Dish-Well, no new HD, see ya

[Bruce]

Well, I just signed with Comcast, for the next six months I will get every channel SD and HD they have ( All networks except UPN and WB, but I still have my Samy-165 for that, HBO, Showtime, Max, Starz, ESPN, Discovery and InHD 1 & 2), one HD Box, one HD-DVR Box, Broadband ( which I already have ) and Comcast Phone Service all for $120.00 a month for six months (yes I know it will jump up after that).

I have been with E*since 1999 dealing with POS STB units ( the 6000 was the worst, but I do like the 811 ) and their empty promises about more HD Channels, but they just do not seem to get it, the letter they sent to the FCC about downgrading HD locals just shows the future is not with them as far as HD channels go.

If Voom had a DVR and my local RSN I would have switched to them.

So I will give up on the DBS life for now ( I can't believe I am going back to Cable, I been using DBS since 97-D* 1997-middle of 99, the E* til now) check out DBS again in six months-
D* (more national HD channels that are not HD-Lite and lease options for a HD-DVR),
E* (also more HD channels and lease options for a HD-DVR)
V* ( also DVR but they need certain SD channels, my local RSN is the main channel for me)

I will miss the HD-Nets channels, I really liked supporting channels where the owner of them put up his own cash to create and operate them in the right way (OAR for HD-Net movies is a big thing to me).

 

[ocaddict]

E* just bought voom. Sianara Sucker!!

 

[BFG]

Well, they didn't buy voom, just their satellite that they are using to provide service (that still needs to be approved by regulatory committees)

But same sentiments either way.

 

[Bruce]

E* just bought voom. Sianara Sucker!!

Why am I a sucker, do you think I wanted to leave, no, if E* would add more HD and a good lease plan for a HD-DVR ( who the h*ll wants to pay $250.00 just so you have the right to lease a HD-DVR-the 942, please ), if E* just had more HD, I would not even care about the DVR, because I was happy with them, this is what I am getting for a $120.00 including 4mps broadband and Comcast Phone service, a HD Digital Box and a HD-DVR Duel Tuner Box, now who's a sucker.

ON DEMAND Menu
2 WJBK-2 (FOX)
3 C-SPAN 2
4 WDIV-4 (NBC)
5 HBO
6 WTVS-56 (PBS)
7 WXYZ-7 (ABC)
8 Comcast Local
9 ESPN
10 QVC
11 WPXD-31 (PAX)
12 Government Access
13 WKBD-50 (UPN)
14 WWJ-62 (CBS)
15 GSN
16 Leased Access
17 EWTN 6am-6pm / Inspirational Network 6pm-6am (effective 5-4-04)
18 Public Access
19 Educational Access
20 WDWB-20 (WB)
22 Cinemax
23 WADL-38 (IND)
24 WGTE-30 (PBS)
25 Comcast Television/MGTV
26 WGN Chicago
27 HSN
28 C-SPAN
29 TBS
30 The Weather Channel
31 TNT
32 Fox Sports Network
33 Speed Channel
34 The Learning Channel
35 ESPN Classic
36 ESPN 2
37 CNN
38 Headline News
39 CNBC
40 Fox News
41 MSNBC
42 The Discovery Channel
43 The History Channel
44 Bravo
45 A&E
46 American Movie Classics
47 The Travel Channel
48 Home & Garden TV
49 Food Network
50 fX
51 USA Network
52 Lifetime
53 ABC Family
54 SCI FI
55 Comedy Central
56 E! Entertainment TV
57 The Disney Channel
58 Cartoon Network
59 Nickelodeon
60 Spike TV
61 Great American Country
62 BET
63 VH1
64 MTV
65 Animal Planet
66 Turner Classic Movies
67 G4TechTV
68 SoapNet
70 Style
71 TV Land
72 The Golf Channel
73 Court TV
74 Outdoor Life
76 Showtime
77 The Movie Channel
95 TV Guide Channel
99 CBET-9 (CBC)
101 Local Weather
102 ESPNews
105 C-SPAN 3
109 National Geographic
110 Science Channel
111 Discovery Times Channel
112 Discovery Wings
113 Discovery Home
114 BBC America
115 Biography
116 History International
117 Women's Entertainment
119 Oxygen
120 SoapNet
121 DIY Do It Yourself
122 Fine Living
126 Discovery Health
126 Discovery Health
129 Nick Toons
130 Discovery Kids
131 Noggin
132 Nick Too
133 Nick Games & Sports
134 WAM!
135 Toon Disney
136 Disney Channel East
138 G4techTV
139 MTV Hits
140 MTV2
141 MTV Español
142 MTV Jams
143 VH-1 Classic
144 VH-1 Soul
145 VH-1 Country
148 fXM
149 Independent Film Channel
150 Encore East
151 Encore West
152 Encore Action East
153 Encore Action West
154 Encore Mystery East
155 Encore Mystery West
156 Encore Love Stories East
157 Encore Love Stories West
158 Encore True Stories East
159 Encore True Stories West
160 Encore Westerns East
161 Encore Westerns West
163 TV One
165 Sundance Channel East
166 Sundance Channel West
168 NFL
170 Flix East
171 Flix West
172 Discovery HD Theater^-HD
173 ESPN^-HD
174 INDHD^-HD
175 INDHD2^-HD
178 Showtime*-HD
179 HBO*-HD
180 WXYZ ABC-HD
181 WDIV NBC-HD
182 WWJ CBS-HD
183 WJBK FOX-HD
187 Hallmark Channel
190 - 191 WTVS PBS-HD
195 - 319 Cinemax*-HD
196 - 369 Starz!*-HD
200 Comcast iNDEMAND Previews
201 - 202 Comcast iNDEMAND
206 Hot Choice
224 - 231 Comcast iNDEMAND
224 - 230 Comcast iNDEMAND/NASCAR
250 Playboy
251 Spice
252 Spice 2
253 Pleasure
254 Hot Network
262 Fox Sports Net Atlantic
263 Fox Sports Net Central
264 Fox Sports Net Pacific
267 Fox Sports Net World
268 GOL
273 NBA TV
275 NFL Network
280 ShopNBC
281 Home Preview
290 The Word Network
301 HBO East
302 HBO 2 East
303 HBO Signature East
304 HBO Family East
305 HBO Comedy East
306 HBO West
307 HBO 2 West
308 HBO Signature West
309 HBO Family West
310 HBO Zone East
311 HBO Latino East
312 HBO Latino West
320 Cinemax East
321 More Max East
322 Cinemax West
323 More Max West
324 Action Max East
325 Thriller Max East
326 Action Max West
327 WMAX East
328 @MAX East
329 5 Star Max East
330 Outer Max East
340 Showtime East
341 Showtime Too East
342 Showtime Showcase East
343 Showtime West
344 Showtime Too West
345 Showtime Showcase West
346 Showtime Beyond East
347 Showtime Extreme East
348 Showtime Extreme West
349 Showtime Beyond West
350 The Movie Channel East
351 The Movie Channel West
352 The Movie Channel XTRA East
353 The Movie Channel XTRA West
370 Starz! East
371 Starz! Theatre East
372 Black Starz! East
373 Starz! West
374 Starz! Family
375 Starz! Cinema East
376 Starz! Cinema West
377 Starz! Kids

And this is a little old, all the analog SD channels are now in the digital spectrum like 2 WJBK-2 (FOX) analog is also-502 WJBK-2 (FOX) Digital.
My area's Comcast is trying to clear the analog spectrum.

 

[BFG]

Well you lost HDNet, HDNet Movies, and TNT so have fun.

 

[Bruce]

Well you lost HDNet, HDNet Movies, and TNT so have fun.

I will miss HDNet, HDNet Movies, not TNT, but gained InHD 1 and 2, and Starz-HD and MaxHD and a HD-DVR and one hell of a price.


Now I know how the "Voomers" feel when they post their threads about leaving and then get flamed by the other "Voomers".

 

[joeylberry]

Hey you are crazy

Did you forget about the polish channels they added DN rocks!
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(wtf)

 

[old corps]

"Sucker???"

I for one think you're far from a sucker. I can tell from your station listing that you're in the Detroit area. I'm up near Saginaw & Charter is the cable co. Between my Dish bill, DSL & phone bill I figure I'm spending $175-$185 @mo., and don't have anything like what you're getting for programming. Have the 120 pkg., HD pkg. & HBO--921 & 311. If I could have got what you did from Comcast I woulda been long gone & I've been w/E* since '97. Good luck & enjoy your cable!
ED

 

[Bruce]

I for one think you're far from a sucker. I can tell from your station listing that you're in the Detroit area. I'm up near Saginaw & Charter is the cable co. Between my Dish bill, DSL & phone bill I figure I'm spending $175-$185 @mo., and don't have anything like what you're getting for programming. Have the 120 pkg., HD pkg. & HBO--921 & 311. If I could have got what you did from Comcast I woulda been long gone & I've been w/E* since '97. Good luck & enjoy your cable!
ED

Thanks, but I do not what to enjoy ( I think I will ) my cable, I was never so happy as when I dumped cable back in 97 ( as far as TV goes ), but E* needs to get their butt into gear, they are adding channels after channels of international stations, but no HD, if you want a international channel, great, but add some HD also, if they had more HD and it cost more, I still never would have considered Comcast, would not of even looked at it, I was happy, E* made me unhappy.

 

[BFG]

I honestly don't think there's much HD to be carried. Aside from Universal HD, and having the HD games on ESPN2HD available, I think Dish carries everything HD that is compelling to me. I agree with their stance of preserving what HD they have and not compressing junk just to add stuff that's HD like D* is. Those premium movie channels are a laugh to me. Starz for one plays way more upconverts than actual HD. For me a bunch of HD channels of just movies playing isn't that exciting.

 

[bytre]

I wish I could be a sucker like you. My local Adelphia offers me HBO, Showtime, and four locals in HD.

 

[mboy]

ha, I am a sucker too. I am dumping Dish and going back to cable this week.

I figured it out, CHARLIE is BFG on the board.

Oh, OCADDICT is the "sucka", you gettin less HD

Stick with Dish, pay more, to get less!

 

[wmhjr]

What about the networks? Preserving "what HD they have" and "not compressing junk"? I don't think he's making a mistake. Unfortunately for him, I get everything (yes- everything) that Dish offers in HD, plus the premiums in HD, plus the networks, and that also means both HDNet and InHD.

Shows like Lost, for example, are awesome in HD. DD5.1, the works. Maybe that's not your taste, but compelling? Why do you even have cable then?

Who's the sucker now?

However, I do agree that StarzHD doesn't do much for me. LOTS of upconverting.

I honestly don't think there's much HD to be carried. Aside from Universal HD, and having the HD games on ESPN2HD available, I think Dish carries everything HD that is compelling to me. I agree with their stance of preserving what HD they have and not compressing junk just to add stuff that's HD like D* is. Those premium movie channels are a laugh to me. Starz for one plays way more upconverts than actual HD. For me a bunch of HD channels of just movies playing isn't that exciting.

 

[NightRyder]

I honestly don't think there's much HD to be carried. Aside from Universal HD, and having the HD games on ESPN2HD available, I think Dish carries everything HD that is compelling to me. I agree with their stance of preserving what HD they have and not compressing junk just to add stuff that's HD like D* is. Those premium movie channels are a laugh to me. Starz for one plays way more upconverts than actual HD. For me a bunch of HD channels of just movies playing isn't that exciting.

Completely agree. Besides Universal HD I see nothing out there right now. I would love to have the networks in HD, but even if Dish added them I don't live in an O&O area so for me they would be worthless. I'm waiting a couple of months to see if Star Choice comes out with their HD-DVR, if so I will add them to supplement my E* service.


NightRyder

 

[Bruce]

Ok, lets break it down, I placed my answers in bold:

I honestly don't think there's much HD to be carried. ( For E*-Universal HD, ESPN 2, Max, TMC, Starz, Encore, InHD 1 and 2, networks for those who can't get them) Aside from Universal HD, and having the HD games on ESPN2HD available, I think Dish carries everything HD that is compelling to me.( For you, fine, I want something more for my buck ) I agree with their stance of preserving ( Comcast here is full bit-rate, so said Ken H at AVS, he also lives in the Metro Detroit Area ) what HD they have and not compressing junk just to add stuff that's HD like D* is.( They-E*- just sent that letter to the FCC about the right to down-convert Locals in HD, who is not thinking about it? ) Those premium movie channels are a laugh to me. Starz for one plays way more upconverts than actual HD. ( And TNT-HD to me, is even a bigger joke for their stretch-o-vision, my Toshiba does a lot better stretch ) For me a bunch of HD channels of just movies playing isn't that exciting. ( For you, but it is not just movie channels I am getting, with InHD I still will get the NBA TV games in HD that are on E*, and plus, MLB in HD)

And I keep thinking you are forgeting about the biggest plus, the dual tuner HD-DVR, who the h*ll wants to pay E* $250.00 just for the right to rent one of these ( 942 ) and then pay a monthly fee on top of it, if my install goes ok tomorrow, then I can watch Smallville in HD OTA ( I still have my Samsung 165 OTA STB ) while recording Lost in HD, then watch Alias in HD and I can view Lost whenever I want.

 

[NightRyder]

You know there is really no need for animosity here.

Bruce - Sounds like you have made a wise choice given all the options available to you. I hope you enjoy your new service.

BFG - As I stated earlier I agree with you about the lack of quality HD channels currently available. I also agree that I would rather see E* hold off on adding HD if they can't maintain the quality. If E* loses some HD subscribers short term, so be it.

E* - Please don't follow D* lead with regard to over-compressed crap HD. If you don't have the bandwidth, don't add it!


NightRyder

 

[fenwah]

You know there is really no need for animosity here.

Bruce - Sounds like you have made a wise choice given all the options available to you. I hope you enjoy your new service.

BFG - As I stated earlier I agree with you about the lack of quality HD channels currently available. I also agree that I would rather see E* hold off on adding HD if they can't maintain the quality. If E* loses some HD subscribers short term, so be it.

E* - Please don't follow D* lead with regard to over-compressed crap HD. If you don't have the bandwidth, don't add it!


NightRyder

I agree...but give me a HD-DVR where I can lease it for $5-10/month instead of having to plunk down $250 just for the rights to lease it.

 

[Cyclone]

I haven't heard Dish Promise more HD in a very long time. In fact, they usually put the "HD isn't that important right now" spin on HD requests. The last I remember, Dish said that original SuperDish plan would be capable of 50 HD channels, but they didn't go as far as to say that they would have 50 channels on there. (of course it all fell apart techically when they found out AMC-2 couldn't do conus from 105). So I don't see anything about "Dish's empty promises of more HD programming", they just don't seem to promise it all. Charlie is quite elusive on that one.

But, if you really want HDNet, HDNet Movies, & TNT-HD, you can keep the Dish HD Pak active with the $5/mo service fee. So for $15/mo you get all of the HD Pack channels and I guess you'd also get the OTA channels still on your 811. I don't know if thats worth it to you, but it just should be mentioned.

 

[jbcheshire]

Do you also have to subscribe to their minimum AT60 package to get the HD package?

 

[BFG]

no. but you can only get the hd pack by itself if you own your equipment.