Dec 8th Charlie Chat is Make or Break time

[ScottChez]

Dear Charlie,

I have been researching this HD TV thing for Half a Year now.

Depending on what facts are given out Monday is what will make me decide if I switch to Direct TV. Have been with Dish for 4 Years.

The Direct TV HD Tivo and the $39 Regular Tivo Pricing for new customers sure is tempting.

I would like to see some new HD Channels announced for early Jan 04 and some great princing on the 921 for existing customers and avliability of the 921 real soon.

Other wise the $600-700 HD Tivo for new customers in March is real tempting.

Charlie, the presure is on, this is your Biggest show ever. Do it right.
We will all be watching.

 

[SlicerMDM]

Yea, this should be an interesting chat but it seems like (as usual) the info he'll present is quickly becoming known to us. The 811 deals, using SuperDish for LIL rather than lots of HD, and space on 110 is tight so any new HD would be minimal.

With all these changes (some good, some bad) and the appearence that E* is making decision with their magic 8 ball, I've pretty much decided to make the switch to D* and reassess E* progress (as well as D* progress) when my 1 yr agreement expires. Plus, Scott's review of the 522 wasn't glowing -- just another mediocre piece of hardware.

BTW, where did you find $39 regular Tivo Pricing? Everything I've seen is $99.

 

[DenR]

I hear the HD TIVO has been delayed. It is more like April/May.

 

[DarrellP]

You guys going to DirecTV for HD will be very disappointed, as they compress the Hell out of their HD signals. I would advise you to buy the Dish HD pack for $9.99/month and get a cheap receiver like the 811 or 6000 and go to DirecTV with a Tivo for regular programming, then you have the best of both worlds.

 

[HookedOnTV]

I had been planning on getting 2 of the 921's for quite awhile. The way things have transpired over the last couple months has me thinking I'll just wait and see how the cable HD-DVR offerings pan out.

 

[SlicerMDM]

I'm willing to give D* HD a try. I've dealt with E* incompetence for quite a while now. D* can't be worse. Besides, I get HD OTA right now and won't get D* HD until the DirecTivo is released. By then, the D 7s sat should be running and perhaps they can clean-up any issues they might have. Maybe that's wishful thinking but the point is I'm willing to give them a try.

 

[ScottChez]

The Direct TV HDTV feed was bad for a while but they fixed it.

There has even been proof that the quality was bas on the pixel measurement tests.

It turns out that when they move channels around the drop the quality of the HD Channels for a while.

This seems to be all done and it is fine now.

HD on Dish and Direct TV are the same now. You cant use that as a factor in your decision to not switch any more.

I am still debating between the two systems. Still gathering facts.

Hopefully Charlie will give the ones I need to stay.
Even one more new HD channel might help or some ED Sci Fi or USA channels.

Things are so close in the comparision (guess thats why there compeditors).

 

[belsokar]

The Direct TV HDTV feed was bad for a while but they fixed it.

There has even been proof that the quality was bas on the pixel measurement tests.

It turns out that when they move channels around the drop the quality of the HD Channels for a while.

This seems to be all done and it is fine now.

HD on Dish and Direct TV are the same now. You cant use that as a factor in your decision to not switch any more.

I am still debating between the two systems. Still gathering facts.

Hopefully Charlie will give the ones I need to stay.
Even one more new HD channel might help or some ED Sci Fi or USA channels.

Things are so close in the comparision (guess thats why there compeditors).

This is very interesting to me about the quality of directv being back on par with dish network in terms of HD...is this true? Are there any links to chats or data or anything to show this? This is not an attack of any sort, I just have not heard this news until now and would be interested in learning more since one of the reasons I don't want to go to directv is the quality of their hidef picture...

 

[Matt_Stevens]

No, direct comparisons still show the resolution has been lowered on some of the D* channels.

 

[ScottChez]

Maybe we ar elooking at the wrong channels.

I show all the Home Shopping, Public Interest, and Spot Beam Locals to lower. HD is still the same has Dishnetwork.

What are you seeing with the test.

 

[Stargazer]

$600-$700 for an HD Tivo is a big difference in price compared to a $1,000 921. There are a lot of people that would go with DirecTv to save $300-$400 even if it means not having as many HD channels, as long as it was not too much of a sacrifise in HD offerings.