DIRECTV says it will go all HD in 2016 , what about DISH?

[MikeD-C05]

Even if a channel is not available in HD, if Dish (or DIRECTV) gave the channel the bandwidth/compression of an HD channel, the picture would look far, far better. Pristine broadcast SD is DVD quality - SD looks as bad as it does because it is way over compressed.

Very True. IF I could get dvd quality off of sd channels I wouldn't even mind watching them. But out of the two sat companies DISH's sd channels look better than DIRECTV's ,at least comparing Eastern arc sd. Western arc sd looks a little bit worse to me than eastern arc. I have both dishes for both arcs and I can compare the two.

 

[Tampa8]

It still shows checked off in my programming online ,even though I have HD for life on my account. DISH still sells it like it is a value added to your programming pack. But if you change your programming to say Welcome pack , you lose your FREE Hd for life on your account.

Since you and I don't pay for it, that would be "In Theory". It's there but most anyone can avoid paying it by design, and It's greyed out so you can't even pick to pay for it if you wanted to when you have HD For Life.
You don't lose HD for Life if you move to a package that does not have all channels in HD. If you leave the Welcome package and go to a Top package your HD for life remains. As I posted before, HD for Life does not mean you get every channel in HD. It means when a channel in the package you have is available in HD you get it for no extra charge.

 

[MikeD-C05]

At one time ,they said if you downgraded to a pack without HD , you would lose your HD for life status on your account. If that has changed I wasn't aware. But either way I stand by the "added value" angle by showing it on your online programming and bills. Makes you think if you are a new sub, that you are getting a $10.00 value off your bill.

 

[TrailerParkFan]

I don't know about all channels going HD, but I can tell you that Dish is being a real tool about trying to get me to give up my SD dual output receiver. I think it's the 322 model. (Non DVR, SD). Everytime I call (which has been often because we've been having issues with the HD receiver in the living room) they tell me I have to upgrade that receiver. I tell them, every time that it is working fine and is controlling two SD televisions, so I don't want to upgrade it. Then I get told they will not come out and do any work or anything else until I upgrade it.
Whatever. At this point, it is the principal of the matter. I almost upgraded until the rep told me I would be back on a contract. Um, no way in HELL is that happening. It took a supervisor and then the Customer Retention department to get that requirement overridden. Then I was told they were out of the HD dual receivers and only had the HD DVR dual receivers. I told them I didn't need DVR service and wasn't going to pay for it. So then they were going to wave the DVR fee for one year. Okay, I was still going to upgrade, but I was less and less happy about all of this. THEN the rep said, "Oh, we have to come out and change the dish on the house too."
Nope. Game over. That would be the third dish change by Dish in 5 years. That on top of the Directv dish still on the house (and the one I had taken down) and my Shaw satellite dish. My house is TINY. My roof is 'iffy" and at this rate, I've probably got enough holes in it to qualify for "swiss cheese" status, from satellite dishes alone!
I have to call Dish today. I am looking forward to the "...you have to upgrade your receiver" speech again. NOT.

 

[ChadT41]

I don't know about all channels going HD, but I can tell you that Dish is being a real tool about trying to get me to give up my SD dual output receiver. I think it's the 322 model. (Non DVR, SD). Everytime I call (which has been often because we've been having issues with the HD receiver in the living room) they tell me I have to upgrade that receiver. I tell them, every time that it is working fine and is controlling two SD televisions, so I don't want to upgrade it. Then I get told they will not come out and do any work or anything else until I upgrade it.
Whatever. At this point, it is the principal of the matter. I almost upgraded until the rep told me I would be back on a contract. Um, no way in HELL is that happening. It took a supervisor and then the Customer Retention department to get that requirement overridden. Then I was told they were out of the HD dual receivers and only had the HD DVR dual receivers. I told them I didn't need DVR service and wasn't going to pay for it. So then they were going to wave the DVR fee for one year. Okay, I was still going to upgrade, but I was less and less happy about all of this. THEN the rep said, "Oh, we have to come out and change the dish on the house too."
Nope. Game over. That would be the third dish change by Dish in 5 years. That on top of the Directv dish still on the house (and the one I had taken down) and my Shaw satellite dish. My house is TINY. My roof is 'iffy" and at this rate, I've probably got enough holes in it to qualify for "swiss cheese" status, from satellite dishes alone!
I have to call Dish today. I am looking forward to the "...you have to upgrade your receiver" speech again. NOT.

Sounds like you need an EA install. If that is the case, anytime ou try to make a change, it should prompt for the EA migration to happen. Right now you may have a mixed arc for your locals, but do not be surprised if they disappear for only EA.

 

[TheKrell]

Isn't the 222 still available from retailers (not Dish)?

 

[truckracer]

Even if a channel is not available in HD, if Dish (or DIRECTV) gave the channel the bandwidth/compression of an HD channel, the picture would look far, far better. Pristine broadcast SD is DVD quality - SD looks as bad as it does because it is way over compressed.

SD c band feeds are not far off from small dish hd.

 

[ChadT41]

Isn't the 222 still available from retailers (not Dish)?

Some. That list is getting smaller and smaller. I remember Scherrman sayig he couldn't order any more, or something of the nature.

 

[JSheridan]

Isn't the 222 still available from retailers (not Dish)?

We've still got some and can get more, but the supply is dwindling.

 

[bobvick]

SD c band feeds are not far off from small dish hd.

They do look good, I was watching a digital sub channel network on my big dish the other day and thinking the same thing.

 

[david_jr]

The only channel I really miss in HD is AHC.

 

[harshness]

I tell them, every time that it is working fine and is controlling two SD televisions, so I don't want to upgrade it. Then I get told they will not come out and do any work or anything else until I upgrade it.

It may be working fine today, but by next Thursday, it may be all but useless. It is you that is acting the tool.

Your options are limited but if you can find a ViP222 for purchase (not very likely), you could be on your way to not getting cut off next week and if you purchase the receiver, you can upgrade without a contract.

 

[pattykay]

At one time ,they said if you downgraded to a pack without HD , you would lose your HD for life status on your account. If that has changed I wasn't aware. But either way I stand by the "added value" angle by showing it on your online programming and bills. Makes you think if you are a new sub, that you are getting a $10.00 value off your bill.

I can confirm that you keep the HD Free For Life status on your account when you downgrade to Welcome Pack. I was grandfathered with HDFFL on one of my accounts with Welcome Pack from when I previously subscribed to Latino Dos. I closed that account in May, but I made sure to add HDFFL to my other account with Welcome Pack by temporarily upgrading to AT120. I dropped back down to Welcome Pack, and HDFFL still shows up under My Programming, just like it previously did on the account I closed.

 

[bobvick]

Your options are limited but if you can find a ViP222 for purchase (not very likely)

Solid Signal has them for $90, Dish Depot has them for $100, I am sure there are plenty on eBay that are good too. Not hard to find yet.

 

[harshness]

Solid Signal has them for $90, Dish Depot has them for $100, I am sure there are plenty on eBay that are good too. Not hard to find yet.

Don't make the mistake of assuming that a catalog listing is a promise of immediate availability.

 

[bobvick]

Don't make the mistake of assuming that a catalog listing is a promise of immediate availability.

I don't need one I was just stating that you can still find them. There are several on eBay, you can get the RID and call and see if there is any balance. They are still available, as time goes on the supply will dwindle, but you CAN still find one.

 

[pattykay]

I don't need one I was just stating that you can still find them. There are several on eBay, you can get the RID and call and see if there is any balance. They are still available, as time goes on the supply will dwindle, but you CAN still find one.

It would be a lot easier if you could still get one directly from Dish, though.

 

[bobvick]

Solid Signal is good, I have got several DirecTV and Dish receivers from them in the past. Got some from Dish Depot too, and some Hoppers from eBay that were new and never activated before.

 

[Tampa8]

At one time ,they said if you downgraded to a pack without HD , you would lose your HD for life status on your account. If that has changed I wasn't aware. But either way I stand by the "added value" angle by showing it on your online programming and bills. Makes you think if you are a new sub, that you are getting a $10.00 value off your bill.

I have to disagree about ever losing it. From the begining you kept it as long as you kept your account. Here is what it said during the first week they offered it when I paid $99. I copied it from the website at that time into Word;

"Additional $10/mo HD fee waived for life of current account; requires continuous enrollment in AutoPay with Paperless Billing or a one time $99 fee."

Here is what it says now;
http://www.dish.com/terms-conditions/?frURL=|legal|offers|&frHost=www.dish.com&frCount=1

 

[harshness]

I have to disagree about ever losing it. From the begining you kept it as long as you kept your account. Here is what it said during the first week they offered it when I paid $99.

Almost everything is subject to change. I had free DVR service on my 508 and that eventually went away.