Dropping Dish HD Absolute

[tillerr]

I'm finally doing. I'm canceling my Dish HD Absolute package. I hate to do it because I know I can't get it back but we've decided we need to cut the cost of our programming. I'm resorting to the locals package for $9.99 per month plus the DVR fee of $5.98 per month. I have a $5.00 per month credit for the next six months yet due to a Club Dish promo.

I feel like I'm crazy, and you may as well, but I've been wrestling with the idea for long enough and so today I make the move.

Wish me luck!

 

[CowboyDren]

I'd like to know how your bill shakes out before the ClubDish discount.

 

[tillerr]

I'd like to know how your bill shakes out before the ClubDish discount.

Well here's the deal. I have 15 months left on a 24 month commitment. So switching to the Locals Only package wasn't an option unless I wanted to pay an extra $10.00 per month for 15 months.

The CSR gave me several options though. I'll tell you about the option I chose. I went with the Welcome package. It's $14.99 per month for some SD channels that I probably wont' watch (I'm an HD snob) but my wife is thrilled with because she was going to lose Food Network and TLC if I we had swtched to Locals Only. I do get my locals in HD from Dish along with my OTA so that makes me happy. I also get to keep my 622 DVR wich makes both my wife and me VERY happy.

So I'm paying $14.99 for the package and $5.98 for the DVR fee...$20.98 each month before my Club Dish credit of $5.00 per month through October 2009.

My other options were to cancel my account all together and pay $150 for the commitment, and not get to keep the DVR; switch to Locals Only and pay $10 per month on top of the $15.97 (locals = $9.99, DVR = $5.98); or switch to the Family Pacage for $25.97 (family = $19.99, DVR = $5.98).

Short of canceling my accoung I chose the option that costs me the least each month.

 

[rbremmer]

Can you tell me what channels you get with the Welcome Package? I haven't been able to find that info anywhere.

 

[tillerr]

Can you tell me what channels you get with the Welcome Package? I haven't been able to find that info anywhere.

I could have told you really easy as it was listed by the CSR in my chat window. However I lost the window mid chat and had to get back on to finish up. I'll check the EPG right now and tell you...(I will not list locals or free/public interest/shopping channles)

Comedy Central
Food Network
DIY
HG TV
TVGN
History
Oxygen
WE
AMC
TBS
MTV2
CMT
Boomerang
Discovery Kids
TLC
Hallmark
Green
Bloomberg
MSNBC
CSPAN
The Weather Channel

I think that's it. Most everything else is either PI or Shopping. Keep in mind all of these are SD not HD channels. Oh and I do have the Cinemax penny deal too. That includes the HD channels.

 

[rbremmer]

Thanks for the quick response. It seems to have (with locals added) most of what I watch.

 

[bebop]

Bummer. Looks like you are saving $15/month compared to the HD Absolute option. It currently runs $29.99/month.

Too bad you couldn't find that much somewhere else - or do some small work jobs on the side. My wife does occasional day care / baby sitting on the side and I do computer work - so it adds up to about $40/month average. We'd save about $15/month if we went out to eat 1 less time - so we chose to do that instead of cutting out the satellite.

 

[tillerr]

Bummer. Looks like you are saving $15/month compared to the HD Absolute option. It currently runs $29.99/month.

Too bad you couldn't find that much somewhere else - or do some small work jobs on the side. My wife does occasional day care / baby sitting on the side and I do computer work - so it adds up to about $40/month average. We'd save about $15/month if we went out to eat 1 less time - so we chose to do that instead of cutting out the satellite.

It's not too big of a bummer. I was looking for a way to lower our monthly, and yearly, TV bill. Eventually I plan on ditching pay TV all together but this was the first step because of my commitment.

 

[bebop]

It's not too big of a bummer. I was looking for a way to lower our monthly, and yearly, TV bill. Eventually I plan on ditching pay TV all together but this was the first step because of my commitment.

Well - good for you if you're trying to save money. We used the OTA antenna on our HDTV for a while and really liked it - and it's free!

But now that my wife stays home with our daughter and we are hooked on the DVR - it sure is nice to have the satellite at a reasonable rate for HD Absolute. There's no way I'd pay twice as much for these HD channels like I would have to with DirecTV. We also quit renting movies (for the most part) saving about $15/month. Instead we get them for free at the library or use the sling-guide to search for good ones. We also get free rentals at Red-box and the occasional $1 rental if we don't have a free code (it's only 1 block away).

Too bad you couldn't have made money by selling your Absolute package to someone else who really wanted it!

 

[tillerr]

Well - good for you if you're trying to save money. We used the OTA antenna on our HDTV for a while and really liked it - and it's free!

But now that my wife stays home with our daughter and we are hooked on the DVR - it sure is nice to have the satellite at a reasonable rate for HD Absolute. There's no way I'd pay twice as much for these HD channels like I would have to with DirecTV. We also quit renting movies (for the most part) saving about $15/month. Instead we get them for free at the library or use the sling-guide to search for good ones. We also get free rentals at Red-box and the occasional $1 rental if we don't have a free code (it's only 1 block away).

Too bad you couldn't have made money by selling your Absolute package to someone else who really wanted it!

Trust me I thought about the selling part! I wondered how many people who now hear about HD Absolute and can't get it would be screaming at me for dropping it. Either way it's the best move for us. My initial plan was to drop everything, pay the commitment fee and buy a DTVPal DVR to get the two tuners and everything else I've been used to. But with them being unavailable right now, this is the next best thing I guess.

 

[Cegarrett]

i've considered a DTVPal DVR and going to all locals but i think the upfront cost would be huge for 5 TV's.

 

[digiblur]

I bet you could have sold it. Much like the folks who sell their $30 Sprint SERO plans for $150 or so around the net.

 

[osu1991]

Trust me I thought about the selling part! I wondered how many people who now hear about HD Absolute and can't get it would be screaming at me for dropping it. Either way it's the best move for us. My initial plan was to drop everything, pay the commitment fee and buy a DTVPal DVR to get the two tuners and everything else I've been used to. But with them being unavailable right now, this is the next best thing I guess.

Actually the PAL DVR's are available again now.

 

[tillerr]

Actually the PAL DVR's are available again now.

Really?! Well I might have to reconsider one when the fall TV season comes around. Have you heard anything about if the latest update fixed the problems people were having?