How much will YOU Continue to Pay?

[Uncle Peter]

With Dish Network continuing to increase $ for programming packages, how much will you continue to pay before you jump ship and find other sources for Entertainment. $50, $75, $100 a month for packages??:shrug:

[FTA Michael]

Two factors: What are the competitive rates/service, and what unique programming does Dish provide?

"Jumping" implies that I've got somewhere to jump _to_. Where? In my experience with local cable, it offers no better rates, little exclusive programming, and much more frequent outages. DirecTV? It has a couple of channels I want, but its sports package is more expensive.

What does that leave? Renting movies/OTA? No sports, hardly any children's shows. Canadian DBS? Good shows, but not the ones my family's used to, plus the constant threat of getting the plug pulled, if not worse.

Now if I leave Dish, I'll be sure to lose the superstations. My investment in equipment loses a big chunk of value (hello eBay!). I lose some of those funky PI stations.

At some point, the cable- and satellite-free life might be economically necessary, but for now, I'm willing to pay the price for effortless entertainment.

[Cyclone]

$2 after 2.5 years. I can live with it. Digital Cable is more $$$ and it doesn't have nearly the cool line up of AT150.

I think that the internet cynics just love to complain. My dish service has worked great since Sept 2000. No equipment failures. I haven't lost any channels that I like. I have gained a few good ones (NTGEO). I haven't had any billing problems. I just work the way I want it to.

I never had such luck with cable. Heck, even with the drop in PQ, it still looks better than cable.

My only complaint with Dish is the lack of hardware (receivers) diversity. But the few that are available seem pretty capable.

[Uncle Peter]

I wasn't complaining but asking people their own opinions.

[shilton]

Originally posted by Uncle Peter
With Dish Network continuing to increase $ for programming packages, how much will you continue to pay before you jump ship and find other sources for Entertainment. $50, $75, $100 a month for packages??:shrug:
I personally will not begin to get uptight about pricing as long as my Dish Network programming is a better value than cable. When I switched to Dish 4 years ago, I had Digital Cable on only 1 tv. On my other tv, I had just the extended basic. My bill was over 50 bucks and that was with NO HBO, Cinemax or other premiums! If I were to add Digital to the 2nd TV which is what I wanted to do, my bill would have escalated another 14.95 per month. Then I found Dish which gave me more channels than my Digital Cable did for about the same price and on Both tv's instead of just 1. That sold me. Needless to say, my local cable company has continued to rise. A package equal to what I have from Dish today would be about $80.00 per month so I guess $43.99 plus my $13.00 for HBO and $4.99 for a 2nd receiver still isn't all that bad??? That is still a savings of nearly $20.00 per month by my math.

[dbronstein]

I'm very satisfied with the service I've had from Dish for the last 2.5 years that I've had it. I think I've had two outages of a few minutes because of severe thunderstorms. Cable went out all the time on me. Dish's customer service - with all it's flaws - is miles better than the cable's ever was. And for the channels I get - just AT 100 with locals on one TV - it's cheaper. I'll easy go up $2-3 a month. If they go up $5 I'll consider moving down to AT 50 - there's only a couple channels I'll lose that I actually watch, and I can live without them.

Dennis

[Mark Lamutt]

I will continue to pay dish what I am paying them now until another service comes along that offers me more HD choices. I personally couldn't care less about any of the analog channels anymore. So, whichever provider comes out with their HD PVR units first is probably where I will go or stay. Or, if by some miracle we got HD cable service here in Denver sometime this decade, I'd switch to that.

[John_Jersey]

I'm in the NY, NJ area and I am already pissed that Dish Network STILL doesn't have the Yes Network.... Now they want to increase the bill for an extra $2 and they haven't even added any good channels to my AT 100. At least DTV has added some good channels to their lineup and if they increase their prices then at least its justified... The hell Dish Network!

[RichW]

Compared to other forms of entertainment, subscription TV (including cable) is still a far better deal. One night on the town for two is going to cost far more than a whole month of TV programming.

[Cyclone]

Peter - I wasn't referring to you as the complainer. Your questions are well put. Its just the tone that many posts that follow on many forums that I was thinking of. Here and others. Ever read the posts on slashdot.org? Ugh, there is cynic city.

Here its a mix.

But back on topic. I guess it would take a $15 or up increase to shake me loose from Dish. That or if after 2 more years I'm still using the anitquated model 4900 or perhaps 6000 because they still haven't come out with a HD receiver less than $200 that has modern software.

I just can't justify a $1,000+ 921, the 6000u has a menu guide that makes my 4900 look new. I like the menus from the 721 screenshots (and even the dishplayers). I guess that Charlie thinks that only the high dollar folks are interested in HD.

[razorbackfan]

Still cheaper than Cox cable.

[tampa8]

I fully agree with cyclone's comments. Not so much on this forum which is why I post here, but sometimes here and often in other places people post only to complain to make Dish look bad. (Dish sometimes does that with no help needed by us) When I see comments that equate Dish price increases with cable, my suspicions are raised. Perhaps in isolated cases your cable company hasn't had large increases but certainly for most areas cable rates have FAR outpaced Dish or Direct. Just read the numerous newspaper articles. If I still had Charter Cable I would be paying about $12 more a month than in 1999. Dish was already lower with more channels at that time, and has gone up once I think in that time and only one or two dollars at that, while still adding more channels during that time. I'm sure Direct is similar to Dish in that regard.
My point I guess is, when I see people saying "If this increase is true I will have to go back to cable" I know in most cases they are flame baiting because in most (not all) cases they would be paying more for less if they did go back to cable. I have learned alot from these forums and knowing up coming changes before they happen is great. Sometimes you just have to ignore the flame baiters!
I must add one thing, to those that have the Dishplayer. You have every right to complain. While I do not own one, you all got a raw deal and from what I can tell have not been correctly compensated. Please do not take my above remarks to be directed to you!!

[Nick]

What DP problems? :D:D:D

[Chris Freeland]

As long as E* continues to offer a better value for me then cable and at least a = value to D* or other multi-channel subscription service. The $2 increase possibly coming in Febuary is not enough for me to switch. I am happy with AT150 and I can only get Supers through E*. Here in Chattanooga TN, the Supers are the only way for me to receive UPN. Chattanooga now has a LP tv channel that is infomercials during the day and UPN at night, I can receive a picture but no sound ota. I also may add Sky Angel someday and I like that I can get this with a comen IRD and on comen epg with the E* programing. Also, a switch to D* is not yet worth the hastle of switching out my equipment at this time either.

[RJS1111111]

Like others, I'll accept the expected $2/month increase
without too much complaint. I wouldn't seriously consider
leaving, unless I had to pay nearly as much for DISH as for
comparable cable service.

Somewhere in the middle, I might consider adding other
available satellite service, and downgrading DISH service.
I'd most likely have to move to a suitable parcel of land
to consider C-band BUD service. Ku-band (FTA and/or pay)
would have to wait until I could afford the equipment.
Both Canadian DTH services are attractive and reasonably
affordable. I especially appreciate it when programming
is offered as separate "themed" packages. Why should
I pay for sports channels that I never watch anyway?

I think Sky Angel programming is improving overall,
although I wish the Worship/Praise channels hadn't
gone overboard on their commercial/infomercial
breaks! I'd suggest to anyone who believes
Sky Angel programming would be helpful, to try
it out for a while. It is only $9 per month with no
long-term commitment, or $99 prepaid annually.
You'll need to have a dish pointed at the 61.5 slot,
and appropriate switch(es), which you're likely to
already have if you're watching HD or international
channels on DISH. Subscriptions and donations are
their only means toward their goal of getting their
own satellites launched and worldwide service started.

[Steve Mehs]

I broke the news of the $2 rate increse to my mom today, she took it a lot better the I thouht. I'm a little more upset about it then her and she's the one's that pays the bill (well most of it anyway). I thought she would have mentioned something about DirecTV and a possable switch, but nope. I guess she will continue to pay whatever, personally if it were up to me I'd take D* for a test drive and keep both for a 2-3 months and decide from there, taking the superstations into acount. cable will never even be considered.

[Lyle_JP]

I'll be dropping KTLA ($1.50) to compensate for the $2.00 increase. But if DirecTV adds Dolby Digital to Encore and Starz Theater I will seriously entertain switching.

[Jacob S]

The new Rainbow at 61.5 could be another service provider option to switch to as of June of this year.

[gcutler]

Originally posted by Steve Mehs
I broke the news of the $2 rate increse to my mom today, she took it a lot better the I thouht. I'm a little more upset about it then her and she's the one's that pays the bill (well most of it anyway).

Maybe one of her friends was complaining about Cable Costs and you told her at the most opportune time. :D