In This Corner.......

[Anthony]

This is from the Cablevision web site. They compare their digital service with satellite. See what you think of their marketing and how would you counter.

"When you look at the facts, it's easy to see why iO is a better choice than satellite.

Satellite iO

Over 700 titles available each month on demand (TRUE)

On Demand programming that you can start, pause, rewind or fast-forward anytime (Satellite has this but not with on-demand)

Local customer service you can count on (Local, yes - count on, ???)

Discounted Optimum Online® high-speed Internet access with your iO subscription (They give $10 off. This keeps many from switching to satellite. They love their Optimum Online.)

More channels of HBO, Showtime, STARZ!, Encore, Cinemax and The Movie Channel (They show all the channels of each package, satellite doesn't)

No long-term commitment (True)

No equipment to buy (Depends on what satellite package you compare it to)

Exclusive local channels, including MetroTV, Metro Traffic & Weather and News 12 (News 12 is another reason many do not switch)

Less vulnerability to weather conditions" (They must be kidding. Wait until the next hurricane or tropical storm. All Cablevision wiring is above ground. I'll have a house full of company wanting to watch my T.V. for weeks.)

[Bob Haller]

Both providers need to work hard to elmonate cable advantages. If you ask me were close to EVERYYONE getting a free PVR, just to support PPV on demand. Downloading PPVs at night would save a ton of bandwidth while providing a better service.

[Bogy]

I'm so happy when DBS tries to catch up to cable. Makes my cable keep improving. :D

[Jacob S]

PVR for every cable customer is going to be hard for satellite to swing, unless they raised the price of the equipment on everyone or charge more each month, in which cable does charge more each month. Maybe that is one of the things they are using the increase in programming on or why they are raising rates, to make up for the PVR units.

[TV38]

Yes, and the cost of the cable with everything described is???

[Bob Haller]

Ahh give a PVR to very new sub, free. Then gve them 3 months of PVR service FREE. Then they give it up or pay a one time or monthly fee.

How many would go bak to regular TV? This would help slow curn too.

[raj2001]

Originally posted by Bob Haller
Both providers need to work hard to elmonate cable advantages.

I'd like to see healthy competition between the two, where the consumer wins. I don't want to see DBS killing off cable just so we can have another monopoly.

[DarrellP]

Then they give it up or pay a one time or monthly fee. How many would go bak to regular TV? This would help slow churn too.
The day Dish charges a PVR fee is the day I disconnect. I have all digital OTA and I can live with that if it comes down to it.

[Anthony]

More information to help you see what Dish and Direct are up against in the Long Island, N.Y. area. Test tomorrow!


iO Digital Package
Includes everything in the required purchase of
Broadcast Basic or your existing Family Cable
Package and...
BET on Jazz
The Biography Channel
Bloomberg TV
CMT
C-Span3
Discovery Civilization Channel
Discovery Home & Leisure Channel
Discovery Kids
Discovery Wings Channel
ESPN Classic
ESPNews
EuroNews
Fox Movie Channel Fox Sports World
Hallmark Channel
History International
Metro Stories
MTV Hits
National Geographic Channel
Nick Toons TV
Nick GAS
Noggin
Oxygen
The Science Channel
TechTV
Toon Disney
VH1 Classic
Plus...
Premium Channels: Depending on your level of service, receive up to 48 Premium Service Channels (see channel lineup for full listing).
45 Music Choice Channels
Enhanced TV Channels
Access to On Demand Programming
Access to Seasonal Subscription Sports Packages
Mag RackSM
Interactive Programming Guide
e-mail


iO Silver Package
More than 180 channels!
Includes everything in Family Cable,
the iO Digital Package and...
Disney Channel
Food Network
Fox Sports NY
Independent Film Channel MSG Network
muchmusic usa
WE: Women's
Entertainment
Plus...11 HBO Premium Service Channels:
HBO, HBO2, HBO Signature, HBO Family, HBO Comedy, HBO Zone, HBO Latino, HBO West, HBO Signature, HBO Family West and access to HBO on Demand
Plus...6 STARZ! Premium Service Channels:
STARZ!, STARZ! Cinema, STARZ! Family, STARZ! Theatre, BLACK STARZ! and STARZ! West
Plus...7 Encore Premium Service Channels:
Encore, Encore Action, Encore Mystery, Encore Westerns, Encore Love Stories, Encore True Stories and WAM!


iO Gold Package
More than 200 channels!
Includes everything in iO Silver and...
Flix
Plus...11 Showtime Premium Service Channels:
Showtime, Showtime Too, Showtime Showcase, Showtime Extreme, Showtime Beyond, Showtime Next, Showtime Family Zone, Showtime Women, Showtime West, Showtime Too West, Showtime Showcase West
Plus...9 Cinemax Premium Service Channels:
Cinemax, ActionMAX, MoreMAX, ThrillerMAX, WMAX, @MAX, 5StarMAX, OuterMAX, and Cinemax West
Plus...4 TMC Premium Service Channels:
The Movie Channel, TMC Extra, TMC West and TMC Xtra West


Woodbury
Family Cable Channels

A&E
ABC Family
AMC
Animal Planet
BET
Bravo
Cablevision Channel
Listings Guide
Cartoon Network
CMT†
CNBC
CNN
C-SPAN
C-SPAN 2
Comedy Central
Court TV
Discovery Channel
E! Entertainment TV
ESPN
ESPN2
Fox News Channel
FX
Game Show Network
The Health Network The History Channel
HGTV
The Learning Channel
Lifetime
Local Programming
MetroTV
Metro Traffic & Weather
MSNBC
MTV
MTV2
News 12 Long Island
Nickelodeon
OTB (part time)
Sci-Fi Channel
SoapNet
Speed Channel
Telecare
TNN
TNT
TV Land
USA Network
VH1
The Weather Channel


Woodbury
Broadcast Basic Channels
WABC
WCBS
WFTY
WLIW
WLNY
WNBC
WNET
WNJU
WNYW
WPIX
WPXN
WWOR
WXTV
TBS
QVC
HSN
ShopNBC
Public Access
PPV Coming Attractions

iO: Interactive Optimum Packages
(requires a minimum monthly subscription to Broadcast Basic)
iO Digital Package (add to Broadcast Basic or higher; $ 9.95
iO Silver $ 64.95
iO Gold $ 84.95
Family Cable $ 41.65
Broadcast Basic $ 11.92

Equipment / Other
Digital Set Top Box (includes remote at no extra charge) each $ 3.02
iO Programming on additional outlets per household $ 2.50
Premium Programming on additional analog outlet(s) per household $ 4.50
Premium programming outlet fee for three or more addressable addsets with analog cable boxes no charge
Addressable analog cable box each $ 2.80
Wireless Remote Control for addressable analog cable box each $ 0.22
TV Guide (weekly) each $ 3.99

Customize Your Service
Monthly
iO Navigation Package $ 4.95
The iO Navigation Package includes everything in the iO Package
except the 27 iO Digital Basic Channels, TechTVi and ESPN Today.
Once you've signed up for any of our iO Digital Cable Packages, you can add the following: Monthly
Subscription On Demand
HBO On Demand $ 4.95
Showtime On Demand $ 4.95
IFC On Demand $ 4.95
Seasonal Sports Packages
MLB Extra InningsSM Priced seasonally
NHL® Center Ice® Priced seasonally
NBA League Pass® Priced seasonally
ESPN GamePlan Priced seasonally
If your iO Digital Cable Package does not include these channels, you can add the following: Monthly
11 HBO Premium Service Channels $ 10.95
11 Showtime Premium Service Channels $ 10.95
9 Cinemax Premium Service Channels $ 10.95
4 TMC Premium Service Channels $ 10.95
6 STARZ! and 7 Encore Premium Service Channels $ 12.95
Disney Channel $ 12.95
Playboy TV $ 14.95
If your non-digital cable package does not include these channels, you can add the following: Monthly
Cinemax, Disney Channel, Fox Sports Net NY, HBO, MSG Network, Showtime or STARZ!/Encore each $ 12.95
The Movie Channel $ 11.95

[Bob Haller]

Originally posted by DarrellP

The day Dish charges a PVR fee is the day I disconnect. I have all digital OTA and I can live with that if it comes down to it.

You sure? Your getting a NEW PVR for FREE, a 3 month free sample of the service. After that you pay if you want PVR. If not you still get VOD PPVs downloaded at night when the receiver is off.

Now is this a bad deal? You joe sixpack and never even heard of PVR till you got it for FREE.

Incidenly PVR subs dont churn, a good thing for DBS.

[Curtis0620]

Not paying a PVR fee?

PVR721 = $500
DirecTiVo = $200 + $5/mo.

You are paying a fee, it's just built into the price.

[raj2001]

Originally posted by Curtis0620
Not paying a PVR fee?

PVR721 = $500
DirecTiVo = $200 + $5/mo.

You are paying a fee, it's just built into the price.

As a matter of fact it will take 60 months (5 years) for DishPVR users just to break even! That doesn't even take into account that I may buy a new PVR after 5 years, and it doesn't take into account total choice premier subscribers who get the PVR service for free.

[JavaJohnson]

Is it just me, or does the cable rate schedule look like Long Distance plans used to before they got 'simple'?

I was having trouble following that plan, and to be honest, i don't think i could accurately price a plan out by looking at that posting. yuck.

[Anthony]

I posted this in another forum but I think it helps clarify my post here:

As I continue to recommend Dish to anyone who will listen, I recently needed to do an analysis for a friend of mine. Because Cablevision's Optimum Online service is very popular (and expensive), most people who have cable on Long Island never think to switch to satellite because they will be charged $10 more for the online service if they don't have the Family Cable service as a minimum. Based on this fact, I did the following analysis:

Dish (based on Digital Home Plan):
AT150 $45.99
Locals $ 5.99
HBO & Starz $22.99
Total $74.97

Cablevision Digital Silver:
Service (includes HBO, Starz, Locals) $64.95
Each box $ 3.02
Each T.V. $ 2.50
Total $70.47

If they switch from Cablevision to Dish and keep their Optimum Online, they would have to add $10 to their Dish total. That would make it $14.50 more per month to have similar satellite service vs. Cablevision. Without factoring in Optimum Online, Dish is still $4.50 more per month. This is why Dish is a hard sell here on Long Island, New York, at least from a cost/programming perspective.

[Curtis0620]

Try D*,

TC+/w locals $39.99
HBO + Starz $22.00
Total = $61.99

Plus you get YES.

[Anthony]

My numbers were based on the Digital Home Plan. If you signed up without that plan, the numbers would be as follows:

Dish:
AT150 $40.99 (No YES but you do get Fox Sports and MSG)
Locals $ 5.99
HBO & Starz $22.99
Total $69.97

And to keep this comparison as fair as possible:

DirecTV:
TCP/w locals $41.99 (No Encore Theme Channels, Encore-W, TMC-W, and only one regional sports channel - that means you can't see two out of three - MSG, YES, Fox Sports New York)
HBO + Starz $22.00
Total = $63.99

[Curtis0620]

You get all 3 sports networks, TCP/w locals is $39.99

[Anthony]

Curtis0620,

I don't deny what you say but if you follow along on the DirecTV web site, those are the numbers you get. It says you only get one regional sports network. It also says that TCP is 35.99 and locals are $6.

[werty22]

I want nick gas to be on a local non-digital cable channel!

[Steve Mehs]

Nick Gas, I believe is a 'diginet' and will never be on analog cable.

Wow brought back up after nearly two years. Just a note, DirecTV includes all RSNs you qualify for in Total Choice and Total Choice Plus. They probably say you only qualify for one, since a lot of areas do only qualify for one and a lot of people would think that all 23 RSNs are included in Total Choice, instead of just ones that claim your area. I get all four RSNs that claim my area in Total Choice, YES, MSG, FSNY and Empire. Time Warner also includes all four with analog, Adelphia carries three out of the four (no FSNY), while Dish Network would only give me Empire in AT120 or above.

[spanishannouncetable]

...And to keep this comparison as fair as possible:

DirecTV:
TCP/w locals $41.99 (No Encore Theme Channels, Encore-W, TMC-W, and only one regional sports channel - that means you can't see two out of three - MSG, YES, Fox Sports New York)
HBO + Starz $22.00
Total = $63.99

The info above is wrong, as D* has updated their pricing in the last 2 years.

TC+/w locals - $41.99. This includes all the regional sports channels - MSG, YES, FSNY and EMPIRE, depending on subscriber's location.
HBO + Starz - $23 ($12 for the first premium, then $11 for the 2nd). The Encore multiplex is included in the Starz package on D*
Total = $64.99. A dollar more than quoted above but with more channels than you listed.