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Last reply · posted in Free To Air (FTA) Discussion
hi everyone. Over the air HD is what i have been into the last 2 years, now i see FTA satellite. very basic question i have for you guys.

If i buy a 45 dollar FTA receiver on ebay, and a dish just under 40" like everyone says, and hook it up with RG6 and aim in a particular direction, will i recieve channels, or does this require a multifunction azimuth and elevation rotor system and constant moving of the dish? what kind of stations could be expected, is this like the roku which has nothing good only Al-jazeera and bible channels streaming live? can i expect ANYTHING like Food tv network, CBS ABC discovery and/or movie channels? i understand better receiver and rotor system enable more possibilities, but im just asking, what would i expect buying a 45 dollar receiver and a dish and aiming somewhere? i hope you dont need all kinds of crazy decoders, and switches and modules to work this. thanks
3 Replies · 2027 views
FaT Air
:welcome to Satelliteguys.
FTA, is more a hobby, than a source of scheduled programming. You won't get the premium subscription channels you are used to via cable or the satellite providers, but there is a lot that they will get.
If i buy a 45 dollar FTA receiver on ebay, and a dish just under 40" like everyone says, and hook it up with RG6 and aim in a particular direction, will i recieve channels,
YES
or does this require a multifunction azimuth and elevation rotor system and constant moving of the dish?
Not necessary but makes it a whole lot more convenient to 'tune into' another satellite. There's only one satellite that has a whole lot of channels, but that's going to resemble your Roku. AJE, RT, foreign language, and religious channels.
can i expect ANYTHING like Food tv network, CBS ABC discovery and/or movie channels?
Maybe. Only if they turn off their scrambling temporarily for 'issues' or such. This is known, in the FTA hobby, as 'the hunt' This also includes breaking news and event feeds, There are some networks affiliates 24/7. Check TheList!(link above)But also be aware that most of the channels you ask about are on C band where it takes a 6 ft. dish to work, and that's a minimum*
what would i expect buying a 45 dollar receiver and a dish and aiming somewhere?
A lot of channels are now DVB-S2, HD. So if the ebay receiver is only DVB-S, you're only going to receive the DVB-S ones.**
i hope you dont need all kinds of crazy decoders, and switches and modules to work this. thanks
No decoders(descramblers), as their's no subscription. The stream decoding takes place right in the receiver. Switches only needed if running multiple dishes.
*some have experimented with Mini-BUDs(4 ft and less)on C band. Results are usually only the strongest signals are receivable.
** Receivers listed from the least capable to the most capable.
DVB-S SD (may be labeled as DVB-S only)
DVB-S HD
DVB-S2 (will also receive previous listed types)
DVB-S2 (as above but also includes 4.2.2 video, useful for the rare 4.2.2 video transmissions)
Even withing types, some may not decode some higher orders of streams, I.E. AAC or Dolby audio as an example. simple mpeg audio/video "was" the standard, today the trend is towards mp4 AAC but there's still a lot of channels that work with a DVB-S receiver.
A good DVB-S receiver is a good first step to 'test the water" with minimal investment. We'll let ya know if the one you're looking at is worth considering. Someone here has experience with it. There is a lot of them that aren't worth much, if anything.
AcWxRadar
Blinky,

Welcome to the SatelliteGuys forum!

Fat Air beat me to the welcome, so I just added a little to his comments.

You do not require a rotor / motor system. You may use a single dish pointed at a single satellite. You may be able to get two or three satellites on one dish if the dish is compatible and the satellites are adjacent to eachother. This would require some extra hardware, but it is not very expensive. You will not get much in the line of the channels that you cited on Ku band. For those types of channels you would have to move into the C-Band area with a 6 - 10 foot BUD dish.

You might enjoy what you get from the PBS stations on 125.0°W. There are several fine PBS channels there in the Ku band spectrum. Create, World, PBS HD East / West etc. You could do this with the very least of components and cost.

RADAR
freezy
You have a straight shot at 30W. Lots of non-English channels, but there are occasionally some English movies with Spanish sub-titles and a couple very good All-English channels there also.
Scott Greczkowski
Staff member HERE TO HELP YOU! Cutting Edge
Last reply · posted in DIRECTV General Forum
The following is from Reddit. -
View: https://www.reddit.com/r/DirectvStream/s/orzHBkmqQW


gemini.webp

There appears to be a new DIRECTV Gemini OTT box, the C81KW-650.

The FCC listing is partially available, and a Geekbench entry confirms it uses an Amlogic S905X5, a solid SoC for a set-top box.

I also see 4GB of RAM, and the manufacturer is SEI Robotics.

DIRECTV C81KW OTT Box - Android TV Guide

Ok found a picture of the Box too on Reddit:


View: https://www.reddit.com/r/DirectvStream/comments/1twlex0/comment/opzeqi1/
23 Replies · 943 views
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Scott Greczkowski
I know a few people who have gotten one and I am told like most modern streaming boxes this one also has HDR on all the time.
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b4pjoe
I know a few people who have gotten one and I am told like most modern streaming boxes this one also has HDR on all the time.
My guess it is like the 2 previous boxes where you can turn it off/on but requires a reboot once you make the change for the change to take effect. Not sure if there is some limitation in the hardware that won't allow it to change automatically to what is in the content like other devices do. Even DIRECTV satellites own C61K changes on the fly.
Tom Speer
I know a few people who have gotten one and I am told like most modern streaming boxes this one also has HDR on all the time.
I only noticed that as a problem on TVs that handle HDR poorly. They don't have enough peak brightness or enough dimming zones. For instance, TCL makes three lines of TV, sort of like the old Sears model of Good, Better, Best. On my 4 or 5 year end low price model, HDR looked awful (My neighbor likes the TV now). The midrange model from the next model year ithat I have at my Lake home now looks pretty good in HDR all the time. The midrange TCL QM7 model from last year at my other home looks spectacular, as I remember. I haven't seen it for 6 months.

If I had a TV that does HDR poorly, I would configure the Gemini to disable all HDR.
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b4pjoe
I only noticed that as a problem on TVs that handle HDR poorly. They don't have enough peak brightness or enough dimming zones. For instance, TCL makes three lines of TV, sort of like the old Sears model of Good, Better, Best. On my 4 or 5 year end low price mode, HDR looked awful (My neighbor likes the TV now). The midrannge model from the next model year ithat I have at my Lake home now looks pretty good in HDR all the time. The midrange TCL QM7 model from last year at my other home looks spectacular, as I remember. I haven't seen it for 6 months.

If I had a TV that does HDR poorly, I would configure the Gemini to disble all HDR.
I agree with that. The 2 LGs that we have Gemini's on looks far better with HDR enabled then it does with HDR off.
R
I know a few people who have gotten one and I am told like most modern streaming boxes this one also has HDR on all the time.
That would be a deal-breaker for me. The Rokus default to having it on all the time but it's easy enough to change that to native. If the content is HDR it goes on. Otherwise, no.
Scott Greczkowski
Staff member HERE TO HELP YOU! Cutting Edge
Last reply · posted in The Chit Chat Club
Sometimes a thread gets so many posts in it that is can cause issues for the server so that why today we introduce The Song Name Game Part 3!

So let the game continue!

The last song was added by Bobby who posted...

One Meat Ball - Andrews Sisters

CONTINUE ON AND HAVE FUN! WELCOME HOME TO SATELLITEGUYS.US!

Here are the original rules for the game as posted by WebbyDude back in 2006. http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/68645-Song-Name-Game

Just name a song title and the band who performed it. The next person does the same thing, but needs to list a song title or band name which includes a word from the previous entry. Pick songs from any genre.

Example:

Long Live Rock and Roll -- Rainbow

Rainbow in the Dark -- Dio

Another example:

Ride the Lightning -- Metallica

Lightning Strikes -- Ozzy Osbourne


Get it?


An additional note: we all know that song titles, sometimes, use profane words. Because this is a family friendly website it is advised that you clean up that title up a bit. This is accomplished by using something like sh!t instead of the real word. Thanks....
68590 Replies · 2676879 views
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long_time_Dish
Take Me To Heart - Quarterflash
ClarkGable
Take Me To The River - Talking Heads
long_time_Dish
Don't Take Me Alive - Steely Dan
H
TAKE On ME-A-Ha
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ClarkGable
On Broadway - George Benson
dishstaller
Pub Member / Supporter Lifetime Supporter
Last reply · posted in The Chit Chat Club
I've always been super interested in things space related so this is a pretty cool event coming up. Nov 18, 2026 early in the morning, Voyager 1 will reach the distance of one full light day from Earth. Took almost 50 yrs. I was 13 when it launched.


View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/gjHK3clOwIw?feature=share
2 Replies · 64 views
Foxbat
So, 1/1596th the way to Alpha Centauri (if it were headed that way). 79,800 years to go…
Bruce
So, 1/1596th the way to Alpha Centauri (if it were headed that way). 79,800 years to go…
IMG_2175.webp
Bobby
Supporting Founder Lifetime Supporter
Last reply · posted in DISH Network Support Forum
This thread is a place to discuss the 4K events that appear on channel 540. We are getting, at this point, one college football game a week. Let's hope there is more coming.
1936 Replies · 299649 views
Foxbat
Which is what is interesting, I see the 4KFox channel on 148-01 but we're not subscribed to our Locals. So why it's coming in is puzzling. I thought that maybe it was a perk for Dish subscribers for the MLB Postseason.

I set a Timer for the Indiana - Ohio State game on Saturday. I'll take advantage of it while I can.
Foxbat
I set a Timer for the Indiana - Ohio State game on Saturday. I'll take advantage of it while I can.
Even though it didn't work out for the Hoosiers, this event recorded and I was able to watch it in full 4K HDR.👍🏻
MLB, Rays at Brewers, Friday 10-23, 5PM PDT, Channel 148-01.
Timer is set to Record the Series. Thanks, Bobby!
long_time_Dish
No NASCAR in 4K on Sunday? Bummer...
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Jim5506
No NASCAR in 4K on Sunday? Bummer...
It's on Prime.
long_time_Dish
It's on Prime.
Ah, ok, thanks!
Foxbat
The World Series Game 1 quality was excellent, the Dolby Surround put us in the seats. Thanks, Dish!
jcrandall
Staff member HERE TO HELP YOU!
Last reply · posted in DIRECTV Programming Forum
So...DirecTV advertises the Choice package with 95+ bonus channels for Satellite customers. You don't want 90+ of the 95...

Excluding PPV, premium networks, infomercial, shopping, religion, and non-English programming, there are 7 channels on satellite that are not on streaming:
NFL Network, MavTV, FE TV, Free Speech, NASA, INSP, and Pursuit. I'm pretty sure a couple of those are public interest that they have to carry to meet an FCC quota on satellite.

I hope they get called out for this advertising because that is ridiculous. One big network, NFL, will probably get added to streaming when their next agreement comes up, and the rest are likely very low viewership.

What about streaming, what do you get extra with the Choice package that isn't on Satellite:
Two stations - one of which is an internet TV - Fox Weather, and Heros & Icons (a diginet). Nothing special here to look at either.

If they cleaned up a couple of their agreements, added a few public interest stations to streaming, they could probably have their lineups match. It's close now, if you take out all the garbage on satellite that they earn money on. If they can sell infomercials on satellite, why can't they on streaming, seems like a miss. A bigger miss, including those stations in the "bonus channels just for satellite customers." Pretty sad marketing right there.

1681344805401.png


Attached is a comparison sheet of satellite vs streaming for the three main packages if anyone is interested.

MOD EDIT: See Post #3 for an up to date list of what channels are available on sat but not on streaming/internet, see Post #21 for an up to date list of what's available in the app for streaming customers, but not for sat customers.
241 Replies · 31748 views
M
Well, this is awkward. Today the Miami Heat announced that their games in West Palm Beach this season will be aired on WTCN Channel 43, the Sinclair independent... and the station which DTV Stream downgraded from HD to SD a few weeks ago. Makes you wonder if the Heat is aware of this.

I did find the WTCN Chief Engineer (Bill Macbeth) and he said he knew nothing of what DTV Stream had done. Will look into it and get back to me.
harshness
One might get the impression that what DIRECTV does, or doesn't, is becoming far less consequential than it used to be.
M
One might get the impression that what DIRECTV does, or doesn't, is becoming far less consequential than it used to be.
K
WPLG/10 Miami is now available to stream customers

The CW stations WCWW/25 South Bend and WBKP/5 Marquette are testing on the stream server

Last week they also added a bunch of CW stations that are still not available to sat customers:
WETM-DT/19 Elmira
WJET-DT/25 Erie
KLFY-DT/11 Lafayette LA
KARD-DT/15 Monroe
WVBT-DT/44 Norfolk
WTWO-DT/3 Terre Haute
WFXV-DT/34 Utica
KFDX-DT/4 Wichita Falls
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M
Well, that was fast ! DTV Stream brought back WTCN's HD signal today.

I have to assume the station signing up a week ago as the Miami Heat affiliate here (to carry their games) did the trick. NBA magic !!!

Or the station engineer took care of the problem after hearing about it.
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N
Last reply · posted in DISH Network Support Forum
My OTA is not working anymore. This started after the latest update. I have the OTA dongle with a OTA antenna that I've been using for years. My hopper does not recognize the dongle anymore and when I go to the OTA setting, it has a screen that says to plug a dongle into the USB. I tried unplugging and plugging back, in the same usb port and other ports. The Hopper does not recognize it. Anyone have same issue?
203 Replies · 5410 views
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B
Anyone heard any updates on this, I'm still having the issue so thought I'd check in.
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Almighty1
Anyone heard any updates on this, I'm still having the issue so thought I'd check in.
No updates but if you can get DISH Technical Operations to roll you back to H710 or earlier even though H708 would be best because it also eliminates another problem like in this comment, you will also no longer have the problem as long as you don't update manually or forced to any new version until the problem is fixed as the problem started in H711 and still exist in H712 and H713.
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dishstaller
Installed an off-air antenna a couple days ago for a customer who had just cancelled his Dish service. He had a dual off-air adapter and gave it to me. Cool. I'll keep it on the truck....might come in handy. Got to admit I don't watch anything as far as live tv goes anymore. Even if we have severe weather, our local channels will have a live feed on Youtube.
navychop
In other news, it was announced that the software fix for the two tin cans and a string will not be forthcoming. A hardware fix is required. However, that fix will let you receive stations from a gazillion miles away.

Truck roll charges may apply. Two year commitment required.
brittanygarden
Hi all. If you were using a single tuner USB OTA adapter that is no longer working, please PM me. Thanks. :)
Jim5506
Hi all. If you were using a single tuner USB OTA adapter that is no longer working, please PM me. Thanks. :)
I have the dual tuner OTA adapter currently connected, but I have 2 of the single tuner OTA adapters that I can quickly connect - neither is seen by my H3.
JSheridan
Lifetime Supporter
Last reply · posted in DISH Network Support Forum
I know HipKat said that they were working on conversions but we got the official news yesterday right from Dish that starting next month all DMA's will be on the western arc, and all customers will be assigned to that. That's gonna mean a lot of customers around here aren't gonna get Dish unless there are exceptions. Too many mountains and trees.
148 Replies · 3862 views
navychop
Years down the road
R
Years down the road
Looks like Charlie Ergen will never give up satellite TV. The reason Echostar 25 the most poweful DBS satellite ever built at 110 location already. Also Echostar 26 another super satellite on order for 119 orbital location will be ready in 15 months. he will have 110/119 for another 20 years. Dish will be the only satellte company left. The reason for rural areas and some people like satellite easy to operate and change channels in seconds.
Mister B
Looks like Charlie Ergen will never give up satellite TV. The reason Echostar 25 the most poweful DBS satellite ever built at 110 location already. Also Echostar 26 another super satellite on order for 119 orbital location will be ready in 15 months. he will have 110/119 for another 20 years. Dish will be the only satellte company left. The reason for rural areas and some people like satellite easy to operate and change channels in seconds.
I hope these new "most powerful" satellites will mean that DISH can provide every channel that can be sourced in HD in HD. I do not like the fact that two of my favorite channels (Start and H&I) are SD. I was also very disappointed after installation that METV has to be streamed from my internet connection. Finally, I dropped the locals upon seeing that my local CW channel is in blurry letterboxed SD when it has been HD OTA for years.
zippyfrog
I hope these new "most powerful" satellites will mean that DISH can provide every channel that can be sourced in HD in HD. I do not like the fact that two of my favorite channels (Start and H&I) are SD. I was also very disappointed after installation that METV has to be streamed from my internet connection. Finally, I dropped the locals upon seeing that my local CW channel is in blurry letterboxed SD when it has been HD OTA for years.
This piece gets me - the fact that Dish has removed SD channels from satellite completely in the name of "HD upgrades". I pay for satellite TV, not streaming...I don't see why they couldn't leave the SD version of the channels on Satellite then put the HD streaming version like they have for other channels.
navychop
This piece gets me - the fact that Dish has removed SD channels from satellite completely in the name of "HD upgrades". I pay for satellite TV, not streaming...I don't see why they couldn't leave the SD version of the channels on Satellite then put the HD streaming version like they have for other channels.

CONTRACTS!
Henry Sanchez
What about the commercial services? will they keep using single Stacked or DP single/dual LNB's?
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T
CONTRACTS!
At this point one can only ask whether any live ch's are still distributed in SD. Other than maybe "classics" ch's that run only older stuff
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S
Even if you are broadcasting old SD-only shows, I would think advertisers would still want their commercials to look good.
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Jimbo
At this point one can only ask whether any live ch's are still distributed in SD. Other than maybe "classics" ch's that run only older stuff
Personally, I would HATE to see a SD Channel at this point.
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Jimbo
Even if you are broadcasting old SD-only shows, I would think advertisers would still want their commercials to look good.
Advertisers on SD channels are probably Far and Few, very hard to find, they have very few viewers to watch them.
dishstaller
Pub Member / Supporter Lifetime Supporter
Last reply · posted in The Chit Chat Club
I'm surprised Walmart hasn't banned this guy from all of their stores. He has been on their CASE the past few months.


View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/f3zr37ekgKM?feature=share
50 Replies · 504 views
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TRG
TRG
I would think that the Vendor/Maker of the product would have a say in it, showing the Correct weight ...
You would think it would be in the contract.

I do look at the ounces of items, but unless its way off, I don't check the math, may have to start now.

Remember when you use to get a 13.5 oz bag of Chips .... Thats a PARTY Size now.
I remember when a pound of coffee was 16oz. Now its 12oz, they don't call it a pound anymore and its three times the cost of the 16oz pound.
Jimbo
I remember when a pound of coffee was 16oz. Now its 12oz, they don't call it a pound anymore and its three times the cost of the 16oz pound.
Well, they don't call it a pound anymore ....

Ice cream is that way too, use to be a half gallon, now its 1.5 quart or some say 48 oz
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NYDutch
Well, they don't call it a pound anymore ....

Ice cream is that way too, use to be a half gallon, now its 1.5 quart or some say 48 oz
We have a regional ice cream company here that advertises that their ice cream containers are still a full half gallon.
Jimbo
We have a regional ice cream company here that advertises that their ice cream containers are still a full half gallon.
Now check and see if any of them (probably a few) are actual Ice Cream ...

Most Ice Creams are Not actual Ice Cream.
Bryers for example, call Most of thiers "Frozen Dairy Dessert"
NYDutch
You need to weigh the actual bag...a deli bag weighs less than that but a thick coffee bag is gonna weigh around an ounce...an empty tin can has some weight
Products sold by the ounce, pound, etc, should always be priced for the product only. Only the shipping weight should include the packaging.
harshness
Products sold by the ounce, pound, etc, should always be priced for the product only.
Unless the specific product or its packaging is known at the time of weighing, estimating the tare weight for a PoS system is a tall order.

I'm pretty sure that produce bags can't get any thinner. ;)

You certainly don't want to put unbagged produce on a belt, scale, or in a clerk's hands (gloved or not).
Jimbo
Unless the specific product or its packaging is known at the time of weighing, estimating the tare weight for a PoS system is a tall order.

I'm pretty sure that produce bags can't get any thinner. ;)

You certainly don't want to put unbagged produce on a belt, scale, or in a clerk's hands (gloved or not).
I would think that all the packaging would already be accounted for ... they weigh the container, subtract that from the scale, then add the product , so its weighing the Product only
harshness
I would think that all the packaging would already be accounted for ... they weigh the container, subtract that from the scale, then add the product , so its weighing the Product only.
You would be thinking wrong when it comes to goods that are sold by weight (meat, produce, nails). Those items typically go on the scale wrapped without an associated tare. The weight only excludes the sticker because it hasn't been printed yet.
Jimbo
You would be thinking wrong when it comes to goods that are sold by weight (meat, produce, nails). Those items typically go on the scale wrapped without an associated tare. The weight only excludes the sticker because it hasn't been printed yet.
Thats ridiculous ....

Thats not how Deli does it, I know your talking pre packaged.
They need to CHANGE that.
harshness
Thats not how Deli does it, I know your talking pre packaged.
Perhaps only for sliced meat and cheese. Salads and similarly "shifty" or "drippy" items are typically weighed in deli cartons of some sort.

My monster burritos (up to two lbs.) are weighed in their foil jackets or paper mache take-out trays, and the jacket/tray is then "sealed" with the printed label as it comes off the printer.

Precision has to give way to practicality in situations like that.
TRG
TRG
Now check and see if any of them (probably a few) are actual Ice Cream ...

Most Ice Creams are Not actual Ice Cream.
Bryers for example, call Most of thiers "Frozen Dairy Dessert"
I only buy Tillamook and Alden's ice cream. The first ingredients are milk and cream.
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Jimbo
Perhaps only for sliced meat and cheese. Salads and similarly "shifty" or "drippy" items are typically weighed in deli cartons of some sort.

My monster burritos (up to two lbs.) are weighed in their foil jackets or paper mache take-out trays, and the jacket/tray is then "sealed" with the printed label as it comes off the printer.

Precision has to give way to practicality in situations like that.
What ever I get out of the Deli is put into a container when I ask them for it, they weight the container and then add the deli product, thats the way its suppose to be, if the rest of the world is screwing you, you should try the place down the street.
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Jimbo
I only buy Tillamook and Alden's ice cream. The first ingredients are milk and cream.
$7.50 a 1/2 gallon, thats worse than Bryers price wise.
Jimbo
$7.50 a 1/2 gallon, thats worse than Bryers price wise.
I'll give that a try next time, if I can find some in the right sugar areas.
Juan
What ever I get out of the Deli is put into a container when I ask them for it, they weight the container and then add the deli product, thats the way its suppose to be, if the rest of the world is screwing you, you should try the place down the street.
They are probably cheating you by swapping store brand product for name brand...those store deli's are very sketchy
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Bobby
$5.69 for the 48oz of Rocky Road at my Walmart.
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Bobby
I'll give that a try next time, if I can find some in the right sugar areas.
22g per serving.
Juan
22g per serving.
How much is a serving?
Bobby
How much is a serving?
2/3 of a cup, a large scoop.
Jimbo
They are probably cheating you by swapping store brand product for name brand...those store deli's are very sketchy
They are made every day at this place ... it's a little Ma and Pop store ...

When ever I order something, they weigh the container (like everyone is suppose to) then weigh the product, so you actually get what your paying for lb wise ...
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Jimbo
22g per serving.
Thats about the same as the Bryers I get, I just have smaller portions.
Jimbo
How much is a serving?
2/3rds of a cup or 9 servings per container.
Jimbo
$5.69 for the 48oz of Rocky Road at my Walmart.
Apparently my local Walmart doesn't carry that brand Tillamook ...
Kroger does .... Vanilla Bean $7.49 for 1.5 quart

Up here I have options of :
Vanilla Bean, French Vanilla, Cookies and Cream, Mud Slide and Strawberry

I will try the Strawberry and see what I think, IF the Sugar isn't any more than 22g ... it's Quite expensive.

Target does show it, cheaper, $5.99, however thier website says Not Sold in Store, closest store that carries it is 39 Miles away ....
I guess I better wait till WINTER to get it .. if it's that far away.

I'll have to check and see if Meijer has it ... YES they do ... $7.49 and a variety of Flavors
SuperDish_Fan23
Last reply · posted in DISH Network Support Forum
Why are ViP922s So rare? like its crazy how ebay has none, i checked everywhere, also, i got a ViP222k now, which is actually activated!
33 Replies · 966 views
Almighty1
I remember this in the news too...

Bobby
I remember this in the news too...

That is a misnomer. In the old days you subscribed to telephone service. That included the telephone line and one telephone. An extension cost $1 a month extra. So that $14,000 over 42 years was for the service not the leased telephone. There is no way they paid $28 a month for 42 years for a leased telephone.
HIFI
2.webp
2.webp
anybody remember this disaster ?
SuperDish_Fan23
Why are ViP922s So rare? like its crazy how ebay has none, i checked everywhere, also, i got a ViP222k now, which is actually activated!
Whoever still has their 922, please let me know i just wanna see photos of the ui and other stuff
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S
Whoever still has their 922, please let me know i just wanna see photos of the ui and other stuff

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wL6dsORmXg
T
Slicker guides never did much for me
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Almighty1
That is a misnomer. In the old days you subscribed to telephone service. That included the telephone line and one telephone. An extension cost $1 a month extra. So that $14,000 over 42 years was for the service not the leased telephone. There is no way they paid $28 a month for 42 years for a leased telephone.
Good point as part of that time mentioned was before I was even alive.

While reports from the family's case focused entirely on the equipment rental charges, media records show that Ester Strogen originally started by paying $29.95 per quarter ($9.98 per month) in the 1960s for her combined telephone connection.
The actual base cost for standard residential telephone service over a 42-year period (spanning roughly 1964 to 2006) reveals how basic connection costs evolved compared to the equipment rental fees:

Historical Phone Service Rates
  • 1960s – 1970s Base Rate: Standard local phone service was heavily subsidized and tightly regulated under the Bell System monopoly. A basic landline package with unlimited local calling typically cost between $5.00 and $10.00 per month.
  • 1980s – 2000s Post-Deregulation Rate: Following the AT&T divestiture in 1984, base line service rates steadily climbed due to the introduction of subscriber line charges, touch-tone fees, and local infrastructure adjustments. By 2006, basic flat-rate local residential phone service hovered around $15.00 to $25.00 per month (excluding long-distance packages and taxes).
The True Lifetime Service Bill

Assuming an average baseline connection fee of roughly $12.00 a month over that 42-year span, the line connectivity itself would have realistically accumulated to approximately $6,000 in raw cash payouts.
When you bundle the actual service costs together with the escalating equipment rental fees, the total cumulative out-of-pocket phone expenses over those four decades easily crossed $12,000 to $14,000. Long-distance phone calls—which were billed entirely by the minute back then and could cost up to 15 to 30 cents per minute—would add significantly more to that historical total depending on usage.

The widely publicized calculation stems from a viral news story from 2006 involving a widow named Ester Strogen. Her family discovered she had been continuously leasing two rotary dial telephones from AT&T for 42 years.
The total cost—which actually came out to more than $14,000 by the time the lease was canceled—was calculated based on the following legacy telecom structure:
  • The Monthly Fee: At the time her granddaughters discovered the charges, the ongoing leasing fee was $29.10 per month for the two outdated phones.
  • The Math: Over 42 years (504 months), paying roughly $24 to $30 a month accumulates to between $12,000 and $14,600 ($29.10 × 504 months = $14,666.40).
Why did this happen?
Prior to the landmark breakup of AT&T ("Ma Bell") in 1984, consumers were legally not allowed to own their phones; they were required to lease them directly from the phone company.
When the laws changed and phone ownership became legal, AT&T spun off its rental division into a company called QLT Consumer Lease Services. Millions of customers, particularly elderly individuals who were used to seeing a single unified phone bill, simply never realized that the small recurring "equipment lease" line-item could be canceled by buying a cheap phone at a retail store.

Yes, leasing absolutely cost that much in reality, and the math is entirely accurate. However, the calculations performed by the family did contain one major historical nuance: they multiplied the final 2006 rate across all 42 years, which means the actual total cash paid out was likely a bit lower.
The original viral story focused on 82-year-old widow Ester Strogen from Canton, Ohio, who paid $29.10 a month for two black rotary phones until her family intervened in July 2006.
The reality behind how the cost reached that staggering total breaks down into two distinct phases:

Phase 1: The Historical Base Rate (1960s – 1984)

When Strogen first got the phones in the 1960s, renting was a legal mandate and cost a fraction of the 2006 price—usually just a few dollars a month.
  • The "Insurance" Mirage: In exchange for that fee, Ma Bell promised free, lifetime maintenance. If the phone broke, they replaced it instantly at no extra cost.
  • The Cost-Plus Reality: Because these solid-state phones were built like tanks out of heavy plastic and steel, they almost never broke. Consumers paid a continuous premium for decades for a repair service they rarely used.
Phase 2: The Deregulation Rate Hikes (1984 – 2006)

After AT&T was forced to break up its monopoly in 1984, the rental side of the business was shifted to Lucent Technologies and later a legacy holding company. To maximize profit off a shrinking customer base, they steadily increased the monthly rental fees over the next 20 years.
  • By 2006, the rental cost had quietly ballooned to roughly $14.55 per phone per month.
  • When the family discovered the $29.10 monthly charge, they looked back at the 42-year span and estimated the collective loss at over $14,000.
Even adjusted for historical inflation—where $2 a month in 1964 had the purchasing power of roughly $20 today—Ester Strogen and hundreds of thousands of other elderly Americans realistically paid thousands of dollars out-of-pocket for standard desk phones they could have purchased at retail for $10.

The exact out-of-pocket dollar amount Ester Strogen paid over those 42 years was never publicly determined, as neither AT&T nor the family had access to monthly billing records stretching all the way back to the 1960s.
The figures reported in the media are entirely mathematical estimates based on the 2006 rate. The two primary numbers used to define the "cost" are:
  • The Stated Media Total: More than $14,000.
  • The Exact Family Formula: $14,666.40. This was derived by taking her final recorded bill of $29.10 per month and multiplying it across the full 42 years (504 months).
What the True Cash Cost Likely Was

Because AT&T did not charge $29.10 a month back in 1964, the true historical cash sum she handed over was lower than $14,000. In the 1960s and 1970s, basic phone lease fees were generally bundled into standard service or itemized at just $1.00 to $2.00 a month per phone.
If we realistically assume she paid lower base rates for the first 20 years before the post-1984 deregulation price hikes took effect, a realistic estimate of the actual cash paid is between $5,000 and $7,000.

The Real Cost When Adjusted for Inflation

While the family's $14,000 calculation overestimates the raw cash paid, it actually underestimates the true economic damage when factoring in the time value of money.
Paying $2.00 a month for equipment in 1964 sounds minor, but due to severe inflation during the 1970s, those early single dollars had the purchasing power of roughly $20.00 each in 2006 terms. If you adjust every historical lower monthly payment upward to account for inflation, Ester Strogen realistically lost the equivalent of well over $15,000 in modern purchasing power by renting instead of buying.