Epix & Dish in Talks

**drdroo** · 08-10-2009 11:34 AM

I'm with some of the others here.

I have Dish Network and premium movie networks and as result will probably not buy a Blu-ray player. It's just easier and there's more variety. I'd either have to have Netflix and set aside time to watch the rentals, or I'd have to buy Blu-ray discs I may only play once or twice. Instead I have HBO, Starz and Penny Cinemax, as well as HD.

**Pen15head** · 08-10-2009 03:32 PM

its easier to download the blueray torrant. just get a pc tower with hdmi outputs and a digital audio card.

**drdroo** · 08-10-2009 04:04 PM

Yeah I tend to discuss legal methods to handling my movie interests in open forum. Maybe I'm just funny that way.

I've nothing wrong with paying, I just think Blu-ray discs are expensive and rental services are tedious. By paying Dish a monthly fee it's just 'there' and I can decide to watch something at 3 in the morning.

**whatchel1** · 08-10-2009 05:27 PM

Originally Posted by FitzAusTex

Dont know why E* couldn't start a series of commercials outlining their superiority in the HD movie arena compared to anyone else (with E*, we get 23 HD movie premiums [if you count MGM - which has gone to inserting a promo break in the middle of their movies], and can only get 5 from Time Warner Austin). Tie it into 'the economy' and how you can get all of the movie premiums all day long all month lonng for less than what it costs two people (a couple) to go the movies ONCE with 2 sodas, a bag of popcorn, juju bees, and a junior mints.

That would assume that thye had a real marketing department.

**espaeth** · 08-10-2009 05:32 PM

Originally Posted by drdroo

I'd either have to have Netflix and set aside time to watch the rentals, or I'd have to buy Blu-ray discs I may only play once or twice. Instead I have HBO, Starz and Penny Cinemax, as well as HD.

You don't have to set aside time to watch movies on HBO / Starz?

Netflix is less expensive than HBO + Starz for the 3 out plan, you can build up a queue of only movies you want to watch, and you also get unlimited access to their 'Watch Instantly' movies that you can watch on a PC hooked up to a TV, or an X-box, or a Roku box, or a game console + PlayOn. You don't need to make time to watch the movies either -- if you happen to have a disc that sits for a few weeks before you get to it there is no problem.

I have the $0.01 Cinemax package but I rarely watch it because I've embraced the DVR mentality of only watching things I really want to see, not just settling for what happens to be on.

It's great if you happen to like movie channels, but there is a significant overlap in what the existing channels already show. We have AMC, IFC, TCM, Lifetime Movie Network, Encore, Starz, The Movie Channel, HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, HDNet Movies, MGM and movies shown on networks like FX and MTV.

I'd really rather Dish use the transponder space for something like additional HD feeds for regional sports nets, because satellite / cable providers are the only possible place to get that programming in HD.

**drdroo** · 08-10-2009 05:49 PM

Originally Posted by espaeth

You don't have to set aside time to watch movies on HBO / Starz?

It's a little different. HBO/Starz is just there with a good spread of movies across channels, including reruns of things I've not seen in years (and may have forgotten about) in the early hours of the morning. If I rented a movie from Netflix, it may be sitting collecting dust for months or year before I get around to it, assuming I could make selections of things to rent. I may not think to rent Ferris Bueller's Day Off, but I did watch it a few weeks back.

HBO and Starz comes into my home along with other channels (Penny Cinemax, HDNet/HDNetM, etc.) that amount hundreds of movies each week. I don't have to pick anything, it's just 'there'. I may be willing to watch movies that are on without committing to them using a rental program.

For instance, I thought Ali G Indahouse was a riot, but I would've never rented it through a rental service. Yes I am aware it's available on Netflix streaming, though last I saw it wasn't available in HD streaming. I also watched Stepbrothers this past week.

I was a Netflix customer when they first launched, and I subscribed again when the Xbox service came out. MOST of the good movies are not on the streaming service. The idea is great, don't get me wrong, but as long as they're restricted from streaming a significant amount of movies, it's not worth the money. Some movies are allowed to stream to PC that cannot be streamed to Xbox as well. If Microsoft offered an "All you can eat" of their streaming content on the Xbox Live service, I'd consider paying for such a thing... The PQ from what I've seen is quite good for their HD and SD stuff and they have a deeper assortment of content.

I use Hulu with Playon. I bought it during when Playon was doing their discount promotion a few months ago. It's cool for what it is.

Assuming you can find a movie worth watching on Netflix streaming, if you want it in HD, you need to have at least an 8mb pipe. Seeing as those buttheads at TW couldn't deliver me anywhere near their 15/3 commercial service I attempted to pay 90 a month for, and my DSL carrier does 5/1 (since I'm 15K feet away from the CO), that's just not going to happen.

I'd really rather Dish use the transponder space for something like additional HD feeds for regional sports nets, because satellite / cable providers are the only possible place to get that programming in HD.

I'm not interested in watching minor league and reruns. There isn't exactly a deep blend of content on CSNNE or NESN and I get the major games in HD. I'd like my locals in HD but that hasn't happened yet.

**kb7oeb** · 08-11-2009 03:07 AM

They should put it in the Showtime package since that is where those movies used to be.

**am7crew** · 08-11-2009 03:22 AM

Originally Posted by allargon

Movie lovers do Blu-ray or DVD and Netflix/Redbox not satellite/cable and movie channel premiums.

That's why.

WRONG. Thats about as intelligent as saying "Real sports fans see it in person and dont watch it on satellite"... yeah ok

**allargon** · 08-11-2009 02:51 PM

Originally Posted by am7crew

WRONG. Thats about as intelligent as saying "Real sports fans see it in person and dont watch it on satellite"... yeah ok

If I could afford to take time off work and afford the air fare and hotels to fly to Baton Rouge, Minneapolis, New Orleans, etc. all the time to watch the Tigers, Jaguars, Gophers and Saints play every game, I would definitely do that rather than watching it on the boob tube -- high definition or not. That's a terrible analogy.

IMHO, the Netflix/Redbox vs. premiums is about letting HBO/Starz/Showtime control your schedule (even with DVR's, they still play what they chose to play and when) vs. you. That's what I meant. It wasn't even a snobby PQ/AQ thing.