Everyone pays the "access fee". The reasons to buy vs. lease are not as distinct as they used to be, but they still exist.
1. You don't have to pay for the lease fee, however, this is only useful if you have only one receiver. If you own more than one, then the fee changes to an additional receiver fee.
2. You are not signing a contract! That is a big plus. You can tell E* to take a hike any time you want without penalty.
3. You own the equipment, and you can recoop your investment. In the past, used E* equipment has sold very well on EBay. 942 Customers are speaking of a $99 upgrade to a lease to the 622? I will upgrade to own my 622 for not much more. I already sold my old unit.
4. You have more programming options. If you lease, you are locked into buying at least AT60. If you own, you can order just locals, or just the HD Pack by itself. That was a sweet deal, which paid for the cost of the receiver over an interval that was far less than the 2 year contract. With the new plan, they are gouging owners, and the savings isn't as great. You will have to negociate with E* to get the HD Pack price down. You can do that though, as you are not in a contract and have some leverage.
It makes the most sense to own vs. lease if you have only one receiver, and you don't want to subscribe to an SD package.
