Sorry to say I am leaving Dish after 11 years

[DishSubLA]

Yes, it is Dish's box fees (and other unreasonable fees) that are causing the defections. If I switch to DTV now, I would have the HR34HMC and 3 HR25's and the same level of subscription for $40 LESS per month due SOLELY to DTV's far more reasonable box fees. Yes, the subscription package is higher, but it is all about THE BOTTOM LINE, after all the fees, that DTV would save me $40 per month. However, there are 2 reasons I am not jumping YET:

1. Mom would have a very tough time adjusting to the change of the guide and channel locations; her condition makes it very difficult to learn new things.

2. I would lose H2 HD (New content now moving to H2 along with more new content in 2012), Nat Geo Wild HD, and my biggest loss of BBC America HD. There are a few other non-premium HD's Dish has that DTV doesn't, but those 3 are the only important ones to me.

Now, if DTV can fix #2 for me, I AM GONE FROM DISH, and mom will just have to adjust, for the whopping $40 per month savings, she'd be all for it. However, the real deciding factor will be the COST of the XiP system. If Dish charges those double digit per box/client fees for the XiP, then it is over, and I have economic choice but to leave Dish and subscribe to DirecTV.

 

[ianai]

I'm about to leave as well. For me however, it is over the 922. I just can't get past the feeling that I was duped. I could have had a second 722 at no charge (and a free sling when all was said and done)and instead paid $200 extra for the cream of the crop and it's been a total turd. My only major issue has been the sling not working when I actually needed it - DMV, airport, etc..and I suppose the absurdly poor performance of the DLNA connectivity. But now with the Blockbuster streaming not working on their flagship box I'm just pissed. I phoned and requested either an exchange or my $200 last week, and they said I should have complained sooner. Maybe that's reasonable..maybe it's just me. I feel like their sweeping this thing under the rug, and definitely don't feel that dish gives a rats ass about its customers anymore. They were the first company I remember being impressed by, like they were really listening. Now they're just like everyone else, in my recent experiences anyway. I just don't get whey they are screwing the 922 owners. We paid a premium and should get the premium features first, or at least at the same time..even if the streaming content is useless..it's principle. I think you picked a good time to leave because I don't see the Dish you grew to love anymore.

 

[bigdaddy10]

I know how you feel. I rarely got the sling to work on my 922 and I was waiting for the Blockbuster Movie pass to show up on the 922 and it never has. Why would they hold that Press conference and never fully rollout the BBMP. They demonstrated it on the 922 yet never added it. I left Dish for several reasons.

1. Lack of HD programming on TV2 on any of their boxes
2. The $17.00 fees on 2 tuner receivers whether you used it on 1 TV or 2.
3. Their 6 tuner limit per home rule.

I know that I am not the only person who has purged their homes of all SD televisions. With Dish's current rules you would have to have single tuner receivers to accommodate 4 or more hd televisions. I hope this XiP receiver is the answer for them. They need to get it out ASAP or Direct is going to continue to gain subscribers while they lose them. I still remember the company I signed up with in 2000. They listened to their customers and they had cutting edge technology and ideas. It seemed that something new was happening every month. It was really exciting.

 

[MikeD-C05]

Yes, DISH has changed a lot since 2000. They went from NO dvr fees, to PER dvr receivers, to one per account - with the other dvr receivers on your account having their dvr fees reduced to half and rolled into your additional receiver fees. Of course the HUGE additional receiver fees have exploded from $4.99 a month to anywhere from $7.00 - $17.00 ,depending on which kind of extra receiver you get. The one consistent thing that DISH has done and continues to do : Great cutting edge ideas, that are poorly executed, resulting in angry subs, who then leave DISH and spread the word to everyone they know, resulting in more churn for DISH. DISH is all hype when it comes to ideas . It should be their motto. Don't get me wrong , I love DISH and the 722k receiver is one of the best I've ever used, but I have suffered through all their "high tech- cutting edge receivers" from the web tv/dish player (that worked good till the microsoft /DISH war) to the 721pvr then the HD 921 pvrs ( that cost me a $1000.00 to own) to the 922 that I gave up on after 9 months and traded back in for a 722k again last year. The latest disappointment has been the announcement that the sling extender and all it's previous incarnations ,that I've been waiting on for the last 3 years , will never see the light of day. The whole reason I wanted the 922 and the extender was for Tv 2 in HD. Now I bought the google box because DISH said it would give me the web browser that the 721/921 and the 922 were supposed to have. That has been a disappointment as well. Even the latest update hasn't given me more options, just less. I can't see what is on the tv anymore using the search features and it is integrated . Now they added the sling application on the google revue unit so I could watch the 722k in the house,kind of like the sling extender was supposed to work. The catch IS...... NO sling adapter will work with it. So I paid for the sling adapter last Christmas for $99.00 so I could use it with the yet to be released Sling extender , coming SOON! Now it is totally useless to me for watching tv in my house on another tv. I would have to pay for the sling Pro hd box for another $299.99 if I want to watch my 722k in my house on another tv in my house in hd using the google revue unit. BULLSH*T! Haven't I suffered enough? DISH should of enabled the google revue unit so they would work with the sling adapter I already bought. But I should of known that is not going to happen. DISH makes many products that don't work with each other ,but that they promote heavily, to entice you to buy. After 15 years come next month, you'd think I would of learned. But being the eternal optimist I think each time , this will be the time that all the hype will be true, instead each time I am :

DISH-appointed.

 

[navychop]

 

[356B]

I don't get it. If Dish is this bad why don't these folks just leave? I've read through some of these stories and it seems obvious some folks are way over it. What's the point of bashing Dish on the way out? I guess some may be on the fence and will get the nudge they need?
I do think I will check out the DirectTV sections though. I wonder is bitching about poor service, over priced and over promised is an equal opportunity conversation. It is everywhere else, why not in TV land?

I just looked at a DirectTV BBS, interestingly enough some over there are pissed too. I guess it is universal.

 

[garygaryj]

I came over to Dish Network 6 months ago after 15+ years with DirecTV. While DirecTV appears to be more competent and open with their software development and hardware-firmware-software pathway, I was extremely tired of the ever-increasing higher monthly fees and the leveling-off of new HD channels. Also, being one who was "stuck" with an original HD20 DVR, they didn't want to talk free upgrade until I was dropping them. Now they send a letter to entice me back, perhaps once/week.

I have a VIP 922, and that is all I have. On most days, I consider myself happy with the hardware, happier with the HD channel selection, and even happier with my lower monthly rate. On a few days here & there, I am very unhappy with a DVR that inexcusably manages to lose its DVR schedule for the evening, and unhappy about the Dish "wall-of-silence" when it comes to what is wrong, what is going to be fixed, and when it is going to be fixed.

However, for now I am sticking around. I am even a tad-bit-hopeful that the delay in S1.16 software release means that the 922's next full software release will bring many needed fixes and improvements, and will be well-tested. I am realizing that the lower Dish fees means that Dish does not have the "deep pockets" for software development that DirecTV has, and that it constantly is weighing the cost vs. benefit. I am hopeful for encouraging a more "open attitude" when it comes to the software and hardware, and I am hopeful for a better 2012, for Dish's sake.

I agree that to simply bash is not helpful, and only discourages other customers signing or staying with Dish, whom Dish needs in order to have a good financial model. And a healthy balance sheet for Dish means that we get better DVR's and channels from Dish in the future.

 

[bigdaddy10]

For those that have 1 receiver, Dish is the way to go. The problems start once you get the 2nd receiver. In my case I was being charged $34.00 for 2 receivers (1st receiver free) and I was trying to get another receiver. If they would have allowed a 4th receiver for me I would have been paying $51.00 in equipment fees.

 

[BrianB]

For those that have 1 receiver, Dish is the way to go. The problems start once you get the 2nd receiver. In my case I was being charged $34.00 for 2 receivers (1st receiver free) and I was trying to get another receiver. If they would have allowed a 4th receiver for me I would have been paying $51.00 in equipment fees.

Actually, I just switched and only have one receiver. I have the HR34 with 5 tuners and only pay only the $7/month DVR fee. I relate very much to the poster above about being duped with the 922. In fact, mine crashed hard which made me look at directv again. The annoying bugs that are still there a year later, the lack of support for anything new (I thought it was the flagship?), and high fees all add up to frustration. Now I have a bill that's less than half of what I paid dish, and after the 12 months it's still a few $$ less! For 5 tuners!

For the OP, I had the same experience when I called DirecTV - their sales team is severely misinformed. However, ordering online was a breeze and I had the HR34 installed the next morning. Oh, and that's another thing.. I paid $200 extra for the 922 but only $99 extra for the 5 tuner HMC from DirecTV. Yes, I don't have sling anymore but I could rarely get it to work anyway.

 

[ianai]

I don't get it. If Dish is this bad why don't these folks just leave? I've read through some of these stories and it seems obvious some folks are way over it. What's the point of bashing Dish on the way out?

Probably because many of us were once extremely happy with Dish and had an unusually gratifying relationship with a service provider..which has been turning to sh*t. The fact that they have a presence on these forums also lends itself to the hope that somebody that cares might take note of how the customers who are buying their top tech feel about it.

 

[Dr3aM]

Increase in fee's is going to happen with either provider. The cost of doing business is constantly going up every year. As in every business if the companies cost goes up there customers cost goes up. Just be thankful Satellite Tv is alot better and cheaper than what you get from your local cable company. As far as equipment goes if you don't want to pay equipment fee's purchase your own and be in it for the long run it will pay for it self in 2 years.

 

[navychop]

I gather you mean it will pay for itself if you are purchasing a box for cable, not satellite. Monthly fees with Dish are the same whether you own or lease.

 

[Dr3aM]

I gather you mean it will pay for itself if you are purchasing a box for cable, not satellite. Monthly fees with Dish are the same whether you own or lease.

Most cable companies will not sell you there STB. I am referring to Satellite TV. I have owned my own equipment for years now and have never been charged with either provider. They can not charge you equipment rental fee's if you own all your equipment ( STB, Dish, Switch, ECT.). They can only charge you a fee for every tuner you have after the first one. Also you do not have to sign a contract either if you purchase and install all of your own equipment.

 

[ZachS@DISH]

They can only charge you a fee for every tuner you have after the first one.

With DISH, this applies if the equipment is owned or leased. There is no fee for renting equipment.

 

[NotMe546]

I gather you mean it will pay for itself if you are purchasing a box for cable, not satellite. Monthly fees with Dish are the same whether you own or lease.

What he said.

 

[bigdaddy10]

Does not matter if you own or lease additional receiver, the fee is the same. The lingo just goes to from lease fee to additional receiver fee. The only difference is you will be out more $$$$ because you purchased the receiver and you will not be in a 24month agreement.

 

[fpembleton]

Sorry to see you leave. Dish, I can truly say, has been very fair with me over the past 12 years. I was glad to get away from cable and have no desire to return. There may be a day when I have to leave for economic reasons as I had to retire early than expected, but as long as I can afford it, I will stay. And, I am happy with the programming, pricing and service visits.

 

[navychop]

Most cable companies will not sell you there STB.......

Plenty of after market cable boxes out there. Heck, I think I still have a few. Cheapies, lacking full function, but just fine for simple TV watching of unscrambled or poorly scrambled cable signals.

 

[Jonhern]

After reading this thread I went over to see if I could save some money by switching since I am out of contract, but after doing the calculations I would not be saving that much and losing several things.

Now if I went with the Spanish package mas ultra i would save a lot the first year, but it does not have hdnet, BBCA or CNBC, and not just no hd version, not at all. Also missing a lot of Spanish channels that our current package, dish Latino max has. And to get IFC or NFL network I would have to go the the highest package that includes all the premiums which I don't want, can't get hdnet. I get IFC and hdnet in my current package and I can add nfl during the season for $7 and also get redzone, I actually got it for free this last season. So that package is not really an option for my household, so had to go with an English package with the Spanish add on, still missing some Spanish channels we have now but has the important ones. While I get TMC now, don't really care about it so I went with choice exta with the spanish add-on, so the current promotion is savings of $31 first year, $16 second year .

Right now I have a 722k with an ota module and 1tb ehd. Two 211k with 1 tb ehd dvr each, and a 222k that serves two tvs, so five tvs total. I prefer my own dvr because I record a lot plus I want live dvr as well, so with D I would need to get the home dvr, an hd dvr, 2 hd boxes, and 1 sd box. Right now I pay $34 with dish, d would be $24, $10 less. But I would need to pay $200 up front for the boxes, had to pay nothing with dish. So I split that up and spread it over 2 years, that adds about $8/month, so it would be $32 with D for the fees if you look at it that way. Now here is the problem, I record a lot, most nights its 3 things over lapping, once in awhile its 4 tuners running on my 722k in my room. D has no way to do this on a regular hd dvr. The home dvr would slove issues in the living room when something is recording and someone wants to watch something else, but that is not a common occurrence. And I might be wrong, but the other tvs wont be able to have live dvr capabilities, like the second 211k currently has. So after looking at all that, and pricing it out on the website and then adding tax and the upfront cost of the boxes spread out over the contract, the first year I would be saving just a few bucks and the second year I would be paying more than my current costs which has no discounts at the moment. Also, I currently have the service plan, which is the reason it is not the same price, which i will be removing in a couple of months. So it won't be worth the hassle to move and lose all the movies and shows we have saved up on our ehds just to save a bit the first year, which would be wiped out the second year.

Now if the other hd boxes do have live dvr i could just get the home dvr plus 3 hd boxes and an sd box, but it wont change the costs at all, just $100 less up front. But I would be going from 8 tuners now, 4sat and 4 ota, to just 5 sat. Anyway, i don't think you can have live dvr on the other tvs, so that is not possible. From what I understand it is more like the fios setup which i used to have than what dish is going to have with their home dvr.

So i am going to stick with dish, maybe look into the hopper. If I could keep the 722k for my room, add a hopper to the living room and 2-3 joeys that would be ideal. since the 211ks don't have on demand functions currently, getting the hopper joey setup would bring some added features. Dish gave us the 222k so we own it, so I could keep that and hookup the 6th tv we have to the hdtv and sd tv that is currently connected, and just get two joeys for the two other hd tvs. Or 3 joeys for hdtvs and put the 222k on the sd tv, but that might be a waste of fees, lol. Or just keep the current setup. I was going to see if i could get some discounts from dish, but I guess i will wait to maybe see if they can give me a deal to get the new boxes.

For those that have 1 receiver, Dish is the way to go. The problems start once you get the 2nd receiver. In my case I was being charged $34.00 for 2 receivers (1st receiver free) and I was trying to get another receiver. If they would have allowed a 4th receiver for me I would have been paying $51.00 in equipment fees.

 

[bigdaddy10]

Well I have been without pay TV since 12/5 and my kids are getting antsy. I'm glad that Directv messed up on my order because I am now waiting on the Hopper and Joey setup. Hopefully it will not be cost prohibitive, I would really like to go back to Dish.