SatelliteGuys November 19th Live Dish Retailer Chat Recap

[Scott Greczkowski]

Welcome once again to another SatelliteGuys Retailer Chat Recap.

This chat recap is done in near realtime as I am watching the chat via a
Slingbox and often rewind to grab screen captures.

As always only items of interest of Consumers will be talked about here as this is a consumer oriented website. If you are a retailer and wish to discuss Retailer sensitive information please vist our sister site at DishRetailer.COM.

Welcome to SatelliteGuys, the Chat will begin soon! (This thread will be opened once the information has started flowing)

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

And here we go!

Tom and Jim welcome us and tell us we have a packed show today.

They go over todays agenda (see slide 3 below.) Doesn't sound like any new national HD announcements by looking at the slide.

They start by talking about Team Summit May 7th - 9th in Denver. Retailers can register now at the Retailer WebSite. Early Bird Registration price of $250, price keeps going up and tops out at $500 if you register for Team Summit at Team Summit (holy crap, thats a lot of money to go and listen to 3 days of Dish Network ads.)

They are still talking about Team Summit.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Now finally changing topics off of Team Summit.

They go on talking about the Digital Transition. They tell retailers what an great opportunity this is for them. Customers are starting to take action now that some stations are making the flip early.

Moving to the Eastern Arc...

Jim talks about the new Eastern Arc cities that launch today (see slide 1 below)

Now moving on talking about upcoming PPV events coming up. The show a interview with Oscer De La Hoya. (Yawn.. dish trying to sell PPV events to their retailers now... what a waste of time)

Now NBA League Pass is shown, Dish has reached a deal with the NBA and will offer the package this year. A video is shown for NBA League Pass. BTW this year the NBA League pass also comes with the NBA Broadband service included.

Now on to ESPN Full Court and an ad for the package.

Now an ad for WWE Survivor Series which is this weekend.

Now onto International Channels.

ZeeTV and Star India Package available tomorrow for $24.99 a month.
SabTV was added to the Hindi Mega Pack on November 13th.
RTR Planteta Sports and TV1000 Russian Kino added to Russian Mega Pack.
Afrotainment added to 3A Telesud

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Good news, have you wanted to upgrade your equipment through promotions like Dish'n It Up from your local retailer but have been unable to do it because those upgrades could only be done by the retailer who originally installed your system? (and that retailer is out of business, you didn't like them etc..)

Well good news, that requirement to upgrade your equipment through your original retailer is now gone.

This is good news.

 

[BobMurdoch]

Good... Like you said, my original retailer from 5/2000 is long gone.....

Where is all the HD? Only 6 weeks left, and if they have any hope of turning around their dismal performance, they are pi$$ing away a perfectly good shopping season with all those new digital TVs getting bought ahead of the transition....

 

[jclewter79]

I want to know where the Sherman/Ada market in HD is. 30-45 days from the last Charlie Chat was what we were told. Still no HD locals.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Phil from Marketing joins the show.

He announces the launch of the new DishMEXICO package. 50 channels of english and spanish channels for $19.99 a month.

A DishMEXICO promo video is shown.

A special DishMEXICO launch promotion is happening new subscribers get a $10 rebate a month for 6 months making the first 6 months of DishMEXICO only $9.99 a month.

Ads shown for Banamax and Cbeebies. (Cbeebies is a spanish language kids channel the BBC and shows a lot of PBS Kids type shows)

Another channel "coming soon" is a channel called Pasiones which is a spanish soap opera channel.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Now back to talking about the Digital Transition (which they talked about earlier)

A dumb video is shown about the Digital Transition.

Now a Frank Caliendo ad is shown featureing the slogan "stretch your dollar with Dish Network."

New ads re coming which make fun of Cable companies rasing their rates again... (hey dish arn't you planning on rasing your rates in February AGAIN? Hello Pot meet Mr Kettle.)

And thats the end of the Marketing segment.

 

[B_Kranski]

didnt they mention the existing customer offers? like in there slide?

 

[GRExpert]

didnt they mention the existing customer offers? like in there slide?

I'm guessing that was the ability to dish it up with a different retailer than your original retailer. Not much of a bone for us current subscribers

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Dish they says that retailers should be using Super Satellite Buddy meters as they save installers time which saves retailers money. (Applied Instruments the makers of the Super Satellite Buddy are proud SatelliteGuys Gold Sponsors!)

Now its time for Leslie Harper! Leslie is now starting year 4 of doing Tech News on the Retailer chats.

Leslie gives us a Tech Forum recap...

Then after the recap she tells us that the 211 DVR Conversion is ready! As of last night all 211's and 211k's have the software which can turn your 211 into a DVR by adding an external hard drive. Note that you can't swap hard drives between 211's and with other external DVR drives from a 622 / 722.

Now on the new 722k receiver, one of the features that is built in that has not been talked about is the 722k has a built in software antenuator, so no more barrels needed. It is shown how to turn on this feature in the 722k's menus.

Now on to the new 2 way remotes. Note that the VCR button on the remote is now a DVD button.

Next up the Over The Air tuner Cartridge for the 722k is shown.

Finally the DTVPal DVR is show. You can pre order one today at DTVPAL.COM

And that does it for Leslie

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Whoops maybe thats not all from Leslie... The DPP44 switch that has the UL Listen Symbol on it can no be used as a grounding block.

And now that does it for Leslie.

 

[nuts4scuba]

Whoops maybe thats not all from Leslie... The DPP44 switch that has the UL Listen Symbol on it can no be used as a grounding block.

And now that does it for Leslie.

The picture says it can be used as a grounding block. Is that what you mean?

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Jim and Tom talk about the DTVPal DVR. (Dish is sold out of regular DTV Pals) DTVPals will beging shipping to retailers about a week into December.

They talk about the 211k DVR conversion and how it works.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Dish now has a "Snowbird Policy" which will allow people with two homes to have Dish Network at both houses. (Ie a customer has a winter home and a summer home.) The customer can take their receivers back and forth.

For this to work a code needs to be placed on the customers account so that the audit team dont call. Dish will verify they ownership of the two properties behind the scenes the customer does not need to do anything.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Now on to question time... which means this chat is done... but as always I will listen and report on any good questions.

Thanks for being SatelliteGuys.

 

[jgags6]

Question about the 211 dvr conversion: will that allow you to pause and rewind live tv?

 

[Bobby H]

I want to know where the Sherman/Ada market in HD is. 30-45 days from the last Charlie Chat was what we were told.

That was the announcement shortly before Sherman/Ada and a bunch of other uplinked markets were deleted instead. Once the "Eastern Arc" transition started I read it somewhere that Sherman/Ada locals would only be MPEG-4 SD for the time being. No word on when HD locals from that market will be added.

I'm just hoping the Wichita Falls/Lawton HD locals get lit on 61.5° as originally announced. If they get moved to 72° or 77° (or wherever some of the new HD locals are going) I'll be screwed unless I can install a wing dish and properly aim for those satellites myself.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Interesting question...

Existing customer from Harrisburg wants to upgrade to HD. He has a Dish 500 now. His HD locals are only on 77 degrees.

He is told that he needs 3 dishes, a Dish 500, a Dish 300 pointed at 61.5 for national HD and another Dish 300 pointed at 77 for his HD locals..

Man how screwed up is that? Don't these guys think about things before they do things?

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Question about the 211 dvr conversion: will that allow you to pause and rewind live tv?

Yes