Tom Bombadil said:The rate increase is not a minimum of $10, it is a minimum of $5. If someone has a 942 with AT60, HD Pak, and VOOM under the old plan then they are paying $45/month. With a 622, the minimum is HD Bronze at $50/month. For the extra $5 you get another 7 HD channels. Within a few months Dish is expected to add another 3-4 HD channels to the new packages.
It definitely is a rate increase, a 33% one for HD + VOOM subs, a 100% increase for HD Pak only subs.
It's too bad Dish charges the $6 access fee, or else the $29.99 HD Standalone package would be attractive.
From my perspective, the new plans will work out to a rate decrease. I find that I am watching less and less SD programming, so I'm dropping down from AT180 to AT120 and dropping a couple of the premium movie packages too. May drop to AT60 soon. Let's say Dish starts offering Starz HD. One could sub to HD Bronze plus the HBO/Starz combo for $70/month. You'd get every HD channel except for Showtime, which you could add for another $8/month if you feel it is worth it.
This combo will have about 26 HD channels by this summer. I also get 6 local HD OTA channels. So that would make 32 HD channels, with most of the popular SD channels plus all of the HBO & Starz SD (and HD) channels for $70. Along with all of the public access channels and Sirius. This isn't too bad.
The $50 HD Bronze pack doesn't include locals though - which I would want to subscribe to in order to get EPG data on the OTA channels. Other than that I believe you are correct... The problem with me is just the content of the new channels - there isn't really anything that compelling for me to warrant getting a leased 622 right now and pay more for something I am not going to watch...
PEP