DISH NETWORK INTRODUCES 13 NEW HD CHANNELS IN PUERTO RICO

[STEVEMATHEWS]

IF A CUSTOMER IN PUERTO RICO CHOOSES TO HAVE THE 61.5 HD CHANNELS INSTEAD OF THE MEDIOCRE HD CHANNELS THAT ARE IN OUR SPOT BEAMS, WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH OUR LOCAL CHANNELS? IS IT POSSIBLE TO ADD THOSE TOO?

 

[elTiTANio]

IF A CUSTOMER IN PUERTO RICO CHOOSES TO HAVE THE 61.5 HD CHANNELS INSTEAD OF THE MEDIOCRE HD CHANNELS THAT ARE IN OUR SPOT BEAMS, WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH OUR LOCAL CHANNELS? IS IT POSSIBLE TO ADD THOSE TOO?

there are no locals in HD for PR *yet*. The channels in question here are HD channels coming from spotbeams.

Regular SD Puerto Rico local channels from spotbeams remain unchanged whether you get HD from spotbeams or from 61.5

 

[holy_devil]

OK People.

I have final notification from someone high up in the engineering department. And the news is bad and good at the same time. The way that they setup the software to work after Echostar 14 was put to work is that if you have channels being recived from 61.5 once you take out the old HD PR Pak from your account the new software kicks in and it selects 61.5, if you have it, and denies or rejects channels coming from the spot beams for PR from both sats 110 and 119. The point is that they made it out to work with one or the other and their is nothing they can do about it. They did this because they notice a lot of accounts in PR with the 61.5 setup plus at the same time recieving the same HD channels from the spotbeams on 110. So now Dish, if you call them, will setup whatever programming you want to put on the account but it has to be one or the other. They are not going to put both setups in the same account. If you have an antenna pointed at 61.5 then they will activate that sat and if you dont have it the box automatically via the software will look for the channels on sats 110 and 119. This has been done for the upcoming changes that are going to be put in place for Echostar 15. This is how they are going to deal with new accounts that have a wing dish pointed at 61.5, by giving all the Conus programming to those accounts and the ones that select not to install the wing dish will still recieve some HD channels through 110 and 119. All the software has been put in place for this to be done automatically by the reciever. The reciever is reading a code on the account and selecting the HD channels automaticaly from the antennas you have installed giving preference to sat 61.5, if it finds it and then if not defaulting to the spotbeams on the other two sats. So if you have the old PR HD PAK and also have 61.5 working don't mess with it untill Echostar 15 is up and running. We will get all the HD programming eventually form echostar 15 with a wing dish. The person did not want to give me an exact date, all she was willing to say is that is was going to be soon. She also commented that they are reciving a lot of request from people in PR with the same issue and they will address the situation as soon as they find space on the sats because they are getting a lot of new subsribers form PR.

Any word regarding the missjng channels on 110, I mean Encore, Starz W and Starz Edge when those will be fix.

 

[STEVEMATHEWS]

MY GUESS IS THAT SOMEONE FROM THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT CHANGE SOMETHING MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR CUSTOMERS IN PUERTO RICO TO VIEW THOSE CHANNELS. ALSO DON'T FORGET THAT TMC-EAST CHANNEL 327 WAS BLACKED OUT BUT ONLY THE HD BECAUSE THE SD VERSION IS VIEWABLE. WE WILL RECEIVE THOSE CHANNELS BACK AGAIN WHEN THEY ADMIT THEIR ERROR, BUT I THINK THAT THEY WON'T ADMIT IT.

 

[ljdonato]

Lost Platinum, gained 4936 and up, without doing anything

I just lost my HD Platinum pak without doing anything. I was watching ESPN2 and suddenly got a message that I was not authorized. A minute later, I got ESPN2 back but all my Platinum channels and almost everything in the 94xx range was gone.

The interesting thing is that at the same time, I gained the 13 channels in the 4936 and up range.

10 minutes later I received an email with the subject "CONFIRMATION service change".
This email shows HD 250 Free in my packages....

I am trying to find out what the heck happened. I will be pissed if they charge me $5 dollars for "dropping" Platinum, and more angry if I find out they signed me up for two years without my knowledge.

Have this happened to anyone else today??? Please check.

 

[rajmarie]

^^^ wow....IMO...Dish had really created a big big mess for PR subs. It cannot be more simpler...but no...Dish messed up on this & now will have some very unhappy long time customers.

lj...u need to contact other subs like u who have Platinum + HD from 94xx range. I guess u can talk to Tom....since I think he had the same packages. But still its a big f**kup for us.

I was so tempted to get HD for myself.....but thank god...I waited & I will wait longer now...& we see how Dish will incorporate the new bird at 61.5 for HD for us subs in PR....& what will be their offers.

If not for a wonderfull 625 (which surprisingly is still working without any issue almost 28 months) I might have upgraded to HD by now...but again....for 622....nah

 

[rdavidowski]

Hello LJDonato

I have the same happen to me at 4:33pm today. I was watching channel 193 Science Channel HD and got the same message and lost most of the 61.5 channels plus lost platinum. I gained all 4900 to 4963 PR channels. And also got the same email. I called and as always no one knows anything or do anything. Still working the phones with Dish to see what I can do to gain them back. If anyone has this happen to them please report.

 

[Tom_P]

My account is fine so far(knock on wood). But the difference is that when I lost my HD channels almost a year ago, the person in Advance Tech never add the PR package. So mine states No sports, HD250, Platinum HD, all the premiums because I have AEP. Another thing is that I haven't signed for Free HD for life because the system don't allow it, because I already have CC Autopay and Paperless Billing.

So in my opinion there lies the problem, since we can have one or the other well, somebody just made the desicion for you guys. Call Advance Tech again and remove the PR Package and add the Conus HD Pack.

 

[mojonba]

I stopped receiving the Platinum HD & HD on 61.5 and the new 49xx showed up. Any known way to get them back? The 6' dish to 61.5 is now officially useless. So much for being a very old customer and paying $100+ a month.

 

[neljtorres]

I stopped receiving the Platinum HD & HD on 61.5 and the new 49xx showed up. Any known way to get them back? The 6' dish to 61.5 is now officially useless. So much for being a very old customer and paying $100+ a month.

It's not useless they will be new bird on 61.5 and we will be able to get it after they launch E15 on July 2010 for 61.5

 

[rdavidowski]

So everybody with PR account with HD Free for Life on it is being afected with the same situation. After working the phones, and I mean I realy worked the phones even at the executive offices, the final word of 2 different managers was no more platinum for any PR accounts. This is being done by the Main offices in Colorado and no other person is allowed to restore accounts to the previous condition that had special setups. They are going through every single account in PR and making sure everything is setup the same way. I only hope that when they put that new bird up everything is restored and every single subscriber in PR has access to all 61.5 HD channels and Platinum. Please keep reporting on losing platinum or 61.5 orbital location channels. At least premium channels are up on 61.5 and Bio HD and a few others.

 

[STEVEMATHEWS]

THEY ALWAYS TREAT ALASKA, HAWAII AND PUERTO RICO DIFFERENT WHICH IS ABSURD BECAUSE WE ARE PART OF THE U.S. TOO.
DIRECTV U.S. DIDN'T EVEN OFFER THEIR SERVICE HERE.

I WANT TO KNOW IF THE PREMIUM CHANNELS THAT ARE IN 61.5 WILL BE AFFECTED TOO, BECAUSE IF IT IS THEN WHY THE HELL DISH STARTED TO HAVE OFFICES IN PUERTO RICO?
WHAT ARE THE PEOPLE IN CHARGE OF THE PUERTO RICO OFFICES DOING IN FAVOR OF US AS CUSTOMERS?
IT IS OUTRAGEOUS THAT SINCE THE ECHOSTAR 14 TRANSITION MESS THE CUSTOMERS IN PUERTO RICO HAVE LOST THE GREEN CHANNEL HD, STARZ WEST HD, STARZ EDGE HD, ENCORE EAST HD, THEY EVEN BLACKED OUT TMC EAST HD (BUT NOT THE SD FEED) AND NOW THE CHOICE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE HD PLATINUM AND WE PAY THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY AS EVERYBODY ELSE (CORRECTION WE PAY MORE BECAUSE OUR STUPID GOVERNMENT IMPOSED A 7(%) TAX IN ALL PURCHASES AND BECAUSE DISH OPENED OFFICES IN HERE THEY STARTED TO INCLUDE THE TAX IN OUR BILLS)
WE ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO HAVE LOST MORE HD CHANNELS THAN ANYONE ELSE.

 

[rajmarie]

It's not useless they will be new bird on 61.5 and we will be able to get it after they launch E15 on July 2010 for 61.5

I hope ur right nel. I am out of my contract & holding it till they put that bird up & we all know what Dish plans are. Remember we were expecting better when they put E14 up...but till now as I read...that have been a big disaster for PR....with not the expected count of channels being put on for us.

I guess we all have to wait & see what Dish plans to do with E15. It is our speculation that Dish will put national HD on this bird...but nobody knows what they plan to do eventually

 

[holy_devil]

Well, after all this mess I believe Dish only want us to receive the HD channels that the PR pak offers. That simple, there no reason to block TMC, Starz w, Encore, and Starz Edge, the only reason I can think off, it's because they where not included in the original PR HD pak. I wouldn't be surprise if they block access to premium channels in 61.5. They already think that they offer more HD channels that anyone else with the PR HD PAK and its probably true, so I dont thnk they care about the few of us who has access to 61.5 and want more even if we pay the same thing or more that anyone else. I don't have any hope that Echostar 15 will fix the problem except for people with US accounts.

 

[Tom_P]

Well, after all this mess I believe Dish only want us to receive the HD channels that the PR pak offers. That simple, there no reason to block TMC, Starz w, Encore, and Starz Edge, the only reason I can think off, it's because they where not included in the original PR HD pak. I wouldn't be surprise if they block access to premium channels in 61.5. They already think that they offer more HD channels that anyone else with the PR HD PAK and its probably true, so I dont thnk they care about the few of us who has access to 61.5 and want more even if we pay the same thing or more that anyone else. I don't have any hope that Echostar 15 will fix the problem except for people with US accounts.

There's a lot of sense in your statements, my platinum service is making less and less sense everyday.

 

[neljtorres]

I hope ur right nel. I am out of my contract & holding it till they put that bird up & we all know what Dish plans are. Remember we were expecting better when they put E14 up...but till now as I read...that have been a big disaster for PR....with not the expected count of channels being put on for us.

I guess we all have to wait & see what Dish plans to do with E15. It is our speculation that Dish will put national HD on this bird...but nobody knows what they plan to do eventually

I love my NFL Network, SPEEDTV, NBA TV and Travel HD! and all of the HD that I get!

 

[ljdonato]

So everybody with PR account with HD Free for Life on it is being afected with the same situation. After working the phones, and I mean I realy worked the phones even at the executive offices, the final word of 2 different managers was no more platinum for any PR accounts. This is being done by the Main offices in Colorado and no other person is allowed to restore accounts to the previous condition that had special setups. They are going through every single account in PR and making sure everything is setup the same way. I only hope that when they put that new bird up everything is restored and every single subscriber in PR has access to all 61.5 HD channels and Platinum. Please keep reporting on losing platinum or 61.5 orbital location channels. At least premium channels are up on 61.5 and Bio HD and a few others.

Did you get a refund on the $10 paid for platinum? I for sure will try to get mine, we already paid for something we don't have. Also I lost the $10 credit in this bill, so in total, I am paying $20 extra.

 

[rdavidowski]

Yes Ljdonato they gave me an $8 credit on my account. Guess they substracted $2 for the few days is was up duting this month.

 

[ljdonato]

Guys (and gals)

I was preparing myself mentally for my call to DISH to explain why they needed to credit my account both for the loss of Platinum and for the free HD promotion from last year (which was extended till December). I was anticipating the worst, to be honest.

To my surprise, upon pressing "1" in the automated CSR machine, the computerized voice went like this (in Spanish): "Your account due is $XXX.XX" (same as statement). "However, because of recent changes to your account, your total amount due is $XXX.XX", a difference of approximately $22.00 less! I believe that should account for the $10 of Platinum, plus the 9.99 of HD, PLUS taxes. Although I am not happy at all about losing my Platinum, I must admit that not having to wait for a CSR and not having to try to explain why they needed to credit my account, where is PR located, and everything else, I was pleasantly surprised, almost happy to see this situation functioning as it should: DISH making the credit without intervention from the customer.

So, my advice, if you are about to pay for your account and you lost Platinum, call the regular DISH 1-888 number, select "1" for information about your due amount. Hope it works for you as it did for me. (My account cutoff date was later than the loss of Plat, that's why I received full credit of the $10).

 

[Tom_P]

Well my turn just arrived.... I haven't check my emails since yesterday afternoon and today's morning the "Service Change Notification" message just arrived. Today morning I watched ESPN news in SD since all subs lose the HD version, but I didn't browse any channel.

Well there goes the Top everything, I'm not giving a lot of my hard earned money to those morons making those stupid desicions... Going back to Top 250 for the Tour de France and Top 200 after that... NO more premiums for me..

A service similar to RedBox was opened close to my house and I can get BluRay for $1.75 abd DVD for $1(similar to RB).