Disappointed lifetime members post HERE

[catkoko]

Well Scott, hope you were serious. I think HATE is too strong a word so I chose "disappointed".

bill, hope you don't mind I started this........

I would ask that those who are paid lifetime members feel free to post their concerns here.

IPTV is a new technology that will be around , even if sky angel isn't. Lets let those who chose to subscribe to IPTV enjoy their chats

My biggest concern right now is the latest letter, offering angel 1, 2 and ktv via dish. while my lifetime was for a LOT more channels, receiving 3 would be better than none...........

Would anyone be interested in a lifetime members yahoo group?

 

[Orvsat]

I'm still not sure that we have heard the last of this issue. Although I'm disappointed that SkyAngel, and my lifetime membership, appear to be going away, I'm still reviewing my options.

Some of my favorite programs are available for download from the ministries' websites. Some channels appear to stream over the internet. Depending on how many potential customers Dish Network sees they may offer some sort of programming package--my guess is they will wait until SkyAngel satellite service completely goes down so lifetime subscribers will not expect the service for free.

Perhaps a forum should be created to list free internet sources for Christian programming. My iTunes program came with several free Christian radio stations programmed on it. Although the free sources may lack the on-screen programming guide and timer I can't help but think someone has a solution for that. In the end maybe such a list could become a website that would serve as a free directory for Christian programming.

 

[catkoko]

latest press release

what bugs me is this "new company" stuff yet they have the same phone, same website, same vp etc.............


Sky Angel U.S. Launches Revolutionary New Service

NAPLES, Fla., Feb. 14 /PRNewswire/ --
NAPLES, Fla., Feb. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Following the history of a company that was a pioneer in providing faith-based and family entertainment to America for more than a decade, a new company, Sky Angel U.S. LLC, has forged fresh territory by today unveiling the nation's first broad-based Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) service devoted to Christian and family TV and radio programming -- currently featuring 70 channels.
Sky Angel U.S. LLC is now taking orders for its IPTV service, which features the widest variety of Christian TV and radio channels ever made available in one package by a television service provider, plus many popular mainstream family channels, including news and sports.
The 70 faith and family channels that have joined the Sky Angel IPTV lineup to date are available through three reasonably priced programming packages: a Faith Package ($14.99/mo.), a Family Package ($19.99/mo.) and both packages offered as a Family Values Pak ($24.99/mo.). Faith channels include FamilyNet, Liberty Channel, God TV, JCTV, Gospel Music Channel, EWTN, CatholicTV and many others. Among the family channels are Discovery Channel, Fox Business Network, The Weather Channel, Discovery Kids, Hallmark Channel and many more, including the previously announced NFL Network. Visit Sky Angel: Christian Family-Friendly TV and Radio: Sky Angel® Television (TV) Channels for a complete channel lineup.

 

[karlgo]

I was one of the first 100 lifetime subscribers. I can't believe that there is more...

I agree with the disappointment expressed. The least that could have done was to give us a lifetime subscription to their IPTV. It really disappoints me that was not offered as an option.

What are people to do who enjoyed SkyAngel, but don't have broadband - where does this leave us? Any suggestions?

I myself just found about a couple days ago when I got the brochure in the mail that said act before service interruption. Which prompted me to start googling.

I periodically received those brochure from SkyAngel over the years
and when these new IPTV one came I glanced at it but didn't know that it was going to replace my satellite service. I thought that it was in addition to. I wonder how many other people have thought the same thing.

Where is the ethics and morals in offering a lifetime subscription and not honoring this with the new service? Has anyone of you "lifers" looked at your contract? Mine is in storage and not easily accessible so don't know what obligations SkyAngel has in this case.

Thoughts? Ideas?

 

[Dah-Henny]

I'm a lifer, and don't have any grudges, but I really believe that the Titanic has left port.

 

[genemcd]

I'm one of the first-year lifetime subscribers - paid for the lifetime membership back when I lived in a house that couldn't get the signal from 61.5. I did that because I wanted to make sure I was able to (a) invest in their idea, and (b) partake in their services once we moved.

We moved in 2001 and I was able to start receiving SA in the new house at that point. We have DirecTV as well and now that SA-DBS is going away, DirecTV has some (IMHO) pretty decent Christian programming on now. Four channels of Christian XM (on DirecTV) doesn't match the radio channels that SA offers but it will have to do. I will especially miss Bott Radio and Worship Network. I would join up with SA-IPTV but the only "broadband" that we get where I live is "HughesNet" and "WildBlue" (satellite) - we use WildBlue. SA is coming right out and saying that their service is not compatible with satellite Internet because of the "fair access policy" limits how much data you can download. I'm already having trouble staying under FAP with two teens in the house so I'm glad to hear SA be honest enough to say that.

All that being said - yeah, I'm disappointed. SA is publishing that this stays in line with the vision that Bob Johnson Sr. had but the way they went through with this seems awfully ill-timed and opportunistic. I would subscribe to SA-IPTV if we had any real broadband around here. I would like to give SA the benefit of the doubt but I won't even have that opportunity for a while.

But I wish some other Christian businesspeople with some vision would do something to offer a similar service on DirecTV. Gospel Music Channel is going to be on soon, and NRB is on now...that's a wonderful start. If I had the $$, I would do something to try either the same or similar radio stations from SA onto audio channels on DirecTV - there has got to be a business model that would work.

That's my .02!

 

[elder]

I am disappointed that SA's CEO still lacks the courage (or whatever) to even address the lifetime partners. The latest flyer does state that satellite service ends March 31st but no comment about lifers! That flyer also has the following statement which is a half-truth at best, otherwise an outright lie:

The satellite system has brought many blessings through the years, but the loss of the use of the satellite has made it impossible to continue in the satellite business. Consequently, Sky Angel had to change course and be reborn . . . .

I probably won't try FTA as it doesn't seem to have the program content I seek.

 

[Bob Haller]

I am highly pissed that a supposed christian organization pulls stuff like this and hop that a lawsuit shuts them down permanetely..... as a example to others of bad dishonest behavior.

 

[catkoko]

I don't want to see them shut down. Yet neither do I want to hear that down the road they offer a similar deal to IPTV. It would be best if somehow they could be prohibited from accepting any sort of prepayment in the future.

Lets face it, no compensation can truly fix this. Even if a court were to order them to refund the full amount we paid we still lose. The average lifetimer will now probably pay over $10,000 to continue receiving tv for their lifetiime. Probably more as costs continue to rise.
to those who have other tv service it may not be a big deal, they are just losing a few channels. To those who are on a fixed income it is a very big deal.

An elderly neighbor literally makes less income per month than some on these boards probably pay for their tv service. She is 87, widow, no kids and her whole life revolves around her tv. How would you tell someone like that you need to find $25 a month in your budget?

 

[Dah-Henny]

How would you tell someone like that you need to find $25 a month in your budget?

Plus the $45 per month for dsl.

 

[Bob Haller]

sorry its best if they are shut down, its the commercial version of sending someone to jail.......

if you do the crime know you will do the time

if you rip off the public know you will be dishonered and put out of business...........

its mostly a example to others

 

[Scroll]

Plus the $45 per month for dsl.

And this is a good point!

I just got 2 mailers this week from Verizon offering $12.99 for the 1st 6 months, $17.99 for the following 6 months, and an increase again after the year on a 1 year commitment with early term penalties. Or something like that. And yet it is only for a 768k connection, so it is only half as much as the minimum bandwidth for IPTV.

PLUS, it requires you to have their phone service. Or did. I think they now allow you not to have a landline, but then they add a surcharge that's close to having landline service.

And while local cable broadband service alone here is like $50 give or take for 7 Mbps (they also offer 768k service now for like about $35) now you're up to $65 - $75 a month for something that was once $0 a month for lifetimers and once like $10 a month for monthly billing subscribers.

So while not a major point to the actual debate of fairness to those who made the commitment to lifetime it does deserve fair mention that the switch does indeed create a hardship to the income challenged in addition to those who cannot get broadband at all at any price.

It really does seem only right that lifetimers SHOULD have been given the faith package free, even if they had to pay for the box or had to subscribe to the Family Pak. Forget legalisms. I mean from an ethical Christian perspective.

Why did they apparently not even consider that? Giving them the benefit of the doubt because they felt that too much of their targeted consumer base would consist of these same people so that it would collapse their revenue model and that enough would just overlook any animosity over the whole deal and pay for the new service structure.

I guess what they failed to fully understand, perhaps from bad advice from overpriced secular consultants, is the inability of a significant amount of the customer base to obtain or afford the broadband access, the availability of the FTA alternatives, competition with other internet appliance boxes, and downright hostility over the feelings of being taken advantage of both by the former failed model and by being too tight lipped as to the true situation and plans.


In short, I think it would take an actual miracle for SA IPTV to survive without a radical change in their thinking.

 

[catkoko]

I think they relied too heavily on their "viewer advisory board" as those people were already online! they also banked on the hope that as Christians we would want to keep the Christian channels enough to pay all over for them.

LIfetime Faith package would have been fair, at least it would have been some sort of an attempt. Possibly those without DSL would have gotten it in a year or 2 and could have activated it then. When I called sky angel they initially said they were considering an "offer" to life time memers. When I called them recently they said the "offer was the free box w/18?. Not much of an offer since it was available to anyone!

 

[jashobeam]

An elderly neighbor literally makes less income per month than some on these boards probably pay for their tv service. She is 87, widow, no kids and her whole life revolves around her tv. How would you tell someone like that you need to find $25 a month in your budget?

You should tell her to find a church that cares for it's widows and orphans both emotionally and physically. It's a shame an elderly Christian widow is not being cared for by her church. That is one very obvious command in Scripture for the church. If she cannot find one, or is unwilling to find one, you could check out the local churches and see which ones have a burden for widows and would suppliment her income.

 

[Wescopc]

Our local church would give her a FTA setup (using a fund called "helping hands") and the members would install it at no charge.
Bob

 

[catkoko]

I haven't had luck getting her to accept help, other than an occasional meal. She doesn't like change or new technology (such as cordless phones). It seems that most of the local churches only have a "burden" for their "members". She isn't even a believer, never mind a church member.........

We are new to the area/state ourselves. She has lived here for over 50 years yet no one seems inclined to help her. She won't sign the papers to apply for heating assistance. the propane guy she has is less than honest as far as I am concerned anyway, having had dealings with him myself

I don't know much about FTA, what sort of channels would she be able to get? there is a local cable company but they don't offer much in the low end package.

 

[Wescopc]

I haven't had luck getting her to accept help, other than an occasional meal. She doesn't like change or new technology (such as cordless phones).
I don't know much about FTA, what sort of channels would she be able to get?

Glorystar (which is FTA) has about 40 channels see this list:
http://www.satelliteguys.us/928320-post2.html
A person can set it up for either AMC 4 or Galaxy 25 or both. You don't have to purchase the system from Glorystar (SatelliteAV) if you only want one (1) of the satellites. However, SatelliteAV is very competitive on pricing and offers excellent technical support.
Bob

 

[Mr Tony]

and the box from Glorystar has special software in the box to automatically update the channel list when there is a new channel added. Also it removes all the "other" channels on those 2 satellite (G25 has a bunch of ethnic channels too). The Glorystar system filters those out

 

[ShaneLinder]

I am disappointed but wish SkyAngel the best. Our society needs more Christian TV so it is hard for me to hope they don't make it - although I doubt they will. I have ordered my Glorystar conversion and a second dish. I will be buying a DVR and a third receiver within the next few months. If I go to IPTV it will be with MOIPTV not SkyAngel.

 

[MDB in SE La]

Hope they make it but they probably won't.......SA getting too worldly thinking........



Goodnight Chet … Goodnight David