Dish Muzak channels stink.

[reddice]

There music selection is not that great. I'm into a varity of music and I can't believe how bad some of the music is. I get my music fix from Raido@Netscape and subscribe to XM Radio mainly, well anyway the problem is that Dish uses Muzak while DirecTV uses MusicChoice for there music channels which offeres a much better selection of rotation with their music. Some of the commercial-free music channels on Dish Network are awful. I've long been convinced that Muzak Dish Network has someone cruise the garage sale circuit and pawn shops buying up reject & 50 cent CDs, and then loads them in Sony 200 disc CD players for their music channels. The mono channels which are part of the Top 150 package were orginally designed by Muzak for businesses to use, the dumb music you hear playing over a department store loudspeaker. And to make matters worse MusicChoice also displays the info on your screen much better. Muzak Dish Network displays the Title, Artist, CD and Label with the annoying text scrolling up and down on your screen while DirecTV MusicChoice shows you the album art cover and usefull facts about whats playing. I just think MusicChoice has a better layout on how they interact with there channels. Dish should dump the loser Muzak service for better music channels.

[Doug E]

reddice, I could not agree more. There is no contest between Music Choice and the Muzak crap. To make things worse, DISH then plays some of the same channels on both the mono and CD channels (no drop in sub price however). I listen to my XM and sometimes the DX music channels that are on my BUD. DISH should really consider changing to DX. Muzak is a total waste of bandwith.

[boba]

If you think Music Choice is so much better why don't you subscribe to DirecTV. If you want to complain to somebody that might be able to control DISH send an email to ceo@echostar.

[Steve Mehs]

The thing I don't like about Muzak is the censorship. I mainly listen to Power Rock and Modern Rock Alternative and I don't like the brief pauses. I can accept it from FM radio, because the FCC doesn't allow certain words on radio, but I don't like having them cut out on Muzak. MC is uncensored but allows you to locked out music channels because of language. Plus Music Choice has an all metal channel.

[Guest]

I used to have DirecTV, and agree that Direct's Music Choice was far superior to Dish's Muzak.

[adsman]

The music channels are a waste anyway....why not just drop them and reduce the price of service...

[James_F]

I disagree, I use MC almost all the time. As far as reducing price, that aint going to happen even if they drop all the music channels. Music just doesn't cost that much in bandwidth or price.

[reddice]

Well I first was going to go with Directv but I saw that Dish had more music channels however I was regreting getting Dish (I like the other channels just not the music) because what I found out was half of the channels were in mono and MC although less channels all in stereo and better quality when I went to a friends house that has DTV MC.

[platinum]

Maybe they're a waste to you, but there are many people who enjoy them, including myself.

[Mark Holtz]

IIRC, the mono audio channels are from Muzak. Maybe Muzak uses Dish to carry the channels to the commercial users and, as part of the agreement, Dish can offer them to end users.

I still wish Dish would carry YesterdayUSA (http://www.yesterdayusa.com/).

[Karl Foster]

I listen to MC all the time. It was one of the key reasons I got satellite to begin with. It might sound corny, but it has introduced my kid to all kinds of genres of music that she never would have listened to on her own.

[reddice]

Now I am not saying to get rid of them becuase they are people who listen to it however I think that when someone new looks at the Dish music channels they are deceived when they see all of the channels and they are not that great. I got Dish because of the programing channels and the music channels and I am happy with the programing I am reciving but I end up getting XM because of the crappy channels. I mean I do not like it when restaurants etc play that Muzak channels and I did not know that Dish had it to. If I only knew more about MC since Digital cable and Directv carry it but I did not know back then.

[Darkman]

yes...Direct's music sounds Crispier also...better sound (besides the quality)...

And that Salsa de Merenque (or whatever it's called there) - plays great Latin music (salsa/merenque style, etc) - and the sound quality - it Rocks! - no comparison for example with quality of songs or sound of Dishnet's Latin Music/Music in general (audio only)

[toomuchtv]

I enjoy the music channels but also think Music Choice is better than MUZAK. Maybe they will consider changing when the contract comes up for renewal. I have emailed MUZAK & E* to complain / offer suggestions, no response however.

[shilton]

Originally posted by adsman
The music channels are a waste anyway....why not just drop them and reduce the price of service...
Drop them??? Are you saying you can opt to NOT have them? How much does your bill go down then??? I have never heard of this...All I every hear is that Dish channels CANNOT be bought or deleted a-la-cart.

[Darkman]

Naw - lol - better keep 'em...
Having 'em is better than having nothing anyhow :)

[Steve Mehs]

On D* you used to be able to order just the MC channels for $3/month.

[Jammess]

Here is a thought, check out Galaxie on BEV and SC.

[Darkman]

Hehe - out of curiosity - why such a thought? :)
BTW - Direct's Misic (audio only channels) are better then Galaxy one's as well....

[Jammess]

Why the thought? Oh, I don't know, I just have thoughts now and then. Seriously, I just like Galaxie because there seems to be a slightly better or maybe a different eclectic mix to the music than what I have heard on E or D. And if I had to choose between just E or D for music service then I would select D for sure. I also appreciate the great picture quality I see on BEV compared to the US providers especially E.
J

[danny1]

another reason to switch to D* better music

[Darkman]

naw..music is not everything though...
E*'s ethnics rule!
Besides - E* is more fun (with 4 sats + 129, etc) :)

[Oxactl Ikthoithokakan]

Music Choice is good for fans of rock music, while Muzak has a wider variety of non-rock music. DMX has far greater variety on its 100-channel KuBand service; but like Muzak did eliminating Hollywood and Broadway to put on Roadhouse Rock, DMX has dropped their polka, dixieland, folk, classical guitar, etc channels to make room for yet more genres of rock. Galaxie will be adding 15 channels this spring according to the Ku-Sat forum -- bringing back some of their recently deleted formats (to make room for more rock), but are not restoring their old stage and screen channel. Other than XM, nobody in North America programs any movie soundtrack music; and XM's is cluttered with a lot of talk.

[Steve Mehs]

I wish someone (maybe DMX?) would offer a rock selection broke down into the various genre's of rock like this-

-Classic Rock (various rock music from ~1970-85)
-Heavy Metal
-Punk
-Alternative/New Rock
-Rap-Rock
-Grunge

[cnsf]

Isn't D* missing a Kids Music Channel? I know my 4 year old loves dancing to the E* Kids Muzak Channel.

I agree, though, the other Muzak channels, the look, feel, info, format, etc. are sub-par on E*.

[shilton]

I won't complain too much about Muzak with one exception...Why no REAL top 40 channel...that so called "Hits" channel is nothing buy unknown mixed up techno. Why not dump it for a real top 40 channel??? Hell, E* has like 5 Country Channels and nothing for the "pop" music fan (sorry to admit it...but I am).

I think there is a better healthier mix of music for now than what there used to be but the top 40 is still MIA...Plus I'd like to see my 2nd fav...80's channel get moved to be in stereo...that Mono crap just sounds awful through a stereo!

[Scott Greczkowski]

I took think Dish Networks audio selection stinks.

Am I the only one who feels lonely when listening to Dish's music lineup? And when I am done I feel dirty like I have to take a shower.

DirecTV's music choice is very good and I enjoyed it more then Dish's lineup.

On ExpressVu they have Galaxie / DMX which was ok (better then Dish) but WAY TO MANY CANADIAN artists between the good songs.

I did think it was cool that on ExpressVu they aired many of the popular AM and FM channels in their music lineup.

I would love to see Dish upgrade its music offerings and also add some other stations to its mix. I would love to hear Yesterday USA (www.yesterdayusa.com) The W0KIE Satelltie Radio Network (Its all Tech Related satelllite shows) http://www.w0kie.coom and of course BBC World Service.

All these channels are FREE for Dish to broadcast and would bring some goodness to Dish Networks Audio lineups.

[Nick]

Must be a full moon - the (unregistered) trolls are out in force tonight.

[FTA Michael]

And please, everybody, keep in perspective how many subscribers choose/keep/drop a DBS service for its music channels. Me, I think they're just a bonus.

Which is to say that I doubt that anyone at E* is staying up nights trying to figure ways to improve their audio offerings.

I agree that BBC World Service and Yesterday USA would make fine additions. Is anyone at E* gonna care enough to make it happen?

[Darkman]

Originally posted by Nick
Must be a full moon - the (unregistered) trolls are out in force tonight.

ahaha - (the unregistered) trolls...full moon - ahaha :lol: :blush: :lol:

[DCSholtis]

Originally posted by carload
Is anyone at E* gonna care enough to make it happen?

Absolutely not....you know damn well that Charlie hates music too.....:rolling:

[Scott Greczkowski]

Originally posted by carload
I agree that BBC World Service and Yesterday USA would make fine additions. Is anyone at E* gonna care enough to make it happen?

BBC World Service WAS on Dish but only available to Dish Network and MUZAK Employees. (The Dishplayer guide even had all the BBC shows listed in the guide!)

Then it went away a few years ago and became the Holiday Channel, it has not been back since.

[toomuchtv]

Originally posted by shilton
I won't complain too much about Muzak with one exception...Why no REAL top 40 channel...that so called "Hits" channel is nothing buy unknown mixed up techno. Why not dump it for a real top 40 channel??? Hell, E* has like 5 Country Channels and nothing for the "pop" music fan (sorry to admit it...but I am).

I think there is a better healthier mix of music for now than what there used to be but the top 40 is still MIA...Plus I'd like to see my 2nd fav...80's channel get moved to be in stereo...that Mono crap just sounds awful through a stereo!

I couldn't agree more. The HITS channel is not much different than Eurostyle - both stink. I, too, would like an 80's channel in stereo. Sounding lousy or not, however, I do find the lineups on the mono Hitline & Hot FM to be better than the comparable stereo channels.

[DoyleS]

Being a relatively new subscriber, I use the music channels as background music not for serious listening. So far they seem ok. Just the thought of mono kind of turns me off but if it is really oldies then in all honesty, that is what they were. I wouldn't complain if they upgraded the offerings and fidelity but I don't plan on switching because of the music.

..Doyle

[HTguy]

While I am a loyal DISH subscriber as well as a retailer, I am in complete agreement that the Dish CD music service, provided by MUZAC is about the worst on satellite.

Long before I had DISH I was a PrimeStar subscriber & retailer. The 30+ DMX music package they had was far superior in content & quality. It's the only thing I miss about PrimeStar.

I have set up several C-Band customers with DMX Express. Altho it's a little pricy for the rcvr & monthly sub it really is kind of kool to see the music info on the remote & be able to sample everything fro Brazilian to Flemish music. The Mirage hotel in Las Vegas used to get a special channel of Brazilian music programmed for them that was not, unfortunately, available to the public. Maybe it is now...I haven't checked lately. But the music at The Mirage sucks now that they've discontinued it (since Steve Wynn sold the property.)

I got to know the founders of DMX before they went on the air & slightly afterwards. I sold & set up a high-end surround sound system for their lab facility & trade show demos.

How many are aware that DMX was the 1st service to put a Dolby Digital bitstream on satellite? It's DD 2.0, a 2 channel stereo version. Their DMX Express receiver has the old "AC3" logo.

Anyway DirecTv's Music Choice is better than Dish CD, too. I don't know where they get it but would like to know. It's one of the few things D* has going for it over E*.

I sure wish Charlie would dump MUZAK & make a deal with DMX!