EchoStar Offers Dish Home, Four New Interactive Services

Customers Get New ITV Features From Many Set-Top Models

EchoStar and its DISH Network announced at the 2002 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas the introduction of "dish home," an interactive gateway that will begin offering DISH Network customers in 2002 four new interactive services via a satellite download.

By entering through the new "dish home," customers can enjoy movie reviews from Zap2it entertainment features, games from Playin'TV, DISH instant weather, Horoscope and DISH Network Customer Support.

These services will be available as an upgrade delivered via satellite to existing DISH Network customers with OpenTV enabled hardware models 4900, 3900, DishPro 301 and DishPVR 501 or 508 through 2002. (All of these channels can be operated by using the remote control.)

EchoStar is demonstrating these new interactive features at CES, booth #19310, in the Las Vegas Convention Center.

From <a href="http://www.skyretailer.com/#three" target=none>SkyRetailer</A> (Used with permission)

I was one of the "reviewers" of this when I worked at Dish when they were still trying to incorporate things like news and sports headlines into this - but all of us that looked at it didn't like the way they had integrated the news headlines (hardly any info at all). But the movie thing might be helpful - type in your zip code and it shows all the movies, theaters, and showtimes in your area (or any area you want to look up). I think the games cost money. This is what that red glowing "Dish" logo button on the 501 remote does.

As I have mentioned before I have been able to play with most of the OpenTV applications and was not impressed (especially with the games)

I wonder why SOUND was not included in the OpenTV specs?? If sound was available it would make the OpenTV experiance MUCH better!

Anyways WHEN will these new channels be available?

Scott