I Want My "DNS" HDTV

[milliway]

Howdy folks:

Thanx for all the valuable information I have gotten from this site for such a long time.

Here is a copy of an E-mail I sent to ceo@dishnetwork.com



Dear Mr Ergen:

I have been a Dish subscriber and advocate of your company for over 10 years. I have appreciated your service over this time. I am greatly appreciative of your advocacy for us rural, "folks," ability to get High Definition network programming through your, "I Want My HDTV," campaign. You convinced me to lobby my representatives, and I believed in "our" cause.

Now, however, I feel you and Dish have let me down. As I understood, you had promised to provide your subscribers with HDTV network programming if you were legally allowed to do so. Well the simple fact is that you and your company ARE legally allowed to provide me HDTV distant networks. As of yesterday you have New York and Los Angeles HDTV networks that I, as a, “white area,” rural subscriber, am quite legally allowed to watch, but your company chooses not to provide me access to this service.

I checked with your competitor DirectTV, and they are willing to provide me with Distant HDTV network programming immediately. As a matter of fact they wanted me to switch over to their service right there during my phone call to them.

I cannot understand Dish Network’s logic behind choosing not to provide legally qualified subscribers access to distant network programming. I would like to know your plans and timeframes for providing a customer in some of the remotest mountains of Colorado access to network HDTV. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Thank you,

XXXXXXXXXX

 

[NightRyder]

Welcome to Satellite Guys milliway!

Excellent letter!


NightRyder

 

[motorcycle_rider]

I would have upgraded to the 211 myself If DNS HD was alive. Let us know what the response is.

 

[BFG]

Excellent letter and I'm sure all the other struggling folks will welcome your participation.

Dish Did have DNS working for most of yesterday, but once again their ill-based logic said to them that it was a mistake and they took it down...

 

[milliway]

Here's the reply:


Dear Kevin,

Thank you for your email. We do plan to begin offering HD distant
services in the near future, but I do not have a date at this time.
Unfortunately we cannot legally offer these channels and we do apologize
if these channels were authorized on their boxes inadvertently for a
period of time yesterday.

Thank you,
Natalie Winters
Executive Office of Dish Network


And...This is my reply to Dish


Natalie:

Thank you for your reply. I am pleased Dish Network has plans to offer HD distant network services in the near future. This is enough of an assurance for me to remain a customer.

I am confused when you state that, “we cannot legally offer these channels.” I believe that your legal team has this DEAD WRONG. Not only is Direct TV currently offering their customers this service, but the FCC themselves in the SHVERA state, “Subscribers who are “unserved” with respect to analog service are eligible for distant digital signals. Satellite companies are not required to offer distant digital signals.”

Is there a possibility you are wrong about Dish Network’s legal right to offer HD DNS? I would think based on your company’s past stands with Congress you would be up in arms over the fact that Direct TV has the legal right to offer this service, and Dish Network does not. Once again thank you for your attention to this matter.

Thank You,

XXXXXXXXXX

 

[BFG]

Wow what a quick and nice response from Dish at least, and she knew about and explained that they did indeed have DNS on yesterday...

 

[milliway]

Yes a fast response, and admitted yesterday's snafu, but still sticking to the idea that digital DNS is illegal to provide. The stand that Charlie took on his last chat. Bummer!

 

[NightRyder]

I think the biggest problem is that Dish doesn't have procedures in place to handle HD DNS yet. I have Grandfathered NY DNS but legally I can't receive the NY HD DNS feed (satellite law states that they can only provide distant digital stations in the same time zone, Alaska and Hawaii excluded). They can't just give everyone that currently has NY DNS access to NY HD DNS (that's what happened yesterday) without violating the law. I had hoped they would be better prepared for this than they are, but alas it's Dish...Sigh


NightRyder

 

[waltinvt]

Just to put this in perspective:

I talked with Natalie yesterday, quite a few hours after people started posting that HD DNS had come online. She kept insisting Dish had NOT put up any HD DNS to which I kept insisting subs were actually receiving them and in the 6300 area. She then insisted those channels were NOT being transmitted in HD.

She also would not honor a verbal promise made to me by Jessica (from the same office) on Jan 11th that I could order a 622 on Feb 1st and get the $200 rebate when they were issued in April. She said she would have this Jessica contact me but as yet I have not heard from her.

She also would not let me do the $49 / 211 upgrade with my 811 unless I was willing to forego any type of upgrade deal with my 942 to a 622 for at least a year.

She said my only option was to purchase a 211 from a dealer somewhere as they were not selling 211s direct to customers. I check a bunch of places locally but the best deal (Dish Depot) was still $389. I almost went with that when it looked like I could get the HD DNS just so I could see the SB in HD this weekend but decided to wait overnight. Glad as hell I waited.

 

[BlackHitachi]

Just to put this in perspective:

I talked with Natalie yesterday, quite a few hours after people started posting that HD DNS had come online. She kept insisting Dish had NOT put up any HD DNS to which I kept insisting subs were actually receiving them and in the 6300 area. She then insisted those channels were NOT being transmitted in HD.

She also would not honor a verbal promise made to me by Jessica (from the same office) on Jan 11th that I could order a 622 on Feb 1st and get the $200 rebate when they were issued in April. She said she would have this Jessica contact me but as yet I have not heard from her.

She also would not let me do the $49 / 211 upgrade with my 811 unless I was willing to forego any type of upgrade deal with my 942 to a 622 for at least a year.

She said my only option was to purchase a 211 from a dealer somewhere as they were not selling 211s direct to customers. I check a bunch of places locally but the best deal (Dish Depot) was still $389. I almost went with that when it looked like I could get the HD DNS just so I could see the SB in HD this weekend but decided to wait overnight. Glad as hell I waited.

I too am glad i did not buy the 411 that was offered to me. I can't believe its ok for one DBS company and not another??

 

[ggw2000]

I got the same response from her

Here's the reply:


Dear Kevin,

Thank you for your email. We do plan to begin offering HD distant
services in the near future, but I do not have a date at this time.
Unfortunately we cannot legally offer these channels and we do apologize
if these channels were authorized on their boxes inadvertently for a
period of time yesterday.

Thank you,
Natalie Winters
Executive Office of Dish Network


And...This is my reply to Dish


Natalie:

Thank you for your reply. I am pleased Dish Network has plans to offer HD distant network services in the near future. This is enough of an assurance for me to remain a customer.

I am confused when you state that, “we cannot legally offer these channels.” I believe that your legal team has this DEAD WRONG. Not only is Direct TV currently offering their customers this service, but the FCC themselves in the SHVERA state, “Subscribers who are “unserved” with respect to analog service are eligible for distant digital signals. Satellite companies are not required to offer distant digital signals.”

Is there a possibility you are wrong about Dish Network’s legal right to offer HD DNS? I would think based on your company’s past stands with Congress you would be up in arms over the fact that Direct TV has the legal right to offer this service, and Dish Network does not. Once again thank you for your attention to this matter.

Thank You,

XXXXXXXXXX

I also had sent a similar email to dish and got a response from Natalie that was essentially identical. I responded to her in the same way in telling her that Dish did not know how to read the rules.. Gerry

 

[BFG]

If only telling Dish they're wrong would actually fix the problem, but it doesn't look that way

 

[rdinkel]

I have also provided the Exec Office a copy of the latest FCC Factsheet.