I am not under a NDA with Dish, so I can tell it like it is.
Here is my Comentary "for what its worth"
I am not saying you should or should not buy a 921 now. What you do need to do is gather all the info you can and make a wise buying decision base on what you think are the facts.
1. Price- Save $300-$500 on March 1st.
There is no competition yet. The HDTV Direct Tivo is scheduled to be released March 1st for $699 with a 1 year contract for existing customers and $499 for new Customers. The press release is Jan 8th at the Consumer Electronics Sore. In stores March 1st. Its in Pilot right now.
2. No free Switch- Save $40 to $130 more. Since many will need new switches so they can add the required 2nd line to the dish, if you wait till March they may be free when Dish Matches Direct TVs pricing. Dish has also made them free when going through there 1 year plans in the past.
3. No discount for being a Production Beta Tester- there are many small bugs. You should get a discount for helping test the box. Over the last couple of years Dish has laid off several programing and testers and for some the left they never hired replacements. They are short staffed so they hope you can help test for free.
4. No Firwire output for DVHS. Why pay full price and not get all the features, yes it may be added later, but its a matter of principal. The price should be reduced till this feature is avl. Things are missing, why pay full price?
5. Boycott factor- if few are buying them at the full price, Dish may lower the price sooner, before March 1st.
6. No new HD- Dish is adding more Locals right now. This is there main concept for Super Dish, it used to be HD on Super Dish. If few buy HD Equipment Dish may realized that they need to add more like cable is doing. Cable converts are growing. Dish does not want to loose any to Voom and Cable. Direct TV is also talking about adding Starz HD next week.
7. Local Channel mapping and Guide info. Why pay full price for something that is not all there yet. Local Channel maping works on Tivos (they already have the data from there non DBS line of product. Dish is contracting out for it and we are paying full price for something that is not there yet?
8. Upgrade options- This box can do many things. If few buy it, they may realize the need to add the missing features like the USB keyboard, Video Streaming, and Web scheduling, ALL features that the Tivo is working on. (see Tivo 4.0 and HMO Home Media Option for streaming Video and Digital Camera pics).
9. Never Buy the 1st Release-
New buy a computer product or software when it first comes out- This thing is a LINUX Based IDE Hard Drive Computer (it just does not have a Keyboard or mouse (yet).
Any computer person will tell you, never buy anything when it first comes out. Wait for Service Pack 1 (March 1st)
10 Mark Up- Something does not sound right here. The profit is way too high. Computer based products normal are around 10%
Right now Dealers are making over $120 per unit on this and Dish is also making about $50 (marked up before retailer cost).
There is also a large market for those that need an new Switch.
Thats $170 profit total or %17 profit. Extra 5% each year.
But they also make on the average $120 per year for the HD Pack that most will get, cost that over several years and Echo Star is making money off the Retailers and the Customers. With out a discounted price on a One year contract its not the right price to buy at.
Disclaimer:
The above is a personal comentary. I do not work for Dish or Direct TV.
I do own equal amounts of stock in both though.
I am not under any NDAs.
Here is my Comentary "for what its worth"
I am not saying you should or should not buy a 921 now. What you do need to do is gather all the info you can and make a wise buying decision base on what you think are the facts.
1. Price- Save $300-$500 on March 1st.
There is no competition yet. The HDTV Direct Tivo is scheduled to be released March 1st for $699 with a 1 year contract for existing customers and $499 for new Customers. The press release is Jan 8th at the Consumer Electronics Sore. In stores March 1st. Its in Pilot right now.
2. No free Switch- Save $40 to $130 more. Since many will need new switches so they can add the required 2nd line to the dish, if you wait till March they may be free when Dish Matches Direct TVs pricing. Dish has also made them free when going through there 1 year plans in the past.
3. No discount for being a Production Beta Tester- there are many small bugs. You should get a discount for helping test the box. Over the last couple of years Dish has laid off several programing and testers and for some the left they never hired replacements. They are short staffed so they hope you can help test for free.
4. No Firwire output for DVHS. Why pay full price and not get all the features, yes it may be added later, but its a matter of principal. The price should be reduced till this feature is avl. Things are missing, why pay full price?
5. Boycott factor- if few are buying them at the full price, Dish may lower the price sooner, before March 1st.
6. No new HD- Dish is adding more Locals right now. This is there main concept for Super Dish, it used to be HD on Super Dish. If few buy HD Equipment Dish may realized that they need to add more like cable is doing. Cable converts are growing. Dish does not want to loose any to Voom and Cable. Direct TV is also talking about adding Starz HD next week.
7. Local Channel mapping and Guide info. Why pay full price for something that is not all there yet. Local Channel maping works on Tivos (they already have the data from there non DBS line of product. Dish is contracting out for it and we are paying full price for something that is not there yet?
8. Upgrade options- This box can do many things. If few buy it, they may realize the need to add the missing features like the USB keyboard, Video Streaming, and Web scheduling, ALL features that the Tivo is working on. (see Tivo 4.0 and HMO Home Media Option for streaming Video and Digital Camera pics).
9. Never Buy the 1st Release-
New buy a computer product or software when it first comes out- This thing is a LINUX Based IDE Hard Drive Computer (it just does not have a Keyboard or mouse (yet).
Any computer person will tell you, never buy anything when it first comes out. Wait for Service Pack 1 (March 1st)
10 Mark Up- Something does not sound right here. The profit is way too high. Computer based products normal are around 10%
Right now Dealers are making over $120 per unit on this and Dish is also making about $50 (marked up before retailer cost).
There is also a large market for those that need an new Switch.
Thats $170 profit total or %17 profit. Extra 5% each year.
But they also make on the average $120 per year for the HD Pack that most will get, cost that over several years and Echo Star is making money off the Retailers and the Customers. With out a discounted price on a One year contract its not the right price to buy at.
Disclaimer:
The above is a personal comentary. I do not work for Dish or Direct TV.
I do own equal amounts of stock in both though.
I am not under any NDAs.
