Do you normally give a free preview when locals become avail
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I have not heard of Dish giving a free preview of locals when they start providing them to an area but I have heard that Directv does do it.
Here in Memphis they ARE providing a free preview. I don't know how long it will last but I have already subscribed and am waiting on the second dish to get installed.
They must be very busy here, in the past when I have ordered a new receiver they usually come out within the week, but when I called to have them install my new dish it is going to take over two weeks!! That's a great sign.
They must be very busy here, in the past when I have ordered a new receiver they usually come out within the week, but when I called to have them install my new dish it is going to take over two weeks!! That's a great sign.
I think it would be a good idea for Dish to give a free preview of local channels, but a bad idea to overcompress those local channels. Wouldn't you think that customers would be a bit more upset to have purchased the locals THEN find out how overcompressed they are and maybe cancelling the package vs. seeing it in preview mode?
Maybe if they did not preview those channels then the customers would be more likely to order them in a sense since they would not know how bad they were and not cancel after ordering but in another sense they would not get as many people to order them if they did not preview them to get more people aware of those local channels.
Besides, its going to be a bit harder to get a free preview of the locals to people when they do not have a SuperDish if they preview those channels on 105. They should offer a free preview on 110 or 119 like they give other free previews of movie packages and top150, taking turns with different DMA's having one or two at a time, whatever the free space allows them to do. Once the free preview is over they could be given the option to get the SuperDish. Customers would then wonder why they would have to get the SuperDish if they got the channels on the free preview without needing the SuperDish.
Maybe if they did not preview those channels then the customers would be more likely to order them in a sense since they would not know how bad they were and not cancel after ordering but in another sense they would not get as many people to order them if they did not preview them to get more people aware of those local channels.
Besides, its going to be a bit harder to get a free preview of the locals to people when they do not have a SuperDish if they preview those channels on 105. They should offer a free preview on 110 or 119 like they give other free previews of movie packages and top150, taking turns with different DMA's having one or two at a time, whatever the free space allows them to do. Once the free preview is over they could be given the option to get the SuperDish. Customers would then wonder why they would have to get the SuperDish if they got the channels on the free preview without needing the SuperDish.
I can tell a difference between the locals on satellite and how they look on cable, but I can tell you they look 20 times better than rabbit ears. It is worth the $6 for me to look at them compressed. That's probably how most of their subscribers feel who can't get locals.
I had locals (Tulsa) for less than a month when they became available. Terribly compressed. If they had had a free preview I would not have gotten them. Locals via OTA 100x better.
That said, the subscription to locals got me a 2nd dish (must carry) and a 64 switch. The second dish pointed at 148 and now used for HD.
That said, the subscription to locals got me a 2nd dish (must carry) and a 64 switch. The second dish pointed at 148 and now used for HD.
I think it is a good idea to offer a free previews on locals along with a marketing blitz. Locals help sell systems and give subscribers another option besides cable and OTA.
When DISH put up our locals (Cincinnati in Sept. 2000) they did not offer a free preview nor did they do a very good job of marketing them. On the other hand, DirecTV (who put up the Cincinnati locals the same month) DID offer a free preview (over three months) along with monthly reminder cards about the locals along with a TV and Newspaper ad blitz about them. My guess is that DirecTV sold a lot more systems in our area just because they did a good job of letting people know about them and letting them see them for free for several months.
When DISH put up our locals (Cincinnati in Sept. 2000) they did not offer a free preview nor did they do a very good job of marketing them. On the other hand, DirecTV (who put up the Cincinnati locals the same month) DID offer a free preview (over three months) along with monthly reminder cards about the locals along with a TV and Newspaper ad blitz about them. My guess is that DirecTV sold a lot more systems in our area just because they did a good job of letting people know about them and letting them see them for free for several months.
Dish went crazy here on the 2nd when locals became avaliable. I woke up and my locals were in free preview mode, they took out a 1 page ad in the paper, and they are a new sponser of one of the Sports Radio shows around here. I was very impressed, and like I stated above I called that afternoon to get the second dish installed and it is going to be Oct. 25!! So I am guessing they are making a move here in Memphis. TimeWarner cable is the local provider here and tons of people are leaving because of bad customer service issues and now Dish and Direct offer locals. So the competition may really hurt cable around here.
Here is a story if you are interested.
http://www.gomemphis.com/mca/business/article/0,1426,MCA_440_2257688,00.html
Here is a story if you are interested.
http://www.gomemphis.com/mca/business/article/0,1426,MCA_440_2257688,00.html
For the thread starter: It appears that Yakima will have a free preview. The channels were released to the Subscriber control system yesterday. I guess Thursday will be the day they are available. Check to see if channel 125 shows up from 110 around that time. 
Free previews won't mean much for those that have no dish (yet, at 105) to receive them.
Hopefully some retailer will get the superdish and the locals so that I can compare the locals to the other Dish channels (that I am already familiar with their quality), or I'll have to order the locals package on 'blind faith' that the picture quality will be acceptable.
Hopefully some retailer will get the superdish and the locals so that I can compare the locals to the other Dish channels (that I am already familiar with their quality), or I'll have to order the locals package on 'blind faith' that the picture quality will be acceptable.
Exactly video62, it pretty well defeats the purpose of giving a free preview to people to encourage them to upgrade to SuperDish when they dont have the dish to begin with if they put the previews up at 105 and I am sure most people will not have a SuperDish when they start those free previews because they will have had no need to have the SuperDish previously.
Yea, it's a shame they can't figure out a way to simultaneously put them at (say) 105 (their new home) *AND* on 119 or 110 - that way, you could see them for a little while... when the free preview is over, do one of two things:
1) For a while, leave a 'message screen' kind of thing (from 110/119) saying 'this free preview of XYZ locals is now over, contact us to subscribe, blah blah blah
2) Just delete them from 110 / 119 entirely.
I'm sure there's some reason why this isn't done (no xponder space on 110 or 119?), but if the channel numbering is a problem then just put these 'previews on the wrong bird' channels on some funny high-up numbers instead of the numbers where they would go.
1) For a while, leave a 'message screen' kind of thing (from 110/119) saying 'this free preview of XYZ locals is now over, contact us to subscribe, blah blah blah
2) Just delete them from 110 / 119 entirely.
I'm sure there's some reason why this isn't done (no xponder space on 110 or 119?), but if the channel numbering is a problem then just put these 'previews on the wrong bird' channels on some funny high-up numbers instead of the numbers where they would go.
I think it would be a good idea for Dish to give a free preview of local channels, but a bad idea to overcompress those local channels. Wouldn't you think that customers would be a bit more upset to have purchased the locals THEN find out how overcompressed they are and maybe cancelling the package vs. seeing it in preview mode?
I hear ya!!! I subscribed to the Harrisburg Locals as soon as they were made available, watched them for 3 or 4 days, then called to cancel them. AMAZINGLY PIXELATED (plus they were still missing two affiliates at that time). It was actually the first time I had to tell a Dish CSR I was disatisfied with the service. They charged me for only the days I used, and no upgrade or downgrade fees. Are all the locals majorly compressed??
I hear ya!!! I subscribed to the Harrisburg Locals as soon as they were made available, watched them for 3 or 4 days, then called to cancel them. AMAZINGLY PIXELATED (plus they were still missing two affiliates at that time). It was actually the first time I had to tell a Dish CSR I was disatisfied with the service. They charged me for only the days I used, and no upgrade or downgrade fees. Are all the locals majorly compressed??
Will they actually be able to compress the locals this bad at 105, and if so will there really be a need to with all this new space they will have at those slots?
