7 Years with Dish. Boy How Things Have Changed.

[CK SatGuy]

So this week marks 7 years that I've been with Dish. Looking back, I realize that a lot of things have changed since then so I thought I would post some fun facts about what has happened since I joined Dish. For the sake of time, I'll just focus on the most popular topic here on Satelliteguys: Technology.

- I remember the 1st Dish install  back in 2004 like it was yesterday getting a brand new Dish 500 with a brand new 522 DVR connected to my two SDTVs. Upgraded to HD in 2008 getting a Dish 1000+ and a 722 DVR connected to my 1 HDTV and my 1 SDTV. (Never had a 622) Now I got 2 HDTVs connected to a 722k DVR with obviously SD to my 2nd HDTV.
- I signed up getting the Everything Pak bundling with AT&T. The price for the everything pak was $85.99/month (And I believe that was the regular price. Don't remember the what the promotional price was.)
- When I signed up for Dish, I still had dial-up. Upgraded to DSL 3 months later and never looked back.
- I was still using an old HP computer running Windows 98. That's long gone. Got a new Dell in'06 running xp, now running windows 7.
- In 2004, only 7% of American households had an HDTV and there was only a few HD channels. Now HD has pretty much become the standard when it comes to TV.
- By Oct. 2004, Apple had sold about 6 million Ipods. There was no such thing as an iphone or an ipad or Android phones, but can you imagine living without one today?
- One of the most popular cell phones in 2004 was the Motorola Razr. Blackberries we're just starting to come along. Nobody had ever heard of 3G yet or even the term "smartphones."
- Blu-Ray wasn't invented yet. About 2/3rds of U.S. Households had a DVD player. (Unknown how many still had a VCR)
- There was no such thing as social networking. Myspace, Facebook, and Twiiter weren't around yet. Again, can you imagine living without them today?
- The most popular video game console was the Playstation 2. Xbox 360 would be released a year later.
- Desktops were still outselling laptops, but laptops sales were growing. Now the PC market is pretty much stale as Ipad sales continue to grow.
- You couldn't stream movies via Netflix. Nowadays, there are TVs and Blu-ray Players that can connect to the internet and you can now pretty much watch movies anywhere. Did you imagine being able to do this 7 years ago?
- There were 9000 Blockbuster Stores in 2004. Now Dish has bought BB and now streams movies to our Dish receivers. Again, did you imagine being able to do this 7 years ago? I sure didn't.

That's pretty much all I can think of.

 

[Mr Tony]

By Oct. 2004, Apple had sold about 6 million Ipods. There was no such thing as an iphone or an ipad or Android phones, but can you imagine living without one today?

I live just fine without any of those.

There was no such thing as social networking. Myspace, Facebook, and Twiiter weren't around yet. Again, can you imagine living without them today?

really can live fine without those either. Have none of those accounts. I dont need people knowing my every move. Thats what an ankle bracelet is for (no I dont have one of those either)

 

[jgags6]

Also 7 years ago you wouldn't think that the Lions would be as good as they are this year

 

[TheKrell]

Ha! Thanks for that trip down memory lane.

I for one did imagine streaming video over the Internet; I was downloading every imaginable file type back then including videos, so it was not a conceptual stretch for me to think that it might go directly to a STB or IP-capable TV. I am only amazed in the other direction that it has taken Dish so long to do this with their VIP line of receivers. VIP after all stands for Video over IP. But even today, I think it's a "stretch" to call what Dish does on my 722 "streaming".

On imagination, I can indeed imagine life without social networking since I eschew them even today. Nobody need know what I'm doing "right now". I loath this very concept and the Narcissism such media imply.

Same for smartphones. (I can imagine life without one.) I own an Android phone, but as a phone it's just plain awful, and the fees for it's use are unconscionable. I've fixed most of these problems now, but when I first got it, I committed the following comedy of errors. I called up my voicemail, and listened to the message. When I went to delete it, the display backlight went off and the virtual keyboard locked. So, by the time I got the damn display back on and unlocked and found the virtual keyboard, I managed to speed-dial somebody else by mistake, while putting my voicemail service on hold. Virtual keyboards suck.

 

[dare2be]

I live just fine without any of those.

Ditto.

really can live fine without those either. Have none of those accounts.

I think having one of those accounts requires having one of the above devices.

I dont need people knowing my every move. Thats what an ankle bracelet is for (no I dont have one of those either)

I call bull. From my short time here, I have always thought that with your vast knowledge displayed here that you always speak from experience.

 

[Mr Tony]

I think having one of those accounts requires having one of the above devices.

nah you can get on Spacebook or mycrappyspace on a laptop or desktop too

I call bull. From my short time here, I have always thought that with your vast knowledge displayed here that you always speak from experience.

sorry to disappoint ya there

 

[empiretc]

Myspace, Facebook, and Twiiter weren't around yet. Again, can you imagine living without them today?

Live without them now and life is great as there is none of the drama that develops because of them. **see sig**

One can only DREAM they'll be gone one day, but like REALITY shows, people cannot seem to get enough...

 

[Scherrman]

I have my iPhone 4 and I absolutely love it. Information at my fingertips. I can set my DVR from it and even watch TV on it if I wish. As for making phone calls on it, thats just a minor detail. I hate talking on the phone.

 

[whatchel1]

I don't do anything other than type something that starts w/ I. Now if someone gave a device that started with an I: I wouldn't turn it down as I like to play. So now that I have put enuff I's in this to help raise Apple's hopes: I will be ending the post.

 

[KAB]

I would not do without iPod, because I don't have to mess with CD's anymore.

 

[Tampa8]

Great post ckhalil18. My biggest memory when I first signed up - there were no such thing as locals, and the idea of dumping Cable was awesome.

 

[papalittle]

As for Facebook I use it daily because I have family all over the country. Thanks to Facebook I have found aunts and cousins I never knew I had and have found lost friends from 30+ years ago. As for smart phones and a like, I have no need of one, my plain old LG non-smart phone does all I need.

 

[SQUEEZON]

Then of course there are people like us who purchased a Dish system in 1994 and set it up ourselves using a small compass from a crackerjack box!!! (even today I missed the correct position on the dish by only 1 degree)!!

 

[Anony55]

LOL, I used to be the "gadget guy" who everyone used to come to when they couldn't get their VCR to quit flashing 12:00 or wanted to record one channel while watching another.

Now I'm just the grumpy old man who doesn't do Facebook or Twitter (I guess that means I'm not a twit ). I just never got into all the portable/hand-held stuff. All of my best stuff is in the living room... not my pocket. I still have a Krazr, and I never setup voice mail. If it rings & I don't answer, that's the end of it.

I think all the texting devices have ruined our manners. I just think it's rude to never really be with the people that you are with (ever seen 2 people setting at the same table in a restaurant, and they're both ignoring each other... just a texting away?). But that's my age showing again.

I always thought I was a pretty nice guy who just happened to like techie stuff. But now I'm convinced that I'm just a grumpy old throwback.

Cheers

 

[calrich]

I live just fine without any of those.


really can live fine without those either. Have none of those accounts. I dont need people knowing my every move. Thats what an ankle bracelet is for (no I dont have one of those either)

I agree. They appear to be nice little toys, but definitely not worth the cash. I do have a Facebook account, but almost never go there because the stuff that people post there is simply not that interesting.

 

[calrich]

LOL, I used to be the "gadget guy" who everyone used to come to when they couldn't get their VCR to quit flashing 12:00 or wanted to record one channel while watching another.

Now I'm just the grumpy old man who doesn't do Facebook or Twitter (I guess that means I'm not a twit ). I just never got into all the portable/hand-held stuff. All of my best stuff is in the living room... not my pocket. I still have a Krazr, and I never setup voice mail. If it rings & I don't answer, that's the end of it.

I think all the texting devices have ruined our manners. I just think it's rude to never really be with the people that you are with (ever seen 2 people setting at the same table in a restaurant, and they're both ignoring each other... just a texting away?). But that's my age showing again.

I always thought I was a pretty nice guy who just happened to like techie stuff. But now I'm convinced that I'm just a grumpy old throwback.

Cheers

No, you're not grumpy at all. You just prefer to actually hang out with the people you know rather than pseudo-communicating with people you really don't know. Yeah, I do text but it's basically to make sure my kids get to and from school OK.

 

[osu1991]

LOL, I used to be the "gadget guy" who everyone used to come to when they couldn't get their VCR to quit flashing 12:00 or wanted to record one channel while watching another.

Now I'm just the grumpy old man who doesn't do Facebook or Twitter (I guess that means I'm not a twit ). I just never got into all the portable/hand-held stuff. All of my best stuff is in the living room... not my pocket. I still have a Krazr, and I never setup voice mail. If it rings & I don't answer, that's the end of it.

I think all the texting devices have ruined our manners. I just think it's rude to never really be with the people that you are with (ever seen 2 people setting at the same table in a restaurant, and they're both ignoring each other... just a texting away?). But that's my age showing again.

I always thought I was a pretty nice guy who just happened to like techie stuff. But now I'm convinced that I'm just a grumpy old throwback.

Cheers

Maybe it is an Oklahoma thing, all that applies to me also, except I do use my iphone extensively for work. I can send a text to check on things quickly, as I am usually on hold on the landline. Now a days, I usually have my phone on silent, unless I am working. I just don't care to feel like I am constantly on call all the time. I can see the use of facebook as some of my family use it to keep up with each others kids and what not, but it's not for me. Twitter I still don't know what the fascination is with it.

 

[Ghpr13]

LOL, I used to be the "gadget guy" who everyone used to come to when they couldn't get their VCR to quit flashing 12:00 or wanted to record one channel while watching another.

Now I'm just the grumpy old man who doesn't do Facebook or Twitter (I guess that means I'm not a twit ). I just never got into all the portable/hand-held stuff. All of my best stuff is in the living room... not my pocket. I still have a Krazr, and I never setup voice mail. If it rings & I don't answer, that's the end of it.

I think all the texting devices have ruined our manners. I just think it's rude to never really be with the people that you are with (ever seen 2 people setting at the same table in a restaurant, and they're both ignoring each other... just a texting away?). But that's my age showing again.

I always thought I was a pretty nice guy who just happened to like techie stuff. But now I'm convinced that I'm just a grumpy old throwback.

Cheers

I'm the same. My tech toys have always been in the Audio/Video realm. Obviously, I do have a computer which I use, but my cell phone is for calls, nothing smart about it, and I only text if I really have to. I got an iPod a few years back as a gift. I use it now and then, when I waiting in a doctor's office. If I want to hear music or see a movie I want to enjoy those things in a room where I can sit back and be enveloped by them. When I turned 40 I needed glasses to see small print...why would I want to watch a movie on a 3"x 6" hand held screen instead of my 40" HDTV??? I do like using emails, mainly because you can sit down and read or send one when it's most convenient for you to do, 11:00am or 3:00am...All in all, my friends and family still come to me for advise and help with anything electronic/technological, and that makes me feel like I'm not too old just yet!

Ghpr13

 

[Mr Tony]

Then of course there are people like us who purchased a Dish system in 1994 and set it up ourselves using a small compass from a crackerjack box!!! (even today I missed the correct position on the dish by only 1 degree)!!

Dish didnt start until 96

But in 99 I did a D500 install and it took me around 5 hours to get it installedl. Oh god that sucked.

 

[mediafury]

Some things never change, though ..

In 2004, I had been subscribed to Dish about 3 years and had been married 12 years and the customer service was abominable then.

In 2011, I still maintain a subscription to Dish and although I've been divorced for just over a year, surprise, the Award Winning Customer Service still sucks royally.

Playing with phone trees, humanoid robots who don't know what scripts to use when you finally get someone to pick up, and generally reeking online services still are the norm.

I am glad that in this era of "Change" some things always seem to stay the same.