I suspect that if the rumers of a $9.99 HD pack and a 3rd HD pack are true, the $9.99 pack will be the 110 HD channels only, and the 3rd pack would be the rest of the HD channels that are included with your package except Voom for perhaps an additional $5.00, the current $20 package would still be available and still include Voom and all the channels in the new package's. Other words HD would have 3 tiers, HD110 Basic $9.99, HD Full Basic $14.99, HD plus Voom (or whatever marketing names the packages) $20.
I think that they should just have a tech fee like DIRECTV, that allows all subs with an hd receiver to see all the hd channels available in their programming packs. THE Voom channels , and any other hd channels without an sd equivalent , should be spun off into their own extra pack . THen you could pay for the extra channels if you wanted to. If HD is going to be the norm instead of the exception , then DISH should make it so anyone that has the hd receiver pays the tech fee . It makes no sense to have an enableing fee of $7.00 to NOT have hd . Giving people access to the hd channels for a small tech fee does make sense and you would collect the fee uniformly from all hd receiver subs. Then if people had the hd channels & they would want to upgrade to more hd they would want to buy the extra pack channels , just to see what they are missing.
TV is just getting too dang expensive. AEP pricing is utterly rediculous. I got rid of that package along with some other channels and some additional satellite receivers on my account a few years ago and then got rid of superstations last year to try to cut back on the bill and its still higher than I think it should be. I pay annually for the service right before the rate increase each year to save a little bit of money. DirecTv is looking better and better each year. Isn't their programming packages been cheaper the past few years particularly the ones with the local channels? If I didn't like the way the Dish Network dual tuner receivers were setup I would have seriously considered switching.
Seeing that a basic package is going to be $33 (I do not count DishFamily as a "TRUE" basic package) compared to $20 about 7 years ago that seems like a HUGE increase in that amount of time. It will most likely be $35 in 2009 and to get locals thats $5 more. The basic package should have only went up maybe $5 during the past 5 or 6 years, not $13.
I suspect any new $9.99 HD pack is to counter all of the unhappy customers paying the current $6 HD Disabling Fee; which would be a group of customers more likely to drop service with Dish, further agitating the board members who are not happy with a slow down in new customers.
I suspect that if the rumers of a $9.99 HD pack and a 3rd HD pack are true, the $9.99 pack will be the 110 HD channels only, and the 3rd pack would be the rest of the HD channels that are included with your package except Voom for perhaps an additional $5.00, the current $20 package would still be available and still include Voom and all the channels in the new package's. Other words HD would have 3 tiers, HD110 Basic $9.99, HD Full Basic $14.99, HD plus Voom (or whatever marketing names the packages) $20.
... It makes no sense to have an enableing fee of $7.00 to NOT have hd ...
I like that name , perhaps they could be called HD Limited Basic $9.99, HD Full Basic for $14.99 or better yet to be cheaper then D* HD Activation + HD Extra, charge $12.99 or $13.99, and then HD Max for $20.Maybe the "HD MAX"
How about this (more realistic)I like that name , perhaps they could be called HD Limited Basic $9.99, HD Full Basic for $14.99 or better yet to be cheaper then D* HD Activation + HD Extra, charge $12.99 or $13.99, and then HD Max for $20.
How about this (more realistic)
10 dollars for the Alaska/HA pack..20 dollars for the current HD pack and 30 dollars for thos of us that want Usa-HD,SCIFI-HD, Chiller-HD MOJO-HD and Smithonian Hd
That's what I have been afraid of since Scott G. said three hd packs. A third one that cost more than we already pay for HD but includes the hd channels that we have been waiting for. If this is the case, I see a problem.
IT shouldn't cost anymore for the new hd channels than what we already pay for Sci-fi, Usa, Fx, etc. Those deals for the sd version are already negoiated and I don't see how they can charge that much more for the hd version.
Now if you want to spin off the channels that don't have a sd simulcast, like Voom , Hdnet, Universal, Smithsonian, etc into an Extra pack and price them more I could see it. But that too will cause problems . Look at what the Directv subs have been bitching about. They are mad because these channels like Hdnet movies were part of the origional hd pack and when they spun off the Extra pack they are now included and you have to pay 4.99 more for them.
So either way any price increase for HD will cause problems for those who have HD already. To me we already pay too much for hd already at $20.00 a pack.
That's what I have been afraid of since Scott G. said three hd packs. A third one that cost more than we already pay for HD but includes the hd channels that we have been waiting for. If this is the case, I see a problem.
IT shouldn't cost anymore for the new hd channels than what we already pay for Sci-fi, Usa, Fx, etc. Those deals for the sd version are already negoiated and I don't see how they can charge that much more for the hd version.
Now if you want to spin off the channels that don't have a sd simulcast, like Voom , Hdnet, Universal, Smithsonian, etc into an Extra pack and price them more I could see it. But that too will cause problems . Look at what the Directv subs have been bitching about. They are mad because these channels like Hdnet movies were part of the origional hd pack and when they spun off the Extra pack they are now included and you have to pay 4.99 more for them.
So either way any price increase for HD will cause problems for those who have HD already. To me we already pay too much for hd already at $20.00 a pack.