I assumed you were a current DTV customer, but it makes no difference. You will still have to have a prom card issued to you, and change the one that is in there for it to work. Direct TV will insist you purchase not only HD service but DVR service. There are two charges that go with those boxes.
You have to initiate the DVR service after inserting the card. When first set up, those devices will not record. You have to sit on the phone with a tech, and go through the set up procedure. You have to repeat all that even if you get sent a replacement DVR if the one you have malfunctions.
The only way you can use that box is to purchase HD and DVR service. Also, for it to work you need a new dish, mast, LLB unit and multiswitch. Also you need to run another cable up to the dish. These units require two cables from the DVR to the dish. If your cable is old and does not have enough bandwidth, the cable you have now will also have to be replaced, and you will need two new cables. Also you will need a fast smart UPS, as that system locks up with the slightest voltage glitch. Not only that, the voltage fluctuations are very prone to blow up the DVRs and all the complex gear on the roof. Originally I had only one of my units on a UPS, but after getting through two DVRs and one set of roof electronics, I put a UPS on the other system, and have had no failures and no lockups. Before putting a UPS on both systems, it would lock up both units. It was a total pain. Now I have zero lock ups.
That's it, there is no way round it.
