First Look: DISH 381 Receiver

[jlhugh]

not neccesarily HD over the air DIGITAL over the air for people without HD sets (svideo down converts HD to SD) Not everyone "owns" a HD set..This is just a way E* will reuse old technolgy(811) to deal with the coming analog to digital conversion in a cheap effective way . Pleanty of e* customers receive locals ota and E* will be in need of a chep effective solution to help migrate these people into the digital age

That is exactly what this is for. I do not own an HDTV, but would like to get my digital locals. This would be the box that I need to do that. Now if they would make a 522 or a 625 with this option I would be set for a few years until I can get a HDTV.

[AppliedAggression]

This is perfect for some ppl. My parents for example may be getting a HD TV soon but will not be interested in paying $20/month extra for HD channels. They would however be interested in free HD local channels. I think this fits the bill for many ppl if it's offered for free.

[navychop]

Let's look ahead a ways. February 17, 2009 comes and goes. As in Berlin, most people don't even notice the digital transition. Their cable and satellite boxes still work the same, performing any conversion for them.

As local and national broadcast programming goes to HD (yes, HD not just digital) in prime time, there are no more SD versions of the programming- analog or digital. So the 381 will take that HD OTA and convert it to feed that old analog only TV most people will still have. Fine, so far.

But more and more programming sent over satellite will be in HD. Never all of it, but more and more of it. The 381 won't receive it and downconvert like it does OTA. There will be an incentive to upgrade to another box to receive the HD programming- whether it feeds an HDTV or downconverts to an ancient analog TV. Or feeds a cheapie digital TV that does not display anything in HD (might see those for bottom feeders, until the display cost between 720 lines and 480 lines is trivial, and less than the downconversion circuitry- and on small TVs you couldn't see the difference anyway).

Then, would someone who paid $50 or $100 for an STB that they've gotten over 5 years of use out of, expect an upgrade deal? Not much of one, if anything. We're not talking 942 prices here. And this box might qualify for the $40 vouchers that we're supposed to get 2 of. If any are still available when the vouchers come out.

So I don't like this 381. But I guess it's not as dumb an idea as I first thought. Charlie gets a few bucks out of equipment that would otherwise be discarded. He probably will get a few more subscribers out of it. And he knows full well that every purchaser will be looking to upgrade equipment and programming just a few years down the road. Smart man.

[waltinvt]

This is an example of how Dish thinks and that try most anything for a buck.

First they basically destroy the 811's resale value (not that this frustrating piece of crap had a lot to begin with) by not allowing it to receive a bunch of new HD channels.

Then, in case there are still a few hold-outs, Dish says they won't allow it to get any HD for new authorizations. This pretty much forces most subs to take whatever deal Dish offers to take it off their hands.

Then with very little effort they clean it up, DISABLE the units ability to receive Dish MPEG2 HD and call it a new receiver (which we know it is not). They market it to receive analog and digital (HD) OTA and SD from Dish.

Obviously this is designed to only attract new customers which they theorize, once they've experienced OTA HD , will likely want to upgrade to a real Dish HD receiver fairly soon.

Ingenious ? Maybe. It might fool a lot of people that don't know they could probably get a real Dish HD receiver for less. Unless of course Dish is planning on giving this unit away.

Created out of decption and manipulation? Definitly.

[Tom Bombadil]

Granted, this is a cheap way for Dish to meet a market need. What could be cheaper than scores of old 811s traded in on new receivers, which could just be rebadged?

But I don't think it is a wise move. It seems to me that placing 211s for this purpose would be better for the long run. They are MPEG4 compatible, provide better OTA HD reception, and would allow a customer to upgrade to HD at any time without a receiver change. Dish could allow them to receive the HD Demo channel to entice them to go HD.

[scottss810]

I'm just glad to know that I'll be able to use my 2 811's for the foreseeable
future. I only use OTA's to watch local HD, and really don't want the new HD Lite stuff for the price they are charging. But I'm lucky that I'm only 13 miles away from
most the towers that the locals use in the DFW area. I really don't have any problems at least like I used too, with the 811 but...it took 2 years to get to this point. The locals do get local channel info for OTA, someone though they didn't.
I guess I'd like to get the new receiver's, but I'm not willing to give Charlie any more $$$ for equipment.
The 381 (hey it's an 811) isn't really a bad idea for Dish, but customers may have
a difficult time getting OTA reception if they are too far away from the local towers. My 2 cents worth.

Scott

[waltinvt]

Let's look ahead a ways. February 17, 2009 comes and goes. As in Berlin, most people don't even notice the digital transition. Their cable and satellite boxes still work the same, performing any conversion for them.

As local and national broadcast programming goes to HD (yes, HD not just digital) in prime time, there are no more SD versions of the programming- analog or digital. So the 381 will take that HD OTA and convert it to feed that old analog only TV most people will still have. Fine, so far.

Except the 381 doesn't appear to have a coax output for that "old analog only" TV. Plus Feb '09 is still almost 3 years away - a lifetime in terms of technology and TV marketing.

So I don't like this 381. But I guess it's not as dumb an idea as I first thought. Charlie gets a few bucks out of equipment that would otherwise be discarded. He probably will get a few more subscribers out of it. And he knows full well that every purchaser will be looking to upgrade equipment and programming just a few years down the road. Smart man.

Maybe not a completly dumb idea but the way Dish goes about it kind of leaves a foul taste in my mouth.

Now if Chuck, out of the goodness of his heart, is going to offer these to the goverment as FREE STBs for the transition, then I might take it all back...........nah, that ain't gonna happen.

Of course if in exchange for these free STBs the government wanted to help Dish out with it's impending "distants" crisis. Maybe even pass a little legislation that confirms / clarifies digital signals are so different and seperate from analog signals that they therefore are exempt from previous SHVIA / SHVERA law and will instead be regulated under new............nah, I'm not going there either but it has interresting possibilities.

[waltinvt]

But I don't think it is a wise move. It seems to me that placing 211s for this purpose would be better for the long run. They are MPEG4 compatible, provide better OTA HD reception, and would allow a customer to upgrade to HD at any time without a receiver change. Dish could allow them to receive the HD Demo channel to entice them to go HD.

Maybe but I think not, because it would actually cost Dish a few bucks to place 211s and tie up receivers they need for customers that already want to purchase Dish HD.

No, I this is just another one of Dish's well-thought-out, fancy-dandy, brillant, something-for-nothing, quick-turn-around, attract-new-customer schemes.

What's kind of unique with this one is they're putting it to the new customer with basically the same POS they already put it to the existing customer with.

[DWS44]

Hmmm...maybe they'll get a huge response for 381s and run out of 811...hence the need for free swaps to 211s.

On second thought, that'd never happen.

Interesting thought though...wonder if they'll tack on that lovely HD Enabling fee for those that want to get OTA HD, since they won't be able to get the metallic packs on the 381s?!? Smells like another "because we can" fee opportunity for E*, doesn't it?

Anybody wanna take bets on how long till we see the "new" 394 receiver? (i.e. refurbished traded 942s)

[Pepper]

maybe it's just a numeric coincidence. I just noticed on the tech portal that the DP811 are scheduled for software P3.80. I wonder if P3.81 will be the version that magically transforms them to 381s by disabling the satellite HD decoding.