DVR Fees - Will they continue forever?

[Bob Haller]

Dishnetwork may reconsider their fees if DirecTV makes a big deal out of fees. They should say "Sure Dish claims they have the lowest TV Package prices, but they have the highest FEES in the industry."

This is coming from a Dish customer who thinks high fees shouldn't be the norm.

Local D advertisement highlighted Es high exra receiver fees

I asked a local store that sells both E & D, they said they dont even mention E to people who need multi receivers.......

hey E do you really want to limit your target customers???

 

[whatchel1]

Echo

Local D advertisement highlighted Es high exra receiver fees

I asked a local store that sells both E & D, they said they dont even mention E to people who need multi receivers.......

hey E do you really want to limit your target customers???

Haven't I heard this BeforeBeforebefore. Oh yeah it was you Bob. Must be an Echo on this forum.

 

[ohioankev]

Keep in mind that I'm speculating but I wonder how many customers use a dual tuner/sd dvr as a secondary receiver. I was thinking essentially that everyone is being charged more to offset costs of increased production of HD capable receivers with and without DVR as more people add HD to their homes and the looming TiVo situation. I'm not saying this is the reason but it would be smart for DISH to have a warehouse full of equipment to sell to new customers, and to upgrade current customers if something drastic happens.

I'm not supporting the fees as a consumer I hate paying $17 in equipment fees for a 625 that I own.

 

[topcat5]

Well, I think the simple reason they are charging the fees is simply because they can. There are no really any effective alternatives if you want a DVR on Dish. It's also the same on Directv and Uverse. (unless a manufacture like Tivo works directly with the manufacturer to come out with a one off device)

The FCC is studying a proposal to force all the providers (Cable & Satellite) into providing a gateway device where the customer is then free to purchase their own set top boxes, DVRs and PC cards, that can talk to it. This is coming in part because the cable companies have botched up the Cablecard mandate in law that tried to do this. In order to provide HD on systems that are out of bandwidth, cable went to switched digital video, which essentially broke most Cablecard devices including Tivo, Moxi, DVRs. The few fixes are not pretty. Ironically the best Cablecard provider out there now is Verizon FIOS.

So there is a lot of complaining at the FCC who is looking to do something about it. Whatever they decide it's going to be a few years. I think all of them, including Dish, risk losing a lot customers to the internet if these fees keep rising.

 

[jsq]

Haven't I heard this BeforeBeforebefore. Oh yeah it was you Bob. Must be an Echo on this forum.

LOL, this guy needs to go find a comcast and tivo forum, I think everyone on here gets that he was fed up with E*, and no longer likes them. Did you know Bob loves his comcast and tivo, and he is saving a boat load of money.

 

[whatchel1]

Hope so

Well, I think the simple reason they are charging the fees is simply because they can. There are no really any effective alternatives if you want a DVR on Dish. It's also the same on Directv and Uverse. (unless a manufacture like Tivo works directly with the manufacturer to come out with a one off device)

The FCC is studying a proposal to force all the providers (Cable & Satellite) into providing a gateway device where the customer is then free to purchase their own set top boxes, DVRs and PC cards, that can talk to it. This is coming in part because the cable companies have botched up the Cablecard mandate in law that tried to do this. In order to provide HD on systems that are out of bandwidth, cable went to switched digital video, which essentially broke most Cablecard devices including Tivo, Moxi, DVRs. The few fixes are not pretty. Ironically the best Cablecard provider out there now is Verizon FIOS.

So there is a lot of complaining at the FCC who is looking to do something about it. Whatever they decide it's going to be a few years. I think all of them, including Dish, risk losing a lot customers to the internet if these fees keep rising.

I really hope something good comes out of this.

 

[whatchel1]

Yep

LOL, this guy needs to go find a comcast and tivo forum, I think everyone on here gets that he was fed up with E*, and no longer likes them. Did you know Bob loves his comcast and tivo, and he is saving a boat load of money.

That is why I make the jokes on / with Bob's help.

 

[ronfelder]

I have a PURCHASED 922 and a 722. Because I have these two receivers, I pay (like everyone) $27 a month for the privilege of using them.

To me, this is totally ridiculous. I've had every Dish DVR from the time they were released and never had to pay these stupid fees, now I'm getting hammered. By monthly bill is $170 a month and that's too much. After having Dish since the days of the 4000/5000 and every improvement along the way, I am seriously thinking of going back to cable.

Before I do, has there been any talk of these fees being revoked or reduced? It just seems outrageous that they can charge me over $300 a year to use boxes that I own. It's one thing to charge a "service fee" for something as a way to generate revenue, it's another thing to charge an exorbitant fee that is an insult to the customer.

I know you're all in the same boat, but has there been an uprising of sorts against these fees, or is everyone just smiling and paying the fee?

Thanks

I have a dvr ,model 722k. I've had a dvr since '03 with the 510. I use it quite often and love using it. But I only have one.

Now my question is this. Since you don't like all the dvr fees for all the dvr's you might I ask why one needs more than one dvr? One certainly satisfies my needs. What type of recording do all you guys do that yu need more than one dvr?

thanks.

Ron

 

[lparsons21]

I have a dvr ,model 722k. I've had a dvr since '03 with the 510. I use it quite often and love using it. But I only have one.

Now my question is this. Since you don't like all the dvr fees for all the dvr's you might I ask why one needs more than one dvr? One certainly satisfies my needs. What type of recording do all you guys do that yu need more than one dvr?

thanks.

Ron

For me, it is simple. My adult son and I watch totally different things. So I have my 722k and he has a 612. That way he doesn't clutter up my 722k with the junk he watches.

 

[Bob Haller]

let me answer that, first i dont like live tv, too many disturbances, dogs barking, horns blaring, people asking questions phone ringing etc. i love being able to run it back and watch listen to it again

now when jen was around she demanded her own receiver.. i am a neat freak deleting old stuff, she prefered to fill the hard drive and let the old stuff just sit there. she had a thing for cooking shows, but rarely cooked. she put in over 75 timers once and crashed a 721.

so it was better we each had our own 722, which were kept in single mode on the primary tv, and a 625 for kitchen bedroom, shop etc. for awhile i had a feed to my shed and used it as a shop.

This kinda carried over to my roomate, it was just easier, and from time to time me and jen had house guests once they stayed 8 months.... at the time they had no where else to go.....

so 3 receivers were fine at 5 bucks or 7 bucks each but were insane at $17 each

DVR is like getting a infection it spreads...

My roomate has asked when I am getting her a TIVO too....

She liked having her own box....

For now its my tivo and a comcast digital box with on demand, plus netflix on tivo.....

 

[ronfelder]

For me, it is simple. My adult son and I watch totally different things. So I have my 722k and he has a 612. That way he doesn't clutter up my 722k with the junk he watches.

Well for not wanting him to clutter your drive with his 'stuff" you're paying the penalty of an extra dvr fee. Perhaps you should just add an ehd to your unit and put his stuff there if it's that important to keep things seperate. there is an ehd activation fee but it's a one time fee. the other choice is for him to pay what fees are created by him and you pay the balance. personally it doesn't matter to me what's on the drive just i'd just choose what's mine and my duaghter would choose hers.

ron

 

[lparsons21]

That wouldn't work as much of his stuff is on at the same time as my stuff, and he watches in HD in his room. For $10/month he gets his own HD DVR.

 

[ronfelder]

That wouldn't work as much of his stuff is on at the same time as my stuff, and he watches in HD in his room. For $10/month he gets his own HD DVR.

Well then i hate to say this you're going to have to pay the piper or leave Dish. No way around that but those two choices.
Ron

 

[lparsons21]

Well then i hate to say this you're going to have to pay the piper or leave Dish. No way around that but those two choices.
Ron

Why do you hate to say that? I wasn't complaining and I went into getting a second DVR with both eyes open. That said, I thought $17/month for the 625 I used to have was just short of hiway robbery.

But after Dish swinging me over to the EA and replacing the 625 with a 612, my bill went down and my son now has HD. I'm happy, he's happy, Charlie is happy!

 

[ronfelder]

Why do you hate to say that? I wasn't complaining and I went into getting a second DVR with both eyes open. That said, I thought $17/month for the 625 I used to have was just short of hiway robbery.

But after Dish swinging me over to the EA and replacing the 625 with a 612, my bill went down and my son now has HD. I'm happy, he's happy, Charlie is happy!

Well until your last sentence it sounded like you were complaining. complaing that your billwas to high with the multi dvr lease fees.

glad you are happy now.

 

[lparsons21]

The bill is too high, but still cheaper than any other provider that has the channels I want in HD. The 'lease' fees are too high too. So yes, I'm irritated that the bill is as high as it is, but I'm also happy that it is lower than it would be with anyone else for the same channels.

Sorry you thought I was complaining, you must read too much of the 'Bob twins' stuff!

 

[empiretc]

it just doesn't make sense that they still charge the fees to people who own the boxes. the dvr capability is a function of the box, not a service they provide.

as they start adding more online content, they will eventually have a leg to stand on about the dvr fee, but still no justification to charge the lease fee on owned receivers.