What happens to DishHD Absolute after Feburuary 1st?

[Bobby H]

I really worry that it won't be too long before DISH just nukes the Absolute package. My bill was $90 a month for as long as I can remember. It's been $46 with tax for the last several months. Absolute customers have gotta be killing DISH's bottom line.

I don't see how. DishHD Absolute customers are paying for a very limited number of channels. The channels may be mostly HD, but it's still a pretty limited number.

For the longest time my Dish Network bill was $50-$60 per month when I had the AT120 package + HBO. AT120 eventually grew into AT200. I only switched to DishHD Absolute because it was the only HD-based option that wouldn't inflate my satellite TV bill by a ridiculous degree.

If Dish Network is depending on their subscribers to pay upwards of $100 per month or more just to be profitable then they have a stupid business plan and will need to make some serious adjustments. If they want to seriously jack up the price I pay for their service I'll happily ride out the remainder of my contract and then tell them "adios."

 

[digiblur]

The addition of the FOX channels sure won't sway me to drop HD Absolute... In fact, I don't know what channels it will take to get me to switch.

My thoughts exactly! I was looking at the packages and was floored how much my bill would be. I might as well go with cable TV then and get a bootload more of HD channels.

They would have to add a bunch of channels to sway me. And even if it was VH1, Spike, Speed, Fuel, FX, CMT, Comedy, etc. That still wouldn't work for me. I never watched those when I had them before in the first place.

 

[jdmacor]

Yes, it looks like the Company is going to have to compel you Absolute subs, in a manner that probably won't be pleasant. Possibly a letter saying you have automatically been placed in Turbo; to keep you quiet, they may give you guys some free premiums for a couple of months...

Other than that, it seems like a fair number of people do no see the value of adding a handful of yet to be delivered channels, while paying significantly more. More power to you guys! Stick it to Charlie!

Meanwhile, I will pay my increased Turbo HD price, with absolutely no additions to the value of the package...

 

[8bitbytes]

I really worry that it won't be too long before DISH just nukes the Absolute package. My bill was $90 a month for as long as I can remember. It's been $46 with tax for the last several months. Absolute customers have gotta be killing DISH's bottom line. There's no way I'd upgrade for a couple Fox HD channels. Way too expensive.

I seriously doubt that there are very many Absolute customers. Unless you spend a LOT of time online researching Dish you never knew Absolute even existed.

There are so few Absolute customers, Dish doesn't care if they are grandfathered in for however long those customers want to be in it. The original HD Pack only died because of mpeg4. If there were enough Absolute customers to hurt Dish, they would have ended it in August last year.

 

[dijohn76]

Too funny!

Absolute customers have been told they would not get any new HD channels.
What nobody knew is that the TurboHD customers wouldn't either!

I'm staying with Absolute until they finally figure out they are still providing it long after it was forgotten.

I have never been told by anyone at Dish that I, as an Absolute sub, would not receive new channels, nor have I been told that the price would not increase. What I was told when I switched to Absolute last June was that I would continue to receive any new HD channels, with the exception of premiums that I was not subscribed to. I was also told that the $29.99 price was only good thru Feb 2009. So I have always believed that I would receive new channels, but, I have also expected a price increase in line with the amount that other packages increased, i.e. if the 200 or 250 pckge went up $3-$5 then Absolute would go up $3-$5. In my opinion the "grandfather" clause just means no new subscriptions to it, because they have come up with new HD pckgs with a higher price and new subs will have to subscribe to those. Now, I may very well have been lied to by Dish, (would not be a BIG surprise) but, at this time, this is what I was told, I have never been told anything different by anyone at Dish and I did receive the C&I channel when it launched on Sunday. When I called and asked about the Fox HD channels I was told that NONE of the "stand alone" HD pckgs had it at the current time, but we should see it shortly. Not one word was said to me that I would not get it because of my "Absolute HD" status.

 

[wii_dont_care]

Dish will have to deliver new HD and then show signs of more new HD coming online "SOON" before I am going to switch to a Turbo package from my Absolute.

There is nothing to justify the price increases for those of us who are Absolute subs.

 

[Mojo]

I have never been told by anyone at Dish that I, as an Absolute sub, would not receive new channels, nor have I been told that the price would not increase. What I was told when I switched to Absolute last June was that I would continue to receive any new HD channels, with the exception of premiums that I was not subscribed to. I was also told that the $29.99 price was only good thru Feb 2009. So I have always believed that I would receive new channels, but, I have also expected a price increase in line with the amount that other packages increased, i.e. if the 200 or 250 pckge went up $3-$5 then Absolute would go up $3-$5. In my opinion the "grandfather" clause just means no new subscriptions to it, because they have come up with new HD pckgs with a higher price and new subs will have to subscribe to those. Now, I may very well have been lied to by Dish, (would not be a BIG surprise) but, at this time, this is what I was told, I have never been told anything different by anyone at Dish and I did receive the C&I channel when it launched on Sunday. When I called and asked about the Fox HD channels I was told that NONE of the "stand alone" HD pckgs had it at the current time, but we should see it shortly. Not one word was said to me that I would not get it because of my "Absolute HD" status.

They don't have to tell you/us anything.
Dishnet policy, We do what we want, when we want too...........deal with it.

I learned this when I woke one morning to find Voom gone and my monthly bill stayed the same

 

[dijohn76]

They don't have to tell you/us anything.
Dishnet policy, We do what we want, when we want too...........deal with it.

I learned this when I woke one morning to find Voom gone and my monthly bill stayed the same

Yes, I was around for the VOOM debacle as well, and expressed my opinion to Dish, I am just saying the I am going to wait to find out if I was lied to before calling and throwing my fit. If they were going to continue to give us new HD, as I was told, and if they monitor the forums, then we are just putting ideas in their heads that everybody thinks they aren't going to get new HD on the Absolute pckge.

 

[jerryez]

I just looked at my Feb 6,2009 bill online and the HD Absolute for Feb 18 to Mar 17th is 34.99 with HD locals. Looks like no price increase so far. But then we get no more costly channels, so no price increase is fair.

 

[gck105]

I have never been told by anyone at Dish that I, as an Absolute sub, would not receive new channels, nor have I been told that the price would not increase. What I was told when I switched to Absolute last June was that I would continue to receive any new HD channels, with the exception of premiums that I was not subscribed to. I was also told that the $29.99 price was only good thru Feb 2009. So I have always believed that I would receive new channels, but, I have also expected a price increase in line with the amount that other packages increased, i.e. if the 200 or 250 pckge went up $3-$5 then Absolute would go up $3-$5. In my opinion the "grandfather" clause just means no new subscriptions to it, because they have come up with new HD pckgs with a higher price and new subs will have to subscribe to those. Now, I may very well have been lied to by Dish, (would not be a BIG surprise) but, at this time, this is what I was told, I have never been told anything different by anyone at Dish and I did receive the C&I channel when it launched on Sunday. When I called and asked about the Fox HD channels I was told that NONE of the "stand alone" HD pckgs had it at the current time, but we should see it shortly. Not one word was said to me that I would not get it because of my "Absolute HD" status.

You might not have been told it, but the info has been out there that the Absolute package would not get new channels after a certain point. I am pretty sure it came out of a Charlie Chat.

I am pretty sure the old HD packages were grandfathered in until their equipment would no longer work on system, so I would bet that the absolute package will be around until the last person decides to change some part of their programming and they make him swith to another package.

 

[FitzAusTex]

I just looked at my Feb 6,2009 bill online and the HD Absolute for Feb 18 to Mar 17th is 34.99 with HD locals. Looks like no price increase so far. But then we get no more costly channels, so no price increase is fair.

That's my exact recollection from one of the Charlie Chat's from last year.

 

[Bobby H]

Yes, it looks like the Company is going to have to compel you Absolute subs, in a manner that probably won't be pleasant. Possibly a letter saying you have automatically been placed in Turbo; to keep you quiet, they may give you guys some free premiums for a couple of months...

If E* pulls a stunt like that, I'll finish out my contract and say goodbye to them. I'm not going to put up with being price gouged. If I have to pay more than $80 per month just for what I have I'll check out some competitors.

I am pretty sure the old HD packages were grandfathered in until their equipment would no longer work on system, so I would bet that the absolute package will be around until the last person decides to change some part of their programming and they make him swith to another package.

My understanding is DishHD Absolute customers would lose their grandfathered status if they dropped any existing premium channels from their account. The grandfather status might even be changed if you added any new premiums, but I'm not sure about that.

Regarding equipment, I had a 1st generation 1999 Dish500 receiver (I forget the model number -4700?) up until early last year when I swapped it out for a ViP722.

 

[jerryez]

If they raise my HD Absolute package price. I will drop one of my movie packages and if the take away my HD Absolute, I will change to D*. I do not have a contract.

 

[Hall]

I seriously doubt that there are very many Absolute customers. Unless you spend a LOT of time online researching Dish you never knew Absolute even existed.

There are so few Absolute customers, Dish doesn't care if they are grandfathered in for however long those customers want to be in it. The original HD Pack only died because of mpeg4. If there were enough Absolute customers to hurt Dish, they would have ended it in August last year.

All of your points are very valid and most likely very accurate ! As for the number of Absolute customers, we'll never know, but I'll bet this: They gained more Absolute customers in the last month it was offered than they had all the time it was available !

 

[8bitbytes]

...As for the number of Absolute customers, we'll never know, but I'll bet this: They gained more Absolute customers in the last month it was offered than they had all the time it was available !

I wholeheartedly agree with you on that point! Probably the last week!

 

[Bill1767]

If E* pulls a stunt like that, I'll finish out my contract and say goodbye to them. I'm not going to put up with being price gouged. If I have to pay more than $80 per month just for what I have I'll check out some competitors.



My understanding is DishHD Absolute customers would lose their grandfathered status if they dropped any existing premium channels from their account. The grandfather status might even be changed if you added any new premiums, but I'm not sure about that.

Regarding equipment, I had a 1st generation 1999 Dish500 receiver (I forget the model number -4700?) up until early last year when I swapped it out for a ViP722.

Not true, i drop all my premiums two day ago ,and still will be an HD Absolute customer for a long time, there not changing anybody's programming at all!:up

 

[AdamJonny]

If you switch to one of the new packages like Turbo HD Bronze, does that extend your contract? My contract has been up for almost a year, still waiting for FIOS TV to officially lauch in town.

Nice signature, and I quote "Charlie said if you want more HD, buy a bluray player LOL" :haha :haha :haha

 

[yaz96]

My understanding is DishHD Absolute customers would lose their grandfathered status if they dropped any existing premium channels from their account. The grandfather status might even be changed if you added any new premiums, but I'm not sure about that.

FYI- I just changed my Premiums last night, still have Absolute. That was a false rumor.

 

[Jim5506]

As long as your programming package remains HD Absolute you will be grandfathered into HD Absolute.

I do not believe they can add it to any new receivers to your account because it no longer exists in the computers, so be careful about swapping receivers (I could be wrong here).

I did hear one anecdotal story of someone adding a receiver and being moved to the Turbo classification.

 

[theedge103]

Absolute HD is fine for me, paying $35 / month (Absolute/Cinemax/Locals/722 DVR) after all is said and done and a $5 credit/mo for a referral... It is great for the price, there are not many other channels that would make me look at another packages other than BBC America, FX, Spike, Comedy Central and maybe my RSN, but I get most of the RSN programming on my cable providers lifeline cable for $9.99...

When I go to try to change programming online, looks like I have an annual package?

Changes to annual subscription services are not available through online support. To make changes to these services, please call 1-888-884-2741.