Dish Drops HD Enabling Fee

[Stargazer]

Maybe Dish charges a per DVR fee on purpose, so you don't ask to upgrade anymore DVR's than you will really want to use because it costs them money, and if you do, they get something back. They eliminate the additional outlet fees but the DVR fee makes up for it.

 

[HDRoberts]

The key word in your post is "start". There are a lot of MPEG 2 boxes out there that will need to be replaced first.

As the old proverb says, a journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step. They could start with a subset of channels, like adult or premiums. But they need to get started on this.

If you ask me, in 1 or 2 years when it is time for another card swap, instead they should have a receiver swap for all SD receivers.

I can also see them forcing people that own their equipment to lease the new MPEG-4 equipment during the swapout which will piss off a lot of people.

Your fault for accepting the risk of technological obsolescence when you bought your receivers. With the exception of exceeding the Dish lease limit, I see no good reason anyone should buy receivers these days.

 

[tillerr]

I was going to wait until the end of the current network TV season (mid May) to cancel Dish, basically a cost cutting measure at our house. Now I might just kill the HD Aboslute package and then only pay th $5.99 for locals and $5.98 for the DVR fee. I still have a $5.00 per month credit from the Club Dish promo so I'd only be paying $6.97 per month and I could keep my DVR!

That might be the way to go.

 

[jessshaun]

I was going to wait until the end of the current network TV season (mid May) to cancel Dish, basically a cost cutting measure at our house. Now I might just kill the HD Aboslute package and then only pay th $5.99 for locals and $5.98 for the DVR fee. I still have a $5.00 per month credit from the Club Dish promo so I'd only be paying $6.97 per month and I could keep my DVR!

That might be the way to go.

The locals only pack is $9.99 I had locals only several months back before I canceled.

 

[tillerr]

The locals only pack is $9.99 I had locals only several months back before I canceled.

Is that the price on an HD DVR receiver (including the DVR fee) or will they not let me just order locals on and HD DVR receiver for $5.99/month?

 

[ats7627]

Is that the price on an HD DVR receiver (including the DVR fee) or will they not let me just order locals on and HD DVR receiver for $5.99/month?

Dish adds a $5.00 charge to any account that does not have core programming. So $9.99 is the price for locals only, then you would add the $5.98 for the DVR service.

 

[Carl B]

Maybe Dish charges a per DVR fee on purpose, so you don't ask to upgrade anymore DVR's than you will really want to use because it costs them money, and if you do, they get something back. They eliminate the additional outlet fees but the DVR fee makes up for it.

This makes a lot of sense. I think Dish could undercut DirecTV and really improve subscriber recruitment if they would drop the DVR fee on the first DVR. Make it like the fee for additional receivers. The first one should be covered in the programming package cost, then add a fee for each additional DVR like they do for each additional receiver. That would beat DirecTV by a mile with most potential subscribers and only impact those with elaborate multi-DVR receiver households who, based on the sunk cost of their multi-A/V setups, can afford it.

 

[dishrich]

Dish adds a $5.00 charge to any account that does not have core programming.

It's actually been $6 for a couple years now...but as we already discussed, there IS the locals only pkg for $10, which is NOT subjected to the extra non-core fee. (IOW, it's basically the locals AND access fee combined into a $10 "welcome pkg")

 

[Laddyboy]

This makes a lot of sense. I think Dish could undercut DirecTV and really improve subscriber recruitment if they would drop the DVR fee on the first DVR. Make it like the fee for additional receivers. The first one should be covered in the programming package cost, then add a fee for each additional DVR like they do for each additional receiver. That would beat DirecTV by a mile with most potential subscribers and only impact those with elaborate multi-DVR receiver households who, based on the sunk cost of their multi-A/V setups, can afford it.

Doesn't D* only charge a single $5 monthly fee for all DVRs on the account? That would be advantage D*, if so. DVR fees have nothing to do with anything other than to increase profit.

 

[PopcornNMore]

Question:

If I dropped my HD channels and not pay any HD enabling fees would I still get my HD local channels?

 

[RandallA]

Question:

If I dropped my HD channels and not pay any HD enabling fees would I still get my HD local channels?

A couple of years ago when I dropped my HD package, I was still getting my locals HD channels. I think I had a 811 at that time and this HD enabling fee didn't exist.

 

[Carl B]

Doesn't D* only charge a single $5 monthly fee for all DVRs on the account? That would be advantage D*, if so. DVR fees have nothing to do with anything other than to increase profit.

DirecTV and Dish charge a DVR fee for the first HD-DVR added to the subscriber's package as does Comcast cable. Dish could get a big marketing advantage with potential new subsribers and retention of many existing subscribers if they didn't have an HD-DVR fee for the first HD-DVR just like they don't have a receiver rental fee for the first HD receiver if one subscribes to a programming package. Not charging a DVR fee for additional DVRs affects a very small market segment and I don't think it drives much business DirecTV's way.

 

[DSpud]

I dropped my HD package a few months back, actually I went with the $15 dollar a month package. I forget what its called. But I still got my locals and free preview channels (i think) in HD. I end up paying $27 or so a month I believe right now. With the enabling and DVR fee.

 

[substur]

I have the AE package with HD, I am thinking of dropping the HD to save some money. My question is will I still get the HD channels that I get with the AE package - the HD only channels ?

 

[Vitruvius]

Ok, The reason for the elimination of this fee is because it is the law set down by the US governement. All television providers, such as cable and satellite, must provide all the local OTA signals. Since everything is moving to digital this includes the HD OTA signals. Try calling up your service providers and ask for the money back for the past months.

 

[MikeD-C05]

Ok, The reason for the elimination of this fee is because it is the law set down by the US governement. All television providers, such as cable and satellite, must provide all the local OTA signals. Since everything is moving to digital this includes the HD OTA signals. Try calling up your service providers and ask for the money back for the past months.

Okay, if that is true why can't we get our locals for free too?

 

[lakebum431]

Ok, The reason for the elimination of this fee is because it is the law set down by the US governement. All television providers, such as cable and satellite, must provide all the local OTA signals. Since everything is moving to digital this includes the HD OTA signals. Try calling up your service providers and ask for the money back for the past months.

source please? I think you are confused.

 

[kb7oeb]

I have the AE package with HD, I am thinking of dropping the HD to save some money. My question is will I still get the HD channels that I get with the AE package - the HD only channels ?

You won't get any HD channels

 

[Slamminc11]

Ok, The reason for the elimination of this fee is because it is the law set down by the US governement. All television providers, such as cable and satellite, must provide all the local OTA signals. Since everything is moving to digital this includes the HD OTA signals. Try calling up your service providers and ask for the money back for the past months.

I call bullsh*t!

 

[navychop]

Anyone ever consider that maybe DirecTV will change their pricing structure to move to a "per DVR" fee model?

Might be more likely than Dish moving to a single DVR fee.

I doubt that either will happen in the next couple of years.


BTW, I do believe there is a law or regulation requiring the carriage of all significantly viewed OTA locals, but full implementation is years off. And maybe it only applies under "must carry" so locals cannot extort any fee from carriers.