Dish Network Retailer Chat Recap - July 10, 2007

[Scott Greczkowski]

Greetings and welcome to another SatelliteGuys.US recap of Dish Networks Retailer Chat!

As always we will only post item of interest to you the consumer, we will not post dealer sensitive information. We will only give you the info you could get by calling your local retailer after hes watched the chat.

This one might just be an exciting chat. We have been getting rumors from many of our sources that Dish Network will be announcing some new HD programming today on the chat. What will it be? We will soon find out!

Enjoy the recap and thanks for making SatelliteGuys.US America's Satellite Information Source!

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

We are welcomed to the Chat by JiM DeFranco and Erik Carlson.

We are told that todays show will be an exciting one, with some major HD Programming announcements. plus Details on New Promotions and Tech News with Leslie Harper who will show us the 722!

They jump into thing by announcing Wilmington, NC will be coming to Dish in SD from the 110 Satellite Location. More details coming on the next chat. This brings Dish to 175 LIL markets.

Birmingham, Al will be launching in HD tomorrow from 119. It includes all 4 networks. This brings Dish Network up to 33 HD LIL Markets, which is covering 52% of the US population.

They then talk about Soccer programming and remind us that Copa America Soccer finals are coming up. Dish Network carries more soccer then any US provider. They then show an add for soccer and Dish Latino.

Next they talk about the SUB-20 Fifa World Cup tournament.

They break from programming (they are saving the HD news for a bit) into new promotions...

The Dish'n It Up program is being changed, the rebate has been increased from $50 to $100!

New promotions coming August 15th, however most promotions extended through 31st.

Some tweaks to some of the programs including....

DHA 18 will be offering Digital Home Protection Plan for FREE for 12 months instead of 18 months (Starting August 15th)
DishDVR Advantage Program is being expanded on August 15th to include AT100 for $39.99 a month.

Jim says that fall is coming and thats the big time for HDTV! He says that Dish will remain the HD leader...

New Customers will get Dish HD free for 6 months....
The free preview DOES NOT come with National Geographic HD... if you want that channel you will need to pay for the HD package instead of getting it for free. This is something that National Geographic has wanted. (How strange!)

They give us from fact from the CEA (Consumer Electronics Association) then go into NEW HD PROGRAMMING!

First launching Tomorrow (as first reported here at SatelliteGuys last night are
SNY HD
FSN Arizona HD
FSN Northwest
FSN Cincinnati
FSN Pittsburgh
FSN Detroit
FSN North
Sportstime Ohio

Next up some new NATIONAL HD Channels to announce... (yes I know the press release to which I was hinting too since last night just came came out)

First up is MHD (Requires AT100 and Dish HD package)
Next up is Discover HD (Requires AT100 and Dish HD package)
Next up is Learning Channel HD (Requires AT100 and Dish HD package)
And now announced is Animal Planet HD (Requires AT200 plus DishHD package)
Now is The Science Channel in HD (Requires AT250 and Dish HD package)
Next is GolfHD and VersusHD which will be sharing a channel (it comes this way) (Requires AT250 and Dish HD package)
Next up is History Channel HD Which launches September 1st (Requires AT100 and Dish HD package)

They then go back to recap what they just told us.
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[mdonnelly]

...
The Dish'n It Up program is being changed, the rebate has been increased from $50 to $100!

New promotions coming August 15th, however most promotions extended through 31st.
...

Maybe it's time now to exchange my two 811s, and get MPEG-4 in the whole house.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

The chat continues on!

Retailers need to upgrade their showroom receivers to MPEG4 receivers.

Dish will be doing some heavy promotion of their HD offerings in August. Dish will advertise Value and being the HD leader. Dish Network is Total Value is the way they will be advertising things...

Dish will continue with their NASCAR team. And in addition Dish will be pushing NFL again this fall.

After talking about the NFL they talk about the Dish Network Travel promotion.

They then start talking about the new marketing materials retailers will be receiving and show them how to customize ads via their website.

 

[Cyclone]

This is a whole lot of New HD all at once. Horray!

 

[bowens]

I'll be happy seeing the rest of the Discovery shows in HD. I have noticed lately most of their shows have been in widescreen. It will be great seeing Myth Busters in HD.

 

[lakebum431]

Too bad they didn't get this up and running for the season of "Deadliest Catch"

 

[jself1982]

Too bad they didn't get this up and running for the season of "Deadliest Catch"

Exactly, I tuned in once to that show and got hooked.

 

[mwgiii]

Birmingham, Al will be launching in HD tommorow from 119. It includes all 4 networks. This brings Dish Network up to 33 HD LIL Markets, which is covering 52% of the US population.

YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I don't expect much more news from this chat, but we still have Leslie Harper coming up introducing the Dish 722.

Leslie shows us the new 722 which is a 622 but with a bigger hard drive. The 722 will be available in August!

She goes on to warn retailers that the Consumer Tech Forum will be held before the next retailer chat so she gives a heads up on to some of the things they will be talking about on the August consumer Tech Chat.

They will be announcing the 722
They will be RELEASING the External Hard Drive support! (Leslie then explains how it all works) it will be for the 622 and 722.
She talks about DRM which will apply to external storage and says there will be a one time fee to enable external hard drive support, this fee is good for ALL receivers in the house.
Next Leslie tells us that the Ethernet ports on the 622 and 722 soon will be in use as they will also be launching DISHonline!
In addition IP callback (which will allow the receiver to call home without a phoneline and order PPV as well without a phoneline) plus you can program your 622 or 722 from DishOnline.COM!

 

[dfergie]

Looks like my external HDD's full of Replay Mpegs get new content

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

The 722 will launch on August 15th. The MSRP for the 722 is $549.

Dish Network will soon be offering DishSkinz DishSkinz is a cover for your Dish, they have lots of sports teams and designs (I have two of them already, a American Flag and a Smiling Face.

They are now on to question time...

Question will ESPN have the ESPN Gameplan because there is going to be no BIG 10 games this year. Dish says they are working with Big 10 on it.

essentially this chat is done, but I wil listen to the questions and will edit this if there is anything interesting said.

Hope you enjoyed our coverage of this Retailer Chat and we also hope you enjoyed our tease! (Our Pub Members got the tease last night!)

 

[Neutron]

Wouldn't it technically be 6 new channels since we've always had DiscHD?

 

[pdxsam]

I just used DishOnline.com to hit my new replacement 622. Worked like a charm. I didn't have to wait on the phone. It seemed to me the programming hit was faster than if a CSR did it.

 

[brikim]

Wouldn't it technically be 6 new channels since we've always had DiscHD?

We currently have Discovery HD Theater this is the actual Discovery channel in HD.

 

[Smith P.]

How the activation of ESD will work in case if your lovely external enclosure with 750 GB disk will die ? Or just the disk and you will send it to Seagate and install new replacement ?

 

[Pepper]

I just used DishOnline.com to hit my new replacement 622. Worked like a charm. I didn't have to wait on the phone. It seemed to me the programming hit was faster than if a CSR did it.

How did you do this? I can't even find where to associate my DISH account with my DishOnline.com account.

 

[db2]

Will Discovery HD Theater be disolved when Discovery Channel HD is launched? If not, I wonder how the mapdown will work??

 

[Neutron]

We currently have Discovery HD Theater this is the actual Discovery channel in HD.

Ahh, gotcha.

 

[Cyclone]

Until we hear otherwise, I think that the current assumption would have to be that Discovery HD Theater and Discovery Channel HD are two unique channels.