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dfergie
Staff member HERE TO HELP YOU!
Last reply · posted in Movie Talk
Making a poll ...
Which First?
20 votes total
23 Replies · 4050 views
TheForce
There is no real beginning, just a starting point in time. To follow the story the sequence they were written is to follow the production of Star Wars, not the story itself. Nothing wrong with that, just that you should recognize that fact that you are watching the chronology of George Lucas. I prefer to watch Star Wars.

Episodes 1-6 have many gaps. Real Star Wars fans know this weakness in his writing and this is why there are additional stories to fill in those gaps. As long as the writing is engaging and entertaining for me, I'll watch it. After all it IS still just fiction so that is what matters, entertaining and engaging. If you found clone wars not part of the canon then maybe it is what it is for you Kind of like the gnostic gospels are to religious folk who recognize the Bible as the word of God. Scientists recognize those writings as part of history told by another writer.

From what I understand the Star Wars epic story was designed around Flash Gordon to be in 12 episodes but was later organized into 9 or a trilogy made up of 3 movies per episode. The best explanation I have heard as to why he started the the middle Trilogy, episode 4 is because he recognized that the beginning offered audience little excitement as it was mostly about the development of the society explanation and the Skywalker family, the Jedi etc. So he started with the middle trilogy hoping the increased action would spark the theater audience. History tells us he made a correct decision. By the time he got to episode 6 he saw some flaws in his story and decided to end the epic with 6 by combining the remaining 3 episodes 7-9 into 6. I won't state specifics here as it would constitute a spoiler. Clone Wars was a cheap animation production that filled in the story alluded to in Episode 2 bridging the gap to Episode 3. Lucas could have begun with Clone Wars in 3, moved through it quickly and then into his Episode 3. Disappointing to me he didn't do that. I would like to see more of the story, those missing years made into more low budget shorts and for Lucas to continue the story beyond where he ended in 6.
rockymtnhigh
There is no real beginning, just a starting point in time. To follow the story the sequence they were written is to follow the production of Star Wars, not the story itself. Nothing wrong with that, just that you should recognize that fact that you are watching the chronology of George Lucas. I prefer to watch Star Wars.

Episodes 1-6 have many gaps. Real Star Wars fans know this weakness in his writing and this is why there are additional stories to fill in those gaps. As long as the writing is engaging and entertaining for me, I'll watch it. After all it IS still just fiction so that is what matters, entertaining and engaging. If you found clone wars not part of the canon then maybe it is what it is for you Kind of like the gnostic gospels are to religious folk who recognize the Bible as the word of God. Scientists recognize those writings as part of history told by another writer.

From what I understand the Star Wars epic story was designed around Flash Gordon to be in 12 episodes but was later organized into 9 or a trilogy made up of 3 movies per episode. The best explanation I have heard as to why he started the the middle Trilogy, episode 4 is because he recognized that the beginning offered audience little excitement as it was mostly about the development of the society explanation and the Skywalker family, the Jedi etc. So he started with the middle trilogy hoping the increased action would spark the theater audience. History tells us he made a correct decision. By the time he got to episode 6 he saw some flaws in his story and decided to end the epic with 6 by combining the remaining 3 episodes 7-9 into 6. I won't state specifics here as it would constitute a spoiler. Clone Wars was a cheap animation production that filled in the story alluded to in Episode 2 bridging the gap to Episode 3. Lucas could have begun with Clone Wars in 3, moved through it quickly and then into his Episode 3. Disappointing to me he didn't do that. I would like to see more of the story, those missing years made into more low budget shorts and for Lucas to continue the story beyond where he ended in 6.

It was supposed to be more episodes, pretty sure of that.

Yes, watching the production of star wars and the chronology of Lucas. Of course, like many I felt that he never truly managed to find the magic of the original trilogy in his CGI enhanced prequel. Oh, its ok, but not quite magical for me. Some of that comes from the fact that I was 9 when the first film came out.

I just didn't care for the Clone War animated stuff. Didn't appeal.

The story after Return of the Jedi has been developed in many many books authorized by Lucas. I have a few of them, but did not find them that compelling.

I am just about done with the original film. PQ and Audio is excellent. Apparently my son says we are watching the Spoofs documentary when this is done. 90 minutes of it. :D
rockymtnhigh
The spoof film is really well done and pretty funny. A lot of good stuff.
long_time_Dish
Yep, it was indeed supposed to be a 9-movie series. Lucas, tired that the first trilogy took a decade to complete, took a very long vacation (almost 20 years) before he decided to wrap up the series by doing the prequel trilogy (which also took nearly a decade to produce) and put as much of the story as he could to tie-up lose ends into episode III.

Of the prequel, I like episode III the best. I just get weary of Christensen whining through most of II and III...
TheForce
According to the man himself the reason to do the first episode as4 as opposed to 1 was because in the time of 1975, a scifi was questionable to be a success. In the story timeline of 9 episodes, he wrote the first one as mostly character and location development, he said which is typical of most long detailed books. As such the first episode would have been a slow moving movie with little action. So, he said he jumped into Episode IV or the second generation Skywalker, Luke because it would start out with the ending of the clone wars. All he needed to do was establish references to Anikan and leave who he was a mystery. IF the first release was a box office success, he could complete 5 and 6 and then go back and do 1, 2 and 3. By the time he was into episode 5 he decided to re write 6 to include all he originally intended to include in 7,8 and 9 in the script of 6. Consequently there will never be a 7, 8 and 9.

Yesterday, I completed the animated Clone Wars and listened to George Lucas comments on it. Clone Wars was an authorized separate writing for the Cartoon Network but when Lucas saw the first screening for his approval, he wanted to take it to the big screen as a series to fill in the gap between episode 2 ( the start of clone Wars ) and 3 begins with the end of the clone wars. So far only the first of that series has been converted to theatrical release. It was not well received at the boxoffice. There was a lot of misinformation as well regarding it's authenticity. But, George Lucas and many of the actors of Star Wars 1 and 2 were used as Voice actors in the CW series.

I have now completed the new BD release up to episode IV. I have completed the director comments too and it was the best yet describing how they made the original and modified / upgraded much of it for Blu Ray.

I didn't know that when they started shooting Episode 4 they didn't have Blue Screen and the first saber fight was done with film double exposure and can never be updated. After that they started using blue screen so that the base film with actors can today be recomposited digitally with higher detail CGI. They made some mistakes with R2D2 when they first started using blue screen as he had some blue striped painted on him and these keyed out in the fighter scenes. Before they figured out how to fix this, they ended making those shots in B&W. Few people noticed this.
TheForce
Apparently my son says we are watching the Spoofs documentary when this is done. 90 minutes of it.

Is this included in the purchased set? I have been just renting the episodes and don't expect the arrival of the box set of 9 disks until Tuesday. I wanted to test at Blockbuster before ordering. Looking forward to seeing the spoof too.

It's interesting that you appear to be a real die hard traditionalist. With scifi I find it all compelling. The higher tech the better. Being a film and video editor, I am fascinated with all of the way it has changed for the better over the years. But I still enjoy watching the old time Flash Gordon travel through space in a pained trash can. :D I have dim memories of sitting in the Texas Theater in 1956 Saturday mornings watching the serials.
Anony55
Last reply · posted in DISH Network Support Forum
For quite a while now, people with a VIP211k have been losing their recordings on their activated external HDDs... even when there's nothing physically wrong with HDD. I believe this is an intentional and underhanded tactic that Dish is pulling in an attempt to force users away from the VIP211k.

They are obviously regretting that they ever let users have a "non-dvr" dvr in the first place. You would think they would be happy charging you a $40 one time fee... and then be happy letting the customer be the one responsible for HDD failures.

Dish clearly hates the 211k bitter-clingers. This recording deletion problem is intentional (IMO), and I think it is just one more tool that they are using. Hopper and a 2-year agreement... that's what they want you to have. Think about that... a 2-year agreement... with a company $30 Billion in debt (that's with a B). What happens when all that debt causes them to drop the channel that may have been your whole reason for having Dish in the first place? Guess who's stuck with a service that no longer suits their needs... for the remainder of the 2-year agreement.

On top of that, they don't want you to install it yourself. I purchased and installed all my equipment myself. That used to be common. Now, they lie to me and tell me that my dish must be updated to use a Hopper. Funny thing is... they don't even know what dish I have because they didn't install it, and I didn't tell them. If you ask what type of dish/LNBs the hopper needs... good luck getting an answer. All they know is that whatever you have needs to be upgraded by an installer.

It is quite apparent to me that they care much more about staying in their box, than they do working with the customer. That's too bad, because it hasn't always been that way. It's like they are totally unaware of the current business environment that they are trying to compete in.

I have been a customer since 2010. I will be cancelling my service before the next period. Yeah, I know, my $1,200 a year won't make a difference to them. It just seems like they have forgotten who needs who, especially when you consider the competition in today's streaming world. But hey, they will have succeed in forcing me off the 211k.
166 Replies · 7402 views
Nebugeater
Got a 211k that works fine, and I no longer need it if someone wants to throw me a few bucks and pay shipping. Not tied to my account as of last week. Used with a tailgater and got a wally
T
Got a 211k that works fine, and I no longer need it if someone wants to throw me a few bucks and pay shipping. Not tied to my account as of last week. Used with a tailgater and got a wally
Is the 211k still available? If so, I'm interested.
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Nebugeater
Is the 211k still available? If so, I'm interested.


Actually, it is. A couple of people PMed me when I posted this, and when I asked for an address, they never responded. Then I just sort of let it go. Send me a PM to continue the discussion
Anony55
Well, after nine months of being on pause, I finally figured out that I was wasting $5 a month. So I cancelled. For the first time since 2010, I no longer have a Dish account.

I do have to say that I did appreciate the account pause option. That just gives a person some time to see what the fallout of cancelling will be... without having to go all the way over the cliff first.

Since I never once had an "oh shoot, I need Dish Network for..." moment, the decision was a lot easier.

Funny enough, when I called to cancel (for real, not playing the pricing game), all of a sudden, they were offering me deals that I was told before that I couldn't get without changing out my VIP211k. Now, I could have had those specials with them just sending me a new card for the receiver. LOL!

Of course, my mind was already made up because of having not missed the service while on pause. That, and the fact that I bet the 211k still kills recordings.

All in all, I'm glad that I had Dish for all those years. I just outgrew the need, and they pressed the issue by deleting recordings. I would have eventually went this route without the deleted recordings issue. But, for sure, that did hasten the outcome.

I'll still pop in at this site from time to time. Believe it or not, I still have a C/Ku BUD that I intend on playing with again if life ever slows down.
dishstaller
Actually, it is. A couple of people PMed me when I posted this, and when I asked for an address, they never responded. Then I just sort of let it go. Send me a PM to continue the discussion
Unless things have changed at Dish, which is entirely possible, they won't activate the 211, even as a replacement. I gave one to a customer a while back....which when I turned it off I made sure to tell the CSR I wanted it freed up so another customer could use it, I was assured it was.....and when they called to swap out there's they were told it couldn't be done. Now like I said, things MIGHT HAVE CHANGED.
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Anony55
Unless things have changed at Dish, which is entirely possible, they won't activate the 211, even as a replacement. I gave one to a customer a while back....which when I turned it off I made sure to tell the CSR I wanted it freed up so another customer could use it, I was assured it was.....and when they called to swap out there's they were told it couldn't be done. Now like I said, things MIGHT HAVE CHANGED.
It hasn't changed. When I cancelled my service the other day, they told me I didn't need to return the receiver (which I already knew because I purchased it).

But in addition to that, the young man told me not to sell it, but to take it to a recycling place. The reason he gave for the advice was because 211Ks can no longer be activated.

So as far as the VIP211k goes... once grandpa dies, he's dead.
T
Last reply · posted in DISH Network Support Forum
I thought I would come here and find lots of complaints about the update to the dish anywhere mobile app, but am not seeing any. It used to look just like the desktop webpage. Now you can no longer filter by sports channels or movie channels. Plus that they made it look like a big button telephone and you see fewer channels in the screen which requires more scrolling. Yes I realize you can look at sports then select which sport you want to look at, I just liked being able to see all sporting events in the guide with all other channels being filtered out. Am I alone in the wilderness on this?
7 Replies · 112 views
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dishstaller
I really dislike change for the sake of change
dishdude
I like the new look, it's a lot cleaner. I'm using it on one of those Onn streaming devices when I travel.
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T
I like the new look, it's a lot cleaner. I'm using it on one of those Onn streaming devices when I travel.
Yes a lot cleaner, glossier, and less functional. Someone trying to justify why they are making a big salary. "See look shiny"
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navychop
"Big salary." Charlie. "?Big?"
Tampa8
Seems in some ways better. Nicer layout, as others said maybe cleaner. Moving ahead in the guide is better.
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Foxbat
Supporting Founder Pub Member / Supporter Lifetime Supporter
Last reply · posted in Internet Television (IPTV) Discussion Forum
Apple has finally released their Apple TV 4K with built-in Siri and a microphone so it can respond to your queries even if you don't have the remote. It also increases in price, to $299. I had been planning on updating my current Apple TV 4K streamers, but that's $600 for the two of them, and that's a pass at this point.

At $299, it had better come with 256 GB of Storage, Gigabit (or better) Ethernet, the latest HDMI tech and standards, and one year of free Apple One. But it probably won't…
20 Replies · 268 views
Ronnie-
Meh. The 4Ks I have will do everything that these do that I need them to do.


Which that's most tech these days for anything released the last four to five years.


It's honestly a testament to how good the previous gen Apple TVs were and are.
navychop
It's honestly a testament to how good the previous gen Apple TVs were and are.

Don't tell them that. They'll adopt planned obsolescence.
navychop
Outside of gaming, would Joe Sixpack notice any difference?
KAB
KAB
Outside of gaming, would Joe Sixpack notice any difference?
Not a bit. IMO, Apple's are slow to boot up. Time is about the same with 1st gen and 3rd. Roku runs rings around them in that department. I only reason I stuck, is the Apple infrastructure, which has it's definite advantages. But $300 is a deal breaker. Later, Apple!
S
Don't tell them that. They'll adopt planned obsolescence.
they all do that anyways.. ever notice your cell phone slows down when you come up for an upgrade.. :what. apple's been making money off of software and not hardware for a while
ncted
Not a bit. IMO, Apple's are slow to boot up. Time is about the same with 1st gen and 3rd. Roku runs rings around them in that department. I only reason I stuck, is the Apple infrastructure, which has it's definite advantages. But $300 is a deal breaker. Later, Apple!
Yeah, they boot up a bit slower than Roku, but the OS does a lot more, so it makes sense. How often are you booting them up that is a differentiator? Aside from OS updates, mine are on all the time. I will say the ATV4K is generally quicker than the Roku Ultras I have, when it comes to launching apps and responsiveness, not that the Roku is sluggish.
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navychop
apple's been making money off of software and not hardware for a while

What software? For iPhones? I tried to buy some image s/w IN THE APPLE STORE! They had none, and could not offer ANY s/w for iPhones
ncted
apple's been making money off of software and not hardware for a while
I assume you mean services, like iCloud and Apple Music, and not actual software sales. Services have been growing quickly for Apple, but hardware still brings home the bacon. As for where Apple's revenue comes from, the iPhone is still king with 49.58% of revenue as of June 2026. Services comes in second with 28%. iPad, Mac, and Wearables/Home makes up the rest. So, that is 72% coming from hardware. Their profit margin is around 25%, FWIW.

I am skeptical the AppleTV 4k makes them much money on the hardware though, which I suspect is what you were getting at.
ncted
What software? For iPhones? I tried to buy some image s/w IN THE APPLE STORE! They had none, and could not offer ANY s/w for iPhones
You should have looked in the APP STORE instead. ;)
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navychop
Will do!
cpdretired
Supporting Founder
Last reply · posted in DISH Network Support Forum
Several Dish offers showed up today in my account. Once you choose one the rest are removed. Offers were Showtime, Starz, AMC and others.
35 Replies · 1662 views
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B
Just checked my account and it shows mgm+ at 8.00 per month, but that has red line drawn thru it and shows 0.00 per month. But it doesn't say how long this lasts,...... 1 month, 3 months, forever. I called customer service to get an answer, and they said nothing like that exists. Should I add the offer or not? Already paying them too much, but want to take advantage of something free.
S
Just checked my account and it shows mgm+ at 8.00 per month, but that has red line drawn thru it and shows 0.00 per month. But it doesn't say how long this lasts,...... 1 month, 3 months, forever. I called customer service to get an answer, and they said nothing like that exists. Should I add the offer or not? Already paying them too much, but want to take advantage of something free.
look again mine says free for 1 month
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Almighty1
look again mine says free for 1 month
Not for me, mines has no mention of how long aka the offer period and the Terms and conditions the $0.00 is good for. All I see is one can lose $5.00 if you decide to remove it before day 31 after you add it to the account.

1792131071109.webp
S
Not for me, mines has no mention of how long aka the offer period and the Terms and conditions the $0.00 is good for. All I see is one can lose $5.00 if you decide to remove it before day 31 after you add it to the account.

View attachment 194817
wonder why it says that
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Almighty1
look again mine says free for 1 month
You have a different offer that is free for a shorter timeframe which is different than the one that I and bnewt saw without defining the promotion period as I sent the question to DISH Care via Facebook Messenger and this is the response I got back 20 minutes ago.

1792177553912.webp
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Almighty1
wonder why it says that
Answer 2 minutes ago from DISH Care via Facebook Messenger:
1792178974514.webp
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TWiT Tech Podcast Network
· posted in TWiT Tech Podcast Network
0 Replies · 13 views
TWiT Tech Podcast Network
· posted in TWiT Tech Podcast Network
0 Replies · 9 views
osu1991
Pub Member / Supporter
Last reply · posted in TV Shows
2 Replies · 65 views
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Howard Simmons

Another Tulsa King spin off.🙄
dishstaller
Another Tulsa King spin off.🙄
But.....if you like Tulsa King....looks like you would probably like this as well. I don't mind spin-offs as long as they don't involve a sassy niece who moves from the big city :rolleyes:
TheRatPatrol
Last reply · posted in TV Shows
Anyone else watch this show? Any guesses as to what was in the box Gibbs gave to Abby that was on her desk? It look liked it was glowing.

I also heard that someone was leaving the show at the end of this season. Any guesses as to who thats going to be?
2132 Replies · 214696 views
Jimbo

Howard ...
You don't like Tony, or Tony as the Director (he's only been there for 30 seconds now) or you don't like NCIS ?
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Howard Simmons
Howard ...
You don't like Tony, or Tony as the Director (he's only been there for 30 seconds now) or you don't like NCIS ?
Tony as the director.🙄
Jimbo
Tony as the director.🙄
Would you rather have LaRoche ???
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dfergie
I liked this episode and a toned down Tony...
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Howard Simmons
Would you rather have LaRoche ???
No. Bring in someone new.🤔 Tony is not serious enough for me. Parker is too close to the team and Tim is too young to take over IMO.
Jimbo
No. Bring in someone new.🤔 Tony is not serious enough for me. Parker is too close to the team and Tim is too young to take over IMO.
I don't think Tim and Tony are that far apart in Age ...

Remember what Tony said to Tim when they first got back together ...
Tony said: I am the New Tony, Tim .... (something to that effect)

Tony has changed, he's been running his Security Business ... I'm sure he has grown up.

Give it time ... your judging the New Tony from the old Tony.

It sounds like Tim won't be around the Team much longer either.