Possibly returning... Dish not so cheap anymore?

[zim2dive]

I was perhaps spoiled for many years with the Absolute HD package on Dish... I left maybe a year after they took that away, and as there was no easy upgrade to Hopper, etc.

Looking at coming back ... yeesh.... A Hopper with AT200 + 2 Joeys looks like it would be 90.95/month (once the 1st year promotions go away) ?

By comparison, I'm at 86.99/month on DTV with Entertainment + HR34 + 2 H25s. Yes, the package isn't exactly equivalent, but the wife insists on having Bravo.. and DTV makes Bravo available in lower levels of pkg's than Dish. Other than Bravo, she'd be happy with any of the basic packages.. and Bravo programming isn't very available via online streaming either.

I could do one of the Latino packages, but then we'd lose ESPN (at least with the Latino packages which offer a price advantage vs. AT200).

do the "metal" (bronze, silver, etc) packages exist any more?

 

[Scherrman]

The average TV bill seems to go up every quarter as providers raise prices to overcome increasing contracts with networks. They need to start offering some smaller valued packaged.

 

[Tampa8]

Sounds like for your purposes just stay with Direct TV?

 

[Gobucks]

The average TV bill seems to go up every quarter as providers raise prices to overcome increasing contracts with networks. They need to start offering some smaller valued packaged.

Don't forget raising fee's every year too. Something tells me even if programmers took a year off and didn't raise prices Dish and others still would.

The fee's are really starting to get out of hand too. What can you do???

 

[harshness]

Don't forget raising fee's every year too. Something tells me even if programmers took a year off and didn't raise prices Dish and others still would.

IIRC, DISH has been taking a year off every once in awhile lately. I don't recall that DIRECTV has missed any opportunities to raise prices.

Both have been quite active in making the hardware pricing more realistic and not so much subsidizing it with programming.

 

[harshness]

Sounds like for your purposes just stay with Direct TV?

Based on the jonesing for Bravo, I concur.

 

[zim2dive]

Sounds like for your purposes just stay with Direct TV?

Shame.. I *really* have not enjoyed my time with DTV... but it's hard to think about switching back to Dish if its more expensive. It seemed, for a long time, Dish aimed to be the value-leader... and as a cheapskate, er, I mean "cost-conscious" consumer, I appreciated that.. AND I didn't feel like I was making any sacrifices either.

Don't forget raising fee's every year too. Something tells me even if programmers took a year off and didn't raise prices Dish and others still would.

The fee's are really starting to get out of hand too. What can you do???

Cut the cord, I guess.

Can you still get an HD DVR from Dish which is not the Hopper (ie. 722) but which has lower fees?

 

[Yespage]

Latino Dos has Bravo. Don't know if you could live with dropping ESPN. If not Latino Max would get you that. Latino Dos is a great bargain, if the channels suit you.

 

[KAB]

Shame.. I *really* have not enjoyed my time with DTV... but it's hard to think about switching back to Dish if its more expensive. It seemed, for a long time, Dish aimed to be the value-leader... and as a cheapskate, er, I mean "cost-conscious" consumer, I appreciated that.. AND I didn't feel like I was making any sacrifices either.





Can you still get an HD DVR from Dish which is not the Hopper (ie. 722) but which has lower fees?

Absolutely.

 

[Tampa8]

Rocky is correct. And even lower priced a 612 or 211K.....

 

[oldengineer]

If you switch back to a 1H/2J setup you're trading 7 tuners for 3.

 

[zim2dive]

If you switch back to a 1H/2J setup you're trading 7 tuners for 3.

We need > 2 tuners very infrequently.. 3 is plenty.

 

[dwarren2]

If you add the ota module, you will have 4 tuners. If you record a lot of Prime Time from the big 4 networks, the PTAT will record all 4 using 1 tuner, leaving 2 for sat reception and the ota module tuner.

 

[rajmarie]

We need > 2 tuners very infrequently.. 3 is plenty.

If it that try 722k + 211k combination for 3 tvs. It will save you 12 bucks.

 

[wolfjc]

If it that try 722k + 211k combination for 3 tvs. It will save you 12 bucks.

If you use VIP211K, which has a OTA , you can turn it into a DVR for a $40.00 fee and the price of an external hard drive and you will have NO DVR fees at all.

 

[Yespage]

Would it make any sense to switch from an existing 722k to a 222k?

 

[boba]

Would it make any sense to switch from an existing 722k to a 222k?

Not if you want a DVR a 222 can't be adapted to use a hard drive.

 

[harshness]

It seemed, for a long time, Dish aimed to be the value-leader... and as a cheapskate, er, I mean "cost-conscious" consumer, I appreciated that.. AND I didn't feel like I was making any sacrifices either.

Packaging is going to catch some in the cross-fire. All in all, Bravo is a niche channel (has never seen the light of the Top 25) and I'm sure that those who don't watch it are happy to have a package that they don't feel like they're paying for it.

Being a tightwad is one thing but not wanting to pay to get something special is not entirely reasonable.

 

[Yespage]

Not if you want a DVR a 222 can't be adapted to use a hard drive.

Dish is just so sneaky like that.

 

[navychop]

Different chipsets for different runs of the ViP222 model. Early ones could not support EHDs. Easier to nix it for all. Besides, why cannibalize ViP722 shipments.


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