Huh?


Through all this process I've spent a considerable amount of time on the phone w/various tech support folks and it's gone very poorly almost all the time - even probably half the calls to the executive office. As an example, today I sat down to watch a Golden State Warriors game on Fox Sports Bay Area, and when I went to FSBA I received a message that it was "blacked out." Well that certainly shouldn't be the case, FSBA has never blacked out anything in my area and the game was showing on both cable and D*. Long story short, the supervisor was arguing w/me because I was trying to explain to her that FSBA is blacked out, when it is, by market not by provider - but she had no idea what a blackout meant. After about 20 minutes I hung up and got it resolved w/the executive office.


I'm happy w/my purchase as, due to all the screwups getting it installed, I've got six months free programming on a one year contract w/a free 811 which I should be able to EBay for more than the cost of the other 6 months of programming. So ultimately I'll be watching E* for free for a year, but I was curious as to how other E* users feel. Do you notice the "rough edges" or heck...do you think E* is a better experience?


At the end of the day, the PQ (and programming) is all that matters, and in that sense I'm fine w/E* - I was just surprised at how unpolished the whole experience is.


My $.o2,


Brian

 

[eldub1999]

I was actually coming to this forum to post an almost identical message.


My story...


I've had D* for 3+ years and been very happy with it. I was moving Dec 2003, and decided to "re-evaluate" my choices. I had HD through D* and a rooftop UHF for OTA reception. I'll spare the details, but for me the decision went like this...

- Cable was out in my area twice in November because of the normal Seattle wind storms (more likely to lose service because of wind than rain, contrary to popular belief). 2-7 days without cable. Having no Internet for 2-7 days sucks. I am not willing to put my eggs in one basket. Therefore, I rulled out cable.

- Satellite equipment seems to be superior to cable decoders. This reenforces the satellite decision.

- E* added Korean programming. 4 channels. My wife is Korean, so I decided to switch to E* from D*. New customer deals from E* made this seem like a really good decision.


I called and ordered the 811/522/301 package. Got a call on Dec 17th saying that they were ready to install my 811/510/322 package. I told them it was the wrong package. Had to call back and get the invoice fixed. This cost me my install slot. They moved me to December 21st. Got a call on December 20th telling me that they had no 811s and would have to reschedule me when they got them in. After 2 hours on the phone, I spoke with "Jennifer" in the executive group (whatever that means) and persuaded them to just install the 522/301.


December 28th, I got the install done. The installer told me I was better off installing on Tripods in my yard. I told him I was worried about wind. He says "no problem. If you ever have issue, call the local number and we'll fix the problem for free."


Last night the wind blew over both tripods. Called the number. They basically told me no way, they won't fix it. Sent me to corporate. Corporate wanted to charge me $29,99 to come out and fix the problem. They said they would re-mount the dishes for $99. After having a fit, I finally have them coming out on Wednesday to fix the installation for free.


So here is my impression of Dish so far:

- Their appointment system is broken. Loosing your install appointment to fix an invoice they screwed up is wrong. As an ex-consultant, I can tell you that "appointment management" is a well understood problem space and there are many software solutions on the market that can solve this.

- Their inventory control system sucks. How can they confirm an order and then call back and tell you they are missing parts (811)? Again, "inventory management" is a well understood problem space and there are many software packages available to solve this.

- Their demand forecasting sucks. Software packages to solve problem, blah, blah...

- Their customer service reps seem to be poorly informed and not empowered to solve any problems.


PQ, etc., I agree, it is a wash. My wife loves the Korean programming and loves the 522. I use Tivo with the 301, so I don't miss the Tivo capabilities


Unpolished is probably an understatement. Software for the boxes seems to be a bit questionable. As you mentioned, program guide has a lot to be desired.


Oh, as a final note, I ended up getting HD locals through Comcast ($13 more than just having Internet through Comcast). The service I've received through Comcast has been perfect. Being that my original switch to D* was due to a bunch of major screw ups by AT&T Cable, it is nice to see Comcast really picking up the ball and running with it.


Anyway, my advice to people would be to choose between D* and cable. Only if you really need the international content from E* should you even think about them as an option.


-Laudon

 

[Tonedeaf]

Quote:

Originally posted by stickyfingers It took nearly 6 weeks from my first "install appointment" to my actual install. It was due to the 811 shortage and it's all detailed at length in the HD HW forum - so I'll skip it. The E* program guides are, IMO, lousy compared to the D* guides. The E* PVRs (I haven't used a 921 yet) absolutely pale in comparison to the DTivos. The programming offered on E* is really random as well..."The Bingo Channel?" Huh?

Exactly my reasons for not going over the the E* side. Very content that I stuck with D* and paid $99 for an HD receiver.