NatGeo not standard with HD Pack

[Yes616]

I just hope when Dish adds stuff like The Weather Channel in HD they don't bump that channel up to the AT-250 package.

We already do pay extra for HD so to get NGEO in HD and we must subscribe to AT-250 to me sounds like double dipping.

$20 bucks a month ain't just chump change.

 

[gadgtfreek]

I wonder how much customers are paying for ESPNHD.

I dont know, but Charter or TWC(cant remember) just took it off their HD pay tier, if you get digital cable now you can get ESPNHD.

 

[briani]

I personally don't care for way Dish charges for HD programming. It would be better IMO to charge an HD access fee and receive the channels available in your package. Voom channels and other HD only channels should be assigned to a package. Otherwise, some customer's get less channels for $20.00 then others.

 

[Jim5506]

Otherwise, some customer's get less channels for $20.00 then others.

But they pay extra for having the premium, or the higher package level - so they don't pay the same for more programming.

 

[Sammy033]

Most people are not going to like this, but as more channels are available expect to see something like AT100-HD, AT200-HD, and AT250-HD. I can live with that, so long as I dont have to subscribe to AT250-SD to get HD. This kind of system is not workable yet but it will be. There probably might be no other choice in order to keep everything profitable and affordable.

How Voom will fit into all this might be moot depending on whether or not it will even exist when this happens.

 

[JAG72]

As there are more HD channels out there I bet you won't have a HD package anymore. You will have a HD enabling fee and then you will get whatever channels are in your current package. In reality that is what you have today. The HD enabling fee is the $20 charge and the voom channels are part of the lowest package.

 

[briani]

As there are more HD channels out there I bet you won't have a HD package anymore. You will have a HD enabling fee and then you will get whatever channels are in your current package. In reality that is what you have today. The HD enabling fee is the $20 charge and the voom channels are part of the lowest package.

I agree, but I don't really think that Voom should be in the lowest tier. People who currently sub to AT100 would currently get ESPN-HD 1&2, A&E HD, HGTV-HD, FOOD-HD, NFL-HD and TNT-HD. They would also get HD locals/RSN if they qualified, and any of the HD premiums they sub to(HBO, SHO, Starz, & MAX). I would pay $7.00 a month for an HD enabling fee for these channels. AT200 would add Discovery HD, HDNET & HDNET Movies,and Universal- HD and would have $10.00 enabling fee. AT250 would add National Geo & Voom for the current $20.00 fee.

And hopefully, offer the Voom channels as an option for AT100 & AT200 for $9.99

 

[JAG72]

I agree, but I don't really think that Voom should be in the lowest tier. People who currently sub to AT100 would currently get ESPN-HD 1&2, A&E HD, HGTV-HD, FOOD-HD, and TNT-HD. They would also get HD locals/RSN if they qualified, and any of the HD premiums they sub to(HBO, SHO, Starz, & MAX). I would pay $7.00 a month for an HD enabling fee for these channels. AT200 would add Discovery HD, HDNET & HDNET Movies, Universal HD and would have $10.00 enabling fee. AT250 would add National Geo & Voom for the current $20.00 fee.

That is one way to do it. What I would like to see is them only allow you to receive the HD version of the HD receivers and remove the SD from those systems. This could make the costs even less because currently the providers want a fee for their SD and HD channel being offered. You get rid of the SD version on your account you should not have to pay any extra for the HD feed. Then you could create a $7 to $10 fee for all the HD channels that don't have a SD version.

 

[kstuart]

I just hope when Dish adds stuff like The Weather Channel in HD they don't bump that channel up to the AT-250 package.

We already do pay extra for HD so to get NGEO in HD and we must subscribe to AT-250 to me sounds like double dipping.

$20 bucks a month ain't just chump change.

You have to subscribe to the SD channel in order to get the HD channel.

You have to subscribe to the HBO SD package in order to get HBO-HD.

National Geographic SD is in AT250, so you have to have AT250, in order to get National Geographic HD.

Weather Channel SD has always been in the most basic package of every provider, because everyone wants to have it, and in some areas, weather information is pretty important. So, you can't exclude it from any subscriber, they'll go elsewhere.

E* is almost finished implementing "Locals on the 8's" support in all its receivers for The Weather Channel, generally they have always had a good relationship with them, and I expect to see The Weather Channel HD in DishHD this fall - which should be one of the better HD channels with lots of live HD feeds.

 

[sullivbt]

Falsehood?

Several posters on this thread have stated that "you have to have the SD channel to get the comparable HD channel". but I believe that is incorrect. Is it not technically possible to JUST subscribe to the HD package? Of course you will get hit with a boatload of fees, but I think that it is technically possible.

 

[JohnL]

Several posters on this thread have stated that "you have to have the SD channel to get the comparable HD channel". but I believe that is incorrect. Is it not technically possible to JUST subscribe to the HD package? Of course you will get hit with a boatload of fees, but I think that it is technically possible.

Ssullivbt,


Technically almost anything is possible, but Cable, DBS service or any service for that matter is NOT about what is technically possible. All products or services are about what is marketable.

With that said Dish does NOT allow you to subscribe to just an HD service package. You could purchase an HD receiver and not subscribe to any basic package and pay the HD enabling fee to get all the OTA channels available in your area, albeit without ANY guide Data.

John

 

[JohnEL]

Other Falsehoods

To those who say that you have to subscribe to the SD chanel to receive the HD channel I say that is not really correct.:yikes I have been a DISH subscriber for several years, had an 811 - with family package, old HD - 4 channels, and the voom package when it came out. Last March was told (lied to) by Tech support that if I went with VIP211, I would be able to recieve the new HD channels when they became avalable. So I listened to DISH tec support, traded my owned 811 for new "leased" 211. Now I have "lease fee & hd enabling fee", that I did not have with the 811 :river because I still choose to have the family package-I like the channels with that package & had it at the time I switched to the VIP211, but as new channels have become avalable like Food Net, I cannot get them as I was promised - I would need to change to one of the AT packages. :shocked :shocked

MORAL OF STORY; don't believe things that DISH promises unless it is in writing and do not believe what some people say on forums at what DISH policy is. DISH is in the business to make money, and they will charge any fees or make any changes, to any packages, that they wish/think that they can do.