The Tate said:
Tell me how D* is going to lose customers again?
do you have a HDTV?
I do, 2 year old 80" 16x9 and love it. now when you go in to buy a new TV at lease 80% are HDTV's, right? and that is what people have bought in the past year. so do you think someone is going to cough up $500 up-front for a HD/DVR on a lease with a 2 year commitment and a lease fee if more then one unit, and also be told how many of a unit you can lease? I think there will be some unhappy people.
as for the HD/DVR box D* has now its an out dated peace of junk. the only reason they sold was because it was the only one available and/or had TIVO branding.
the whole thing stinks, E* should have been left alone to die with the lease model, D* would have come out ahead and not two step's back.
cable has none of this upfront cost and commitment crapp.
I myself(a customer since 98 w/6 box's and pay over $120 a month) have been in limbo for more then a year waiting on one box that can do everything D* offers now and what I have been paying for, you would have to have 3 box's hooked to one TV to take avantage of the services they offer now.
for ex-sample I get the NFL ST every year and last year had to order superfan to get the HD games but could not take avantage of the whole superfan package because they don't have a adequate box to do so.
D* has SD, HD, LIL HD(mpeg4), mix chan, DVR, (oh and more to come) and not one box that can do it all. I'am tiered of hearing about all of the vapor-ware for over a year, and not have a box that can work with all services they offer and I have been paying for.
so now that D* changes to this dumb (up-front cost long term) lease program, now do you think they will be real nice about giving me some of that updated vapor-ware (if it ever comes out) equipment, at a low cost and reasonable term. I don't think so...
thats why there won't be alot of new customers and the old looking for the exit.