VOOM still on 61.5 with MPEG 2?

[bobbehr]

Former VOOM subscriber that went to a Dish 942 for the $250 leasing option a year and a half ago. Now I want add those "old" VOOM channels to my HD pack but was told I have to pay another $200 to upgrade to the 622 and MPEG 4.
Will adding another dish pointed at the 61.5 satellite and input into my DPP LNB give me those channels if I upgrade my programming with Dish?

 

[JohnL]

Former VOOM subscriber that went to a Dish 942 for the $250 leasing option a year and a half ago. Now I want add those "old" VOOM channels to my HD pack but was told I have to pay another $200 to upgrade to the 622 and MPEG 4.
Will adding another dish pointed at the 61.5 satellite and input into my DPP LNB give me those channels if I upgrade my programming with Dish?

Bob,

All New to Dish HD subscribers and or subscribers without a MPEG4 receivers will NOT be able to get the VOOM Channels without a MPEG4 receiver. Some of the HD content is NOT MPEG4 even though those channels headers show it as MPEG4.

If you want to get the VOOM Channels you are NOW required to upgrade to a Dish HD Metal package, which requires a MPEG4 capable receiver.

The Dish upgrade path is $199 for a 622 lease which includes installation as well as any needed hardware (Switches, Dish upgrades) in that price. When you upgrade to the a HD Metal package you are also eligible for a $100 rebate (in the form of a $10 programing credit per month for 10 months).

John

 

[Tom Bombadil]

I believe several of the old VOOM channels are still out there in MPEG2, but they will not authorize your 942 to receive them. If you had the HD Pack + VOOM on a 942 as of 2/1/06, then you would still be getting them. I didn't upgrade to the 622 until August and I got 10 VOOM channels on my 942 until then. And was still paying the old price of $14.95/mon for HD + VOOM.

So it is technically possible as there are people out there getting those channels. But Dish stopped authorizing new HD services for non-MPEG4 receivers several months ago.

 

[Yes616]

Don't forget the new deals are lease deals as well.

I for one am sick of leasing. I just bought my second 211 on eBay for $215. It works great and it's mine. ViP 622's are going in the 300 to 400 dollar range if you watch carefully. That will be my next step.

If you think about going the eBay way, make sure you get the R and S numbers to check with Dish before bidding. Also make sure the seller has a good rating.

 

[lakebum431]

I honestly don't see why you wouldn't lease, but that's just me. To each his own.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

Yeah, but the downside to leasing is minor. I got the 942 to 622 upgrade for free. Now I pay an extra $6/month to lease. If I keep it for 3 years, that's $216.

Buying can work out cheaper in the long run, if a receiver has good residual value after several years.

Let's say you spend $400 on a 622, keep it for 4 years, and can sell it for $200.

If had leased one for an upfront $199 and then paid $288 in lease fees, you are definitely worse off. But if there was no upfront fee, as it trading in a leased 942, then the difference is less than $2/month. Hardly worth the effort.

 

[lakebum431]

But isn't there an extra receiver fee that replaces the lease fee when you own?

 

[Tom Bombadil]

Yes, I think there is. Which pretty much wipes out the purchase advantage, excepting for not having an 18 month programming commitment.

 

[digiblur]

I believe several of the old VOOM channels are still out there in MPEG2, but they will not authorize your 942 to receive them. If you had the HD Pack + VOOM on a 942 as of 2/1/06, then you would still be getting them. I didn't upgrade to the 622 until August and I got 10 VOOM channels on my 942 until then. And was still paying the old price of $14.95/mon for HD + VOOM.

So it is technically possible as there are people out there getting those channels. But Dish stopped authorizing new HD services for non-MPEG4 receivers several months ago.

Technically all the VOOM's are still MPEG2.

 

[whatchel1]

yes and no

Technically all the VOOM's are still MPEG2.

They may be really still MPEG 2 but they have MPEG4 headers so can't be received any way other than a VIP receiver.

 

[digiblur]

They may be really still MPEG 2 but they have MPEG4 headers so can't be received any way other than a VIP receiver.

Negative, ghost rider... all of the VOOM'a have MPEG2 headers. Some of them are flagged as VIP only, but they still have MPEG2 headers.

 

[whatchel1]

The same thing?

Negative, ghost rider... all of the VOOM'a have MPEG2 headers. Some of them are flagged as VIP only, but they still have MPEG2 headers.

I thought that the 2 were basically the same thing.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

I was still getting the 10-channel VOOM tier with my 942 until August. Subs with non-MPEG4 receivers and whom are still sitting on the old HD Pack w/VOOM should still be getting those channels.

It is really an authorization thing. Just like AT60 vs AT120 vs AT180 depends upon your authorization. You don't get the extra 5 VOOM channels unless you have an HD Metal Pack, and those are limited to those with MPEG4 receivers.

 

[digiblur]

I was still getting the 10-channel VOOM tier with my 942 until August. Subs with non-MPEG4 receivers and whom are still sitting on the old HD Pack w/VOOM should still be getting those channels.

It is really an authorization thing. Just like AT60 vs AT120 vs AT180 depends upon your authorization. You don't get the extra 5 VOOM channels unless you have an HD Metal Pack, and those are limited to those with MPEG4 receivers.

I'm sure P Smith can speak better than me on this subject but if I remember right, their is a different flag on the newer VOOM channels that stops the non VIP receivers from seeing the channels. I don't remember it being a channel tier style flag either.

I don't see why E* doesn't convert the newer VIP-only VOOM's to MPEG4 since they are only running them at 1280X1080i anyways.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

I hope they don't convert them to MPEG4 until they get it working better than it does now.

Which hopefully will be very soon. In fact, it may be happening as Starz HD is showing a bit of improvement of late.

 

[HDTVFanAtic]

Only the last 5 added have the fake headers. The first 10 do not and can be received by any active HD IRD.

 

[navychop]

I believe it's been posted that if you try to activate a 942 or 811 today, you will get none of the Voom channels.

 

[HDTVFanAtic]

I believe it's been posted that if you try to activate a 942 or 811 today, you will get none of the Voom channels.

That's not a fake header issue. That's E* just not turning them on for you.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

I believe it's been posted that if you try to activate a 942 or 811 today, you will get none of the Voom channels.

Yes, that has been stated three or four times in this thread.

However, I'm not certain it is 100% true in 100% of all scenarios.

For if one already has a 211 or 622 activated, and then you activate an 811 or 942, you just might get the 10 VOOM channels on it. We know some people over the past few months have gotten them. But we don't know if this is still true.

 

[HDTVFanAtic]

Again, that has nothing to do with fake headers - thats E* entitling your account to the channels.