Is TURBO HD on the way out?

[hvarma2008]

I just saw a 1 page ad in today's Des Moines Register. It is the most detailed and well written ad with lots of text claiming why Dish Network is the best value and best in HD etc etc. But they don't mention Turbo HD at all. They talk about Classic Bronze at 39.99 and that you can get it for 14.99 per month for six months. And best of all, they don't mention that you have to pay $10 extra for HD channels. Does this mean something is going to change very soon or are they misrepresenting? I wish I could scan the ad, but my scanner won't work with that size paper..

-Hemant

 

[space86]

I think they are going to phase out Turbo HD, maybe it will come back in the future?

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Yup TurboHD is not even mentioned on the Dish Network homepage anymore. I say its going away.

 

[w1ckedindian]

yes it is
HDTV - TurboHD - HDTV Service From DISH Network

 

[jdmacor]

I think he meant the actual homepage; now it is buried on the second tier of a sub-menu.

But still, if this is true, I am going to... Well, frankly, there isn't anything I can do... Just take it...

 

[TheWGP]

This is why I'm really regretting going with Dish at this point - the cable co here may be SLOW, but they eventually get there and (at least usually) don't outright mislead you or play games other than taking forever to get stuff rolled out.

Dish (or, at least, Charlie) flat out lies to you and expects you to take it with a smile. We'll see how bad TurboHD/Absolute subscribers get screwed in the inevitable shakeout... I don't know about you guys, but I have ZERO desire to pay 54.99 + taxes (for classic bronze DDA) when the ONLY TV I have Dish on is a 52" HDTV and I have all non-HD channels locked out (well, except special ones like NASA) and I don't see that changing anytime in the future. 39.99+taxes is bad enough, barely justifiable for just one TV, so even more expense is completely out of the question for me - and I imagine a good number of folks out there who just have Dish for the HD.

Probably the best we can hope for is that they do to us what they did to Absolute - just leave us alone until some unknown point. The only alternative is probably forcing another price hike - but people (especially TurboHD Gold folks) are still mad about the LAST one, and another hike would pretty much make the charges similar to Classic+HD. Hey, at that point I bet they'd be happy to essentially give us all Classic+HD minus whatever (SD) channels they could get away with - if we pay the same amount and get less channels, that's a big win for Charlie! The people on this board would just switch to Classic+HD, but Lord only knows the huge numbers of sheeple who wouldn't even realize their bill went up past Classic+HD - and they'd still brag to their friends how they save money by "only getting the HD channels!" That's America for you today...

 

[bkushner]

I heard Direct was going to roll out an HD only plan $39.95 for all but 5 of their channels that fall under the premium banner or so crap like that?

 

[Rob O]

I for one came back to Dish when the Turbo package became available. I don't own a SD tv anymore and the Turbo package was perfect. If Dish does away with it, they better damn well honor my two year commitment that I made to them without forcing me to switch to another, more expensive package that I don't want. If not, they better let me out of that commitment, because I refuse to be forced to switch to something else.

I don't mind prices increasing, that is par for the course. But if they take away the package I signed up for, and they marketed heavily, and then tell me I need to pay $x more for a package I don't want, that's different.

 

[STL]

This is why I'm really regretting going with Dish at this point...

Me too...me too...

Dish (or, at least, Charlie) flat out lies to you and expects you to take it with a smile.

SO so so true!!! I have never been a customer of such a misleading and devious company -- before now. :rant: Charlie claims the $10 price hike is to cover all the new HD channels coming; then he fails to come though on that yet fails to lower his price and decides to just kill the HD-only packages (that he HIGHLY touted earlier this year). No wonder he is loosing customers so fast (while other providers are adding them). True he still seems to turn a profit, but it at the expense of his customers! As his customer base continues to dwindle -- and I believe it will -- then he's going to have "squeeze" his remaining customers even more.

 

[STL]

I heard Direct was going to roll out an HD only plan $39.95 for all but 5 of their channels that fall under the premium banner or so crap like that?

I REALLY hope they do! If that happens DISH will start loosing customers so fast it won't even be funny. It would also debunk Charlie's bogus excuse that it's the programmers fault that he cannot added the new HD channels to TurboHD.

 

[LeM22]

Maybe there will be some new package this fall

You never know, with all this TIME passing by. It's hard to believe that someone would say one thing and do another regularly and on purpose (Hitler comes to mind). I just think some unforseen/planned issues came up. If Charlie and Dish are reasonable, they will come out with a new platform for the fall that has an HD component that will make us happy, or they will grandfather us in somehow to make us happy. They're businessmen and know that their product has to be good, service helpful, and they need to keep their customers happy. That's my guess, but I'm always the optimist.

 

[STL]

If Charlie and Dish are reasonable, they will come out with a new platform for the fall that has an HD component that will make us happy,

That is a huge IF...and I'm tired of all the "coming soon" promises (that they seem to break more often than not).

or they will grandfather us in somehow to make us happy.

That wouldn't be enough to make me happy. They jacked up the price of TurboHD to cover all the supposed new HD channels coming -- now that they cannot deliver they need to scale back that large price increase in addition to grandfathering people in these soon-to-be-axed HD only packages. Sadly, we both know that will never happen.

 

[harshness]

I heard Direct was going to roll out an HD only plan $39.95 for all but 5 of their channels that fall under the premium banner or so crap like that?

You may have heard that, but it was a baseless rumor. When last pressed about the issue, DIRECTV seemed adamant that it wasn't going to happen.

 

[nrholland]

Has anyone got any "OFFICIAL" announcement from Dish that they are dumping the Turbo packages? Surely Dish is aware of all the talk here about this. I'm sure they've got something up their sleave. If they dump the Turbo packages, then they'd better grandfather us subs in who have Turbo. I'm not going to pay $18 more a month for a bunch of SD channels that I don't want. If not then they'll be hearing from my little buddy....:rant:

 

[pro96]

Hehe, I always thought it was BS watching the TV ads. Turbo HD LMAO

 

[gadgtfreek]

I finally sold out and just went to classic silver with hd add on. At least I have a few more channels now, especially FXHD.

 

[STL]

As his [Charlie's] customer base continues to dwindle -- and I believe it will -- then he's going to have "squeeze" his remaining [Dish Network] customers even more.

I finally sold out and just went to classic silver with hd add on. At least I have a few more channels now, especially FXHD.

You are fulfilling my prophecy. The extra $216 a year you'll be paying will help keep Charlie in the black, but you gotta do what you gotta do.