Too little, too late. Dish Network has to be more focused and aggressive if they hope to keep their customers.
I love the sound of the 922, but I doubt it will make a dent on the subscriber numbers. The 922 is basically a 622/722 with a few added "geek features" that will only appeal to a small percentage. The 622/722 has been the Top HD DVR on the market for almost three years, but people have been bailing on Dish Network in increasing numbers for the past year come April. Heck, I still have three 622 sitting in the closet. I love 'em, but there is no way I am dumping FiOS for Dish Network in their present state...even if the 922 should appear this year. To be honest, if Verizon were to shutdown their service tomorrow, I would probably sign up with DirecTV because they offer a better overall programming value for my needs, and their HD PQ is superior to Dish Network, which is a big consideration for my pocketbook.Is it too little and/or too late? Charlie is grinning ear to ear with the 922 coming June 1 and is banking on customers staying as well as customers jumping on board. Unfortunately, as we know, there will be the normal 6 months of new hardware/software problems thus pissing more people off. He is proving to not know anything anymore about his company, his customers wants and needs, and how to balance channel tiers.
Scott, this was probably your best satellite dish column.
The more we see of dish the more we realize that there is a hidden motive behind every decision. This charlie chat was a perfect example. I'd bet my bottom dollar that the only reason dish announced new national hd was to offset the horrible recent earnings report. Remember when dish lost out on MLB extra innings negotiations? Within a few weeks dish launched several HD RSNs. Not a coincidence in my book. It's so insulting when dish says one thing when they clearly mean another (i.e. we're fighting to keep your monthly bills down). I mean, how stupid do they think we are?
I like to think I understand that business is business and a company must do what is necessary to stay profitable. But I also like to think that giving the customer what they want can be profitable. How? If customers were getting what they want they wouldn't be leaving in droves!!
The most discouraging thing is I don't think dish will ever get it. In charlie's mind the road to success is paved with ruthless negotiation tactics, lawsuits and loopholes.
Is it too little and/or too late? Charlie is grinning ear to ear with the 922 coming June 1 and is banking on customers staying as well as customers jumping on board. Unfortunately, as we know, there will be the normal 6 months of new hardware/software problems thus pissing more people off. He is proving to not know anything anymore about his company, his customers wants and needs, and how to balance channel tiers.