Cable installs
The two times I had digital cable installed, about four years ago, were relative breezes. I was most bothered by the installer's insistence on showing me how to use the remote. The second time, the installer didn't hook up the VCR correctly, but that was a minor annoyance.
My dates with satellite installers
My first DirecTV installation, three years ago, was smooth. It took about an hour to install in the living room and the bedroom. The installer used existing cables from previous cable installations, which made it a snap.
After that installation, things got complicated. I bought a DirecTV TiVo box and installed it myself but took advantage of free installation so that I wouldn't have to drill the hole for the second line. The DirecTV TiVo has two tuners, so it needs two cables going into it. The first box I got had a broken second tuner. Even though the installer noted this, DirecTV made me schedule a second installation. The same installer came back out, annoyed, and made sure DirecTV sent me a new box. The second box came and still works fine.
High-def turns into high price
The next time I needed an installer was when I got an HDTV set and bought the HDTV TiVo from DirecTV. I didn't need an installer for the box, but I did need a new dish. DirecTV charged me for that but offered free installation.
Unfortunately, I didn't get the free installation, and I ended up paying $90 to the installer. I wanted to move the old non-HD TiVo into the bedroom and so needed a second line run there. The installer claimed he had to charge me because that was not part of the HD dish install. I didn't call DirecTV at the time, as he offered, but I should have.
Always call the parent company
The moral of that story? Always call the main company if you have any dispute with an installer. DirecTV and Dish Network both want to combat the perception that their installs are difficult. To that end, they bend over backwards to make it easy.
A Dish Network representative told me that the company will cover "a large majority of anything a customer may need to get the system installed, including providing enough cabling, components, necessary labor, as well as any special needs, (i.e. Wall Fish, Attic Crawl, Pole Mount, etc.) to get the customer installed."
In my case, I suspect my guy was right to charge me since the HDTV was obviously in the main room and it was my own idea to move the old TiVo into the bedroom. But I'll never know for sure.
How bad is this move?
So, that previous experience left me wondering if my current move would cause issues. I'd never moved with satellite TV before. DirecTV told me that installing a new dish and running up to 125 feet of cable would be absolutely free as long as I committed to 12 months of programming--or I could not commit, and pay. I chose free.
Amazingly, the installation was a dream. My installer went by the book, ran two cables to each location, and set up the boxes for me, since I had just moved that morning. I was able to watch TV at my old house up until the time I unplugged my TV and moved it, and I had service back by 4 o'clock that afternoon.
Both Dish Network and DirecTV employ independent contractors as well as their own technicians. They make every effort to insure you get the same treatment from all installers, but you need to know the rules before you get an installation. With cable, everything is usually covered, and you generally don't have to sign a one-year contract, although I have heard some good cable horror stories. So it's important, no matter which way you go, to find out up front what kind of installation is offered and covered.
Is satellite definitely more hassle than cable? Not really. Don't believe the FUD (fear, uncertainty, doubt). Make your decisions based on who offers the best deals on the services you want.
No comments:
Post a Comment