dish 510 dvr free to new subs

[newsub]

well dish has launched the 510 dvr today. They also are launching a new program becoming "the first company to offer a free dvr" as stated in their press release. The 510 dvr will be free to new subscribers who agree to keep at least dish top 50 for a year and for those who want a 2nd receiver for $49 they can get a 301 if they agree to keep at least top 50 for 2 years. Also for current subs they can get the 510 for $199 with a 1 year committment to top 100 programming or above. What does everyone think of this promotion?
http://www.corporate-ir.net/ireye/ir_site.zhtml?ticker=dish&script=410&layout=-6&item_id=442977

[Jacob S]

Sounds like the same deal for existing subs only with a DVR fee now.

[jeffwtux]

I think this promotion is a total fraud. It's clearly not as good of a deal for existing customers as it was before. For new customers, sure, they are getting a fair deal. It USED to be $199 for new customers with a 1 year committment to AT50 no montly fee. For existing customers it was the same price, but the committment was for AT100, still no monthly fee. Now, new customers get the box for free, but existing customers don't. This is a rippoff for existing customers, the fees have gone up but the price hasn't gone down. I declared open season for the Charlie bashing.

[Chris Freeland]

I think this promotion is a total fraud. It's clearly not as good of a deal for existing customers as it was before. For new customers, sure, they are getting a fair deal. It USED to be $199 for new customers with a 1 year committment to AT50 no montly fee. For existing customers it was the same price, but the committment was for AT100, still no monthly fee. Now, new customers get the box for free, but existing customers don't. This is a rippoff for existing customers, the fees have gone up but the price hasn't gone down. I declared open season for the Charlie bashing.

I too am disappointed that the current customer promotion on the 510 is not as good as the old one that is still available until the end of the month, however it is not owed us and it is the same price that current D* subs pay to upgrade to the D*Tivo. Remember E* and D* is in the business to make money by increasing total number of subs, most subs get a good deal when they first sign up (not me though, price I have to pay for being early sub I guess), any breaks we get as current subs is just a bonus. E* and D* can not afford to give away free equipment to current subs every time their is an improvement in technology, it takes a year or two or possibly more before E* and D* start making money on their subs, and that is what it is is all about.

[Curtis0620]

DirecTiVo from D* = $159, $179, $199, depending on which promo you take. Plus TWO tuners, and FREE installation (including a multiswitch if required).

[Chris Freeland]

DirecTiVo from D* = $159, $179, $199, depending on which promo you take. Plus TWO tuners, and FREE installation (including a multiswitch if required).

That may be true, however until the end of the month the official E* DVR/PVR upgrade is the 501/508 for $199 installed with AT100 and CCAP commitment but no monthly fee and many subs here have received the same upgrade without a commitment for $149 with no monthly fee. Sure these are one tuner DVR's, however most if not all are getting 508's with the 80G hard drive vs 40G's for the D*Tivo.

It still comes down to which provider meets your programing needs the best. For me E* still meets my programing needs better, E* will likely add my locals this year and D* will not. I would guess that about 75% of the programing that I would likely record would be on one of my local big 4 networks or the Superstations, and since D* will not have these in the foreseeable future and neither the D*Tivo or E*DVR will record ota, a D*Tivo would not be as useful for me then a E*DVR would.