...I called Dish numerous times trying to get a 942 for less than $700. They wouldn't budge. I checked into DirecTV, our local Cable HD. Free HD DVR unit from Cable...only 8 or 9 channels. DirectTV HD/DVR for around $250. I threw these into Dish's face, and really put the pressure on them to "help me out". They still wouldn't budge. They said they "escalated" my issue to a supervisor, and when I talked to her, same story: pay $700 or feel free to cancel. ... So, in the end, I caved. Ponied up the $700. I had a few conversations with my local installer about the rumblings of mpeg4 and such. He didn't know what was going on with the new channels or when..but DID say I would without a doubt be able to get ESPN 2 HD with my 942 in a few weeks. After Christmas is when I discovered the Satellite Guys forum, and I've been reading about the whole mess since then.
So, I AM one of those "suckers" who owns a 942, and not only that, it's less than 3 weeks old. ...