DISH would LOVE to have a HD only package but honestly the programmers are saying NO.
Then, what is Dish America, Bronze,silver and gold, but HD only packs.
Losing HD Absolute. Any suggestions?
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Then, what is Dish America, Bronze,silver and gold, but HD only packs.
Well, I just got my Dish Network's "death letter" too. No exceptions for SatelliteGuys forum administrators! 
Not that I am surprised with this decision: I knew this was coming sooner or later. As a former VOOM customer since 2003, I am quite used to losing my favorite channels and plans...
But I am very disappointed and really don't know what I will do next. To keep all of my favorite channels I would now have to go with the highest-tier plan and double my bill. Even though I might be able to afford that, I am not sure if it's worth it.
I am not interested in any SD channels. Thanks to VOOM, I pretty much stopped watching SD back in 2003. I do understand that content providers are currently in control and they want to force extra SD channels on us and make us pay for them. But those content providers must realize that their power is getting weaker every month and that we now have more options than ever before! Between NetFlix, Roku, and other content delivery options, my satellite TV viewing time has reduced dramatically in the past few months. One option that I am seriously considering is to abandon Satellite TV completely and to go Streaming-only + OTA. I haven't decided yet, but that's definitely a possibility. Why watch what they want me to watch if I can watch what I want and when I want it?
Another option I am thinking about is to wait until they force me out of the Absolute and then to take "Dish Pause" for a few months. This way I will be able to keep the DVR, while I am exploring and trying out other options, like U-verse for example. (Yes, I know, U-verse is not going to be any cheaper than Dish, but I just want to check out their exclusive channels and also their high-speed Internet). Then after trying out other options, I can decide whether I want to keep Dish or not. The only question is: will I still get any discounts and credits if I do the "Dish Pause".
Anyway, some tough decisions to make in the next few weeks. There is still a good possibility that I will stick with Dish, but Dish has just given me a good excuse to try something else, so we'll see...
Not that I am surprised with this decision: I knew this was coming sooner or later. As a former VOOM customer since 2003, I am quite used to losing my favorite channels and plans...
But I am very disappointed and really don't know what I will do next. To keep all of my favorite channels I would now have to go with the highest-tier plan and double my bill. Even though I might be able to afford that, I am not sure if it's worth it.
I am not interested in any SD channels. Thanks to VOOM, I pretty much stopped watching SD back in 2003. I do understand that content providers are currently in control and they want to force extra SD channels on us and make us pay for them. But those content providers must realize that their power is getting weaker every month and that we now have more options than ever before! Between NetFlix, Roku, and other content delivery options, my satellite TV viewing time has reduced dramatically in the past few months. One option that I am seriously considering is to abandon Satellite TV completely and to go Streaming-only + OTA. I haven't decided yet, but that's definitely a possibility. Why watch what they want me to watch if I can watch what I want and when I want it?
Another option I am thinking about is to wait until they force me out of the Absolute and then to take "Dish Pause" for a few months. This way I will be able to keep the DVR, while I am exploring and trying out other options, like U-verse for example. (Yes, I know, U-verse is not going to be any cheaper than Dish, but I just want to check out their exclusive channels and also their high-speed Internet). Then after trying out other options, I can decide whether I want to keep Dish or not. The only question is: will I still get any discounts and credits if I do the "Dish Pause".
Anyway, some tough decisions to make in the next few weeks. There is still a good possibility that I will stick with Dish, but Dish has just given me a good excuse to try something else, so we'll see...
By the way, for those on other plans who are now happy to see Absolute gone, I want to point out that HD Absolute wasn't anything exclusive: this plan was available to everyone when it was first introduced. So, you could've signed for it too, but you chose not to!
Most of us have chosen this plan, not because it was cheap, but because it offered an excellent balance: the channels we wanted and not too many channels that we didn't want. It also promised "all future HD channels", so, to some extent it was a gamble on our part, which I think paid off.
Most of us have chosen this plan, not because it was cheap, but because it offered an excellent balance: the channels we wanted and not too many channels that we didn't want. It also promised "all future HD channels", so, to some extent it was a gamble on our part, which I think paid off.
Here is an option...around $11.66 over 24/months
People confirmed getting thier cash cards even though it says expired on some pages.
Credit to BigMario:
This is on top of the current Directv package savings.
This is the best deal I have found for new Directv customers. Will only work if you are a new customer, and requires a 2 year commitment.
Follow the instructions below to save $280 on top of the current Directv package savings.
Go to the Costco website here: Costco Directv offer
Click the button that says "residential customers click here"
Then after that page comes up, click on any of the orange buttons that says "Learn more"
That brings up the cart page where you select the package and equipment that you want. This will also allow you to see what you payments will be for the next 2 years.
Now that you are on the cart page, paste this link in your address bar: DIRECTV: Referral Program
Type in an account number from a friend or another source and click "get directv now".
That will bring you back to the cart page, and should show your first 10 months are $10 lower.
Make sure that a Costco banner is displayed at the top of the page, if it isnt, you will not get the $180 Costco cash card.
Continue checkout as normal.
Print copies of everything as proof.
Done
Note: I did not get a confirmation about the $180 Costco cash card, it was Fedex'd to me 3 weeks after the install date
Another note: Avoid signing up by phone, do everything online. I tried to do this by phone initially and they messed up everything from not giving me the $100 referral discount, spelling my name wrong, and entering the wrong email address. It was so bad that I had to cancel and re-order online.
People confirmed getting thier cash cards even though it says expired on some pages.
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You won't get the $10 credit on package programming UNLESS you go with one of the base America's Top 120, 120+, 200, 250 or Everything Pack. It is actually in your best interest to take one of these packages with the 10$ discount as the price comes out the same as a Dish America package (this is after the price increase).
What is the source of your information??? As I read it, the letter from dish appears to indicate credits will be received regardless of what package we choose. After reviewing this entire thread, it is uncertain at this point of what any credit amounts will be ... only speculation.
That is good thing for me, I can't stand the way they dramatize every aspect of the news..........
If I decide to stay, that's probably what I'll go with. Was trying to talk the wife into the family package but it doesn't have hgtv, I've got to keep my "BOSS" happy....
DISH would LOVE to have a HD only package but honestly the programmers are saying NO.
Maybe its about time the subcribers say NO!
NO to all the garbage channels they make you take!
NO to all the unwanted SD channels!
NO to exorbitant prices for too many unwanted channels!
We just might take a hiatus from pay TV and go antenna for a while, a long while.
I could absorb evena $10 rate hike on HD Absolute, but I don't like $20, $30 or $40 more per month.
My $60 per month can go elsewhere.
If we as a group step away from Dish and Direct and Cable they would notice, but it has to be a concerted effort.
The CSR I spoke to yesterday, the first thing he asked was whether I wanted to keep an all HD package or go to the AT packages.
It sounded like the credit applies whatever package you change to, but that is a question well worth exploring.
It sounded like the credit applies whatever package you change to, but that is a question well worth exploring.
Argh. Count me as another HD Absolute customer who thought the party would never end. I liked the cheap package, and didn't need lots of channels. Heck, even if I paid $5 per channel a-la-carte for those I actually watch I'd come out under $40/month. I'd go to Dish America Bronze but a few of handful of channels we do watch are Animal Planet (Silver), National Geographic (Gold), and Versus (for Tour de France coverage, only in Gold). Wouldn't mind getting BBC (not in any Dish America Packs, but in America's top 200 package) or Fox Soccer Channel (only in the America's top 250 package), but since I don't have them now I won't miss them.
Like most people I may temporarily transition to another plan at the end of the month, but in the end what I really want are locals (which I can get OTA), HBO and Showtime. I'll have to see what the minimum plan is for that given that I'm not under contract.
CDH.
Like most people I may temporarily transition to another plan at the end of the month, but in the end what I really want are locals (which I can get OTA), HBO and Showtime. I'll have to see what the minimum plan is for that given that I'm not under contract.
CDH.
It’s wrong for Dish Network to take Absolute HD away from its subscribers. We took a chance on Dish Network, because HD programming was new. We didn’t know what new channels were going to get added and if there was going to be a price increase or not. It was a work in progress. Where’s the loyalty Dish Network? Absolute HD still exists, its called Dish America Gold ($54.99 will be $59.99 Feb. 1, 2011) and Platinum HD ($10). Dish Network is just price gauging, by moving us to a more expensive programming package. I can understand forcing Absolute HD subscribers off this programming package if the channels no longer existed, like when the VOOM channels were no longer available, but this is not the case. The decent thing for Dish Network to do is to allow its current Absolute HD subscribers keep the programming package with a “reasonable” price increase.
To be fair, Dish did show loyalty to us, Absolute subscribers: they have grandfathered the plan and kept it alive for 2.5 years after it's been discontinued. They have even kept adding some new channels to it.
But I do agree that a gradual price increase would've been a much better course of action, than shutting down the plan completely...
But I do agree that a gradual price increase would've been a much better course of action, than shutting down the plan completely...
I thought the meaning of “grandfathered” meant that those who already have it gets to keep it FOREVER and not removed? At the time, Dish Network “promoted” that the Absolute HD programming package would “get” all future HD channels added? Therefore Dish Network is not really doing us any favors, they were just “trying” to keep their word?
... for as long as the plan existed.
No one promised to keep the HD Absolute plan forever. They could've killed the plan on 08/01/2008 when they discontinued it and they could've moved all of us to another plan and that would've been legal. Instead, they "grandfathered" it and kept it alive for a long time. They continued adding every new HD channel for another six months or so. And then for another two years, although they stopped adding every HD channel, they kept the plan alive and even added some more channels to it, while keeping the low price.
As far as I am concerned, I do believe I was treated fairly by Dish. I am not angry at them for finally killing HD Absolute (certainly not as much as I was when they killed VOOM).
But this doesn't mean that I will keep them just because of that. They are free to change their plans - I am free to change service providers. It's a free market!
I'm thinking seriously about cutting the cord when Absolute ends. I'll get an even faster net connection so I can download faster. Screw the pigs that want to much for their product. Put my account on pause and see how things go then. See how E*, D* & the cable co's like that.
It would be nice if allot of people would do that as a statement but doubt that will happen. I was able to talk with executive support. Like I said in a earlier post...your monthly credit of your package will depend on your status as a customer. If you fight hard enough though you should be able to get at least the $10 credit on your account per month for a year (on top of the free Platinum for a year). From what I was told, the $10 credit only applies to the Americas Top packages...not the HD only Dish America channels.
