Retailer Chat Recap 12/12/13

[lparsons21]

To be fair, I got good deals from D* when I was with them. Most often I kept Premier and could get $25 off for anywhere from 3 to 6 months at a time. The only thing I always hated about it was that I had to call to get them. With E* I get very good extra discounts also, but never call. Online chat or just at the 'my programming' page and make changes does it all.

But when I do my comparison shopping when it is time to consider switching I try not to let the extra discounts enter into the figuring because you cannot count on them always being there.

 

[Yespage]

Maybe they'll throw us a bone and introduce some new/improved packages. I feel stuck at AT250 because of only two channels, Science and H2. I used to love all the Discovery family of channels and History too, but there's nothing but reality programming pap on the rest these days.

I'd toss Science in a second (but would miss it), but in order to get EPL, you need AT250. Based on the recent info, I checked around, and it appears Directv is still the only competitive option to Dish. Nothing else comes close in my area.

It'd be great for FSC (defunct) to be swapped with NBCSN in Latino Dos. That was the best package (for me) on the planet until Fox lost the EPL.

 

[navychop]

So what's the best comparison chart for 200 vs 250 today - as in CURRENT?

I might be downgrading.

 

[dare2be]

Your best bet is still to do the comparison tool on the English packages page:

http://www.mydish.com/upgrades/english-packages/?WT.svl=upgradessubnav

Of course, there won't be any way to compare against the Latino packages

 

[TheKrell]

Your best bet is still to do the comparison tool on the English packages page: http://www.mydish.com/upgrades/english-packages/?WT.svl=upgradessubnav

I just eyeballed that. Dropping down to AT200 loses H2, Military, BIO, GAC, Rural Channel, Destination America, Nat Geo Wild, Nicktoons, Chiller, Bloomberg, Cooking, Outdoor, VH1, DIY, Verio, Movieplex, Epix Drive-in, Encore channels, Dish Music, and a whole boatload of sports channels.

 

[navychop]

Too much for me to consider downgrading. My wife and I are very close. We watch most TV shows together. We do everything together. If Cooking Channel went away, .........

I don't even want to think about it.

 

[navychop]

Your best bet is still to do the comparison tool on the English packages page:

http://www.mydish.com/upgrades/english-packages/?WT.svl=upgradessubnav

Of course, there won't be any way to compare against the Latino packages

Thank you. I just don't trust them to keep it current, based on experience.

 

[Deadlocked]

Maybe they'll throw us a bone and introduce some new/improved packages. I feel stuck at AT250 because of only two channels, Science and H2. I used to love all the Discovery family of channels and History too, but there's nothing but reality programming pap on the rest these days.

Science is at 200. H2 is still at 250 though.

250 has NBCSN, Cooking, and BeIN in HD. if they move NBCSN down and BeIN HD comes to multisport I will dropdown.

 

[navychop]

It would take Cooking, Military and H2 for me to drop. IOW, dropping down ain't gonna happen.

 

[mike123abc]

It is like the Bells with your phone way back. If your significant other wanted something other than black, they tacked another fee on your phone line.

I also think it is not the brightest idea. I have the lifetime HD so will not see an immediate hit but HD has become the de facto standard. Customers will see a repeating extra line item on their monthly statement for "standard" service. They are choosing to milk an old cash cow (marketing 101) but will pay the price as their old customers die off.
It's like Claude wrote. Dish is tossing out something "special" that gave them an extra marketing edge.
It will be irritating at the least and probably will result in more cord cutting (switching to streaming or other venders). Not a good way to build your customer base.
A better plan would be to bite the bullet and hide any extra HD costs in the basic plans.

Cable companies do not charge for HD (well they charge more for HD boxes vs SD ones). All these fees are just a way to make the advertised monthly charge look low, and make up with it with back end fees.

 

[Hall]

Cable companies do not charge for HD (well they charge more for HD boxes vs SD ones).

Six of one, half dozen of another ?

 

[Dah-Henny]

Too much for me to consider downgrading. My wife and I are very close. We watch most TV shows together. We do everything together. If Cooking Channel went away, .........

I don't even want to think about it.

Dang straight! Take the Cooking Channel away and all hell breaks loose!

 

[MikeD-C05]

IN my house it is the DIY and HGTV channels that would cause problems. In fact we are subbing to top 250 simply so my wife can watch the shows on the DIY channel. Even though many are rerun on HGTV too. But after the next price hike I will have to convince her that we need to save that $10.00 monthly to offset the newest increase. We got out of the hopper equipment increases because we are grandfathered. But who knows how long that will last? After all this is DISH and we all thought HD FREE FOR LIFE would last ,but I guess we were all wrong - at least for the new subs.

 

[KAB]

Dang straight! Take the Cooking Channel away and all hell breaks loose!

This is the ONE case where I'm glad my wife doesn't cook.

 

[Mr Tony]

Cable companies do not charge for HD (well they charge more for HD boxes vs SD ones).

Here in Minneapolis they do charge for HD....sort of. They use the Dish theory and make it a "fee"
you get a digital box for free on the 1st TV.....want to upgrade to HD? yup $10 for that box

after the 1st they are the same regardless if HD or SD..unless you get the "neutered" DTA box that has no guide and a RF out on it

 

[Dah-Henny]

One of the things that keep me from trying out my Telco's fiber service is the fact that they charge extra for HD. As long as Dish gives me HDFFL, I'd have a hard time switching.

 

[Mojo Jojo]

IN my house it is the DIY and HGTV channels that would cause problems. In fact we are subbing to top 250 simply so my wife can watch the shows on the DIY channel. Even though many are rerun on HGTV too. But after the next price hike I will have to convince her that we need to save that $10.00 monthly to offset the newest increase. We got out of the hopper equipment increases because we are grandfathered. But who knows how long that will last? After all this is DISH and we all thought HD FREE FOR LIFE would last ,but I guess we were all wrong - at least for the new subs.

You could always go to Dish Latino Max (eligible for HD Free for Life currently) for DIY HD and HGTV HD for the current price of $61.99/month.

http://www.dish.com/entertainment/packages/dish-latino-max/

I also agree the decision about doing away with HD Free for Life for new subs is a giant step backward for the company.

 

[Mochuf]

Why not put your Dish account on hold for 2-3 months and see how cord cutting works? That way you don't lose any grandfathering or recorded shows you have, if you decide to stay with Dish.

Sent from my iPhone using SatelliteGuys

We put our account on pause when I was unemployed this summer. We were seriously thinking about cutting the cord, but my wife "needs" Hallmark (especially with all of the Christmas movies out now) and HGTV and, IMO anyway, cable dramas are far superior to what the "Big 4" ota networks offer. After I found a job this fall, we decided to sign up with our internet/phone provider instead of keeping Dish. Since I have my own equipment (3 Tivos, only one was bought new, and a HTPC w/2 Xbox 360 extenders), I was able to save $30 on the package I got compared to AT120 plus Heartland w/722K. And I now cover all 4 of our sets (plus laptops) with independent tuners instead of just 2 tv's. Channel-wise, the package fits between At120 and AT200. But the cableco will be raising rates in Jan and we were thinking about going back to Dish to get promo pricing again. We'll see how it goes. My next step to save money will be dropping the landline since everyone has a cell phone.

 

[dishrich]

Cable companies do not charge for HD (well they charge more for HD boxes vs SD ones). All these fees are just a way to make the advertised monthly charge look low, and make up with it with back end fees.

Mike, if we're talking about Comcast cable, they most certainly DO charge ($10) for HD; matter of fact, it IS even called the "HD technology fee"!
And matter of fact, Comcast is now even handing out HD boxes, to NON-HD subs; but for those subs, all the HD channels are disabled. If you choose the pay the HD fee, then they are re-enabled.

And, U-verse ALSO charges $10 specifically for "HD technology"...even though ALL of their boxes they hand out, are always HD capable; same deal on disabling the HD channels. They are treating HD EXACTLY the same as (now both) sat companies do.

In both cases, you can get the HD fee waived with certain programming pkgs &/or bundles - but regardless, it IS specifically an "HD fee", & is even printed on bills as such.
So bottom line...in my area, ALL 4 of the available TV providers now have a BS HD fee...

Here in Minneapolis they do charge for HD....sort of. They use the Dish theory and make it a "fee"
you get a digital box for free on the 1st TV.....want to upgrade to HD? yup $10 for that box

after the 1st they are the same regardless if HD or SD..unless you get the "neutered" DTA box that has no guide and a RF out on it

If this is Comcast, they DO now have HD-DTA's, that are the same price as the SD-DTA's...& again, they are starting to hand these out to even non-HD subs. And just like on the full-size boxes, if you don't pay the HD fee, all the HD channels are disabled.

 

[dwarren2]

I dropped the telcon landline years ago in favor of VoIP(Vonage). I have a package that they don't advertise. We pay less than $20/mo for 400 min with North America included.