Dish HD fee

[hometheaterman]

Well I read here in this thread
http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=32421

that Dish charges a HD Enabling Fee of $6. My question here is this monthly or one time? I want my locals with a ota antenna in HD will I have to pay for that fee in addition to the $6 extra a month for this reciever? If its one time not too bad but I'll be damned if I pay that monthly. If I don't pay it can I still use my reciever as a OTA tuner? The only reason I want to pay to hook this up right now is for my OTA. I wouldn't mind showtime in HD but I don't want to pay $20 a month extra for the rest of the HD channels quite yet.

 

[DishDave]

Monthly Unless you sub to a metal pak.

 

[hometheaterman]

Thats gay. Can I still get my OTA locals without paying it? Or do I have to pay for that to?

 

[dishrich]

Can I still get my OTA locals without paying it? Or do I have to pay for that to?

If you want your E* HD box to pick them, NOPE - and it IS a monthly fee.
The HD enabling fee is for ANY HD channels - satellite delivered (like Showtime HD) AND OTA.

Sorry, but sometimes you gotta research all those "hidden charges" more carefully, you know how that goes...

 

[mike123abc]

This fee is only on the MPEG-4 boxes, you can get a 942/921 if you want to avoid it, but you will have to pay the DVR fee if you do not sub to AEP. You can get an 811 if you want to avoid all the fees and just pay the cost of a regular box.

 

[hometheaterman]

I may just call and cancel Dish all together I can't decide. I'm getting kind of fed up with them.

 

[Poke]

Ok well 1st if you get all of your locals and HD locals off a OTA then you dont half to pay for your locals. Which is $5 bucks a month if you want from Dish. Now if you have a HD receiver and want more than just 5-6 channels of locals in HD. Then you will need to sign up for one of Dish's HD plans to get the other 30 channels of HD. If not then you will just get your locals in HD is all with a OTA so its up to you.

 

[kb7oeb]

A cheap used 811 might be your best bet, there are no extra service fees, guide information for OTA is included without subscription and AFAIK you can still activate Showtime and get SHOHD included.

If you think your going to go OTA only I would get a standalone OTA tuner. Out of the boxes I have used the LG had the best EPG followed by a Samsung.

 

[hometheaterman]

I think I will just give in and pay it after thinking about it. I figure since I subscribe to Showtime I should get that in HD and then my locals. I pay for the locals with Dish but only because I want them in the guide and can't get all of them OTA. I would only do OTA for the two that are in HD. I'd like to get those in HD.