Thinking about going to Bell TV, want to do it cheap. Have a few questions.

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derrick1985

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Hi,

I am thinking about subscribing to Bell TV (satellite) but me being me, I want to do it as cheaply as possible. My thought was that I would be able to purchase a two used receivers and save on some of the installation costs by not having to rent/purchase a receiver. I was talking to a rep via the Live Chat on their site, and was informed that it would be $75 dollars to activate an old receiver, on a new account. Is this correct? I would have thought there would be no charge or a very minimal one?

If that is the case, then it would probably be easier to purchase the SD receiver (and perhaps the HD PVR) right from Bell and save the hassle of the $75 dollar fee. I thought I would ask the forum this, as I trust people's opinions vs. the company representatives.

And just back to the topic at hand, what is the cheapest way for me to hook two TV's up to Bell, without dishing out an arm and a leg?

Thanks!
 
The cheapest way to get 2 receivers installed and working is to rent them. There will be no upfront costs and if you choose 2 x SD receivers it will cost you an extra $8 per month.

I was under the impression that activating a used receiver was $35 but I could be wrong.
 
It's $35 for new customers to activate a used receiver, if the agent remembers to charge you.
 
There are significant costs for activating an old receiver. In addition to the $35 activation fee, there is a $75 installation fee plus $50 for each additional receiver. Considering that a new customer gets an SD receiver for $50 (after credits) and free installation, used receivers don't look like such a good deal. Once the first receiver is connected, a used receiver can be activated at no charge. There is still the installation fee but that could be done for $50 at the time of the original installation.

Also, be very careful when buying used receivers. There are a number of pitfalls that make buying used receivers risky, as described in this thread.
 
Buying used receivers and avoiding a contract makes a lot of sense - if you already have a dish, wiring, and hardware ready to go. Otherwise, I think you might be better off buying new receivers with free installation on a two-year commitment to minimize your cost. Trying to find used HDPVR's can be a challenge.
 
just be sure when buying used recievers that you get the serial numbers from the seller and verify with bell that there is no money owing on the account they were previously on and if they are still able to be activated.
 
This week at best buy you can get a new 6131 HDTV box for $149 with an additional $100 program credit from Bell for a new sub. Ends up at $ 50 installed on a two year contract. Add a hard drive for a PVR
 
Is the 6131 also Dual Tuner, or only single? Will it allow me to schedule to record shows over the internet? Also, can it output to a SD television as well, because, for the same price, I could get the SD box.
 
Ok, answered the one about recording over internet, but is it dual tuner and can it output to SD (coax of A/V)?
 
This forum contains all the answers several dozen times over.

No, it is NOT a Dual Tuner.
Yes it outputs SD, via Composite or Component ONLY.
 
This forum contains all the answers several dozen times over.

No, it is NOT a Dual Tuner.
Yes it outputs SD, via Composite or Component ONLY.
 
Not at this time but it may in the future. The 9242 and 9241 currently allow internet scheduling of recordings (not direct recording.) They are also dual tuner. The 9241 should be available foe $200 after credits to a new customer. Considering what they sell for on eBay that's the best deal.

I believe that Bell will do a one year contract if you pay for the installation or do it yourself. It all depends on what you feel comfortable with and what hardware you have. There are lots of Bell dishes left behind by people who move so you might be able to pick up a used one cheap.
 
Buying used receivers to start an account is certainly not the cheapest way to open account...you have to pay a transfer fee for both receivers, and you don't get the new clients promo.

Also you risk that the person selling you the receiver has not called Bell (and could not even be the legitimate owner of the receiver), therefore making you unable to activate the receivers. Lots of people assume that if they closed their account and their account is all paid they could sell the receivers and that the person will be able to activate it with no problem. This is not the case! No matter how long the account has been disconnected the owner of the receiver must call Bell, in order to autorise them to proceed to the transfer.

If you buy receivers from Bell (some are as cheap as 99$) or decide to rent them AND sign a contract, you are therefore eligible for all the new client's promo and freebe. Your hardware will also be warrantied 1 year for a purchase, as long as you rent for a rental.
 
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