From what Ive seen from providers, Id say if you did not want to pay to upgrade equipment every year or two, youd be better off with cable.
See, my feeling is this. The whole reason I subscribe is
to watch TV. I really don't care if its Mpeg-2 or Mpeg-4 or what sats they use, or any of that. I do want the DVR technology, so I am willing to pay extra for that. So for me, the bottom line is I subscribe to Dish so I can watch TV channels. Their job is to deliver those channels to me seamlessly without hassles. If they want to change their equipment, then they should be doing that on their dime. Much like the telephone in my house: I pay the phone company and I use my phone. Easy, simple, seamless. If I want to add features, I pay an additional fee, and they turn them on, and they work, but I don't have to pay to upgrade their equipment every year or two in order to make the same calls I've been making all along. If I want a new phone in a room that didn't have one, I would pay for that. If I wanted to upgrade to a cordless phone, I would pay for that. But I expect them to keep the phone service working without my having to upgrade every year or two.
Personally, I think we make it way too easy for companies like Dish. I have waited for a deal like this because I don't like the idea of paying to replace the receivers I have so that I can watch the product I am already paying for! I would prefer not to have the 18 month commitment (and am not thrilled about giving them a 942 that I own for a 622 that is a lease), but the item for item swap is probably good enough to get me to go with it. Just my 2 cents.