Charlie Chat 1 Year Later

dfergie

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HERE TO HELP YOU!
I was doing a search (on something not related)and this thread came up (last March's Charlie Chat Recap) Being curious I found a few things interesting...
Dish HD Channels Coming Soon:
AMC (Not Yet)
ABC Family
BET (Not Yet)
Bio
Bravo
Cartoon
CNN
CMT (Not Yet(still upconverts))
Disney
Espn News
HBO2
IFC (Not Yet)
MTV (Not Yet(still upconverts))
MoreMax (Not Yet)
Nick
SciFi
Smithsonian (came & went)
StarzEdge
Tennis Channel
Toon Disney (since renamed)
The Weather Channel
USA
VH1 (not yet (still upconverts))
WGN
http://www.satelliteguys.us/attachment.php?attachmentid=22663&d=1205202367
http://www.satelliteguys.us/attachment.php?attachmentid=22663&d=1205202367
http://www.satelliteguys.us/attachment.php?attachmentid=22666&d=1205202402 ;)
 
I remember that Chat. When I heard Tricia Helfer was on the chat, I thought SciFi was finally coming. I was pissed just to see it on a list. It came a month and a half later.

So one year later, Dish bought us 63% of what was promised back then. More than 1 in 3 still not available (and that counts Smithsonian). I find that pitiful.
 
It's disgusting for sure. One wonders what will happen to E* once the profit derived from getting rid of dirty retailers dries up. If the economy continues to decline, E* will be lucky to hold sub losses at 100,000. I'm sure there are going to be more downgrades. I went from Silver Classic with HD to Turbo Bronze. I just can't justify spending $80 per month just for TV. If I didn't have a commitment remaining I'd seriously consider dropping it altogether for OTA and internet.
 
So we have gotten 17 of the 24 on the list (then lost one). Of the 7 we never got, 3 do not show HD. 3 of the remaining 4 have yet to be launched. So from that list, the only true HD channels we do not have are Smithsonian and MoreMax. Not too bad in my book!
 
You forgot to add the other channels that were added that aren't even on your list.
  1. HBO Family HD
  2. HBO West HD
  3. HBO 2 HD
  4. HBO Comedy HD
  5. HBO Zone HD
  6. HBO Signature HD
  7. HBO Latino HD
  8. Cinemax West HD
  9. ActionMax HD
  10. 5 Star Max HD
  11. Encore HD
  12. Starz West HD
  13. Starz Comedy HD
  14. Starz Kid and Family HD
  15. Lifetime Movie channel HD
  16. Lifetime HD
  17. CI HD
  18. FBN HD
  19. Fox News HD
Did I miss any?
 
Did I miss any?

You did miss Travel.

The first 14 are premiums, which don't help out non-premium subs. The original list only had one premium (which, oddly, is one of the few we don't have)

CI effectivly "replaced" Smithsonian, so we can't honestly count both. So we got all of 5 other channels in reality.

And while it is great we got those, the pitiful part is they announced and didn't deliver. Better they would have kept their mouths shut. They shouldn't announce a channel unless they have a launch date to announce, too.
 
Voom and Smithsonian is 16 Dropped HD channels
Replace with atleast 38 new National HD channels in the last 10 Months.
Just because you don't subscribe to a Premium pack ,doesn't change the fact that the HD channel still exsits. Its still an option. Just the same as BioHD and NHL HD are in the other higher packs.
Not every HD channel can be in Turbo Bronze $24 pack.
 
Really on 5 channels in a year
You guys all better count again.
http://www.satelliteguys.us/1354922-post1.html

This is May of 2008 10 months ago.

I meant, 5 channels not on the March list, also not counting the big premium additions, which benefit fewer people.

But again, for this argument, who cares what ELSE the added. They announced channels and one year later, we don't have them.
 
Instead of those five we got atleast 15 different ones. Yea thats a reason to complain.:rolleyes:

Instead of those five we got at least 15 different ones I don't get (exception Cinemax for a penny). Yes, I would say that's reason to complain.

What's so wrong about complaining about broken promises? Had that March list had premiums instead, but instead we got those 5, plus the other Fox, Viacom, Comcast, and Rainbow channels, I;d bet there would be complaining.
 
Instead of those five we got at least 15 different ones I don't get (exception Cinemax for a penny). Yes, I would say that's reason to complain.

What's so wrong about complaining about broken promises? Had that March list had premiums instead, but instead we got those 5, plus the other Fox, Viacom, Comcast, and Rainbow channels, I;d bet there would be complaining.
E* Promised you?? . Wow thats special..:rolleyes: Your Beef makes no sence.
Sorry But all the HD channels on the list you have . Are not in 1 package , you have to pay extra to get them ,
So how are they any different if you pay E* $10 extra for Starz Pack? or $10 more for Top 200 or another $10 for top 250 pack? Its the same thing!
Again they all aren't and weren't going to be in Turbo Bronze, Family or Classic 100 pack.
 
Instead of those five we got at least 15 different ones I don't get (exception Cinemax for a penny). Yes, I would say that's reason to complain.
.
You don't get :

-- ABC Family HD (DISH Network Ch 180
-- Disney HD East (Ch. 172)
-- ESPNews HD (Ch. 142)
-- Biography HD (Ch. 119)
-- Hallmark Movie Channel HD (Ch 187)
-- Bravo HD (Ch. 129)
-- Cartoon HD (Ch. 176)
-- MGM HD (Ch. 385)
-- Cinemax 5 Star (Ch. 381)
-- Sci Fi HD (Ch. 122)
-- Cinemax HD West (Ch. 380)
-- Tennis Channel HD (Ch. 400)
-- Toon Disney HD (Ch. 174)
-- Travel Channel HD (Ch. 215)
-- USA HD (Ch. 105)
-- CNBC HD (Ch. 208)
-- Weather Channel HD (Ch. 214)
-- CNN HD (Ch. 200)
-- World Fishing Network HD (Ch. 396)
 
E* Promised you?? . Wow thats special..:rolleyes: Your Beef makes no sence.
Sorry But all the HD channels on the list you have . Are not in 1 package , you have to pay extra to get them ,
So how are they any different if you pay E* $10 extra for Starz Pack? or $10 more for Top 200 or another $10 for top 250 pack? Its the same thing!
Again they all aren't and weren't going to be in Turbo Bronze, Family or Classic 100 pack.

Perhaps promise is too strong a word, but read the first post. There are channels Dish said are coming that, one year later, we don't have.

You don't get :

I don't get:

  1. HBO Family HD
  2. HBO West HD
  3. HBO 2 HD
  4. HBO Comedy HD
  5. HBO Zone HD
  6. HBO Signature HD
  7. Encore HD
  8. Starz West HD
  9. Starz Comedy HD
  10. Starz Kid and Family HD
Said too much with 15, but there are 10. Yes I could get them (for $22/month more). But if Dish had the other channels they mentioned in the March 08 chat, I WOULD get them now at no extra cost.

I like your posts normally, Hemi. Seems Dish has all you want in HD. But why does Dish launching one set of channels preclude them from launching some other channels? They still have bandwidth.
 

To be fair, this was the plan just before AMC 14 was set to launch. HD was already behind schedule due to launch delays, and a delay in AMC 14's launch, as well.

As we now know, AMC 14 never reached its intended orbit. This really was a set-back for Dish, although they downplayed it. AMC 14 would have provided many spotbeams (steerable spotbeams at that) and increased capacity on the ConUS at the 61.5 slot, the Eastern Arc. Dish's big HD channels launch was delayed by MONTHS, and scaled back until they could implement a plan B. That involved moving a lot of channels around various transponders and satellites and waiting for subsequent satellites to be launched.

Now, the question is, what would the list of Direct TV's promised "over 100 HD channels by the end of the year," claim looked like had the first Spaceway satellite failed--by pure luck no fault of their own, like Dish?

Direct TV took a gamble by playing commercials telling people to dump cable and sign-up for Direct TV now, before the satellite was up and the HD channesls on. A lot of people on this board criticized Charlie for not airing similar commercials (we knew he would easily have the capacity when AMC 14 got up--129 was never a capacity issue in the short term, just the Eastern Arc, as they would squeeze every bit of juice out of Echo 5 until Ceil II was up shortly thereafter). But Charlie is conservative, and making such a promise when any malfunction can happen in the launch of a satellite would have been too big a risk (yeah he is a poker player, but in business he is about as conservative as they come, and Dish is among the very few to have very healthy finances in these perilous times).

Well, Charlie was right not to crow in national TV ads about his upcoming HD channels and AMC 14. Instead he limited this information to the Power Users and some of the industry press, but certainly nothing like the noise Direct TV was making (there were numerous posts urging Charlie to let the world know of his HD plans like Direct TV was doing at the time or questioning why he wasn't). This delay in HD and the customer service are top reasons why Charlie did lose subs. He was late to the HD game, and he admitted it (the first time Direct TV got somewhere before Charlie since Direct TV was first to offer DBS), but this was not the plan. Everything was to be up and on by January, the same time as Direct TV. But a lot of bad luck (2 separate launch failures at 2 separate facilities pushed by all of Dish's satellite launches.

I think Charles recovered very nicely. By my most recent count, Direct TV has about 7 more HD channels than Dish, and I am counting both FAIRLY. Let's face it gang, all the best HD channels were already on both Dish and Direct. All the recent adds (not counting the Premium Movie channels) all have way too much SD content. SciFi is airing Threshold in SD!!!! Universal HD played the whole series several times in glorious HD.

The only channels worth putting up that will have a great majority of HD are the premium movie channels at this point. And as an AEP sub, I get a lot of HD, but would love all the premiums in HD. What't the point of seeing the Golden Girls in stretch-o-vision on Liftetime HD?
 
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For What It's Worth - The channels dish launched last year:

April:
USA (on the "Soon"/"Most" List from CC)
CNN (on the "Soon"/"Most" List from CC)
Sci-Fi (on the "Soon"/"Most" List from CC)

May:
ABC Family (on the "Soon"/"Most" List from CC)
Bio (on the "Soon"/"Most" List from CC)
Bravo (on the "Soon"/"Most" List from CC)
Cartoon (on the "Soon"/"Most" List from CC)
Max 5 Star
Max West
CNBC

Disney(on the "Soon"/"Most" List from CC)
ESPNews (on the "Soon"/"Most" List from CC)
Hallmark Movie
MGM HD (on the "Soon"/"Most" List from CC - Think this was overlooked on the above list)
Smithsonian (on the "Soon"/"Most" List from CC - here today, gone tomorrow)
Tennis (on the "Soon"/"Most" List from CC)
Toon Disney/XD (on the "Soon"/"Most" List from CC)
Travel
Weather (on the "Soon"/"Most" List from CC)
WFN

June (or was it July)
WGN (on the "Soon"/"Most" List from CC)

August:
CBS College
Planet Green
Lifetime
Lifetime Movie
Encore
Max Action

HBO 2 (on the "Soon"/"Most" List from CC)
HBO Family
HBO Sig
HBO Zone

HBO Comedy
HBO Latino
HBO West
Starz Edge
Starz West
Starz Comedy
Starz Kid/Fam


22 Channels not on the Year old "Soon" and "MOST" list now uplinked and avail

compared to:
6 Channels on the "Soon" and "most" list of 25 channels never available.
1 Channel on the "Soon" and "most" list came and gone.

I Call that the "Soon" and "Most" list because we were never promised the list in its entirety. If I remember correctly, (paraphrased) "we are working on these channels in HD, and should have most of them soon!"

Of course by that math, the lists given to us so far this year::
BET (both)
Comedy Central (both)
CMT (both)
Crime & Investigation *launched
Fashion TV (1st list)
FX (1st list)
MTV (both)
Nickelodeon (both)
SHOTO (1st list)
Showtime Extreme (1st list)
Showtime (West) HD (1st list)
SPEED (1st list)
Spike TV (both)
VH1 (both)
BET-J (2nd list)

15 Channels (4 from last years list) If last years "Most" math holds up, expect 8-9 or so of these channels with .5 disappearing after 10 months. (maybe they will share a feed)
 
To be fair, this was the plan just before AMC 14 was set to launch. HD was already behind schedule due to launch delays, and a delay in AMC 14's launch, as well.

As we now know, AMC 14 never reached its intended orbit. This really was a set-back for Dish, although they downplayed it. AMC 14 would have provided many spotbeams (steerable spotbeams at that) and increased capacity on the ConUS at the 61.5 slot, the Eastern Arc. Dish's big HD channels launch was delayed by MONTHS, and scaled back until they could implement a plan B. That involved moving a lot of channels around various transponders and satellites and waiting for subsequent satellites to be launched.

Now, the question is, what would the list of Direct TV's promised "over 100 HD channels by the end of the year," claim looked like had the first Spaceway satellite failed--by pure luck no fault of their own, like Dish?

Direct TV took a gamble by playing commercials telling people to dump cable and sign-up for Direct TV now, before the satellite was up and the HD channesls on. A lot of people on this board criticized Charlie for not airing similar commercials (we knew he would easily have the capacity when AMC 14 got up--129 was never a capacity issue in the short term, just the Eastern Arc, as they would squeeze every bit of juice out of Echo 5 until Ceil II was up shortly thereafter). But Charlie is conservative, and making such a promise when any malfunction can happen in the launch of a satellite would have been too big a risk (yeah he is a poker player, but in business he is about as conservative as they come, and Dish is among the very few to have very healthy finances in these perilous times).

Well, Charlie was right not to crow in national TV ads about his upcoming HD channels and AMC 14. Instead he limited this information to the Power Users and some of the industry press, but certainly nothing like the noise Direct TV was making (there were numerous posts urging Charlie to let the world know of his HD plans like Direct TV was doing at the time or questioning why he wasn't). This delay in HD and the customer service are top reasons why Charlie did lose subs. He was late to the HD game, and he admitted it (the first time Direct TV got somewhere before Charlie since Direct TV was first to offer DBS), but this was not the plan. Everything was to be up and on by January, the same time as Direct TV. But a lot of bad luck (2 separate launch failures at 2 separate facilities pushed by all of Dish's satellite launches.

I think Charles recovered very nicely. By my most recent count, Direct TV has about 7 more HD channels than Dish, and I am counting both FAIRLY. Let's face it gang, all the best HD channels were already on both Dish and Direct. All the recent adds (not counting the Premium Movie channels) all have way too much SD content. SciFi is airing Threshold in SD!!!! Universal HD played the whole series several times in glorious HD.

The only channels worth putting up that will have a great majority of HD are the premium movie channels at this point. And as an AEP sub, I get a lot of HD, but would love all the premiums in HD. What't the point of seeing the Golden Girls in stretch-o-vision on Liftetime HD?

Now I don't disagree with any of what you said, but what is the hold up on the last 7 hd channels being added that DIRECTV has and DISH doesn't? It's not like they don't have the room on either 61.5 or the new sat at 129. Since DIRECTV has these 7 channels and all the sports channels that DISH doesn't, wouldn't it make sense to add them and any other channels that make DISH stand out from the competition? When DISH had VOOM this made them stand out as a company that had something that DIRECTV didn't .


DISH has a perception problem with their subs and the public at large. They are considered a second banana in the sat industry ,even though they have the best receivers in the industry-barring the negative TIVO lawsuit outcome. Charlie needs to get off his ass and add the other hd channels and get back in the game. IF I was losing subs for 3 quarters in a row , I would be acting on it, not just justifying my losses as a bad economy and saying we aren't getting any worse.


How about Charlie you:

FIX your customer service-by moving them back to the USA.
FIX your marketing and hire a professional advertising agency instead of the Sesame Street one they are using now.
SIMPLIFY your programming packs and ELIMINATE all those extra made up fees.

IF He can't figure it out copy the approach that DIRECTV took. They simplified their programming packs so you can add hd to any of them for 10.00. They don't need Turbo stand alone hd packs that don't include all of the latest hd channels added. They are making hd standard because when they add the hd version of any channel ,the sd version simply goes away and the hd takes the place of that channel -same channel number. They also offer better deals for new subs than DISH does.

When it is all said and done , DISH is no longer really any cheaper than DIRECTV when you add the hidden extra fees that DISH creates , and if it wasn't for their receivers they would have nothing to make them stand out at all. So add the damn hd channels to get on par with DIRECTV and do something revolutionary like eliminate the dvr fees like DIRECTV has done with their dvr plus hd pack. This would sell more dvrs and lets face it once you have a dvr, you want one on every tv. Really want to increase the amount of extra receivers that people have on their account, create a whole house additional or lease fee. You could have upto 3 extra receivers for one account fee of say 10.00, the more you add the cheaper it gets. Like they do with the premium movie packs. The more you add the cheaper it gets.

IF Charlie continues to fiddle while DISH burns down around his feet , he won't have to worry about doing anything except head to bankruptcy court. You can't continue to make profit off the backs of the ever decreasing sub base and the ever contracting base of retailers . Sat companies depend on adding new subs to stay in business and to grow their future. While I will admit that DISH has had some bad luck this last couple of years , it is time to get back in the game while there still is a game to be had.
 

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