I guess I understand why some people keep comparing price/packages to other providers to a certain extent. But to be honest, I don't feel EchoStar, DirecTV or Comcast have anything worth paying a premium price for as their PQ just sucks and there content is all SD, very little HD. I am paying more for VoOm because they supply something worth paying an extra buck or two for, quality. I tried Dish for 15 days and then they came and got their equiment because I wasn't going to pay to watch video that looked like it was coming off an old VHS tape using a 2 head VCR. Comcast didn't last that long, I made the techician who came and installed their system take it back out before he left. They were just as bad. The HD content looked worse than my digital signal coming in from SureWest. Out went Comcast. Then I ordered VoOm. GAWD! I was finally impressed with someones PQ.
On another note, Va Va Voom is NOT just for HD, its for premium channels. HBO, SHOWTIME, CINAMAX, STARZ (if you consider starz premium) and other non-standard general programming kind of thing. HD or SD doesn't really come into what the Va Va Voom package is for. VoOm as a whole is a HD centric service, so HD actually belongs mostly in the bottom tier IMHO.
History is written by the victors, they tell it how they want it remembered. It has nothing to do with what happened or the truth. History or the telling of it is one of the easiest and most widely used forms of brainwashing used today!