Direct TV upgrade question

[hermosabeach]

A girlfriend of mine just got her first big screen TV

The picture from direct TV looks washed out as it is the old low def version

A neighbor moved out and left their 1 year old HDreceiver on the roof next to her smaller dish.

Can she simply buy a new TiVo HD box, use her existing direct TV card and connect to the HD dish?

She is trying to avoid the cost of signing a new contract for HD service

Will this work?

[CitiZen-75]

No. HD programming must be activated with the provider. At best, you should be able to receive OTA (over-the-air) HD local programming.

[bigmike82]

Yeah...you have to sign up for the HD programming. There's a chance you might not be able to use the HD box either. Your best bet is to probably contact a local DirecTV reseller and see if they can handle the matter for you. I *think* they get a cut if you sign up through them rather than through DirecTV directly, so they might be more willing to pull strings than DirecTV will.

[the86d]

If she is planning on getting an upgrade to the Genie DVR, (with me coming from the new FiOS DVR,) The Genie is REALLY LAGGY if she is going to upgrade. It sometimes can drag it's feet for like 5+ full seconds when trying to do anything (besides search-functions). It is like using the OLD FiOS DVR (silver).

(A coworker had me check some Native setting in some menus, but no dice.)

[ibanezfoo]

You can't switch cards around in the receivers. They are bound to each other.

[Calplinker]

DirectTV

She will have to pay for the HD channels but the price isn't that much. Upgrading to a Genie HD player for free is easy. If her contract has expired just call DirectTV and say you want to cancel your service.

They will put you through to their Retention department. Don't ask questions, and stay on message. Be polite and say you want to cancel service. They will ask why since their job is to keep you as a customer.

Tell them you are cancelling because your local cable provider is offering a free HD receiver that records up to 5 channels at the same time AND free NFL Sunday ticket if you switch your service to them. Retention will ask if this is your only reason for cancelling. Tell them yes and that you'd prefer to stay with them, but you can't pass up such a good deal.

If your account is in good standing, DirectTV will offer to give you the same thing for free if you sign up for another year or two.

I've done this twice with them. Last time I did it, they threw in free movie channels for a few months.

My Genie doesn't lag at all. It simply died once, but DirectTV had a new one to us within 48 hours. Easy to change out. If anyone is having problems, call DirectTV tech services and they can fix you up.

[bohoki]

someone left the receiver on the roof? wow

all my receivers are old on one ive been getting the message about a mpg upgrade but when i ask when will my box stop working they have no answer so there is no deadline i do not want to give up my misubishi box it changes channels as fast as an old tv with a knob and when the power goes out and comes back instant tv no waiting for it to boot up it also has a little wire to control my vcr

i swear directv equipment has been getting worse they tried to upgrade me to a d-10 but it froze up and overheated within a month and the white remote rubber buttons turned to mush i could actually count one onethousand two onethousand three before i got picture or sound when i changed channels

i threw it in the trash

i only have a 720p tv and i can see the limitations of low definiton but its as clear as a tv has ever been in the past

i hate laggyness when i want to change channels

[hermosabeach]

Thanks for the suggestions. In another friends complex there were 14 dishes on the roof and 8 units in the building. People move out after a 1 year lease and they take the items from in the apartment but leave the dishes on the roof.

The installer are idiots. They installed a dish over a BBQ.

They get the job done and no one deals with the abandoned dishes.

Thanks again for the feedback