Mandatory 2020 receiver upgrade

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@DTVuser2 wrote:

I have the D12-100 receiver but I have the oval egg shaped dish installed in 2015 when I moved here. I received an email about 4 months ago on the menu in my tv stating that I will need to upgrade to a different receiver by April or June 2020 not 2019 because the old one is going away. I called DTV so many times but is always put on hold for up to an hour, so I hang up. I have been a customer since the beginning in 1994 when I paid $1000 for the dish and receiver from Radio Shack and installed it myself lol...My question is this: I have to accept the upgrade to the HD receiver or my service will go away but do I have to pay ANYTHING to upgrade to the HD receiver only? I don't want DVR or anything else, just the mandatory replacement to the HD receiver. Will they charge me for the HD receiver or charge me shipping and handling if they mail it to me? Do I have to sign a 24 month contract to accept the replacement receiver? Will they have to replace the oval egg shaped dish? (its not the old round one)...Will they charge me a monthly fee to use the mandatory HD receiver upgrade? Sorry so many questions but I want to be prepared when someone finally does answer the phone at AT&T Directv. .

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1. Swapping your D12 for an HD Receiver should be free. You'll need to call DirecTV ... 1 800 531 5000.  Don't let them sell you on any upgrades to DVR or Genie equipment if you don't want that. That would cost $$$ and start a new 24-month contract.

2. They will not just mail it to you because your dish will also need to be replaced with Slimline HD dish with Single Wire Multiswitch technology. 

Thank you for replying and the info. There is a small box the DTV tech installed with a coaxial cable to the receiver,,,One side says to SWM and the other side says to the receiver. He told me he installed an HD SWM Antennae (egg shaped not round) but my receiver is SD....Are you sure that they have to replace my Ant when they replace my receiver? I have local channels too. Do they send a tech out to do all the replacing?

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@DTVuser2 wrote:

Thank you for replying and the info. There is a small box the DTV tech installed with a coaxial cable to the receiver,,,One side says to SWM and the other side says to the receiver. He told me he installed an HD SWM Antennae (egg shaped not round) but my receiver is SD....Are you sure that they have to replace my Ant when they replace my receiver? I have local channels too. Do they send a tech out to do all the replacing?

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There are two "egg-shaped" dishes .... the older Phase III dish and the newer Slimline dish. What do you have?

Its midnight here so I will look tomorrow morning. How do I tell the difference between the two you said? Does it say Slimline? The DTV tech installed it in Nov 2015...The tech said it was a HD dish. Also there is an electrical coaxial box in between the ANT and receiver.. One side says to SWM and the other side says to the receiver...I always thought I had a HD Ant and a SD receiver...How can find out what ANT I have? thanks

That's a power inserter that you're describing so you more than likely have a swm dish and would only need the hd receiver , however, you should also have a band stop filter or BBC(honestly can't remember which one is needed)  connected to the d12. When you call for the gd receiver be sure you ask for the mpeg swap offer, that's the proper order needed, The swap offer is free without commitment and free hd service. Please check the order confirmation afterwards to make sure it was placed as a swap and NOT an upgrade

Thank you for replying. I don't see anything else such as that Stop Filter but I could be wrong, but I do have that power inserter you are talking about. I will make sure I tell DTV that I want the MPEG Swap Offer so that I don't get charged .I wish I knew how to identify if I have the HD Ant Slimline but I probably do because the power inserter says to SWM...Anyway, thanks for all the help.

I went to the info and test and scrolled down and saw the following.

                                                                                                           Receiver: D12-100

                                                                                                           Receiver ID:  0128 0584 3682

                                                                                                           Scheduled Upgrade:  Not Scheduled

                                                                                                           SWM Firmware version:  2.0.24

                                                                                                           SWM Library version:  2.0.24

                                                                                                           Completion Code:  8404

That is the info I can see. I don't see anything saying Dish type.

The fact is, AT&T is forcing everyone to upgrade to HD so they can charge the HD fee every month.  No wonder the upgrade is free.  It will cost us $120.00 a month, plus a new 2 year contract.  As of today, I can no longer get local channels on Directv.  I'm cancelling Directv, AT&T DSL, and since I won't be needing my AT&T landline phone for my Internet, I will cancel my home phone also.  Good luck AT&T, you piece of (Edited per community guidelines).

@Halltulsa , the required swap from standard definition to high definition is free with NO  committment and hd fees waived. It has to be setup as a swap not an upgrade

@Halltulsa 

Learn the difference between a required MPEG Swap (HD service is credited, no new agreement) and an optional upgrade (HD service is $10, 24 month agreement).

HD service is $10, not $120. But only if you go the optional route, not the required swap.

Non-HD service is about extinct. Those outdated satellites are at end of life. So tech moves forward, though you might be incapable of doing so.

I specifically asked if I would have to be in a new contract when I responded to letter saying I needed to upgrade my equipment.  Both the representative on the phone and the installer of the newer equipment said "No.".  They lied.  I lost my job a few months ago & now need to cancel my satellite service, but AT & T representative said when I upgraded equipment, it started a new 24 month contract.  AT & T was deceitful.  I have to pay about $200.00 to cancel & representative said the most she could do was give me a $40 pre-paid card (according to her supervisor).  What good does that do me? I don't have any other AT&T device to use it toward. I will make it a point to not do business with AT & T again.  Will be finding out via Facebook just how many other customers were scammed.

I also need to add to my post that I have been a Direct TV customer for 20 years! - dseibjoDB

@dseibjoDB 

Upgrades of equipment come with a 24 month agreement. Might come with new monthly charges depending on the exact changes.

However, if you have outdated MPEG-2/SD-only equipment, they have a complimentary swap program. There is no service agreement, and if you don't already have HD service then that is credited monthly (not expected for life).

Regardless if order was the special MEPG swap, or a regular upgrade, the order confirmation would have clearly listed the details including the 24 month agreement if there was one. No matter what an agent says, read the paperwork. That way you are protected against a bad agent or simply one who made an honest mistake on the order.

Every company deals with this kind of situation, it is not exclusive to AT&T. So going forward make sure to read the order confirmation or other paperwork.

Being a customer for 20 years doesn't change anything. Upgrades have worked the same for that time requiring an agreement and it doesn't make reading the order confirmation any less important.