HBO price increase > $14.99 /mo Feb 1st

[Sarang]

My issue with Cinemax. Well it's not a bad channel, better than TMC and Encore but it is at least a 1.5st tier channel so I don't know why it shouldn't get a special price with HBO, see SERIOUSLY minimal price increase. I mean TMC is packed in with Showtime and one Encore is included with Starz and even Encore by itself is like $5 for all the theme packages granted none of these channels have some first run movies like Cinemax.
Sorry Tony just to my knowledge cuss words were fine granted in some of these posts I have been more liberal with em'. I figured they were cool when I made a post or two with one of the two words in it.

 

[David_Levin]

So, is that HBO raising prices just before Sopranos restarts?

Can HBO raise prices anytime they want or is there a long term contract with Dish? Are they hitting Direct and Cable too?

 

[BFG]

is everyone else raising the price of HBO, or is it dish just keeping more of a profit from the popularity of HBO?

 

[SatinKzo]

I believe Charter and Comcast in my area are raising all premium movie prices, but I can't be sure as the pricing pretty much changes by county it seems.
Also, it is sometimes impossible to get hard numbers on the individual packages from the websites and the local CSR's will dodge the question more times than not.

 

[way2rude4u]

So let me ask this question....If I have the AEP will I be getting Playboy as well in this increase? Or will it still be an ALA carte channel?

 

[Stargazer]

That is a good queston. I am guessing that we will not see Playboy in AEP but if that is the case then you can get it for $7 more since you would already have four movie packages.

 

[way2rude4u]

See now for only $7 more a month I would get that. It is a lot better than the current rate, or getting into the TEN X programming which is much more ala carte. But for only a few dollars it would be worth it to me. Any more information would be appreciated on this.

 

[Stargazer]

Playboy is not near as good as TEN or Extasy though so you get what you pay for.

 

[Peter Parker]

Maybe they'll throw us a bone and add Zone on the 1st. They seem to be adding a lot of things on Feb 1.

Like what?

 

[Peter Parker]

So much for the rumors of an HBO/Starz/Cinemax pick two for $20.00

 

[Stargazer]

You can pick two for $20 and it is not a rumor. You have to have AT120 to get two for $20 and Showtime is excluded from the deal though. Read my first post in this thread.

 

[jcrandall]

Why exclude Showtime. I would be happy to pay $20 for HBO and showtime. I really am not too familiar with the other premiums, but HBO/Show are very good together.

 

[SatinKzo]

Why exclude Showtime. I would be happy to pay $20 for HBO and showtime. I really am not too familiar with the other premiums, but HBO/Show are very good together.

Like peanut butter and chocolate right? Dish knows people would like to bundle those two together. Especially as they are the only HD premiums on Dish. That is my theory anyways.

 

[way2rude4u]

Playboy is not near as good as TEN or Extasy though so you get what you pay for.

No I TOTALLY agree with you there, no comparison between the playboy and TEN or Extasy. But the playboy channel would be easier to get for $7 than it would be to add the Extasy channel for quite a bit more. Plus there is the issue of the woman being more accepting of the playboy channel than the Extasy channel.

 

[rtt2]

You know I would not have such a problem with the price increase if there was more content. However we are getting screwed as customers.
Take the missing channels of Cinemax:

ThrillerMAX
WMAX
@MAX
Outer MAX

That is four missing channels that digital cable provides. Not to mention Digital cable gives most of the west coast feeds as well.
Even in Showtime package 3 channels are missing like:

Showtime Next
Showtime Family Zone
Showtime Family Zone

Don't forget depending on the particular cable company; you may have access to the ondemand suite of these channels at no additional charge.

If price is increasing, we should have access to equal amount of channels of digital cable customers.

 

[SatinKzo]

rtt2,

Digital cable varies wildly across the country. Charter in my area offers the following movies channels: (notice only 2 west feeds)
(sorry, these are quick cut/pastes from the websites according to what is in my area)
HBO-East
HBO-West
HBO Family-East
HBO 2-East
HBO Signature-East
HBO Latino-East
Cinemax-East
More Max-East
Action Max-East
Cinemax-West
Showtime-East
Showtime Too-East
Showtime Showcase-East
Showtime Extreme-East
Showtime Beyond-East
The Movie Channel-East
TMC Xtra-East
FLIX-E
LOGO
Starz-East
Starz in Black-East
Starz Kids and Family-East
Starz Cinema-East
Encore-East
Encore Westerns-East
Encore Mystery-East
Encore Action-East
Encore Love-East
Encore Drama-East

This is for more than I pay for Dish. Also, the only HD feeds are HBO and Cinemax. Oh yes, even if you have the HD service, the HD premiuns are extra also, they are not included with the movie packs if you have HD services.

Edit:
I just took a look at the comcast offerings in my area (not available to me, but next township) and their offerings are worse for over $100/month for their best package and no hd channels at all (Again notice no west coast feeds)

HBO: (HBO, HBO2, HBO Family, HBO Comedy, HBO Signature, HBO Zone)
Showtime: (Showtime, Showtime Too, Showtime Showcase, Showtime Beyond, Showtime Extreme)
Starz!: (Starz!, Starz Theater, Black Starz, Starz! Family, Starz! Cinema)
Cinemax: (Cinemax, MoreMAX, ActionMAX, ThrillerMAX, WMAX, @MAX, 5 StarMAX, OuterMAX)
The Movie Channel: (The Movie Channel, TMC Xtra)

The only major draw for these two systems is each movie channel did have an on-demand channel.

Let's not forget the DVR prices: $9.95 month for comcast per DVR and according to charter website the DVR is not even available yet, but the pricing was at least $9.95 a month IIRC when it was being announced then withdrawn from my area. These fees from what I can tell were not waived with the highest programming package.


I am not saying I wouldn't like more channels with the price increases. All I am saying is not all digital cable is created equally.

 

[Stargazer]

Showtime has channels within it that some providers seperate and charge you for two premium packages. Showtime has more channels than any of the other premium packages as well.

 

[rtt2]

Comcast in my area:
299 HBO ON DEMAND
300 HBOHD***
301 HBO
302 HBO2
303 HBO Signature
304 HBO Family
305 HBO Comedy
306 HBO West
307 HBO 2 West
308 HBO Signature West
309 HBO Family West
310 HBO Zone
311 HBO Latino
318 Cinemax ON DEMAND
319 MAXHD***
320 Cinemax
321 MoreMAX
322 Cinemax West
323 MoreMax West
324 Action Max
325 ThrillerMAX
327 WMAX East
328 @ MAX East
329 5 Star MAX East
330 OuterMAX
335 Showtime Women
336 Showtime Family
337 Showtime Next
338 Showtime ON DEMAND
340 Showtime
341 Showtime Too
342 Showtime Showcase
346 Showtime Beyond
347 Showtime Extreme
350 The Movie Channel
352 TMC Extra
360 TMC ON DEMAND
369 STARZ! ON DEMAND
370 STARZ!
371 STARZ! Edge
372 STARZ! in Black
373 STARZ! Kids & Family
374 STARZ! Cinema
375 Starz! Comedy

 

[SatinKzo]

Thanks for helping me prove my point that the packages can vary quite a bit.

 

[rtt2]

Cablevision in my area:

88 Starz
89 Encore
90 HBO
91 Cinemax
92 Showtime
93 The Movie Channel
96 HBO2
98 Showtime Too
99 Flix
100 MOVIEplex
300 HBO on Demand
301 HBO Signature
302 HBO Family
303 HBO Comedy
304 HBO Zone
305 HBO Latino
306 HBO West
307 HBO2 West
308 HBO Signature West
309 HBO Family West
320 Showtime on Demand
321 Showtime Showcase
322 Showtime Extreme
323 Showtime Beyond
324 Showtime Next
325 Showtime Family Zone
326 Showtime Women
327 Showtime West
328 Showtime Too West
329 Showtime Showcase West
341 Starz Cinema
342 Starz Kids & Family
343 Starz Edge
344 Starz InBlack
345 Starz West
351 Encore Action
352 Encore Mystery
353 Encore Westerns
354 Encore Love
355 Encore Drama
356 Encore Wam
357 Encore West
370 Cinemax on Demand
371 ActionMAX
372 MoreMAX
373 ThrillerMAX
374 WMAX
375 @MAX
376 5 StarMAX
377 Outer MAX
378 Cinemax West
380 TMC Xtra
381 TMC West
382 TMC Xtra West
740 Starz HD
744 Universal HD
750 HBO HD
760 Showtime HD
770 Cinemax HD
780 The Movie Channel HD