I just Signed Up for Dish Network

[chupacabra]

Well,
I made the plunge and signed up for Dish, primarily because of 3 factors:
1. price
2. free dual tuner DVR
3. no commitment

I signed up for:
Americas top 60 - 31.99 w/locals
1 dual tuner DVR - (free plus 4.99/mo DVR programming)
1 regular dual tuner - 5.99/mo

The total is aprox. 42.00/mo plus taxes.

I am getting tired of the 16 BH channels @15.04/mo.
I already get HD for free OTA and I don't care for the 'premium' HD programming.

There is no commitment, so I can cancel anytime if I really don't like it, or if Verizon Digital TV will be attractively priced for Verizon employees or if the new DirecTV HD lineup and pricing is a real must have.

I'll let you know how it goes!
Chupacabra

[pilotbob]

Well,
I made the plunge and signed up for Dish, primarily because of 3 factors:
1. price
2. free dual tuner DVR
3. no commitment

I signed up for:
Americas top 60 - 31.99 w/locals
1 dual tuner DVR - (free plus 4.99/mo DVR programming)
1 regular dual tuner - 5.99/mo

The total is aprox. 42.00/mo plus taxes.

I am getting tired of the 16 BH channels @15.04/mo.
I already get HD for free OTA and I don't care for the 'premium' HD programming.

There is no commitment, so I can cancel anytime if I really don't like it, or if Verizon Digital TV will be attractively priced for Verizon employees or if the new DirecTV HD lineup and pricing is a real must have.

I'll let you know how it goes!
Chupacabra

So, you get no HD and no HD-PVR? Does the box receive OTA-HD with an integrated OSG?

PilotBob

[AnonymousX]

Pilotbob,

I got non-hd dish package. My HD is OTA using a Samsung HD receiver with limited OSG that is provided by the digital station.

Chupacabra.

[Dknow]

Chupacabra: How do you feel about just having OTA HD now that dish offers about 16 more channels via their satellites? I have direct so I don't have to worry about any HD offerings, but if I had dish I would definitely have a hard time not taking the plunge.

[chupacabra]

Dknow,
I feel this way: it's all about content and personal preference. I know that if I were to subscribe to D* HD programming that 90% of my HD viewing would be the HD programs offered on the local channels - that's where the bulk of QUALITY HD programming exists today. Granted, there will be a sporting event on a premium HD channel I would like to watch, but not enough to warrant the price increase.

Free is free - and for 90% quality HD viewing, for me it's the ONLY way for now.

Chupacabra.

[bdraw]

Chupacbra
I have often had the same thoughts, but I have not been able to quit paying the high prices for that one or two shows. I pay for HBO, just to watch Deadwood for example. I susbscribe to D* just to watch 3 shows a week, while 90% of my viewing is OTA. Honestly the NFL Sunday ticket is the only real programming that makes it worth it to me, and they just doubled the price of that.

I guess there is a certain about of comfort in knowing that the programming is availbile when I do want it.

[Dknow]

There is comfort but now that Deadwood is over I think I'll find comfort in cancelling my HBO sub until Sopranos starts up again. Does anyone know when that might be?

[bdraw]

Good point!
I hadn't watch the finale yet when I posted yesterday.

I look forward to the Soprano's and the new "Rome" show when ever it starts.

off to directv.com to cancel HBO.

[Dknow]

I do have to admit that Rome looks very good but I might also stick around for that Empire Falls mini-series. They casted the hell out of that show! I just know they are going to string me along this year. After I watch Empire Falls they will start plugging another show that looks good. In this day and age of blockbuster online it's hard to justify $12/month for a movie channel where I've already seen every movie I've wanted to. The shows are what keep my $$$ flowing over to them.

[bdraw]

My thoughts exactly, I have seem 90% of the movies on HBO, so why pay for it.
The only reason is the original programming, and even then if you are willing to wait you can rent it on DVD. The other point is the low audio quality of the movies on HBO compared to DVD. I think there is a bigger improvement in Sound Quality between HBOHD and DVD, then the difference in PQ between the two.

It is such an differnence that I have actually seen software specificly developed to mux a DVD audio track to a HD stream from HBO etc. The guy who wrote it records movies from HBOHD, and other premium movie channels, transferes them to his PC, replaces the audio with DVD audio and transferes them back to DVHS. Sounds like alot of work to me.

[bat-tech2]

Dknow,
I feel this way: it's all about content and personal preference. I know that if I were to subscribe to D* HD programming that 90% of my HD viewing would be the HD programs offered on the local channels - that's where the bulk of QUALITY HD programming exists today. Granted, there will be a sporting event on a premium HD channel I would like to watch, but not enough to warrant the price increase.

Free is free - and for 90% quality HD viewing, for me it's the ONLY way for now.

Chupacabra.

Nicole here and I hope you found out about DISH's offer of free HD programming for life. I've had mine for almost a year and I know that you’ll love your programming a ton more. Take it from me Chupacabra, I'm not just a happy subscriber but also an employee.

[rossinfl]

i guess im in the minority here but i love shows on these channels:

usa - fairly legal with the hot chick from las vegas tv show

tnt - southland is great with shawn hatosy from alpha dog and pretty boy
from the o.c.

rizzilo & isles is a good cop show during the summer

i love memphis beat & hawthorne is pretty good

new summer show falling skies with noah wyler from e.r. looks promising

fx - justified is an awesome show going into its 2nd season

im really diggin the new show lights out

louie is funny as shiiiitttttttttt

a&e the glades is another great new show

parking wars is hilarious and gene simmons family jewels is epic

tbs - my boys is a great comedy

p.s. looks like my boys is not coming back for another season b/c its not listed unders shows at tbs site

that sucks azzzzzzzzz

[Roger 9]

Nicole here and I hope you found out about DISH's offer of free HD programming for life. I've had mine for almost a year and I know that you’ll love your programming a ton more. Take it from me Chupacabra, I'm not just a happy subscriber but also an employee.Hate to burst your bubble Nicole/Bat-Tech but I had Dish and think it is the worst run outfit on the planet. I give cable higher grades. The HD for Life hook is just that, a hook and to compare it with DirecTV, it is apples and oranges.

Even if I was not a sports fan, Dish HD availability is not close to DTV. If you try to get comparible packages (channels) between the two the overall cost is about the same. Customer service is average at best. God forbid you complain about something.

For a casual sports fan (mostly baseball) their fight with MLB is obscene. It has nothing to do with the pay package MLBEI but rather carrying the sport's own channel MLB Network. They carry all the ESPN networks and subscribers cough up over $10 for that alone but they can't carry MLB when they have NBA, NFL and NHL? Are you kidding me?

Dish may be cheaper for the most basic of services but they cannot compare to DirecTV on any level.

[HDOrlando]

MLB Network said a few months ago they really hope to work out deals with the two holdouts Dish Network and U-Verse.

I'm not so sure a deal will work though as Dish likes to be cheap. They still have Disney Channel, Disney XD, ABC Family and ESPNews off of their system. The first and third are pretty major channels that everyone has.

They are going to get into more disputes and ones that you will not see coming.

[Floyd]

Thanks rossinfl for posting up some of your viewing suggestions. There are so many channels that I have a hard time keeping up with all the choices and finding something I like.
I have these show series set to record:
---Royal Pains---------see how the other half lives on the Hamptons
---NCIS-----------------crime show.
---Fringe---------------sci-fi...started like x-files, but now they are into the other dimension
---Men of a Certain Age----good for a few laughs
---Burn Unit-----------reminds me of Miami Vice
---Southland----------I can't believe that big cop is gay
---Hot in Cleveland--Good writers
---V--------------------The alien leader chick has a strange attractiveness
---Rules of Engagement--good writing....reminds me of Seinfeld

I also record some of the off-air network shows.

[rossinfl]

ditto floyd on the big cop on southland

wow

floyd, what do you mean off-air network shows? explain please

thanks

[Floyd]

The OP was saying that most of his viewing was off-air network, and your post indicated some cable/sat-only shows that are also good. I started off to list the shows I watch that come off my satellite, but then got carried away and listed some off-air shows. I have a bunch more shows recorded off-air that I didn't list. More than I can watch normally, but then I also have a dozen movie channels to keep track of also.

[rossinfl]

so i guess most of you here call regular network channels i.e.
nbc, cbs, abc, and fox off air channels? i always thought they
were called the major networks or local channels.

[Floyd]

I was referring to the poster that observed how 90% of his hd viewing was off-air, for free, so in that context it makes sense to refer to them as off-air rather than local or network channels, that are not free when delivered by a cable or sat provider.