I wrote to HDNet...

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M Sparks

SatelliteGuys Pro
Original poster
Sep 15, 2005
1,946
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Sent this email to HDNet today...

I have enjoyed your channels for several years, particularly HDNet Movies. However, as you know, DISH Network recently moved HDNet Movies to a tier that sells for a $10 monthly premium over standard HD service. This tier ("HD Ultimate") included HDNet Movies and 18 other HD channels, mostly from Rainbow's Voom service.

While HDNet Movies has been my favorite of the 19 channels, I still chose to purchase the package as a whole.

As I'm sure you know, this week, DISH removed ALL 15 Voom services from this tier. They were replaced with a total of three other services, one of them a fishing channel from Canada which features zero actual HD programs.

Voom's service was deeply flawed, but it still played a large role in my decision to purchase this premium tier. From a value viewpoint, my $120 a year now purchases a total of 7 channels, rather than 19. As wonderful as your service is, I cannot justify paying $120 a year for it. So I will regretfully be dropping HDNet Movies. Based on some things I have read on internet satellite TV forums, I am not the only one.

I just wanted to let you know that DISH Network's decision to pocket a few extra dollars off the top of my monthly bill is now costing you subscribers, through no fault of your own. If DISH chooses to flesh out this package with other channels I would consider valuable, or to cut the price of the package (the similar tier at DirecTV costs half as much), I will be happy to welcome HDNet Movies back into my home.


I got this a few hours later...

mcuban@gmail.com; on behalf of; Mark Cuban [mark.cuban@dallasmavs.com]

we know its an issue. we are working on it

---------------------------------------
Cool beans... :D
 
Cuban is one to always answer mail. I've had interaction with him before about non Dish related issues. I've heard he sits for hours at a time on a white Mac laptop banging out mail to HDNet and Maverick fans. One of the smartest guys around. Every sports fan would love to have him for an owner, and could you imagine if this guy owned Dish?
 
hperry said:
Seriously? Impressive.
Click to expand...

Mark Cuban is known to read his e-mails and respond personally. At times he has employees respond for him as in this case.

When HDNet started, it was unencripted on satellite. When informed that C-band dish owners were picking it up, he said he was happy that we were watching and were free to access the signal until they encripted a couple of years later. That is when I got Dish Network, so I could keep getting HDNet.

At one time HDNet was considering adding more channels. This could be a good time for them to add a music channel and possibly others.

Also, maybe they could pressure Dish to reduce the fee for HD Ultimate.

Roy
 
HDNetMusic has a nice ring to it.

If they were really serious about it and got some good programming I would watch HDNetToons. Or better HDNetAnimation. There are 90+ years of material so there is lots to choose from. Much more than the usual Warners and Disney fare. And thats just in the US. One I would show is Fritz the Cat. Try to get the Cartoon Network to show that movie uncut.
 
Sammy033 said:
HDNetMusic has a nice ring to it.
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I don't think it'd be hard for them to get this off the ground. HDNet already runs several repeating hours of concerts on Sunday afternoons/nights. They've had some good shows in the past. I usually try and look ahead in the guide to see if there's anything worth recording.
 
Hmmm...I just searched for something about HDNet and found this...When DirecTV formed the HD Extras, HDNet sued them to prevent them from moving the channels in the higher package. The settlement was that HDNet stays in the most basic package, and HDNet Movies moved to the other tier. This was last December...I guess that's why DISH has the same arrangement.

The concern with Direct is that HDNet didn't feel people would be willing to pay an extra $5 for 6 channels. Since they've already visited this issue and didn't sue DISH, I'm guessing that HDNet felt the previous deal- $10 for 19 channels- was fair. It wouldn't surprise me to see a lawsuit against DISH over this.

I mean ANOTHER lawsuit. They've already got one. :D

What I was actually looking for was info from a few years back that suggested HDNet was launching 2 new channels. Sports was one, can't remember what the other was. I'd really like to find this list of "upcoming HD channels" because I think virtually none of it came true.
 
OK...found this from 2002...

"This fall, Cuban and Garvin are planning to introduce three new HDNet channels — HDNet Sports, which will feature live and taped sporting events, with the goal of broadcasting 365 live events each year; HDNet Movies, which will showcase feature films converted from 35mm widescreen; and HDNet Entertainment, which will feature music videos, concerts, documentaries, and episodic television shows converted from 35mm film. All three channels, as well as the original channel on DirecTV, will broadcast 24 hours a day, seven days a week."

This is what I had heard...but what would have been left to air on HDNet? It's pretty much just sports, concerts and reruns of TV shows.

Oddly, I also found a 2003 post from Scott G (on DBSTalk!) that the standard HDNet was "winding down operations" and planned to shut down sometime AFTER the other three channels were launched.
 
I bet Directv has lost some subscribers for HDNet Movies because of moving them to their own tier also.
 
ramy said:
I bet Directv has lost some subscribers for HDNet Movies because of moving them to their own tier also.
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Well of course, though the HD push has probably brought MORE people to the basic HD Pack, so HD Net probably has MORE subscribers. And they did AGREE to be put in that tier...it was part of the settlement.

The point is, they had an agreement with DISH to be in a $10 tier that included 19 or more channels. It will be interesting to see if there's any kind of clause in the contract as to what that tier must contain.

Also, look at these hypothetical numbers.

Let's say DISH has 500,000 HD Ultimate subscribers. They pay $7 in fees, leaving a $3 profit for that portion of the tier. Therefore, they take in $18 million a year. (It's not "profit", but gross income after programming fees)

Of that $7 in fees, $1 goes to HD Net Movies, or $6 million a year.

DISH drops Voom, which costs $3.50 a month in fees, and adds 3 channels that cost a total of $1.50 a month. So they are pocketing an extra $2 a month pr subscriber...$12 million a year, or $30 million total.

But let's say 20% drop down to the lower tier. They lose $5 gross income per month on those 100,000 people. That's a loss of $6 million a year. But since they were making more per subscriber, they are still UP $6 Million a year.

On the other hand, HD Net LOSES $1 a month times 100,000- a loss of $1.2 million a year. Universal and the other channels lose money too.

DISH is indirectly picking the pockets of subscribers, but they are actually stealing money directly from the other channels in the package.

Again-totally hypothetical numbers, but you get the point. You don't want to screw with Mark Cuban.
 
I also sent a similar e-mail to not only HDNet Movies but Universal HD and MGM-HD as well. I guess I could have sent it to Smithsonian HD and the other channels at the Ultimate level as well but I have no interest in them.
 
Yes616 said:
I also sent a similar e-mail to not only HDNet Movies but Universal HD and MGM-HD as well. I guess I could have sent it to Smithsonian HD and the other channels at the Ultimate level as well but I have no interest in them.
Click to expand...

Did you mention to Universal how cool their channel used to be until they trashed it with edited content and commercials? ;)
 
I'm probably going to downgrade from Ultimate in a week or so, and HDNet Movies is the only one that I'll miss at all. Smithsonian is kind of interesting, but I haven't seen anything on MGM that I'd want to sit down and watch.
 
The Ultimate package will have me for a little while longer. I'm currently recording the HD Firefly episodes from Universal HD and archiving them to my external hard drive. Once that's over, there's not really going to be any compelling reason for me to stay with the package.
 
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