Losing HD Absolute. Any suggestions?

gokamoto

SatelliteGuys Family
Jan 9, 2006
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I have U-Verse for my home internet service, so I guess I should look at how much it would be to add TV in a bundle.
 

whatchel1

SatelliteGuys Master
Sep 30, 2006
9,098
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Great High Plains
I got the letter also. Hope I don't get in trouble for saying this BUT it may get the hackers chomping at the bits to break N3. It's a scary thought but this just the kind of thing that brings them out of the woodwork. And BTW I'm not gonna have anymore premium channels. So HBO, SHO, & Starz be aware your revenue stream is about to decrease as many more subs will just drop all your channels.
 

stardust3

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Mar 7, 2006
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I got the letter also. Hope I don't get in trouble for saying this BUT it may get the hackers chomping at the bits to break N3. It's a scary thought but this just the kind of thing that brings them out of the woodwork. And BTW I'm not gonna have anymore premium channels. So HBO, SHO, & Starz be aware your revenue stream is about to decrease as many more subs will just drop all your channels.

:eek:.........;)
 

stardust3

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Instead of doing away with absolute, a fair way to go about it would be a price increase similar to the other Americas top pkgs, that would keep me from canceling. As far as I'm concerned they just pooped on their own dinner plate.....
 

jerryez

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Sep 8, 2003
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I will probably just cancel Dish and buy a TiVo for OTA use, then add Netflix for movies. Dish just F**ked themsellves as far as I am concerned. Cable, Uverse, and Directs DVRs suck. My only other choice as I see it is Dish America Bronze for a 5 monthly increase for a whole lot less channels.
Scott. why are they doing this to us. Atre you still a Dish employee or contract employee.
 

vaylon

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Apr 7, 2009
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virginia
Considering that all the shows I recorded last night on the DVR are available on the net today and without commercials and in perfect HD. I will just start downloading all the shows I watch and stream them to the Xbox360 or the PS3.
and if I am not mistaken. Sony will probably be dropping the price on the PS3 down to 199 very soon.

I just mentioned that we may loose Dish in the next couple of weeks to the family and they all said the same thing. "so?, we don't watch it anyway". The kids watch all their programs on the net.
Come to think of it. The only reason I have kept the service this long has been too have bragging rights to the cheapest and best programming package ever. But I guess all good things come to an end.
So, we'll see what happens next month.
My son just mentioned a great silver lining to getting rid of commercial TV. We will never have to listen to another political commercial ever.
 

navychop

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Silly- You might try telling them you will meet the truck to see if they are HR24s, and if not, will cancel on the spot. And then do it. Don't let any work whatsoever be done until the driver confirms you are getting what you want, AND shows them to you.

This is what I would do if I was moving to a Dish ViP722k. Perhaps it will also work with D*. Could a knowledgeable D* subscriber comment on this approach?
 

mdram

SatelliteGuys Pro
Aug 24, 2005
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Silly- You might try telling them you will meet the truck to see if they are HR24s, and if not, will cancel on the spot. And then do it. Don't let any work whatsoever be done until the driver confirms you are getting what you want, AND shows them to you.

This is what I would do if I was moving to a Dish ViP722k. Perhaps it will also work with D*. Could a knowledgeable D* subscriber comment on this approach?

thats what i stated, and had put in the notes. dont know if it counted. but they came with the hr24 and the h24

and as far as i can tell the hr24 is equal to or better then the 622 i had
 

TheTony

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May 19, 2004
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Saw a letter from Dish in the mail today and, as I suspected, it is the same form letter others have received. I've been a sub for years and especially satisfied with them the last 2-3 years, but I'm out of contract so I'll definitely think twice about my options (with Dish and elsewhere) if Dish tries to milk me for more $ each month. Like others, I'd gladly accept a resonable increase - I haven't run the numbers yet, but if I keep dish, I will not pay significantly more for less than what I have now.

In all likelihood, I'll drop my premiums and do their basic package + HD, or get an OTA DVR or HTPC and look into streaming to complement it.

It's really too bad - Absolute, while being a good value, had a good assortment of programming. It wasn't the perfect package, but it had lower % of "garbage" channels than any provider's programming package I've had prior. I'll especially miss channels like Science HD and NatGeo HD, as well as some of the movie channels which I'm sure don't exist in the 120 package.
 

mitch10102000

Member
Dec 19, 2005
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I just called Dish Network about my Absolute package. The customer service reps are definitely not trained on this one (kept being put on hold while they looked for an answer to the letter). Finally, I was transferred over to a support specialist. Basically, they will give you HD for life and Dish Platinum (like the letter said) and $10 credit for 12 months from a package that you pick (and don't forget the price increase...they mistakenly gave me a total price without showing this until I brought it up). This may depend on your status with Dish Network.
 

lsilvest

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May 11, 2010
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Pueblo West, CO
I was one who got the call back in July/August. Difference was they were offering a deal to switch at the time and it only made $10 a month increase for a year for me with the AT200 HD & Platinum (which I don't care about) free for 6 months.

Until now wasn't sure it was a smart move (did it mainly to get FSNRM for college football).
 

Gordoco

Well-Known SatelliteGuys Member
Jan 31, 2006
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I got the letter today. I am out of contract, with Absolute and 3 premiums. Still considering what to do but I will probably drop some or all of the premiums, and possibly go with Netflix for movies. Will dropping premiums put me back onto a contract?
 

Kb Cool

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Oct 31, 2005
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Mesa, AZ
Instead of doing away with absolute, a fair way to go about it would be a price increase similar to the other Americas top pkgs, that would keep me from canceling. As far as I'm concerned they just pooped on their own dinner plate.....

Or the $6.00 access fee that appeared to be what they were gonna do a few months ago. Oh well, i hope the HD isn't as lite as E*'s on Cox or Directv a year from now.:D
 

Mr Tony

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Nov 17, 2003
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Mankato, MN
Silly- You might try telling them you will meet the truck to see if they are HR24s, and if not, will cancel on the spot. And then do it. Don't let any work whatsoever be done until the driver confirms you are getting what you want, AND shows them to you.

This is what I would do if I was moving to a Dish ViP722k. Perhaps it will also work with D*. Could a knowledgeable D* subscriber comment on this approach?

If you go with MRV (Multiroom viewing) more often than not you will get a HR24 (DVR) and H24. Most installs use a HR24 for the DVR and a H24 or H23 for the HD receiver. If you go through a local retailer of D* your odds go up :)
 

Hall

SatelliteGuys Master
Feb 14, 2004
18,409
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Germantown OH
Just got my letter. I guess I shouldn't have bragged to so many people about my $29.99 plan.
Ughhh, I've done the same.... Just a couple weeks ago we had a U-Verse salesguy going door to door in our neighborhood. I told him I get "x" HD channels for $30/mo and asked "can you beat that?". I told him the same thing I've stated here too, that I've no interest in paying upwards of $75/mo for TV. It ain't worth that to me.
 

Silly Burrito

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Apr 7, 2010
40
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Louisiana
Silly- You might try telling them you will meet the truck to see if they are HR24s, and if not, will cancel on the spot. And then do it. Don't let any work whatsoever be done until the driver confirms you are getting what you want, AND shows them to you.

This is what I would do if I was moving to a Dish ViP722k. Perhaps it will also work with D*. Could a knowledgeable D* subscriber comment on this approach?

I would hope that if you're ordering two HD-DVRs that you'd get the same model for both. I wonder if you can request that if you use the online form or if you can get an online CSR to help you.

If you go with MRV (Multiroom viewing) more often than not you will get a HR24 (DVR) and H24. Most installs use a HR24 for the DVR and a H24 or H23 for the HD receiver. If you go through a local retailer of D* your odds go up :)

If a local retailer can give me the exact same deal, I'd really have no problem going through them. I think you can save shipping and handling if you go online, but if the local dealer has them in stock, do you still get charged? I don't know.

I just called Dish Network about my Absolute package. The customer service reps are definitely not trained on this one (kept being put on hold while they looked for an answer to the letter). Finally, I was transferred over to a support specialist. Basically, they will give you HD for life and Dish Platinum (like the letter said) and $10 credit for 12 months from a package that you pick (and don't forget the price increase...they mistakenly gave me a total price without showing this until I brought it up). This may depend on your status with Dish Network.

It's funny that I'm thinking of switching to DirecTV when it would actually cost me more in the long run, but there seems to be certain advantages. If Dish did offer $10 off plus HD for life plus free Platinum, I'd possibly stay.

My current bill is $36. If I had to go to Top120, it would be $51 after the price increase, I believe. Take off $10, and you're at the same price that Absolute was nine months ago or so. With the free Platinum, Cinemax for .01, and free Starz (I think I read somewhere that after February, you'd get Starz for awhile for free), it might be worth staying. The only real channel I'd miss from Absolute is the NFL Network, but even that wouldn't be a huge loss (if it isn't Saints news, I don't care. :) ).

It appears that my bill for Dish for the next two years would be $41 first year/51 second year with Top120 and a VIP622 with DVR service. The second room is SD only, but I would get a year of Platinum, Cinemax (for however that lasts), Starz (ditto if it's true), and HD for life.

With DirecTV, my bill would be $45 first year/64 second year for Total Choice Xtra. I'd have two HD-DVRs (I'd pay the extra $99 to have two of them). I'd also have the ability to watch any recorded show on any Windows PC in my house. I'd only get three free months of HBO/Cinemax/Starz/Showtime, but I'd get access to DirecTV Cinema's free stuff.

Dish still wins on price, it looks like, but you do get a lot more whiz-bang new equipment by going to DirecTV, plus, I'd get more non-movie channels. If I did want OTA, though, I think you have to pay $50 for a AM21 module, but maybe they give you a deal if you request it all at the start.

Decisions, decisions. I didn't get a letter today, so maybe if I'm quiet, they'll forget about me. :)
 

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