I'll be the first to agree that it's pretty ridiculous that they charge another fee on top of the protection plan. It's not worth keeping ever. However, I think a lot of posters here have unrealistic expectations.
The "They own it, they can fix it" mentality is asinine. Much like any other leased product, you are required to pay for upkeep. Cars being the primary example. If you have that mentality, you're just fixing yourself up for a lot of anger and frustration when something does go wrong. You may be able to bitch your way into a free service call, but you'll pay with your time and patience.
I'm no Dish fanboi either. I work for the company and would never recommend anyone else to work for them. I am able to see the reality of the situation though. That reality is: there isn't a satco/telco/whateverco around that will eat the costs in situations like this. Ya, they may toss the occasional bone for "customer satisfaction" but make no doubt about it, you're paying for it one way or the other.
If you want to pay for peace of mind then go with Comcast. They'll make sure to include those extra charges every month. You may never use it, but you'll be paying for it.