New DishHD Packages to be added February

[riffjim4069]

From what satellite location(s) will new HD be broadcast?

From what satellite location(s) are the new MPEG-4 HD channels going to broadcast: VOOM, ESPN2, UDH? With the torrent of activity and posts yesterday, I am unable to locate this information. Can I will assume VOOM will be on 61.5/129 and ESPN2/UDH on 110/119?

Thanks...

 

[Purogamer]

Has it occured to anyone that maybe E* isn't 100% sure what they're going to do yet? This is E* we're talking about...things change daily...

Everyone just calm down. E* not giving us the info we want is nothing new. Most E* customers aren't even aware of CES or MPEG-4 or anything, they're too busy pushing the run'er back button...

Tell ya what, everyone grab a hand. Go on, grab someone's hand and sing along with me...

MPEG-4 my lord, MPEG-4
MPEG-4 my lord, MPEG-4
MPEG-4 my lord, MPEG-4
Oh lord, MPEG-4...

 

[DERRICK]

Consumed Technology

"Consumed Technology"
Let that sink in for a bit, it is exactly what you should understand.
Microsoft does it, playstation, any Electronics product out there.
Hell while Christmas shopping this year I saw game systems that allows me to play games from back in the day (i.e. astroids) and fifteen others in one control box. what a slap in the face that was after spending a loot back then.
But back to the topic at hand, take this other thought.

Directv gives us locals in HD here in Atlanta and guess what a small upgrade fee.
Folks lets be reasonable sure you may be able to go somewhere else and get tv
these guys know this and will do the right thing and provide a smooth upgrade plan. I think we should complain more in response to the product delivery.
3 weeks to Feb 1st and will we have any product to buy?

I bet all my chips, no way in hell :devil:
Everyone have a great weekend and GO PATS!

 

[treiher]

I'm with you Purogamer, and I am going to take your advice and calm down about this. It is only TV, after all! But you do understand why many are a little wigged out about this. They do have a track record that makes people nervous. The idea that they could eliminate new programming options from current customers unless they fork out big bucks for a new receiver (even if you just bought or leased a new receiver last week) is easy to imagine. Dish has a HUGE opportunity to make these people happy and resolve a lot of that ongoing paranoia about what they might do. This might also explain their resistance to replacing all those 921 receivers with 942's, if they knew long term they would have to offer a low cost upgrade path for all 921's and 942's to the Vip622 anyway. You have a lot of angry 921 owners out there, and Dish could go along way to make things right for them as well as everyone else.

 

[MR CORVETTE]

I just got off the phone with Tech Support with a problem with my 942 and they said MARCH before the new DVR-HD will be out

 

[sker66]

dogday,
Have you had any problems with audio sync?
You say they tried to add Voom even though you had no way of receiving it. You can get the current Voom channels...I do with my 942/Dish 1000. That's been part of the frustration...there are a few concert things on the Voom channels that I'd love to watch through my Marantz A/V receiver for a nice, full sound. But I get the bad audio sync problem. Sync is OK with the HDMI input going into my TV, but who wants to watch a Tom Petty concert using the TV's cheesy speakers?
I wonder why they were so adamant about not giving me any kind of price break less than 3 weeks ago on the 942, when they knew it was going to be a lame-duck unit. You'd think they would try to clear them out of the channel. If they have a bunch unsold, doesn't that work out about the same as selling them all at clearance pricing, and then providing an inexpensive upgrade path to the 622 for those customers who got a 942 within, say 3 months of the release of the 622? I just don't get it. It seems they should have some type of "new model protection policy". You see that all the time for other products. It's one thing if they give fair advance warning of their plans, and then you still make a decision to buy the older model. But that's not the case here. No one knew what was going on for sure. The Dish representatives were even less forthcoming and more clueless than the 3 local Dish dealers I called, and the 3 local Dish dealers I called each had conflicting information on 1) when mpeg 4 was going to actually show up b) which channels were going to be MPEG 4 3) whether the 942 would show those channels. How's a consumer supposed to make a prudent decision?
Irregardless of all those issues, right now, due to the audio sync issue, I feel I have faulty equipment. Does anyone know what their return policy is on "faulty" equipment? Do I have 30 days? 60 days? And are they going to do it for me hassle free?
And if I go this route, what are the odds that if I should get the 622 in the future, that the audio sync issue will be fixed?
sker66

sker66, I'm right there with you. I've been with Dish for 8 years now. Same as you, just bought my 942 4 weeks ago after the same hassles of trying to get a better deal.
Ended up with a $798 bill - receiver and install. Tried to get a Dish 1000 thrown in, but they wouldn't do that, although they did try to add Voom service to my bill even though I had no way of receiving it.
I hold out a slim hope for a decent upgrade path. But I also know that E* has never done any favors for me as a loyal customer. If I scammed a rotating "new customer" deal, I'd be treated better.
But I don't want to go to D* and I really don't want to go cable. I really like the 942 and would hope that whatever replaces it will be as good or better. Until then, I'll live without E2, Voom and Universal HD. I'm actually finding out that I watch more OTA HD than any of the Dish HD channels (which doesn't help the buyer's remorse).
keeping fingers crossed...

 

[BobMurdoch]

And that March date is probably when the supply trickle starts. Many of the newbies don't remember what it was like when the 921 was "released". It took them 6 months to a year to catch up on all the "preorders" (And you thought the XBox 360 wait was bad!)

 

[Purogamer]

I absolutely understand as my post points out. But info won't be out until monday so we can either rant and rave all weekend about it for no reasonable benefit, or we can calm down and just find something to distract ourselves with until monday...

I thought HD DVR's were well known to not be out until after MPEG 4 boxes? If they say march isn't that early? I seem to remember summertime or later being mentioned months ago...

MPEG-4 my lord, MPEG-4...

 

[dont24]

How many people bought or leased their 942 after the last Tech Chat, when they stated MPG4 was not a top priority? I did. I felt it was wise for me to spend $250
to lease a 942, based on what was stated. Now less than 2 months later I can't use my 942 to receive the new HD channels It's one thing to make decisions based on this forum, which is mostly rumors and speculation. ( although what gets posted here usually comes to fruition ) Existing customers shouldn't be getting burned my misinformation provided by the CEO and the Tech chats. Why bother having the segments. How many people are still buying/leasing MPEG2 hardware today, not knowing what was said at CES?

 

[sker66]

Probably hundreds a day are still buying/leasing MPEG2 hardware. That's my point about a "new model protection policy". Heck, I just started reading about all of this stuff on this forum. Most people won't be aware of any of these issues. Also, if going by what my local dealers were telling me, THEY were told that ESPN HD would absolutely work on the new 942 I was about to purchase. That's blatantly mis-information. Dish better be good to those of us who bought a 942 recently, or I'll be extremely mad. But I have a sneaky feeling they're going to let us out to hang.

sker66

How many people bought or leased their 942 after the last Tech Chat, when they stated MPG4 was not a top priority? I did. I felt it was wise for me to spend $250
to lease a 942, based on what was stated. Now less than 2 months later I can't use my 942 to receive the new HD channels It's one thing to make decisions based on this forum, which is mostly rumors and speculation. ( although what gets posted here usually comes to fruition ) Existing customers shouldn't be getting burned my misinformation provided by the CEO and the Tech chats. Why bother having the segments. How many people are still buying/leasing MPEG2 hardware today, not knowing what was said at CES?

 

[jerryez]

Scott, 13 pages and not a comment from you. You have had plenty of time to ask Charlie something other than about Howard Stearns. What is the upgrade path?
What are you doing at CES, having a good time or getting us info or both.

 

[Fgsilva]

I'm so confused! Will the new and existing HD channels only be on MPG4?? If so that means that my 811 will be useless on February 1st????

 

[mwgiii]

Scott, 13 pages and not a comment from you. You have had plenty of time to ask Charlie something other than about Howard Stearns. What is the upgrade path?
What are you doing at CES, having a good time or getting us info or both.

Scott posted earlier today. He is happy with the upgrade path which will be announced on Monday.

http://www.satelliteguys.us/showpost.php?p=440939&postcount=1

Fgsilva - only NEW HD channels will be in Mpeg4. Your 811 will continue to get the existing HD channels.

 

[RandallA]

I'm so confused! Will the new and existing HD channels only be on MPG4?? If so that means that my 811 will be useless on February 1st????

The new HD channels will be in MPG4. The 811 will still receive the MPEG2 HD channels which are the current ones you're watching.

 

[riffjim4069]

The new HD channels will be in MPG4. The 811 will still receive the MPEG2 HD channels which are the current ones you're watching.

The 811 and 942 are less than fully functional to us VOOMites (not to be confused with VOOM-Lites or Sodomites for that matter!) who came to Dish Network because we were told all 21 VOOM Originals would be available by 2006. Some ever purchased new HD receivers (411/811/942) based on the November Tech Chat (MPEG-4 for HD LIL, existing receivers will receive new VOOM and National HD). Anyone under warranty gets a free upgrade (just paying shipping charges) or E* refunds purchase price.

 

[rdinkel]

THEY were told that ESPN HD would absolutely work on the new 942 I was about to purchase. That's blatantly mis-information.

Well, if that is what you were told, it is technically true: "ESPN HD" will continue to be available via a 942 receiver. However, the new "ESPN2 HD" will require a newer, MPEG4 receiver.

 

[AdamGott]

How many people bought or leased their 942 after the last Tech Chat, when they stated MPG4 was not a top priority? I did. I felt it was wise for me to spend $250
to lease a 942, based on what was stated. Now less than 2 months later I can't use my 942 to receive the new HD channels It's one thing to make decisions based on this forum, which is mostly rumors and speculation. ( although what gets posted here usually comes to fruition ) Existing customers shouldn't be getting burned my misinformation provided by the CEO and the Tech chats. Why bother having the segments. How many people are still buying/leasing MPEG2 hardware today, not knowing what was said at CES?

I hear your pain and am somewhat in the same boat (leased my 942 a month and a half ago) but I do actually believe that Charlie said the new channels would be MPEG4 in his last chat and we all assumed that he didn't know what he was talking about based on 'information' from other sources.

I will be happy if I can continue to get the channels that I get now (in good quality too - no reduced bitrates for me please) for a while. I won't be happy if the upgrade path requires another $250 for a LEASE.

 

[sker66]

My typo/mistake. I meant ESPN 2 HD originally. I was told ESPN 2 HD will definitely be available on my 942.

sker66

Well, if that is what you were told, it is technically true: "ESPN HD" will continue to be available via a 942 receiver. However, the new "ESPN2 HD" will require a newer, MPEG4 receiver.

 

[sker66]

I'm not one who even knew about these "tech chats" with Charlie (Charlie is the CEO, I presume?).

What do you mean "anyone under warranty gets a free upgrade"? Does that mean someone in my situation (bought a 942 less than 3 weeks ago) will get a free upgrade to the 622 when it comes out (in March, April or whatever future month)?

sker66

The 811 and 942 are less than fully functional to us VOOMites (not to be confused with VOOM-Lites or Sodomites for that matter!) who came to Dish Network because we were told all 21 VOOM Originals would be available by 2006. Some ever purchased new HD receivers (411/811/942) based on the November Tech Chat (MPEG-4 for HD LIL, existing receivers will receive new VOOM and National HD). Anyone under warranty gets a free upgrade (just paying shipping charges) or E* refunds purchase price.

 

[dont24]

but I do actually believe that Charlie said the new channels would be MPEG4 in his last chat and we all assumed that he didn't know what he was talking about based on 'information' from other sources.

You're correct. I had my 942 installed a week or so before that Charlie chat. I think the Tech chat in November is when they stated MPEG4 was not a top priority.
Since I lease the 942, I'm not in too bad shape. They'll have to have some reasonable upgrade path. I'm hoping Charlie takes care of the people who purshased their 811, 921, and 942 receivers. He shouldn't forget the 6000 owners as well.