No more HD Distant Networks?

I am an RVer. Home is Atlanta or where I park. I have a $2000 investment in an auto sat dish for the motorhome which is Dish dependent (3 lnb's Dishpro) and can't be switched to another provider without a major changeout and many $$$. I own and use 3 622's in the motorhome. I get Atlanta locals when within 150 miles or so of home. On the road I have no network channels without AAD. With the investment I have in Antennas and tv's I am devastated to lose the HD Chicago feeds. It is true that I can call dish and report a change of address each time I relocate, but they are extremely hard to deal with, not to mention the telephone time I would spend every other day. If any of you could provide some encouragement about now it would be great to hear.

I've read other postings saying RVers probably don't care about losing the HD ADD channels, but this is not the case. I have a larger investment in my motorhome than in my sticks-and-bricks home. RVers spend thousands of dollars upgrading systems annualy. Contrary to postings I've read here, we do have HD and not all of us use tripods. What kind of entertainment devices do you expect to see in a million dollar plus home? We have been relatively quiet because until noon today we didn't know there was a change coming. ADD didn't call or e-mail. Right now I am trying to get over the hatred I have just aquired for them.

Sorry for the rambling, I'm just glad I don't live wherever Sobongo is and they should be too.
 
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If it helps, Harley, I just called dish last night to change my service address; the entire call took exactly 4 minutes and 22 seconds. I've done it 4 times in the past year and it's been pretty easy and straightforward, not at all like it used to be a few years ago.
 
I've been following this thread pretty closely, since I live in semi-remote Alaska and distants is all I have for networks. They finally disappeared today as advertised with no call or email from AAD or whoever they are now. What a bummer. So I guess no word out of Dish yet whether they are going to be offering something?
 
If it helps, Harley, I just called dish last night to change my service address; the entire call took exactly 4 minutes and 22 seconds. I've done it 4 times in the past year and it's been pretty easy and straightforward, not at all like it used to be a few years ago.

What happens when you need a tech to come out, you gonna move back and forth? Eventually they'll catch on. Not worth it. If your dish is in CA there's no way to get east coast feeds in HD from Dish with all the spot beams now.
 
bradfordj said:
What happens when you need a tech to come out, you gonna move back and forth? Eventually they'll catch on. Not worth it. If your dish is in CA there's no way to get east coast feeds in HD from Dish with all the spot beams now.

I actually physically move (my work requires it), FYI. I'm signed up for the service plan and had a tech come out last week, they confirm my address whenever I call to make an appointment. Same goes for RV's, there is nothing for dish to "catch on" to.

Also, you're wrong about the east coast feeds. NYC locals are still in SD on conus. When I moved from chicago to Phoenix I still got the big 4 from there until I called dish as they are on conus too.
 
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Well given the uplink report thread, it looks like Dish will launch HD Distants. The must have crunched the numbers and concluded the RV market was profitable. Of course given that Dish has no association with AAD, one will probably have to apply to get the distants from Dish with the copy of RV title again.
 
I called yesterday as soon as I heard they were gone. (It was hard to get through and the first agent after holding for 10 minutes, put me on hold until I redialed). Anyhow, to the point, the agent told me that there were no refunds and I had to take the SD's for the remainder of the year. I didn't argue, but I think if you do argue, they'll possibly send out a credit as I've read elsewhere... not sure they actually received it though...
What happens to people who prepaid for a year? Just called the number and they said that department is not in until 11AM.
 
I wonder if they'll be able to grandfather my waivers from when I had them before with Dish or if I'll have to re-apply. Anyhow, it seems accurate about them offering them up as of the 21st (as previously speculated by a poster).
Well given the uplink report thread, it looks like Dish will launch HD Distants. The must have crunched the numbers and concluded the RV market was profitable. Of course given that Dish has no association with AAD, one will probably have to apply to get the distants from Dish with the copy of RV title again.
 
I wonder if they'll be able to grandfather my waivers from when I had them before with Dish or if I'll have to re-apply. Anyhow, it seems accurate about them offering them up as of the 21st (as previously speculated by a poster).

I bet this time they make everyone reapply. Dish will not want to risk losing the ability to provide distants like they did before. It will have to be pretty restricted to just RVers. Short markets will probably get the distants automatically for the missing stations.
 
Yeah, it would be much better to have a 3rd party to buy from. I get all of my HD locals from E*, but also qualified, without the need for waivers, for all 4 nets from AAD as well. There's no way E* would sell me the distant nets.
 
I bet this time they make everyone reapply. Dish will not want to risk losing the ability to provide distants like they did before.
I agree. AAD didn't accept waivers filed with Dish when they started the DNS services.

I just hope Dish handles the volume better than AAD did. One advantage I guess is that I have the SD DNS from Sobongo during the changeover unlike the dead air for a week when AAD took over.
 
What happens to people who prepaid for a year? Just called the number and they said that department is not in until 11AM.
In my case they offered me to cancel the Chicago distants and apply the remaining balance towards a 1 year of the NY distants. I'm good (hopefully) until February 2012.
That particular receiver is now hooked up to a beatiful 27" Sony Trinitron (circa 1992) to enjoy the SD in all its glory.
 
I called yesterday as soon as I heard they were gone. (It was hard to get through and the first agent after holding for 10 minutes, put me on hold until I redialed). Anyhow, to the point, the agent told me that there were no refunds and I had to take the SD's for the remainder of the year. I didn't argue, but I think if you do argue, they'll possibly send out a credit as I've read elsewhere... not sure they actually received it though...

Had a very nice rep with my call.They owed me $7 and change which they wanted to apply to sd nets I politely said no thanks.I want a refund.Then the rep tried to sell me something from the sobongo store...I said do ya have anything for $7 and they did have a few items that were close but shipping was like 5.95 for any item so I declined that.Anyway if ya want to get a refund here is how..

Write a note to
po box 501370
indianapolis in
46250-6370

attention claims dept.
(your account number here)
(balance owed here)

Hopefully most can get a full refund this way.I'm gonna do it just because of the principle.I was billed on the 13th and the channels were gone on the 19th with no warning.
 
I have no problems getting waivers from NBC and CBS living in Chicago for distant nets - I did this twice already so I wouldn't know why Dish Network wouldn't accept them again. Revenue is revenue as long as it's on the up an up.

I bet this time they make everyone reapply. Dish will not want to risk losing the ability to provide distants like they did before. It will have to be pretty restricted to just RVers. Short markets will probably get the distants automatically for the missing stations.
 
Yes I got the same address for a refund, very nice rep whom I felt very bad for said there have been lots of upset people yelling and swearing... no need for that. On a second note, I have Eastern Arc with a seperate dish pointed at 110 just for the HD distants. I believe I am correct in assuming I no longer need the 110 Dish.. I currently have the AEP + HD Platinum. Can some confirm either here or via PM that I can take down the 110?
 
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