Bad luck turns to dissatisfaction ..(rant)

[Limited-Time]

So over the T-day weekend the main TV goes on the fritz, the set is 13 plus years old so number one and I decide it’s time for an up grade. Off we go to the major retailers. We compare models, options sizes and such and decide on a HD projection style TV. But in order to project the HD picture we need to upgrade our satellite TV system. No problem, the chain store handles our provider’s equipment. Only issue is the store is “temporarily” out of HD DVR’s. Ace sales guy says one should be in by Wednesday, no big deal. We take delivery of the set. Monday I schedule the system upgrade with our provider, new dish, additional cabling and hookups, all to be done at no charge. The provider questions me on the status of the HD DVR, I tell him I’ll have it there when he arrives Thursday, (as the ace sales men said one should available on Wednesday). I call to check on the HD DVR on Tuesday, friendly sales associate states there is no scheduled delivery on HD DVR’s for Wednesday, and she has no way of telling when any well ship. Now my Oh-Sheet alarm goes off. I thank her for the information and hang up. I call another major player in the electronics business and question the availability of the component. The sales men states their store has not see a HD DVR in over two months, and he has no information as to when they will be available. Now I’m pi$$ed. I call our provider as inquire about having them supply the HD DVR; he kindly tells me they are currently on back order and gives me a phone number to call so I can be put on the waiting list for one. This morning I call to cancel the installer as not to incur a $150.00 fee for a no can do instillation. The associate tells me he just scheduled an install for a customer that has waited 2 months to receive his box. SO now we’re stuck with a HD TV that will not be fully functional for a month ......................or two. Am thinking about packing it up and returning to the store as I feel the sales man should have informed us about the supply issues with the HD DVR. And yes now I feel better….

 

[JB]

Re: Bad luck turns to dissatisfaction…..(rant)

Don't know who your provider is, LT.

When I went to HDTV about 2 years ago, I called DirecTV and asked for the upgrade. The Installer was here the next day. . . no charge. Of course my service went up about $10 a month to cover the HD channels.

I then upgraded my antenna (I am about 60 miles from DFW transmitting towers) so I could receive HD broadcasts. That cost me a couple of Cs. The HD pix from the antenna are actually sharper than from the satellite, and I can watch NFL and PGA events in full screen HD. Bloody awesome.8)

Mayhaps you should investigate DirecTV, and I strongly recommend you get whatever antenna is required to receive broadcast HD.

 

[Pony]

Re: Bad luck turns to dissatisfaction…..(rant)

Lt- was it the HR20-700S by any chance?? If so there has not only been on back order for awhile, but most of them are having problems and being resold as refurbished. I have seen one or two in the last week or so, but everytime we get some in they are gone right away.

What I suspect happened was that your salesperson was seasonal help and didnt know. Most other items that are out of stock immediately go on order and we get them within a week. They probably had a truck that night and he assumed they would get one in. I don't know which store you went to, but I DO know at my store I can't pull up a list of what is coming in intil it is actually shipped. So usually the morning of or night before the truck gets there.

Which TV did you get? If I was going for a Projection type HD I'd go samsung DLP. The Sony Wega's are nice but the last few "batches" have had lots of out of the box issues. Last week we had 4 50" Wegas go out and all came back to be serviced.

An HD antenna will actually give you a better HD picture of your local channels than the box from Direct TV. It is convienient because if your TV has a built in ASTC tuner you can go through the coax input for the antenna and then just switch inputs when you are watching local stuff. On my HD Tv I am able to get all the channels very clearly through my HD antenna. I live about 25 miles from the city. I have a TERK25 and I love it. I think it retails for about $50, but I think RCA has some on the market for about $30.

 

[Limited-Time]

Re: Bad luck turns to dissatisfaction…..(rant)

JB,
DirecTV is our provider. I can't say enough good about them. Their service across the board has been top notch in our eyes. It was their associate that was finely forthcoming on the back order issue. I will look into the air antenna; I'll need it for the local HD channels any way.

Pony,
The sales associate was/is a regular, according to number one we spoke with him on a few occasions in the past.
I do not recall the exact model number on the HD DVR box, but in the pic it carried the DirecTV logo.
As for the new boob tube, it’s a 50 inch Sony SXRD projection type set. I don’t know about the ASTC tuner, but I’ll check the book.
Sounds like my next move may just be that HD antenna; both you and JB seem to be impressed by yours.
Thanks for the input.

 

[KaGee]

Re: Bad luck turns to dissatisfaction…..(rant)

LT... The HD-DVR's are in a little turmoil and have been for a while. DIRECTV wants to upgrade to MPEG-4 signal compression. Problem is, it will void all the HD-DVR's currently in operation as MPEG-4 is not backward compatable. They are trying to figure out how to do this without PO'ing current HD-DVR subscribers and bankrupting themselves. This has been going on now for over a year.

I have the DirecTV HD receiver and it is sweet! ( I turned JB onto his!) If only DirecTV would increase their HD programing as they originally promised.