Comcast offering free MLB Extra Innings to Dish Customers?

[candidate1066]

I got a pamphlet in the mail this weekend that, in addition to the 6-month promotional rate, offers free MLB extra innings to Dish (and AT&T) subscribers.

I save a nice bit for the first 6 months, and after the promotional offer ends, my cost for cable-phone and internet (if I sign up for all three through comcast) is nearly identical to what I am paying now for these services....

I have been a long time Dish Network subscriber who has been mostly pleased with my service. But this might be enough to make me make the switch back to cable... I'd still be getting HBO, all the HD I currently watch, and no more losing TV during storms.

Can anyone make the case for me staying? If DISH had Extra Innings there is no way I'd switch...

 

[Bobby]

Well, let's see, do you have a DVR? Is your cable underground or in the air, not that makes a lot of difference. When your Triple Play cable goes out you lose cable, both internet and TV as well as telephone. Does this happen a lot? Maybe so...... Oh yeah, your TV picture may not look as good as you remember it being. Back to the DVR, cable's sucks, period. So, for a six month respite on your overall cost you take a massive dive. JMHO....

 

[nsafreak]

I'll second on the DVR opinion. The Motorola & Cisco boxes that Comcast currently use really suck hard. Limited hard drive storage space, no way to expand storage space, interface that looks like it's from the stone age. About the only redeeming feature for me was the On Demand feature. Insofar as picture quality, well that's going to vary from area to area even if it's the same operator. In my area Comcast isn't too terribly far behind Dish in terms of picture quality. Oh and don't expect your rates to stay lower for too terribly long after the promo rate is up. I started off at paying $99 a month for the promo rate. And in about 3 years I was paying over $200 a month for those same services. People complain about Dish nickel and diming (not saying that the complaints aren't valid) but believe me Comcast sure knows how to knickle and dime as well. So if you really want to go with Comcast here is my advice:

1) See if you can find someone with the service in your area that has the DVR you would be using & see how you like it.
2) While there take a look at the picture quality.
3) Try and find out what the annual rate of increase for service has been in your area. Remember it's not unusual for cable companies to raise rates multiple times in a year.

 

[TigerpounceTN]

In my area, it is obvious how much overcompression Dish uses when I compare the two. Comcast is sharper with less macroblocking in my area. Dish is a blurred out mess since I have moved to a larger 1080p tv. Curiously, some of the new Dish channels looked great when I moved to a standard package to check them out. I wish they would give every channel the bitrate they give to Indie and Retro. I can't stand the standard look to most channels on Dish Network that includes the color-banded, macroblocked blur party that you can easily notice if you just look. They do have the technology to increase picture quality significantly across the board. But, the advantages to Dish are mostly on the hardware side right now. They have a better DVR with more space and a nice interface.

Cable is an unknown until you try it because pretty much every area has its own issues. Of course, most issues with satellite service may be specific to you. You can always drop Comcast at any time, so I see no harm in trying it. After side by side comparisons over the last few months I can't see how anyone defends Dish Network's picture quality on a lot of channels. Watch an RSN lately? It is night and day when I switch between the two while watching sports.

Good deals can be had by switching to cable and they are usually open to price haggling after a promotional period. No one likes to lose customers. I cannot make the case for staying because in the end, your preference is all that matters. If you want baseball then try it. If you hate it then you can tell them what they can do with their service. lol.

On the other hand, if you think you'd regret it, you probably shouldn't do it. If you are happy with the service, which you may not be if you are considering switching, that is what matters. Aside from tv, I have had phone and internet service through the cable company for over two years now and it is very reliable in my area. It has gone out fewer times than my electricity. My favorite feature on cable boxes is something that not everyone knows or cares about. The FCC requires them to have firewire connections for recording to an external device. I back up most recorded shows from cable to my PC and store them on my network to watch on my PS3. I missed that a lot with Dish's DVR.

 

[Islandguy43]

I used to love Dishnetwork when I was a sub for over 6 years. The Cable DVRs are not in the same field as Dish's; however it is not like going back to the early days of betamax. My cisco box is pretty reliable and TWC is pushing down a new software upgrade which will make it a lot more user friendly like Dish's.

My main reason for dropping Dish was for Sports Programing. Dish doesn't offer MSG-HD (Buffalo Sabres for me) and the YES-HD (Yankees). Plus TWC offers all my locals in HD, a 24 hr Local News Network, Weather Channel with a real local forecast; plus they made me a an offer I couldn't refuse for two years, which is basically giving me my high speed roadrunner (around $50 a month stand alone) free for the two years which I have bundled up with cable.

I am sure they will raise my pricing after the two years price guarantee is up and hopefully dish will have the channels I want, if I need to leave TWC over pricing.

 

[candidate1066]

I have a few coworkers who have comcast so I can check out thier picture and DVR... like I said, overall I'm pleased with DISH, but it's not like I've had a flawless experience.... it took me multiple visits to get my HD Dish installed a few years ago, and because of my location in the Southeastern US, the satellite is really low on the horizon and it seems that any sort of overcast in the hot summer months makes the HD/Locals crap out.

That combined with problems I've had replacing multiple 722 DVRs (I've had the one I have now for almost a year: a record), all the while the Dish Network customer service has been adequate, but nothing to blow me away....

How much could it hurt to leave for a year? Worst case scenario is that I hate Comcast (likely)and I add DISH back next May... at least I can tell Dish I'm leaving b/c of the lack of MLB Extra Innings.

Anyone have an experience with leaving and coming back? Do I keep the DISH or do they come and get it? I know I have to send the DVR back...

 

[Islandguy43]

I have a few coworkers who have comcast so I can check out thier picture and DVR... like I said, overall I'm pleased with DISH, but it's not like I've had a flawless experience.... it took me multiple visits to get my HD Dish installed a few years ago, and because of my location in the Southeastern US, the satellite is really low on the horizon and it seems that any sort of overcast in the hot summer months makes the HD/Locals crap out.

That combined with problems I've had replacing multiple 722 DVRs (I've had the one I have now for almost a year: a record), all the while the Dish Network customer service has been adequate, but nothing to blow me away....

How much could it hurt to leave for a year? Worst case scenario is that I hate Comcast (likely)and I add DISH back next May... at least I can tell Dish I'm leaving b/c of the lack of MLB Extra Innings.

Anyone have an experience with leaving and coming back? Do I keep the DISH or do they come and get it? I know I have to send the DVR back...

I was told by the ceo office, If I was to return after 6 months, I could get the new sub incentives. However I don't think that will be happening soon, whereas Dish now has problems with 61.5 in my area the country.

 

[thedamaja]

I'm not sure how important it is to you but, I'd confirm how many (if any) of the EI games are carried in HD.

Last I checked Comcast in my area only had one HD feed and the rest were SD.

 

[Claude Greiner]

I would NOT switch to Comcast for MLB Extra Innings and MLB Netork. I got their service last year just for this very purpose and there is 2 main reasons why I cancelled it after a month when I paid for a subscription for the entire season...

#1 Their DVR Sucks. It was loaded with advertisements, limited HD recording capacity, and it was just clunky and hard to work.

#2 Not all of Comcasts MLB games are in HD

If your going to switch from Dish because of MLB, get Directv instead!

 

[ronfelder]

I have a few coworkers who have comcast so I can check out thier picture and DVR... like I said, overall I'm pleased with DISH, but it's not like I've had a flawless experience.... it took me multiple visits to get my HD Dish installed a few years ago, and because of my location in the Southeastern US, the satellite is really low on the horizon and it seems that any sort of overcast in the hot summer months makes the HD/Locals crap out.

That combined with problems I've had replacing multiple 722 DVRs (I've had the one I have now for almost a year: a record), all the while the Dish Network customer service has been adequate, but nothing to blow me away....

How much could it hurt to leave for a year? Worst case scenario is that I hate Comcast (likely)and I add DISH back next May... at least I can tell Dish I'm leaving b/c of the lack of MLB Extra Innings.

Anyone have an experience with leaving and coming back? Do I keep the DISH or do they come and get it? I know I have to send the DVR back...

If you truly want MLB Extra Innings why don't you subscribe as I do to MLB.Tv? You have the choice of watchign on your computer. Which personally i'm not a big fan of so I can understand you if you don't like that idea. You can do thoguh what I do. I have a Roku box. I use it not just for Netflix or amazon VOD but I use it to watch MLB.Tv. It's the same as on the computer except you can't watch multiple games at one time and various other little things that MLB offers when you watch it on your pc rather than on Roku. The bix dies an excellent job.

 

[clydesam]

if you have a playstation 3 now you watch mlbtv through it. Just have too download and app which is available the whats new section. Then after downloading you go to the computer and login and set your settings. I believe it is cheaper than directv or comcast also

 

[Claude Greiner]

Yea, MLB.TV is good as all I really care about is the 9th inning anyways on most out of market teams.

 

[pdxsam]

If you truly want MLB Extra Innings why don't you subscribe as I do to MLB.Tv? It's the same as on the computer except you can't watch multiple games at one time and various other little things that MLB offers when you watch it on your pc rather than on Roku. The bix dies an excellent job.

Question for ya. I'm on the West Coast and watch east coast games mostly.

Can you start the game from the beginning at any time? or do you have to wait until the game is over before you can start watching.

 

[ronfelder]

Question for ya. I'm on the West Coast and watch east coast games mostly.

Can you start the game from the beginning at any time? or do you have to wait until the game is over before you can start watching.

If you join he game in [prgoress you may start from the begining or any inning that has already been played. naturally once they game is over nad is archived you may skip to any and all of the innings. you also get to chose home or away feeds of the game.

ron

 

[lman12]

Is the MLB EI games on Comcast available in HD? I have Directv with the MLB EI package and at least 90% of the games in the package are in glorious HD. I've had Comcast (one year as a experiment), Dish (about 6 years) & Directv (since March 1996) and currently only have Directv. For me it is a no brainer, when you add up everything - Programming, Sports, equipment, cost, customer service and reliability - Directv wins hands down.

But, back to the OP question - I would not switch to Comcast for anything, free MLB EI included.

 

[pdxsam]

If you join he game in [prgoress you may start from the begining or any inning that has already been played. naturally once they game is over nad is archived you may skip to any and all of the innings. you also get to chose home or away feeds of the game.

ron

Thank you sir. May just have to look at the PS3 streaming next season.