Smithsonian HD dropped and replaced with Crime & Investigation HD

[cjwct]

I don't have an issue with Chuck dropping channels under this scenario...IF IT'S THE TRUTH.

It just seems like a very convenient excuse to feed Scott and us every time a channel disappears. I do, however, believe that the platinum tier will be attractive again as new channels are added to it.

I emailed them about this and the response I got seemed to indicate money: Smithsonian HD has been removed from the Dish Network Lineup as of 1/31/2009. We have added Crime and Investigations HD as a new HD channel and can be used temporarily as an alternative channel. We are doing everything possible to quickly resolve the situation and get the channel back. Unfortunately, there is no ETA for a resolution.

[dahenny]

What new channels? There have been very few HD only 24/7 HD channels launched recently. I haven't seen any on Dish's list unless you count Fox Business News channel. No way will Fox let that channel go to platinum tier hell.

Obviously they're not there now

My point is...Chuck will add channels to the tier to make it attractive, or, the tier will die. I believe the former.

[mjrusso45]

OK so just curious. I am at work and cannot check this:

Did people with DishHD Absolute get this new channel? To my knowledge this is the first new channel since the 1st of the year. Or should I not even count this since it is more of a replacement channel?

[BobMurdoch]

So they got rid of one channel I never watch and put in another channel I will never watch.

I still have the Platinum, mostly for UniversalHD. Hopefully, Charlie will make it more COMPELLING soon.

[cjwct]

Re-read the response I received and it almost sounds like here is 1 HD Channel to substitute for another; however, if we get back Smithsonian, we'll take it back (see "temporary alternative")

[HDRoberts]

OK so just curious. I am at work and cannot check this:

Did people with DishHD Absolute get this new channel? To my knowledge this is the first new channel since the 1st of the year. Or should I not even count this since it is more of a replacement channel?

I got it and have Absolute. But I think this is more due to the fact it's replacing a channel, not because Charlie intends on giving us new channels. There is even a slate on the old Smithsonian advertising that "yeah, we don't have this anymore, go watch C&I", or something to that effect.

[M Sparks]

Dish would probably be better off eliminating the Platinum tier. It might have been a good concept with VOOM in there, but now it is quickly becoming a ghost town.

What they really should do is price it fairly. DirecTV charges $5 for something similar.. I would pay $5 for HDNet Movies and MGM. I'm sure Hockey fans would pay $5 for NHL, ect.

OR raise the price of ALL HD packages a few more bucks and add them to all of them. I would think it would be better to make an extra 50 cents or so from ALL HD subscribers than $5 from a few of them.

[M Sparks]

Dish updated the website for the platinum package.

They missed a spot

[Laddyboy]

What they really should do is price it fairly. DirecTV charges $5 for something similar.. I would pay $5 for HDNet Movies and MGM. I'm sure Hockey fans would pay $5 for NHL, ect.

OR raise the price of ALL HD packages a few more bucks and add them to all of them. I would think it would be better to make an extra 50 cents or so from ALL HD subscribers than $5 from a few of them.

Don't they usually have to pay based on the number of subs? If so, putting it in the first tier would mean E* shelling out vastly more in funds for it than they do now.

[jacmyoung]

Don't they usually have to pay based on the number of subs? If so, putting it in the first tier would mean E* shelling out vastly more in funds for it than they do now.

The arrangement has to do with the agreement signed, those few channels are delivered in their own package, cannot be part of the other packages.