Retailer Chat LIVE Recap - May 26, 2005

[Scott Greczkowski]

Hey guys welcome to another LIVE recap of the Dish Network Retailer Chat! We do this live recap so you can find out what is coming down the line for Dish Network consumers.

As always we only report information of interest to the consumers, info you yourself could get by calling a retailer and asking them whats coming down the line. We DO NOT report sensitive dealer information such as dealer costs and other sensative dealer issues.

As always out chat room is NOW OPEN at http://chat.satelliteguys.us in this chat we not only have a good time but also discuss topics from the show in more detail.

Today I am only listening to the show and am not able to see it, so I am likely to make mistakes because I can not see whats going on.

Welcome to SatelliteGuys.US!

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

The show opens up with Jim and Amir at the helm once again. They quickly jump into new customer promotions.

If an customer (including EXISTING customers) signs up for HBO after June 2nd they get a $50 rebate. This promotion is called Dish Maddness.

They are now showing some new cheezy commercials like the Enzyte ads. This is "Tom, Tom has Cable... This is Toms friend who has Dish Network. Tom has a VCR, Toms friend has a Dish DVR...." I guess Dish Network hasnt noticed that cable companies are qickly rolling out DVR's in many areas.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Still saying the following locals are coming SOON.

Casper Wy, Firbanks, Great Falls, Juno and Bismark.

Talking about VOOM saying it's a 2 phase launch. 10 chanels now upgrade to 21 channels by next year.

Dish 50 markets get the 61.5 upgrade for $99 and SuperDish owners need to pay $199 for the 61.5 Dish.

New Channel, Bridges TV, $14.99 Channel 569

Dish 942 receivers will come with Club Dish cards for customers to give to their friends.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Jim says tha they are putting Club Dish certificates in the box because they want the new customers to give the certificates to friends "while they are still excited" about the product.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Leslie Harper joins the show with Tech News (Its all down hill from here folks...)

So far she tells us all kinds of stuff we should alread know...

like...

Legacy Dish Receivers do not need a Dishpro adapter when using a Dishpro plus LNB or the Dishpro Plus 44 switch...

Voom is on 61.5...

Here is one... Dish is currently investigating the Interopibility of the VOOM receivers customers have in their home and in the future those boxes may work with Dish Network, however for now customers should use Dish Network equipment...

 

[korsjs]

Here is one... Dish is currently investigating the Interopibility of the VOOM receivers customers have in their home and in the future those boxes may work with Dish Network, however for now customers should use Dish Network equipment...

this would be good for the former voomers.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Dish Network is opening up a new tech Website only available to retailers, basically it is the same scripting system that they use in the call centers for tech support.

 

[Darkman]

No need any longer for Retailers to enter the entire string for SSN...

Effective June 9th, 2005 - they can only enter 4 last digits of it...

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

If they only use 4 number of SSN the customer has to pay $50. (This is only for new customers)

 

[Darkman]

Still saying the following locals are coming SOON.

Casper Wy, Firbanks, Great Falls, Juno and Bismark.

as of today - 158 local markets are on DISH

New Channel, Bridges TV, $14.99 Channel 569

channel 578 actually .. to be precise

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

As of May 5th customers doing Dish Mover are not required to give a credit card number anymore.

 

[riffjim4069]

Here is one... Dish is currently investigating the Interopibility of the VOOM receivers customers have in their home and in the future those boxes may work with Dish Network, however for now customers should use Dish Network equipment...

Makes perfect sense since these boxes are MPEG-4 upgradable...and there are probably in excess of 150k STBs out there.

If an customer (including EXISTING customers) signs up for HBO after June 2nd they get a $50 rebate. This promotion is called Dish Maddness.

I'm a new customer and was going to sign up for the HBO/Cinemax Value Pak rebate (ends 31 May): basically, subscribe to the Value Pak for 3 months and receive a $30 rebate.

Do you have any further details about the Dish Madness Rebate? Can I subscribe to the HBO/Cinemax Value Pak and receive the $50 rebate?

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Jim says that 942 production is increasing.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Caller asks if VOOM channels will be mirrored on 148.

Jim says they are evaluating all their HD plans now and are coming up with a plan which he cant talk about now. He also says that 148 is occupied now by other things.

And that wraps up this chat.

Thanks again guys!

 

[Darkman]

Phonecall: "Any plans to put Voom also to 148" (many customer enquires about this)

Jims answer: "We understand this.. we understand the need.. but 148 is pretty much occupied now.. But we are looking at the long term solutions.. and we ll let you know soon"
(so.. - Basically a possibilty .. but who knows "if" or "when")

 

[Mr Tony]

Still saying the following locals are coming SOON.

Casper Wy, Firbanks, Great Falls, Juno and Bismark.

Casper & Bismarck are uplinked...all they have to do is turn them on

 

[rvsixer]

..and there are probably in excess of 150k STBs out there.

That would mean each subscriber had at least four boxes .

 

[Darkman]

Looks like we hit the "Post" button at the same time, Scott

Re: "148" phonecall

 

[danielle_s]

1

 

[rvsixer]

nope change from excess of 150k STBs to 160K,
but rememeber that supposidly there was about 48 to 50k on d-day.

In that case even using your numbers that would be 3.2 receivers per subscriber...I'd venture to say as an upscale HD service, that many per household is unlikely. Also VOOM had a very high overall churn rate prior to d-day resulting in lots of lease returns. Just IMO change excess from 150K to 75-100K.