HITS Package Prices Increased

[NotTy]

If Hits offered HD and a DVR. I would totally agree and may even return to SRL as a customer, as i no longer own any 4:3 televisions!

I totally agree. I either have to watch wide tv or zoom it in to chop the top & bottom off or watch it in 4:3 on a TV that's designed for wide screen HD.
I still subscribe to H2H but there's also the lack of program choices that's really putting a strain on the family. When other people or your child feels left out because he doesn't know what other kids are talking about when certain shows come on, that's kinda ruff.
I'm currently saving up for a small dish. My credit is trashed & employment is slow but I have talked with both DISH & DIRECT and like Iceberg says, there are ways around the contract. Without a contract, there's no ssn or credit check required either. I believe DISH will bill you as a prepay for the following month too so no automatic withdrawl if you have bad credit.
The BIG DISH was King at one time and cost me $2900.00 back in 1992 plus the 4D receiver at $550.00 back in 2001.
Now I must go a new route by way of the small dish for about 1/8th the price of the Big Dish.

All kidding aside; I would keep H2H if there were more program choices, like USA, TBS, HBO, Showtime, Spike etc and there was a choice between SD or HD.

 

[radio]

but there's also the lack of program choices that's really putting a strain on the family. When other people or your child feels left out because he doesn't know what other kids are talking about when certain shows come on, that's kinda ruff.

With all due respect, if you're serious about this statement, (cuz I couldn't tell what part of your post was "kidding") its time to consider NOT even doing small dish if conversation (kids and yours) revolves around TV that much! There's much more to a rich life than (TV) what we discuss here on the forums! I know two families who make good incomes who raised their kids without TV subscriptions, and one without even a TV SET. The families are well adjusted, normal, educated, well spoken, and not damaged at all by not having TV as "the general public sees it." And, as an adult example, I can host a morning radio show and yet, in conversation both on and off the air I don't have subscriptions beyond HITS "pick 10" and I don't feel at all left out in public conversation. I simply say, "no, I don't get that channel"..and whomever is speaking to me will explain the show, and...the conversation continues.

Just a difference of opinion, politely and respectfully submitted.

 

[NotTy]

I agree.
It's up to the subscriber to do what's what. After all, it's still America. Whether it's H2H, DISH, DIRECT, FTA, OTA, Internet, or nothing at all, it's really up to each individual. It doesn't really matter what revolves around who, there's plenty of things we do as a family but since the OTA conversion to digital, I only get 1 OTA channel & would be nice to come home from work, when there is work, to simply sit down & watch the local news. Most well balanced Americans do just that.

 

[radio]

I am glad to hear you do things as a family. Thought maybe you did, just by the nature of your posts. Thanks for being a polite responder! Only one OTA channel since conversion? You're the picture-perfect reason digital conversion forced on people was wrong. (well, one reason, anyway.) At least if you had strong OTA stuff, many of the networks on FTA would be there for you with little or no investment!

 

[NotTy]

I'm also on a venture to not only to raise my aerial antenna from 30 feet above the ground to 50 feet above the ground but also replace the one that's there with one that's more appropriate. The one I have (Channel Master) was supposed to be one of the best but I have my doubts under the circumstances..

 

[rrob311]

I hope HITS comes up with some more programming options. If they had like 5 more popular channels I would consider subscribing. Otherwise I would probably just go back to basic cable. Dish was OK but I had to get the 250 package just to get 1 or 2 more of the channels I liked. For as much as I get to watch TV it was way too expensive for my budget.

 

[Kb Cool]

I hope HITS comes up with some more programming options. If they had like 5 more popular channels I would consider subscribing. Otherwise I would probably just go back to basic cable. Dish was OK but I had to get the 250 package just to get 1 or 2 more of the channels I liked. For as much as I get to watch TV it was way too expensive for my budget.

It wouldn't surprise me if they "DO". They pulled the 410 out of thin air and kept HITS alive. So, i think getting HD isn't out of the question.I just wish they would hurry up and get it done already!

 

[PopcornNMore]

Found this old Skyvision ad tonight. Now this was a GREAT channel package for $39.95 a month:

• American TV (GoodLife) • Animal Planet • BBC America • Blue
Highways TV • BET Jazz • The Biography Channel
• Bloomberg TV • Bravo E & W • Chiller
• Current TV • Discovery E • Discovery Espanol • Discovery Health
• Discovery Home • Discovery Kids • Discovery Times • DIY • DMX Music
Channels • ESPN Classic • Fine Living • FIT TV • Food Network E & W
• FOX Movie Channel • FOX Soccer Channel • FUSE • G4 Media Channel
• Game Show Network • Golf Channel • Gospel Music • Great American Country
• History Channel E & W • History Channel International • HGTV E & W • IFC
• Inspirational TV • Lifetime Movies • Maverick TV • The Military Channel • MTV 2
• MTV Hits • National Geographic • Nick 2 • Nick Gas • Noggin • Outdoor Channel
• Outdoor Life Network (Versus) • RFD TV • Shop NBC • Science Channel • Sci-Fi
• Sleuth • Speed • Sprout for Kids • Style • Sundance • TBN • TCM • TLC E
• Toon Disney • Travel Channel • TV Land • TV Games • The Word Network
• VH1 Classic • VH1 Country (CMT Pure Country) • VH1 Soul • WE • Wealth

 

[Dishman Dan]

Found this old Skyvision ad tonight. Now this was a GREAT channel package for $39.95 a month:• American TV (GoodLife) • Animal Planet • BBC America • BlueHighways TV • BET Jazz • The Biography Channel• Bloomberg TV • Bravo E & W • Chiller• Current TV • Discovery E • Discovery Espanol • Discovery Health• Discovery Home • Discovery Kids • Discovery Times • DIY • DMX MusicChannels • ESPN Classic • Fine Living • FIT TV • Food Network E & W• FOX Movie Channel • FOX Soccer Channel • FUSE • G4 Media Channel• Game Show Network • Golf Channel • Gospel Music • Great American Country• History Channel E & W • History Channel International • HGTV E & W • IFC• Inspirational TV • Lifetime Movies • Maverick TV • The Military Channel • MTV 2• MTV Hits • National Geographic • Nick 2 • Nick Gas • Noggin • Outdoor Channel• Outdoor Life Network (Versus) • RFD TV • Shop NBC • Science Channel • Sci-Fi• Sleuth • Speed • Sprout for Kids • Style • Sundance • TBN • TCM • TLC E• Toon Disney • Travel Channel • TV Land • TV Games • The Word Network• VH1 Classic • VH1 Country (CMT Pure Country) • VH1 Soul • WE • Wealth

That was like the package I had with NPS! We used money out of our Christmas club to pay for the year so it was a little cheaper that way. I think that there was a price increase and that 12% uplink fee that was applied onto the price stunk! Their excuse for the uplink fee was that other companies were supposed to help pay for equipment upgrades but backed out so NPS stuck it to their customers! I do miss that package!

But my package also incuded:Versus, Ovation, NFL Network, Oxygen, CNBC, NSNBC, WPIX, CourTV, Cartoon Network, USA, AMC, Hallmark, Lifetime Channel (And movies listed above), MTV, CMT and VH1!

Edit: I looked at my list and did not have:ESPN Classic, FOX Soccer, Fuse, Golf, Gospel Music, Inspirational TV, Word Network or Wealth.

 

[highskies]

By continuing to support it helps to keep the choice available.

Another reason I feel less apt to support this is because of Skyvision's and SRL's lack of interest in the service. Sure they sell the service, but rarely anymore do you see them promoting it. It's not like it costs money to post on a forum like this. My guess is, and I can certainly be wrong, but the less they get involved, the less that will be expected out of them. We all saw what happened when NPS got involved via the forums, you know..when they were still a good company, so to speak...much was expected of them. That's why they had the most customers. They interacted with the customers way more that Sky or SRL did, or even does today. Sure NPS is gone and Sky and SRL are still here. But here doing what tho, that's the question?

 

[Mr Tony]

I dont know...this one for $14 was pretty kick butt
A&E
ABC Family Channel
American Movie Classics
Animal Planet
Bravo
Cartoon Network
CMTV
CNBC
CNN
CNNfn
CNNI
Comedy Central (E&W)
Discovery Channel (E&W)
ESPN2
FOX News
Golf Channel
Headline News
History Channel (E&W)
Learning Channel
Lifetime
MSNBC
Sci-Fi Channel
TBS Superstation - Atlanta
Travel Channel
USA Network (E&W)
WE: Women's Entertainment
WGN-Chicago

or the G5 pack for 17.50
A&E
ABC Family Channel
American Movie Classics
BET
CNBC
CNN
CNNfn
CNNI
Discovery Channel (E&W)
ESPN
ESPN2
FOX News
Golf Channel
Headline News
History Channel (E&W)
Learning Channel
Lifetime
MSNBC
Sci-Fi Channel
Spike TV (E&W)
TBS Superstation - Atlanta
TNT
Travel Channel
USA Network (E&W)
WGN-Chicago

Here is a spreadsheet of NPS's packages circa 2003...there were some more packages but those just were what is posted + movies

 

[PopcornNMore]

WOW Ice, back then they had lots of packages to choose from. Great prices as well.

 

[PopcornNMore]

Is it me or do the HITS channels look worse than about 6-12 months ago? I remember thinking "WOW"when I first signed up to HITS about a year ago. Since then I have subscribed off and on.

When changing channels the picture pixels sometimes break up for about a second or two before returning to normal. I just don't remember seeing this before. Perhaps my dish needs readjusting this spring. The signal quality on some channels is around 59% and others it is in the mid 80's. It just seems weird.

If only they would make available the DSR-600 HD receiver with HDMI output for HITS more people would subscribe and the picture quality would improve. I'm thinking twice about renewing for another month.

 

[Corrado]

As I remember the channels looked fine to my eyes. Once in a while I noticed a slight sound anomaly on the SyFy Channel. At the beginning of a spoken word there would be a blip or click sometimes. Nothing I would complain about since it was so random. Perhaps even the way my TV handled the audio.

 

[Mr Tony]

WOW Ice, back then they had lots of packages to choose from. Great prices as well.

and using the inflation calculator that $14 is now about $17....

I agree lots of different packages. But then there were more channels to choose from

 

[sergei]

Is it me or do the HITS channels look worse than about 6-12 months ago? I remember thinking "WOW"when I first signed up to HITS about a year ago. Since then I have subscribed off and on.

When changing channels the picture pixels sometimes break up for about a second or two before returning to normal. I just don't remember seeing this before. Perhaps my dish needs readjusting this spring. The signal quality on some channels is around 59% and others it is in the mid 80's. It just seems weird..

Bottom line....from what you've posted I think you need to adjust your dish as I've got a Quality of 99 on my 10 footer.

 

[PopcornNMore]

Bottom line....from what you've posted I think you need to adjust your dish as I've got a Quality of 99 on my 10 footer.

I'm currently using a 6' dish for HITS. Tonight when I came home from work I turned on HITS and changed to the Cooking Channel. Once again the picture had that "WOW" affect, so I went to the menu to see the signal quality and it was 91. Go figure!

 

[Anony55]

Whew! What a thread!

I'd like to make just a few points (having read this monstrosity)...

1) Programming prices have really spiked on the big dish... even more than DBS. In one of Ice's posts, he showed a list where the Discovery pack was 7.99. But, that was SRL. I was subbing to the masters on C3 at that same time, and they were less than $5 a month (this as less than 2 years ago). Ouch!

2) The easiest way to deal with Dish & own your own equipment... buy & install the equipment you want before you ever call them. And make it up to date equipment. Otherwise, they will start trying to send some one out to upgrade you & blah blah blah. Example... 211k & 1000.2 already installed & peaked before you call = easy as pie to activate on the phone.

3) I don't care if you have Dish, Direc, or cable... taking down a C-Band dish is just wrong. I have Dish with AT200 and I'm looking at adding C-Band dishes... not taking down the one I have. Dish Net is for TV, C/Ku is for FUN!!

4) Do what makes you happy... not some one else.

Cheers

 

[Blindowl1234]

Popcorn, The picture quality on Hits vs my Welcome Pak...Well Hits is noticeably better. The SD picture from dish on my 32" Sanyo HD set is nowhere in comparison. So if I'm watching the History Channel I'll go to the big dish etc....Maybe its just my old eyes......Signal about 91% on the 8 footer too.
Blind

 

[Asket]

I'm currently using a 6' dish for HITS. Tonight when I came home from work I turned on HITS and changed to the Cooking Channel. Once again the picture had that "WOW" affect, so I went to the menu to see the signal quality and it was 91. Go figure!

Positioner inaccuracy, amplifier section at dish, water intrusion and insects may be initial problems to look for. All of these can cause transient problems.