HD PVR 9200 review and Bell ExpressVu

HD PVR 9200We just had the Dishlink installer over to install our Bell PVR (Bell outsources its installation).

Here are some things you should know about both this PVR receiver and Bell ExpressVu:

Bell’s claim: “You can connect it to 2 TVs for separate viewing and recording on each TV.”
Truth: Let’s skip the fact that TVs can’t record. But here’s something else Bell’s web site won’t tell you: If you’re going to try to pull this off, one of those TVs must be a high-definition television. Those ain’t cheap, friend.

Bell’s claim: If you want high-definition and you’re already a Bell ExpressVu customer, all you have to do is buy this box and sign up for the channels!
Truth: Better be sure your house can see the HD satellite. Turns out you’ll have to re-point your satellite dish to see another satellite (Nimik 2: “82″). This new satellite is ten degrees lower on the horizon which makes it more difficult for dishes to find.

Bell’s claim: If you sign up for two years’ worth of PVR rental, you’ll get one year’s rental credited back to you.
Truth: Not if you’re already a Bell customer. That deal doesn’t apply to you.

Naturally, we called to apply our programming yesterday to this new box and gave them our receiver serial number etc. They said it was all done and would start working as soon as it was installed. Of course, it wasn’t. The guy I just talked to said he had no record of our call yesterday. (I have come to assume Bell’s CRM system is based on post-it notes.)

And in a final “f*ck-you” from Bell, in the Main Menu of the PVR, the only item greyed out and not available selection is… wait for it… Customer Service. When I mentioned it to the CSR robot today, he said “That’s right. That means you don’t get any service from us,” and laughed maniacly.” Funny guy.

Posted May 22, 2006 Comments