Dishs Claim of 150 HD channels by end of Year.

[andyin137]

Anybody else getting a lttle annoyed at Dish for taking so long to add New HD.I chose to stay with Dish Absolute(because of price and the fact I only have a 19 inch HDTV at this time,plan on buying bigger TV after Tax Refund next year)Anyway I really wonder if Dish will auctually add National Channels or just a Bunch of PPV,I was hoping that Dish would gradually add more HD(a little at a Time)instead of waiting until last minute.Or in the least let us know that its getting close to the time to add the HD give us an idea of what is coming(Dish can add a disclosure that states that this is what were working on but auctuall channels may vary).
Dish Absolute is okay but from what I understand this package will be going away in Feb 2009 I just hope they have a comparable HD package that includes all available HD channels other wise in order to get all the HD included in their SD/HD combo packages I know my bill will go up at least 30.00 a month(honestly without Voom channels I wll not go for the platinum package)(MGM,Universal,HDMOVIES,Smithsonian,WFN(A totall Waste)Palladia(Yek).
Maybe I am just being impatient but when I watch TV the Most (after Midnite )not much on HD absolute,unless you have alot store on your DVR.
What is everyone elses thoughts on this 150 HD by end of year.

 

[Bobby H]

The goal of 150 HD channels -at least, what we consider 150 channels (actual networks)- is not going to happen before the end of the year. I'll be surprised if E* could even reach that goal by the Summer of 2009. The only way E* is getting to that magic 150 mark is by adding even more PPV and VOD channels to artificially inflate the figure.

Dish Network also appears very certain to miss that goal of 100 markets of local HD channels by year's end. E* has added only a handful of local markets in HD so far this fall and most of those have only been partial adds of merely 1 to 3 channels in each market. The DMA in which I live (Wichita Falls, TX - Lawton, OK) has been getting teased by E* for over half a year now with every single target date missed and nothing at all added.

Dish has been stuck behind DirecTV all year in terms of National HD channels. Stalemated negotiations have Dish either unable or unwilling to add popular national HD channels from News Corp. and Rainbow group.

Dish is falling even farther behind DirecTV in terms of local market HD channels. DirecTV actually surpassed the 100 local markets of HD level early in October. D* added another half dozen local markets of HD today.

I don't know what's going on with the operations and strategy of Dish Network management. From the customer point of view, it's painfully obvious E* needs to do something or it will be facing ever more negative churn with its base of subscribers. I still have well over 1 year left on my current contract. If the contract was set to expire I'm not so sure I would renew. Not with things going the way they are right now.

 

[bighick]

Question here,
I have the 200+ with tubro silver? If they add more HD for the channels in the 200+ will I get those new channels or will try to bang me out for more money. Like TrueTV, SpikeTV which are on the 200+ but not HD i was just making my point clear there I don't care about them to much.

 

[JMIZZ]

"Dish Absolute is okay but from what I understand this package will be going away in Feb 2009"

Where did you here that. How will that effect my cost, can I get out of my contract when they tell me my cost is going up?

 

[Fitzie]

Comparatively, Dish and DirecTV have been close together this fall in terms of carrying real national HD channels, maybe a 2 channel difference. This is excluding PPV and VOD, which involve event by event or movie by movie purchasing, the regional sports nets, which have programming oriiented to local tastes and fan bases, and sincle sport programming like 15 or 20 hockey channels in HD which simply allow a subscriber to choose between different games. With these considerations, Dish and DirecTV are both well under a hundred national channels. There are probably less than 100 HD channels feeding us HD material in existence, and CEO Ergen has already said he is not going to waste bandwidth on HD channels nobody watches.

The major differentiator between Dish and DirecTV is in provision of the HD locals. The reason for this is simple: the loss of AMC-14, which failed to reach orbit. I would bet no one was more heartbroken over this than Charlie Ergen, because he does not like to be the "fall-behind" type of guy. Regarding the issue of being a hard negotiator, Ergen is getting a bad rap in my view, and here's why: when a content producer such as Viacom says to Charlie "I'll agree with you on carriage of my popular channel if you'll carry my other fringe channel too," Charlie has to say, sorry, I can't agree, I don't have the capacity.

When Ciel-2 is launched in a month or so, Dish should then have the capability to expand local markets to at least 150 or so within the next 12 months if all goes well. This is for carriage of just the 4 biggies, of course: both Dish and DirecTV as I recall have said it will be at least 2013 before they will have capacity for all HD locals in all localities. If one lives in a major urban area such as LA, New York, Boston, Chicago, etc., you can expect to be first on the list for the "beyond 4" HD locals but realistically that won't be until 2010, by which time Dish should have another satellite in space per their current schedule.

Ergen has been remarkably frank about this HD issue, and has said directly that Dish is doing all it can do (taking in the reality that he is a businessman who won't give away the farm just to carry a greedy HD channel). Ergen has noted in his "Charlie Chat" quarterly show that there are alternatives to Dish for those who are totally unsatisfied with Dish, including local antenna (FTA), local cable, and even DirecTV if you think you'll be happier there. Not that Charlie wants anyone to actually use those alternatives, because he certainly doesn't make money on non-subscribers.

I don't represent Dish network, but I have a contract with them for another year and a half, so barring catastrophe I'll be with them for a good long while yet.

Best regards,
Fitzie

 

[M Sparks]

The only way E* is getting to that magic 150 mark is by adding even more PPV and VOD channels to artificially inflate the figure.

I don't know where people keep getting this from. The figure is already artificially inflated, yes, though it's mostly through the RSNs. I'm not sure if they count the VOD channel but if they do, it's only one. Last time I looked, they were undercounting their HD-PPVs too...they were claiming 5, even though there was 8 or 9.

But that's not the point. If you start with their already inflated number...I think it's still 114, right?...anyway, that only leaves 36.

I can come up with about 30 channels that are ALREADY on DISH in SD and ALREADY have HD feeds (or will in the next month or so.) There's about 5 more launched HD channels that don't have SD versions on DISH.

That's NOT including VOOM, NOT including RSNs, NOT including channels that were supposed to have launched already, and NOT including a bunch of Cinemax and Showtime channels not already carried in SD. (And not including a bunch of west coast feeds.)

They won't get to 150, but it won't be because they can't. Actually, I bet that we MIGHT see a bunch of PPVs so they can claim the 150, but it will be placeholders for channels that are supposed to launch in early 2009. I would actually be cool with that...kind of a "Look, we've got room, we're just waiting for them to launch."

And again, what part of "up to" don't you guys understand?

 

[NotMe546]

God, how many more of these threads do we need.....

 

[MikeD-C05]

I think I will start a new thread about "How many threads do we need on this subject?"

 

[bkos]

I think I will start a new thread about "How many threads do we need on this subject?"

I would reply to that thread with "up to 150".

 

[krauser1]

Do it "soon"!

 

[tomcrown1]

No it soon dish will have up to soon I can promise that

Scott should open up a new forum called soon.

 

[Bobby H]

And again, what part of "up to" don't you guys understand?

When they set that "up to" thing in the same size lettering point size as the huge "150" numerals in the ads then I'll agree they're being 100% fair and truthful in what they say. The "up to" part is not too difficult to miss.

As far as I'm concerned, E* would be more truthful if they would eliminate that "up to 150 channels of HD" comment entirely. Then there would be no way anyone would get the wrong idea. The "up to 150 channels" sounds a little more like a promise or a claim they're going to get to that level pretty quickly -like it's something customers can expect. Right now E* is doing pretty badly in delivering on what customers expect.

 

[Zero327]

When they set that "up to" thing in the same size lettering point size as the huge "150" numerals in the ads then I'll agree they're being 100% fair and truthful in what they say. The "up to" part is not too difficult to miss.

As far as I'm concerned, E* would be more truthful if they would eliminate that "up to 150 channels of HD" comment entirely. Then there would be no way anyone would get the wrong idea. The "up to 150 channels" sounds a little more like a promise or a claim they're going to get to that level pretty quickly -like it's something customers can expect. Right now E* is doing pretty badly in delivering on what customers expect.

A stop sign isn't too difficult to miss, but if you do anyways, shame on you?

 

[tigerfan33]

A stop sign isn't too difficult to miss, but if you do anyways, shame on you?

Zero. Long time no see. Have you been busy?

 

[Bobby H]

A stop sign isn't too difficult to miss, but if you do anyways, shame on you?

I don't miss stop signs since I design a lot of signs (mostly big electrical ones) for a living. With that mentioned, I also know a lot about the effect of setting type in certain point sizes and emphasizing some things while minimizing others.

The "up to" part of "up to 150 HD channels" is a minimized, de-emphasized thing. There is no talking around that. If that piece of text was meant to have equal importance with the "150 HD" part of the phrase the "up to" lettering would be been set at a much larger size. Dish counted on people just glancing at the ad and only comprehending the "150" part and little else. That is what they intended.

 

[Quantum]

It's been over six months since I've subbed Dish. I own a 211 (w. R5000-HD & SageTV) and have all the equipment set up. (I'm an installer)

1. If I sign up for the Gold HD-only package now and agree to 24 mo commit, and they add more HD channels next week, can they then charge me more? Do I get the new channels automatically?

2. Can they increase my price, on principle, in February for example, if I'm on a 24 mo commit?

3. Can I sign up with no commit, and if so can they increase my price any time?

4. Is there any way I can get Free Speech TV with an HD only package?

5. Is it possible to get an 18 mo commit?

6. I guess I can get HBO & Starz for 3 mo with commit, but what else can I get added, and what do I have to sacrifice?

7. If I agree to paperless autopay, can I change that back to invoice after say, 3 months? (hate autopay)

 

[HDRoberts]

It's been over six months since I've subbed Dish. I own a 211 (w. R5000-HD & SageTV) and have all the equipment set up. (I'm an installer)

1. If I sign up for the Gold HD-only package now and agree to 24 mo commit, and they add more HD channels next week, can they then charge me more? Do I get the new channels automatically?

2. Can they increase my price, on principle, in February for example, if I'm on a 24 mo commit?

3. Can I sign up with no commit, and if so can they increase my price any time?

4. Is there any way I can get Free Speech TV with an HD only package?

1. You get any new channels. Prices are locked in until Feb, but can change them.

2. Yes. Read your commitment.

3. Yes, they can change your price at anytime with or without a commitment. It's your commitment to them, not vice versa. However, normally they lock prices in until each Feb.

4. Don't know.

5. It;s 24 months period now.

6. Commitment also usually gets you the equipment and installation needed to upgrade. You only lose the ability to cancel in 23 or less months.

7. Probably, but you won't get penny Cinemax

Also, the Turbo packs are only for new subs until Feb, so you may be frustrated trying to get it.

 

[8bitbytes]

"Dish Absolute is okay but from what I understand this package will be going away in Feb 2009"

Where did you here that. How will that effect my cost, can I get out of my contract when they tell me my cost is going up?

The original HD Only package was replaced earlier this year with Turbo HD packages. Those who were already on HD Only were told that they cannot convert to a Turbo HD package and as long as they didn't make big changes to their account they would be left on the HD Only package until Feb 2009. There is much conversation about this but the threads are now a few months old and you will have to search for them. Based on the HD package you are converted to your price will go up $20 to $30 a month.

Your contract ALLOWS Dish to make changes (like dropping 15 of the best all HD 24/7 no commericals channels) and raise prices and you agreed to that when you signed. Go read it again. You cannot get out of your contract for a price increase. You can cancel and pay a fee based on how many months are left on your contract.