I am curious how many people have actually switched from E*. For this poll, only vote if you've switched in the last 3 months and for the future switch option, only pick this if your thinking of bailing within the 1st 3 months of the year.
Poll: Dish Turnover
- Thread starter tdigden
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i am switching to cable on saturday and my last day with dish is monday. i plan on moving to direct tv when mpeg 4 receivers are available.
for the poll, you should add an answer saying "sticking it out with dish"
that way you know how many plan on staying.
for the poll, you should add an answer saying "sticking it out with dish"
that way you know how many plan on staying.
What is the purpose of your poll? I personally plan to switch when DirecTV comes out with an MPEG-4 DVR, but that won't be for about a year. Not economical to buy the HR10-250 for $1k and then buy a replacement box a year later.
Anyway, your poll might want to add a couple of options.
1. Do you plan to switch in the next year?
2. No, I'm not planning on swtiching.
A poll makes no sense if the only answer you allow is 'yes'. According to your poll 100% of respondents will be switching, that doesn't reflect reality. If it did, dish would be completely shutting its doors within the next few months because 100% of its customers would be gone by then.
Anyway, your poll might want to add a couple of options.
1. Do you plan to switch in the next year?
2. No, I'm not planning on swtiching.
A poll makes no sense if the only answer you allow is 'yes'. According to your poll 100% of respondents will be switching, that doesn't reflect reality. If it did, dish would be completely shutting its doors within the next few months because 100% of its customers would be gone by then.
Hi,
I definitely would like to see an option for not switching. I have no plan of switching from Dish/E*. I've already been down the block with COMCAST and don't want that bag of useless S* again. I also am not satisfied with what DirecTV and VOOM are offering. There are few other alternatives, which by the way is the major problem here. Too many ppl I see here a jumping one ship to another and back again. We need to pound the FCC to seriously start deregulating the Cable/Digital TV industry. We pay enough in taxes as it is foir them to do this. Now they wanna hit VOIP phone lines and they still aren't given a one iota of service for all the money collected.
Right now I can't see anything better then the DISH for me. However, if serious deregulation occured and competition heated up, options might open-up which I would consider.
In all though, I think I will stick with dish. E* is the best offer for me right now.
I definitely would like to see an option for not switching. I have no plan of switching from Dish/E*. I've already been down the block with COMCAST and don't want that bag of useless S* again. I also am not satisfied with what DirecTV and VOOM are offering. There are few other alternatives, which by the way is the major problem here. Too many ppl I see here a jumping one ship to another and back again. We need to pound the FCC to seriously start deregulating the Cable/Digital TV industry. We pay enough in taxes as it is foir them to do this. Now they wanna hit VOIP phone lines and they still aren't given a one iota of service for all the money collected.
Right now I can't see anything better then the DISH for me. However, if serious deregulation occured and competition heated up, options might open-up which I would consider.
In all though, I think I will stick with dish. E* is the best offer for me right now.
I can't edit the poll to add whose planning on staying. I'm hoping the numbers start adding up enough to get E* attention. I too will be keeping my eye on D* and E* and will be switching back to Sat when they offer a few my locals in HD as well as a few additional HD channels.
DISH subscriber since '97. I gave DISH three chances to set me up with HD (first response asked me to call the CSR roulette line without addressing my questions, next two chances no response from DISH at all).
Applied three strikes you are out
. VOOM getting installed tomorrow. If VOOM turns out to be great and does not go belly up, I'll hang with them. If VOOM turns out not so great will hang on until D* mpeg-4.
Rob.
Applied three strikes you are out
. VOOM getting installed tomorrow. If VOOM turns out to be great and does not go belly up, I'll hang with them. If VOOM turns out not so great will hang on until D* mpeg-4.Rob.
I am a Dish subscriber since '98 and have tried dropping them twice for cable, but both times the quality was so poor that I came back. No doubt, I WILL switch to Voom when it becomes available in my area... unless Dish really ramps up their HD content. It's all about HD content + quality for me. Adelphia cable has more HD channels and a HD PVR, but Dish is noticeably superior to Adelphia's HD quality. So, I chose quality over quantity...
I added 2 options
"Staying with dish"
"Switched to other"
Mine would be "Other"...I havent totally dropped Dish. I still have locals. I dropped it for the main reason of there isnt anything on there
"Staying with dish"
"Switched to other"
Mine would be "Other"...I havent totally dropped Dish. I still have locals. I dropped it for the main reason of there isnt anything on there
I already switched to Time Warner and have been very happy so far. The 8300 DVR's are great -- I have two! Cost me nothing (not $549, not $749, not $999) up front, and the small monthly price for renting them from T-W would take me many years to match the price of buying HD DVRs from Dish -- and that's not even considering the fact MPEG4 will render them useless by the end of the year!
Picture quality is fine. Some of the analog channels are better than Dish, and some are worse, but two of the three TV's I have hooked up are HD, so my main concern is HD content which is stellar! In addition to what I had with Dish, I also have the INHD1 and INHD2 channels, the HBO and SHO east and west feeds (only had east w/Dish), and ALL the local digital stations. The HD picture quality is unbelieveable in comparison to Dish's extra-compressed stuff. All this for less than what I was paying with Dish.
Picture quality is fine. Some of the analog channels are better than Dish, and some are worse, but two of the three TV's I have hooked up are HD, so my main concern is HD content which is stellar! In addition to what I had with Dish, I also have the INHD1 and INHD2 channels, the HBO and SHO east and west feeds (only had east w/Dish), and ALL the local digital stations. The HD picture quality is unbelieveable in comparison to Dish's extra-compressed stuff. All this for less than what I was paying with Dish.
how do you like the inhd 1 and 2? i am having cable installed saturday and have not deceided if i am going to ad the hdpac. i figure for 6.00 it would be worth it. the only reason i might not add it is because discover and tnt hd are already included in the basic package. their hd pak consists of hd net and movies and the hdin channels. just curious if their is good content on those channels.
I jumped ship because we had comcast for locals and internet. They have an offer for 19.95 expanded basic for 1 year. I took it. Alot cheaper than dish. I got a TIVO instead.
I switched to D* on Jan 7th
I made a threat and then followed through...
The ABC-HD and FOX-HD additions in December is what did it for me. D* also announced at CES that ESPN2 will be added...
The E* CSR was also very professional about my changing providers. I did ask him to communicate it up the ranks that the ONLY reason I switched was lack of HD programming (both my local cable company and D* have significantly more HD). He did try to argue that E* had the same offerings as D*.. I politely named off the D* listings, mentioned ESPN2, and then the NYC O&O networks...
I also asked the D* CSR to place in my file that the day I switched was the day they announced the MPEG4 conversion and that I wish to be compensated if I have to purchase new equipment (it might not help, but at least I'm on the record)
I made a threat and then followed through...
The ABC-HD and FOX-HD additions in December is what did it for me. D* also announced at CES that ESPN2 will be added...
The E* CSR was also very professional about my changing providers. I did ask him to communicate it up the ranks that the ONLY reason I switched was lack of HD programming (both my local cable company and D* have significantly more HD). He did try to argue that E* had the same offerings as D*.. I politely named off the D* listings, mentioned ESPN2, and then the NYC O&O networks...
I also asked the D* CSR to place in my file that the day I switched was the day they announced the MPEG4 conversion and that I wish to be compensated if I have to purchase new equipment (it might not help, but at least I'm on the record)
Stuck with E* for now
I have been a E* subscriber for 4 years. I have a 6000 and three 3900s, with the 120 pack + HD pack + HBO + cinemax. I get locals (in HD) via OTA antenna.
I would like to add a DVR or two, but I want name based recording, plus changing over would require almost $400 in switch/LNB/legacy adapter upgrades in addition to the cost of the DVR, which will be (in the case of 921 or 942) obsolete with the intro of MPEG/4 in the next year or so. With no guarantee that E* will cover replacement costs (despite little or no cost statement at CES, we know what verbal promises from E* are worth), this doesn't seem like a prudent move.
I could go to D*, and get essentially free install, but that would require significant $$ for the HD DVR with the same MPEG/4 problem, plus I would need to double up my cable runs to all the DVR or HD STB's (one advantage for E* with their switch technology).
I would go back to Comcast (Phila. area), except for the appalling quality of the analog channels. There is some talk that Comcast will be converting 40 or so analog channels to digital by midyear. If this happens, and the digital conversion includes the channels I am interested in, I will most likely become a Comcast customer again (although when I left I swore I would never go back). Until this happens, I will probably stick it out with E* with my current equipment setup, more because my alternatives are not very enticing rather than I am happy with E*.
I have been a E* subscriber for 4 years. I have a 6000 and three 3900s, with the 120 pack + HD pack + HBO + cinemax. I get locals (in HD) via OTA antenna.
I would like to add a DVR or two, but I want name based recording, plus changing over would require almost $400 in switch/LNB/legacy adapter upgrades in addition to the cost of the DVR, which will be (in the case of 921 or 942) obsolete with the intro of MPEG/4 in the next year or so. With no guarantee that E* will cover replacement costs (despite little or no cost statement at CES, we know what verbal promises from E* are worth), this doesn't seem like a prudent move.
I could go to D*, and get essentially free install, but that would require significant $$ for the HD DVR with the same MPEG/4 problem, plus I would need to double up my cable runs to all the DVR or HD STB's (one advantage for E* with their switch technology).
I would go back to Comcast (Phila. area), except for the appalling quality of the analog channels. There is some talk that Comcast will be converting 40 or so analog channels to digital by midyear. If this happens, and the digital conversion includes the channels I am interested in, I will most likely become a Comcast customer again (although when I left I swore I would never go back). Until this happens, I will probably stick it out with E* with my current equipment setup, more because my alternatives are not very enticing rather than I am happy with E*.
No option for "Thinking of switching in the next 6-12 months", so I'm "Sticking with Dish." Part of my dilemma has to do with expendability.
From what I've seen, Dish has the better Dish/LNB/Switch technology with the DishPro and DP+ (needs higher quality cable, but only one cable per satellite slot and receiver) vs. DirecTV requiring two cables/per slot and "goofy" special LNBs that combine two positions into one slot. Now that new satellites are needed for LiL, there's going to be a rat's nest of cables to support the new locations. Example: Experienced installers suggest placing the switch inside to keep temperature and moisture away from the connections. For Dish, that's three cables or four cables (SuperDish + 61.5/148 wing slot) vs. six or eight (101/110/119/75 CW/CCW) for DirecTV. If you've got two or three receivers, you're more likely to install the DirecTV switch outside due to the number of cables you'd need to run to a sheltered location.
Balancing that is the receiver situation, where the days of a bug-free Dish receiver are responded to with "Huh? When was that?" compared to DirecTV's relatively problem-free receivers from multiple manufacturers.
I also take into account the fact that I'm paid-up until August, so I have the luxury of sitting pat while the MPEG-4 scenarios play out. I guess we'll see...
From what I've seen, Dish has the better Dish/LNB/Switch technology with the DishPro and DP+ (needs higher quality cable, but only one cable per satellite slot and receiver) vs. DirecTV requiring two cables/per slot and "goofy" special LNBs that combine two positions into one slot. Now that new satellites are needed for LiL, there's going to be a rat's nest of cables to support the new locations. Example: Experienced installers suggest placing the switch inside to keep temperature and moisture away from the connections. For Dish, that's three cables or four cables (SuperDish + 61.5/148 wing slot) vs. six or eight (101/110/119/75 CW/CCW) for DirecTV. If you've got two or three receivers, you're more likely to install the DirecTV switch outside due to the number of cables you'd need to run to a sheltered location.
Balancing that is the receiver situation, where the days of a bug-free Dish receiver are responded to with "Huh? When was that?" compared to DirecTV's relatively problem-free receivers from multiple manufacturers.
I also take into account the fact that I'm paid-up until August, so I have the luxury of sitting pat while the MPEG-4 scenarios play out. I guess we'll see...
