I currently have Gold 250 w/ HD and I have one VIP722 receiver. I have been thinking about adding all the movie channels or some of them. Would adding the movie channels be a better idea than let's say...Netflix?
Are Premium Movie Channels A Good Value?
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I have both Netflix and Blockbuster Online (1 DVD-at-a-time for both) and I'd rather have that than the premiums because all their available DVDs cover most of the movies on the premium channels. Sometimes, they'll even do it better because they'll have the extended, unrated cut of a movie whereas for example, HBO will only show the R-rated version.
Also it depends on you. I can wait for my movies to come in the mail. And I don't mind watching movies on my computer (Netflix Instant Watch). Some people can't do either.
Premiums are good for TV Shows (ie. Weeds) though as opposed to having to wait many months later for them to come out on DVD. But once again I can wait.
Also it depends on you. I can wait for my movies to come in the mail. And I don't mind watching movies on my computer (Netflix Instant Watch). Some people can't do either.
Premiums are good for TV Shows (ie. Weeds) though as opposed to having to wait many months later for them to come out on DVD. But once again I can wait.
I think they are only really worth it if you have the AEP and several DVR's like my case. I would balk at paying the full price for them, however, even with their excellent series. You will probably find better value elsewhere.
Full price for one premium is something like 50 cents per day. That same $0.50 per day buys a lot more movies from Netflix, and there's only a little bit of lag between being on HBO and being on DVD. Also, if you have a Netflix-ready Blu-ray player, you can stream Watch Instantly titles to your TV with it, though you need a fairly fast internet connection to do that.
It really depends on your viewing habits. We go to the movies a lot, but we rarely (almost never) rent anything. But we used to buy a lot of movies. Now, I just record them off the HD channels and keep them.
EPIX could change the game too if it comes and comes in a basic package. All the movies that would have required Showtime to see will now be on EPIX. The problem with depending on the Premiums to catch all the movies is that you really needed Showtime AND Starz AND either HBO or Cinemax.
EPIX could change the game too if it comes and comes in a basic package. All the movies that would have required Showtime to see will now be on EPIX. The problem with depending on the Premiums to catch all the movies is that you really needed Showtime AND Starz AND either HBO or Cinemax.
I have Starz for 12.99, and I don't think it's a great value. Too many repeats. If I could get Encore HD by itself, I'd drop Starz altogether. I watch mostly Encore Hd, MGM, and HDNET movies.
This is surely a personal decision if you like some of the unique programming associated with that movie channel it can be a good deal, if you are strictly movies I would think twice about it.
Price wise if you have more then one DVR I think it makes a bit of sense to go AEP. If you go on the programing website and see the price difference its only a few dollars if you for example drop from AEP to two premium and have a couple DVRs
We have Gold 250 plus the HD & Platinum pack. We do not subscribe to Starz and get Channel 340 Encore (East) HD (but not the SD version...although that is not a big deal); it comes with simply Gold HD. We also get MGM and HDNET Movies. It is nice having the Encores, west feeds of The Movie Channel, and the other movie channels in the packages that we got without premiums.
Can't get anymore
I have absolute w/ 4 premium Movie channels + max for the .01. I get all that for about $80 (package no longer available to customers). It's worth it to me but when they wan t full price for max will most likely drop it. But the series that I can only get on HBO, & Showtime is worth their price (don't want to wait a yr to watch Dexter, Tudors, Weeds,& True Blood). I just got a blu-ray disc player so I may rethink some of it. But not sure, I will have to rent them from N-flix or BB so that may be an offset. There just isn't that much difference in price between renting from them and getting the premiums at the rate I have with combining them on E*.
I have absolute w/ 4 premium Movie channels + max for the .01. I get all that for about $80 (package no longer available to customers). It's worth it to me but when they wan t full price for max will most likely drop it. But the series that I can only get on HBO, & Showtime is worth their price (don't want to wait a yr to watch Dexter, Tudors, Weeds,& True Blood). I just got a blu-ray disc player so I may rethink some of it. But not sure, I will have to rent them from N-flix or BB so that may be an offset. There just isn't that much difference in price between renting from them and getting the premiums at the rate I have with combining them on E*.
As stated, worth is personal, but where I can 'justify' the premium channel is that is how I "collect" some movies I wish to have on my EHD. I have netflix too, that for the immediate dvd release watching, and the premium for the collection later on.
I had AEP but when i switched to one DVR i dropped down to Silver+HD.... The only thing we miss about not having the premium movie packages is that there is was ALWAYS some movie to watch at any given time.
Having Blockbuster online and Netfilx for streaming I am not missing anything but the easy of always something on.
Having Blockbuster online and Netfilx for streaming I am not missing anything but the easy of always something on.
I noticed that you are in Silver + HD. If you wanted a few movie channels, you could add the Encore Pack for $4.99/month. We actually have Gold + HD, and we love the Encores. The Movie Channel West and The Movie Channel Xtra West may have a good movie once in a while. We picked the Gold 250 + HD for the movie channels and for Boomerang and Chiller. Of course, you always have 383 MGM HD and 385 HdNET Movies with the HD + Platinum add-on. In the Encore Pack, you would get: 341 Encore West 342 Encore Westerns 343 Encore Action 344 Encore Mystery 345 Encore Drama 346 Encore Love (Note that 347 Encore Wam is included in Gold 250 and 340 Encore HD is included in Gold 250 + HD or the Starz package.) If you have an online account, then you can get the Encore Pack for $4.99 under A La Carte. I hope that this helps.
(Note that 347 Encore Wam is included in Gold 250 and 340 Encore HD is included in Gold 250 + HD or the Starz package.) If you have an online account, then you can get the Encore Pack for $4.99 under A La Carte. I hope that this helps.
So to get EncoreHD, you must subscribe to Classic Gold + HD? You can't even get EncoreHD if you have Silver + HD + Platinum + Encore Pack? That's pretty lame if it's true. On the other hand, Bronze + Starz is almost the same price as Silver, and I'd only be giving up FX and Bravo...
We have Silver w/ HD plus Stars and Cinemax. We like movies (wife loves movies) and enjoy catching the ones we don't chose to see at the theater in HD on Dish. Neither of us has any interest in the drama series that the premium channels have been producing (takes enough effort to keep up with the network series we follow). Thus, we don't have any interest in HBO, which has minimal movies, or ShowTime, which also is short on movies and short on HD on Dish.
Yes, many nights the movie offerings are quite repetitive and Encore is a nice alternative, sometimes. Is it worth the price? Well, at $22/month for Starz and Cinemax (currently 1 cent for Cinemax due to a special offer), I could only purchase 3 Dish HD VODs or PPVs per month for that money and I get at least 8 new movies on Starz and Cinemax each month. So, I give up some choice to save some money.
As to other services (e.g., Netflix), the cost may be right, but I wouldn't want to deal with the mail in hassle. I may try their download service when it becomes available through Sony later this year, but my Comcast download speed of 6 Mbs (allegedly soon to be 12 Mbs) means it will take quite a while to download an HD movie. That doesn't work well for impulse decisions nor for impatient people like my wife.
In the end, the value of the premium movie channels is in the eye of the beholder. If it provides you most of what you want to watch and you can deal with the monthly charge, then it is worth it. If you think $13/mo. for one or $22/mo. for two movie channels is too much, then it isn't worth it, but remember the hassle factor involved with other options has a personal cost also.
BTW, I have almost 100 DVDs in my home movie library, but since our favorite movies show up on the movie channels so often, and in HD, we seldom watch any of them. And I'm certainly not going to duplicate my film library again in BD as I did to replace VHS tapes. Sorry, Hollywood already has enough of my money for the same movies over and over (why isn't there a time limitation on copyrights like there is on patents?). With BD, we will just buy a new release favorite a few times a year.
Yes, many nights the movie offerings are quite repetitive and Encore is a nice alternative, sometimes. Is it worth the price? Well, at $22/month for Starz and Cinemax (currently 1 cent for Cinemax due to a special offer), I could only purchase 3 Dish HD VODs or PPVs per month for that money and I get at least 8 new movies on Starz and Cinemax each month. So, I give up some choice to save some money.
As to other services (e.g., Netflix), the cost may be right, but I wouldn't want to deal with the mail in hassle. I may try their download service when it becomes available through Sony later this year, but my Comcast download speed of 6 Mbs (allegedly soon to be 12 Mbs) means it will take quite a while to download an HD movie. That doesn't work well for impulse decisions nor for impatient people like my wife.
In the end, the value of the premium movie channels is in the eye of the beholder. If it provides you most of what you want to watch and you can deal with the monthly charge, then it is worth it. If you think $13/mo. for one or $22/mo. for two movie channels is too much, then it isn't worth it, but remember the hassle factor involved with other options has a personal cost also.
BTW, I have almost 100 DVDs in my home movie library, but since our favorite movies show up on the movie channels so often, and in HD, we seldom watch any of them. And I'm certainly not going to duplicate my film library again in BD as I did to replace VHS tapes. Sorry, Hollywood already has enough of my money for the same movies over and over (why isn't there a time limitation on copyrights like there is on patents?). With BD, we will just buy a new release favorite a few times a year.
