HD Premium Movie Lite Pack?

[Bulldog]

What do you guys think if E* had a "Special Premium HD Movie Lite pack":

HBO-HD, Showtime-HD and Starz!- HD (when it becomes available);

only without the rest of their respective movie channels?

It could be added to the existing HD pack or marketed as a special HD Premium Movie Pack.

 

[sfollenius]

It would be nice, but I dont think the movie channel owners would buy into it.

 

[HDTVFanAtic]

That makes them less money. All MSOs know that HD peeps will buy the full package just to get the HD so why not make the extra bucks. If you don't believe it, try and subscribe to just 3 Voom Channels.

 

[Paradox-SJ]

nice idea as I know I never watch the SD movie channlels

 

[goaliebob99]

What do you guys think if E* had a "Special Premium HD Movie Lite pack":

HBO-HD, Showtime-HD and Starz!- HD (when it becomes available);

only without the rest of their respective movie channels?

It could be added to the existing HD pack or marketed as a special HD Premium Movie Pack.

I was about to say none of those channels are in hd lite.. .....

 

[rvanya]

I agree. I would never watch the sd movie channels. In fact, I don't now. I might stop on some skinemax from time to time, but the only channels I really watch are hd except for a few exceptions.

 

[blocker]

I really look forward to such a package.

 

[animalhouse]

Let's just encourage Dish to add more HD programming and let the premium channels fend for themselves.

 

[RobertsD]

If they were to make a package like this available, I would purchase it.

I would not howover, purchase the three different movie packs.

 

[M Sparks]

I don't see what the point would be. The price would be the same. None of the premium "multiplexes" cost DISH anything extra per subscriber. Uplink costs are the only thing that keeps them from offering every feed. They were created by the programmers to make the premiums seem like a better deal. (And to promote digital cable.)

HBO was first...I remember getting HBO 1, 2 & 3 on cable, when all the others only had one feed. Then they all tried to one-up each other for a while...3 HBOs and 2 Cinemaxs at first- then Showtime went to 3 channels, so HBO went to 4. Starz went to 2, then 3. Showtime went to 4, then 5, and added another TMC, so HBO went to 6 and Cinemax went to 4. Finally, I guess the DBS companies started seeing diminishing returns, because Cinemax and Showtime both went to EIGHT, but nobody seemed interested in carrying them. Starz was the last to announce new channels, but wound up scaling back and just added one and rebranded some of the others. Apparently, 40 or so premiums was the limit that most people cared about.

The exception to that rule is the Encore multiplex (which predates most of the other multiplexes.) Each Encore channel has a separate subscriber fee.

 

[M Sparks]

That makes them less money.

How do you figure that?

 

[SRW1000]

I would love to see this as an option.

Scott

 

[BFG]

don't count on this ever happening.

 

[DP1]

That makes them less money. All MSOs know that HD peeps will buy the full package just to get the HD so why not make the extra bucks.

But of course not all HD peeps are buying the packages to begin with because they dont see them as good value. Those that dont currently sub to them prolly would if they could get say 3 HD only versions for like $12 a month.

But thats not gonna happen. HBO would say that as it stands the HD channel is thrown in for free in their package so what more could a person want? 90% of HBO subs are paying for the package and not even able to view the HD channel. But if you can, because you have an HD receiver, yay for you!

For those without an HD receiver it's like them saying they only wanna sub to the HBO-East feed not the other 8 or whatever that are offered in the HBO package. Please sell me that one channel alone for $3.

 

[roachxp]

How about the add the east and west HD feeds for the premium channels that would be great and bring back the good old days like Voom.

 

[Bulldog]

But of course not all HD peeps are buying the packages to begin with because they dont see them as good value. Those that dont currently sub to them prolly would if they could get say 3 HD only versions for like $12 a month.

But thats not gonna happen. HBO would say that as it stands the HD channel is thrown in for free in their package so what more could a person want? 90% of HBO subs are paying for the package and not even able to view the HD channel. But if you can, because you have an HD receiver, yay for you!

For those without an HD receiver it's like them saying they only wanna sub to the HBO-East feed not the other 8 or whatever that are offered in the HBO package. Please sell me that one channel alone for $3.

The HD channel for Showtime, HBO and eventually Starz are "not" a special channel, it is a duplicate of an existing standard channel.

It's being throw in, people are not being charge any extra fee. So I figured like some of the other folks that I would like to subscribe to just the HD feed; that will add additional money into Charlie's pocket.

I understand that in some cases it might decrease some of E* subs for not getting the whole package, but like you stated those without HD won't see it in their package but then again does this hurt E*?

If you took the grand total of movie subs that don't have HD the HD channel is still being transmitted, might as well for E* to sell these as a special pack and make money!

 

[HDTVFanAtic]

FWIW, 2 years ago I was specific with the local cable company and would not subscribe to entire HBO package for $14.95 including all channels and On Demand. I told them I had no interest in that, only the HD Channel and that is all I wanted and I would not subscribe to them all just to get 1 channel.

After going around for 10 minutes, they finally said the price for HBO-HD alone was $12.95. Showtime was also $2 less.

Thus, I am not sure what you expect E* to price a HD Only Movie Package for - but the savings won't be what you expect if they ever did.

 

[DP1]

The HD channel for Showtime, HBO and eventually Starz are "not" a special channel, it is a duplicate of an existing standard channel.

It's being throw in, people are not being charge any extra fee. So I figured like some of the other folks that I would like to subscribe to just the HD feed; that will add additional money into Charlie's pocket.

I understand that in some cases it might decrease some of E* subs for not getting the whole package, but like you stated those without HD won't see it in their package but then again does this hurt E*?

If you took the grand total of movie subs that don't have HD the HD channel is still being transmitted, might as well for E* to sell these as a special pack and make money!

Well theres alot of examples of programming that the providers could sell in that sort of way simply because the channels are being beamed out regardless and so any money they could get from any sub that wouldnt other wise subscribe would just be a bonus. take D* for example. Nevermind just subbing to HBO HD and/or SHO HD alone.. you cant even just sub to those respective packages alone. Why not? That would be 25.00 a month (or even a lil more if you tacked on an "access fee") they'd be getting from me instead of $0. But they wont do it.

But in many cases, like the case here, first of all the HBO's and Sho's would themselves have to agree to breaking out that one channel from the whole package. And thats where the rub is. I dont think they would. The packages are what they are, and cost what they cost.

A more likely scenario is that eventually the HBO 2's and 3's will be going to HD also. Nevermind it would be awhile before the providers would offer those versions anyway.. not unlike how they dont offer the available HBO West HD feed yet to go with the East feed. But the point is, once every channel in the HBO suite is HD, *then* would the package be worth the 15.00 a month to everyone thats otherwise on the fence?

Or is the real issue here that 15.00 a month is just too much to pay in many peoples minds for HBO programming no matter how you slice and dice the number of channels offered in the package?

 

[HDTVFanAtic]

I have no problem paying $15 for the suite. I never watch anything but the HD Channel though. So in reality its $15 for 1 channel. Even if they threw in HBO-HD and Cinemax-HD for $20 or $22 with the those 2 HD Channels I would be happier, fwiw. I'd be a Pig in S... for East and West HBO-HD and Cinemax-HD for $20 and they could keep the suite of other HBO Channels/Max channels.

 

[DP1]

I have no problem paying $15 for the suite. I never watch anything but the HD Channel though. So in reality its $15 for 1 channel.

I hear ya. I only watch the one channel also. But by the same token, I only sub to one premium service at a time because I dont think they're good value even when they have an HD version.

I just came back to Dish after a couple years with Comcast and even though Comcast offered the HD versions of HBO/SHO/Starz! and Cinemax, again I only subbed to any one at a time. Bout the only time I ever subbed to 2 premiums was when first got my HD equipment 6 years ago and I had both HBO/SHO if for no other reason than because there was such little HD programming overall at the time.

But this kind of also explains I imagine why the DBS co's havent been in any rush to add the HD versions of Starz! and Cinemax for example. Certainly not every HD sub is going to automatically buy into those packages once an HD version comes available.

For one thing, alot of the HD subs already pay for those packages anyway because they might happen to have an "everything" pack for whatever other reasons.

Then lets not forget that percentage of HD subs who dont even think the HD Pack type deal with the 2 HDNets, TNT-HD, Disc HD, ESPN HD etc was ever truly worth 10.00 a month. If they dont think THAT "wide" selection of HD channels/programming is worth 10.00 a month, I doubt they'd think 1 token movie channel in HD would be worth even more.