It just got to be too much, cancelled Dish

[sixbears]

to much...restrictions, rules, $$

After 9 years of uninterrupted service, I cancelled my Dishnetwork tonight.

Groundhogs Day 2006

There was just too many changes, increases, restrictions and rules!!!!

Programming increases
increases in extra receiver fee
increases in DVR fee (still never understood why a DVR fee in the first place)
increases in New HD package, and Standalone HD package
have to wait till April to get $200 rebate
$100 charge to upgrade to a 622 after shelling out $799 for a 942, 3 months ago
only able to upgrade 2 tuners / year
18 Month committment
New HD "enable" fee to receive OTA HD if not subscribed to HD Package
Not bundling new HD channels (Universal & ESPN2) with old HD package MPEG2
Not allowing anyone after 2/1 to activate 942 or 811 with HD package
HD Lite
Lossing OLN Channel
MUST subscribe to SD locals in order to receive program guide data for OTA on 942
Still no reasonable High Speed Internet solution
lack of compelling content in new HD additional channels
old receivers to never get any new programming

I am sure I am missing a few issues....oh yes, BETA TESTING Dishplayer 7200, & 811 DISH Equipment !!!!

I am off to cable land where I will get 2 HD DVRS, Showtime, Digital package, HD package, digital HD locals, on demand services and Road Runner High Speed Internet for $10 more than I am currently paying Dish before any of the new increases or any upgrade "deals".

Charlie......there's trouble in River City, and that's spelled with a Capital D..I..S..H :downl

 

[volfan615]

Very well said.. I may be right behind you!

 

[Devil24]

I beat you to it... I left E* a few weeks ago and haven't looked back since... my experience with TWC & RR (this time around) has been pretty good so far.

I still read this forum every week because people around here are great, but just seeing how much crap has Dish been able to come up with in such a short time is just unbelievable and almost unbearable.

 

[phonegunner]

6bears...

How much would you like to sell your 942 for?

Thanks,

Ted...

 

[Mr Tony]

Very well put 6 bears

I am in the same boat (6 year subscriber). Cancelled a couple weeks ago. Just sick of the BS and the price hikes and losing channels (like OLN)

 

[Dishpointer]

I might not be that far behind you. I am definitely going to cancel my SD channels. If the price of HD only with 1 receiver is too much then I will cancel everything and just add the Comcast channels back to my internet account. I might not have the best picture but I won't be getting reamed with all of the extra fees any more.

 

[bookwalk]

VERY well put--just says it ALL. I just saw, in my auto dealer's lounge, a Sony HD hooked up to their cable (I can't get cable as I live on a farm) and the PQ on all channels was so MUCh better than Dish, so it really doesn't make HD such a necessity. There wasn't much HD, but the PQ of the cable on all the other channels compensated. IF I had cable, I would go with it--I will probably switch back over to C-band soon--already have for Starz movies.

All I would add to your list is:

Hallmark Movie Channel not available to AT 60, 120 OR 180 packs.

Lies to former VOOm customers a year ago that we would get the VOOM ORIGINALs in their entirety before end of year and not have to dish out too much more, if anything to swap out my 942--ha, ha!

Misleading ClubDish members that they could get credit for ALL their referrals, when, really, it is only 5/year.

Not having Olympics HD channel on Feb 1 for MPEG2 customers, as promsed in Charlie Chat.

 

[MNETOP]

I already made my decision for the same reasons. I scheduled my TW install for next Tuesday so when that is completing, I am canceling Dish. That After 7+ years of being a loyal customer.

Mario.

 

[aznxrice]

Yeah, i hear ya.
I just called up comcast and signed up with them and im saving about 35 bucks a month compared to E*.

 

[tktagentman]

I might subscribe to dish..stil many questions.
real question is--somewhere i read "broadcasting in HD-Lite" I suppose that means less than 1920X1080I or P. How does one determine what the broadcast resolution actually is (how did you figure it out)???

 

[NR2D]

I see all of the complaints about the price increases, DVR fees, ECT, ECT, ECT. Did you all stop driving when gas went up over $3.00/ga? Did you stop eating when food prices went up over the last 6 months due to the increase in gas prices? Did you cancell your health insurance (if you have health insurance) went your rates went up this year? Are you going to cancel you homeowners insurance when that goes up because of the huricanes last year?

Prices go up. It a fact of life just like death, taxes and road work. Enjoy cable. If memory serves me right their rates went up around 15 % this in South Jersey (COMCAST). Just wait when some moron hits a pole out on the main road and knocks your great new cable connection for 2 or 3 hours. Just wait until next year, I sure cable rates WILL go up accordingly.

And about the old HD receivers no longer being authorized after 2/1, E* needs to set a date so they can start converting all channels over to MPEG4 and doesn't MPEG4 provide a higher degree of compression? Maybe this might mean more channels and maybe even more HD channels. Just a thought. Whats going to happen 2/17/09 when the FCC and Congress has set as the date for the last analog TV Broadcasts?

I left cable about 12 years ago and I don't think I will ever look back.

Just some thoughts.

Rich Dunklee
NR2D

 

[trido]

Very well said.. I may be right behind you!

Me to except that INSIGHT CABLE picture quality SUCKS on their analog channels.

Plus they never added ONE hd ch in over 2 years.

Oh well their high speed internet just cant be beat one plus.

Trido

 

[trido]

Very well put 6 bears

I am in the same boat (6 year subscriber). Cancelled a couple weeks ago. Just sick of the BS and the price hikes and losing channels (like OLN)

What you on cable now?


Trido

 

[sixbears]

NR2D,

If you had read my post, price is only 1 of the many issues I have with Dish Network. My complaints involve the way Dish is treating thier customers.

I buy a $700 HD DVR and now they have made it impossible for me to resell it through newly created policies by Dish to increase the bottom line for the company at the expense of the customer.

Of course prices go up as you stated, as consumers we look for the most service at the best price. Dish used to be that service.....they are not any more.

Dish has a very big problem on there hands, a problem that cannot easly be fixed. Thier long time loyal customers have reach the limit and are leaving in numbers for alot of good reasons.

......and if some Mornon does take out a pole that takes out my cable for a few hours, the thoughts in miy minds will be to hope he survives his injuries, and not that I lost my TV reception!

 

[SummitAdvantageRetailer]

What they did to 921/942 users is inexcusable by not allowing MPEG2 receivers for existing customers to be activated after 2/1/06. I can understand that they'd want new customers to only have MPEG4 receivers but existing customers should be able to recoup their losses on their 921/942 purchases with them going obsolete. I'm in that same boat. Hopefully, as time progresses and supply gets better, there'll be a better upgrade path as it'll save E* $$$ to convert everything to MPEG4 and shut down MPEG2. That'll be many years from now I presume but nevertheless, I'm sticking with DISH as they're the best choice for my programming. Cable around here is horrendous in PQ - very inconsistent from day to day. Prices are at least $20 higher too, I might add. Everybody's cable company is diff. and therefore cable can be better but in my case, it isn't.

 

[NR2D]

NR2D,

If you had read my post, price is only 1 of the many issues I have with Dish Network. My complaints involve the way Dish is treating thier customers.

I buy a $700 HD DVR and now they have made it impossible for me to resell it through newly created policies by Dish to increase the bottom line for the company at the expense of the customer.

Of course prices go up as you stated, as consumers we look for the most service at the best price. Dish used to be that service.....they are not any more.

Dish has a very big problem on there hands, a problem that cannot easly be fixed. Thier long time loyal customers have reach the limit and are leaving in numbers for alot of good reasons.

......and if some Mornon does take out a pole that takes out my cable for a few hours, the thoughts in miy minds will be to hope he survives his injuries, and not that I lost my TV reception!

So you feel E* should let legacy receivers to be used indefinitely? Lets look at Microsoft. At a certain point they stopped supporting Windows 98, ME and have limited support for Windows 2000. At some point, companies must say enough is enough when it comes to older technology. Customers of E* have been complaining they want more channels including HD.

Customers here are complaining about HD light. This all takes bandwidth and transponders on the satellites. To continue MPEG 2 while alos trying to implement MPEG 4 wil not work. Sure E* states that MPEG 4 is not giving them the results they want in the way of PQ and compression but I think there comes a time when they must say MPEG 4 receivers are all we will activate as of 2/1. I feelfor the subs that just spent $700 a couple of months ago for 642's. I was looking to do the same but because of what I read on this site I held off. And it is true that I would say the majority of the sibs of E* don't even know this site exists!!!!

E* made a decision and yoou and several others have made a decision also and I hope you will enjoy cable. I will continue enjoying E*. Good Luck.

Rich Dunklee
NR2D

 

[branchbouncer]

Not Dish but---

We were subs of D* for almost 9 years in the Northern Va area,we sold the house Dec 16(Dad past away 9/4/05)there was no reason to stay in such a crime ridden area,and moved to the "mountains"(ski/golf/hiking/fishing/whitewater/etc)We left the equipment at the old house to bring down later and subed to Adelphia HD/Internet pak since there is no commitment with the intention of installing the D* equipment at a later date.But with D* dragging thier feet getting anything rolling in the HD market and the fact that we get 18 HD channels with Adelphia,great PQ,.and fantastic internet speeds/pings,D* has most likely lost a sub.


Sorry my mistake it is only 17 channels

 

[Yragha]

I beat you to it... I left E* a few weeks ago and haven't looked back since... my experience with TWC & RR (this time around) has been pretty good so far.

I still read this forum every week because people around here are great, but just seeing how much crap has Dish been able to come up with in such a short time is just unbelievable and almost unbearable.

All I can say is enjoy it while it last...

I'm dumping Time Warner here in Houston come Monday and getting Dish Network. Digital channels are pixelization city and even technician coming out didn't solve anything. He said that's the picture he gets. WOW!

Only reason I switched in the first place from Directv to Time Warner was because of some super promo and I regret it, picture quality on the digital channels bites. If I have to watch one more Houston Cougar basketball game on CSTV where the pixelization is frequent during fast action scenes...I 'll scream.

The picture can't be any worse on Dish and with the constant cable price raising I think I'll enjoy Dish and all the more choices it has to offer.

My 2 cents.

 

[jfmeier]

I tryed my cable(Cablevision-NY) and couldn't reconnect my DISH Fast Enough!...

I got tired of waiting for Dish HD to improve over just my 811 and basic HD and Cablevision came along with an offer I would be stupid to refuse. So, I let them come in and hook it up at the same time I had just gotten a new Sony 40" Bravia LCD HD TV. I was smart enough not to cancel Dish until I could see the pictures side by side. On Cablevision, the SD Channels were not only terrible, everything including their guides and logos were fuzzy. The HD Channels did not even compare to anything on Dish. Within 4 hours I had cancelled the Cablevision and reconnected the Dish. No pixelization every few seconds, razor sharp pictures. Now I have ordered my 622 upgrade and will receive it on 2/21. There's a price to pay for wanting to be on the bleeding edge of technology, and BTW - when you are on the bleeding edge, sometimes you bleed.

 

[MikeD-C05]

Has anyone thought about this? Dish has the best pq now in both hd and sd , according to most on these sat message boards, and the most hd channels available.

Maybe Dish has decided they are the only game in town for most subs out there and if you want the sharp pq and the most hd channels out there You will pay for it. Most people who want the best picture quality and the most hd channels you can get, often will pay to get it.

Directv has overcompressed sd digital channels and a very weak hd selection - except the hd locals in some cities. Cable is not consistent in its offerings. Some have great hd line ups and some have all their local channels in hd . It is hit or miss with them and the only thing most cable systems have that satellite doesn't is cable broadband internet .

Charlie Ergen knows that Dish has the most hd and the best pq right now. Their prices are still cheaper than most cable companies and Directv. Right now Dish has the advantages in pq, price , hd channels. Charlie is hoping that the cutting edge subs will continue to PAY to get the best and the most out there. He is also hoping to pay for the mpeg 4 conversion with the subscriber's money.

How many people out there paid for their origional satellite receivers and programming back like 9 years ago for full price? I paid for a years worth of programming for like the equivalent of what top 60 + all movie premium packs is today , back then and networks too, for like $450.00 or more. It was quite expensive coming from Cable where I paid nothing up front. But I did it because I wanted more channels , better price , and the best pq out there. What we are seeing is a repeat of the same thing 9 years ago. New subscribers out there who want to best pq / price / hd channels out there , will pay for the new technology with an upgrade to the 622 for 299.00 just like I did when I went with Dish back in 1997. It is still cheaper than what I paid back then.

I hate that Dish doesn't value their existing customers and I am one of the hd customers who paid full price for a suckass 921 at $999.00 . I also paid for two 942s last year at $650.00 a pop. I also paid for a dishplayer/webtv 7100/7200 receiver back in 98 or 99. I have suffered through all of this because I wanted the best pq and technology and the most hd channels I could get.

Dish should have done full replacements for all existing hd customers for $99.00 for each hd receiver they had . The price could be lessened to $49.00 if you already had a Dish 1000 satellite dish and they could have sent you the receiver with a return address label to send back your old one. That way the existing subs could start subbing to the metalic hd packs and they could get the newest hd receivers. Dish screwed up AGAIN! Did anyone think they wouldn't? Dish has a long history of screwups and we have all been their beta testers .

But in the end most of us on this web board including myself , will continue to pay for the best technology and the best picture quality and the most hd channels out there , FOR NOW. But be on notice Dish and Directv; you do have competition and someday soon their will be better alternatives . When new video providers come down the pike , AND THEY WILL, we will all be looking at them for the best pq, price and hd channels out there.

Satellite better get with the program or they will be relegated to rural only customers. They lack true video on demand , broadband internet that is comparable in price to dsl/cable and no phone service. THere will come a day if nothing changes, that satellite technology will be second rate to other choices in the future.

In the end Dish can not continue to pay for all its technological advances on the backs of their existing customers. You can only squeeze so much blood out of this turnip. I am about all tapped out in terms of money. I will sub to the 622 in April for the $99.00 price. I have paid over $2200.00 in the last three years to "OWN" the latest and greatest hd receivers.

Not to get to melodramatic but in the words of Scarlett Ohara: " AS God is my witness, I will NEVER , EVER, pay to OWN another Dish satellite receiver again."