ready to upgrade -some advice please

  • Thread starter Thread starter couch3
  • Start date Start date
C

couch3

Guest
background

-been renting 3 x 4100's for 3 years now
-completed my rental 2 year agreement but signed on for a 2 year extension when they enticed me with some incentives to do so (no regrets )
-so I basically have 1 year left on that contract

I'm ready to upgrade to 3 x hd receivers (just the reg ones for 10 bucks a month)but I have some questions/concerns

-how much am I looking at for the installation fee ?
-is there some additional up front costs other than install fee ? (like switches or whatever)
-are said fee's waived if I sign up for certain HD pkg's or whatever

concerns
-my dish is located near the family room end of the house so the cable run from there to the tv isnt very far

however , the other 2 tv's are around 65 feet away from the dish at the other end of the home

I've read a few threads from time to time that state that the cable run shouldnt be farther than X amount of feet otherwise it loses mojo .

anyways , I'd love to hear some advice because I tried loading the info into the bell site and became confused over install charges and some type of prompt that appeared that informed me I'd require some type of switchbox .

thanks for your time
 
If you are just replacing the 4100's with 6131's, there will be minimal additional cabling required. Right now you will have 2 lines from the Dish to a 4 way multiswitch, then 4 lines from here, one to each receiver. This will be replaced with an SW44, so the Tech will need to bring 2 more lines in to that location.

As for the receivers themselves the Tech will just remove a 4100 and replace it with a 6131.

Installation will most likely be a $75 charge for the first receiver, not sure about the other 2 receivers though. I think all other installation cost are refunded anyway.

I believe there would also be a $100 charge for an HD Rental Certificate, or whatever they call it. This 4100 would be refunded on your next bill.

Any and all Upgrades to your dish will be carried out Free as this is your first foray into the signals from 82 degrees.
 
You should be able to get free installation for the first receiver and 6 months free HD if you haggle a bit. The second and third receivers will probably cost $50 each to install. You might get dinged $75 for each rental receiver upgrade if they are covered by the contract. The cheapest route may be to just upgrade one receiver for now. That will minimize installation and upgrade fees.

At the end of the contract, you will have more leverage and can get a much better deal on upgrades. Bell will probably offer free rentals and/or discount on receiver purchases plus service discounts. Trying to upgrade now will likely trigger some unwanted fees.

If it is RG6 and in good condition, 65' is not to long for the cable.
 
thanks for the replys

I think I'm going to wait out the contract then buy the equipment instead of renting -I know it might sound strange , but I'm still blown away with what sdtv looks like on these lcd's that I have

I cant justify 30 bucks a month for 3 receivers when I can buy 3 of them next year for probably around 4-500 bucks and pick and choose the store I want to buy them from
 
By then you never know, they might even have a decent deal for existing customers or even a new receiver model.
 
If you want to buy, it may be better to get them one at a time instead of together. Bell will often give deals on one receiver with programming credits. You might be able to get a 6131 or 9241 with between $100 and $300 in programming credits and/or 6 months free HD plus free installation now. Bell will usually start out by saying there are no deals or make a minimum offer but they are available. Then when the contract expires, you might be able to get more credits on another receiver. You have the best leverage when the contract expires because Bell will counter competitors' offers. Bell also makes special offers on receivers from time to time. They sometimes send the details out in their newsletter and they are usually posted here.
 
Keep in mind that if you buy, you may not get all the additional hardware and installation for free. The HD upgrade promo may or may not be available.

If you do upgrade the rentals now, I would think you'd get a better deal doing it all at once rather than doing one at a time.
 
You can upgrade one 4100 during the length of your contract, but if you've finished the first two-year term, the receivers themselves should be out of contract anyways, meaning you can likely return them at any time with no penalty. The term renewal should just cover your commitment to keep the service, and not the 4100s themselves. Check with Bell.

You'll want to get the HD upgrade for free. That will save you big bucks on the switch. It will be an SW-44. Just let them know the number of receivers you want to keep going, and they'll get you the right stuff. Think of the future, too. What type of receiver and how many will you want. Then, once you know, get the free upgrade for your configuration. It will save you money to do it all at once rather than piecemeal.
 
you are correct roman

whatever deal I signed last summer was to just keep me on as a custumer (40 bucks off one of my bills)

what I'm preferring to do now is just go to futureshop or my local audiotronic store and just buy from them because quite frankly , bells install crew did a pitiful install job back in 2006 .

how much notice does bell need to cancel my 4100's which I'm renting in favor of buying the three hd receivers ?
 
i do not think they would need any at all. if you are still on a contact for the 4100's though they might bill you for an early cancellation free if you choose to deactivate them. if thats the case it may be cheaper to just upgrade the recievers to somthing like a 6131/6141
 
mickk-the rental term is complete

I'll probably go to futureshop on the weekend and see what their salespeople have to say about my situation

you can get a 6131 for 149 bucks there at the moment --but , I'm not sure if its 149 for new bell custumers or everyone

getting tired of the newbies getting things cheaper than the loyal custumers
 
thats whats weird mick

I could have sworn I signed on for 2 more years via a 40 dollor enticement from a csr last year.

but when I emailed them for more details they said I was done
 
well in that case you could get some 6131's cheap. i know FS is having a sale on them till June 18
 
couch3,
Your contract renewal would be for two years. Your equipment, however, is now out of contract, meaning you can return the 4100s if you want.

Don't trust Future Shop. They'll tell you what you want to hear. A new 6131 is $199. Most other promos are for new customers. Don't complain too much about missing out on a promo - you can get the Nimiq 2 Upgrade, which would cost in the hundreds of dollars if you were to buy the necessary switch and LNBF yourself.

Keep in mind that Bell won't reimburse you the cost of the upgrade if you have someone else do it.

Ideally, you should have an SW-44 switch installed, so you can use more than two receivers with it. If you decide to send your 4100 back later, just call up and have it disabled. They'll take it back.
 
when i was referring to the future shop sale i meant it was only for the receiver so you could add it to your existing setup. i didn't say anything about install or plans.
 
I had a bad experience with bells install crew here in timmins back when I had the 4100's installed which is why I'm seeking an alternative

I was under the assumption I was being 'punked' because I couldnt believe what I was seeing that day
 
Ah Timmins. That would be The Installation Group, out of Sudbury, I believe. Now I understand your concerns.....lol
 
actually , no

it was a 2 man crew from a small town outside of timmins

they didnt 'charge' their drill overnight

''uhh , damn , I didnt charge the drill and its dead''

nice and professional there bell , nice and professional :cool:
 
Back
Top