The Official July 8 Charlie Chat Discussion thread

[Chris Blount]

Next Charlie Chat is July 8th on channel 101 and this is the place for discussion, comments and questions.

Don't forget to join us here in the DBSTalk.Com chat room for our exclusive Charlie Chat....CHAT beginning at 8:30 EST.

See you there!

http://chat.dbstalk.com

[SParker]

hey is there a way I can pay my monthly bill automatically? HAHAHA j/k :wave:

[Mark Holtz]

MERGER QUESTION: With the additional capacity that the merger will bring, will you provide additional West coast feeds of channels that provide them, such as SciFi Channel, Cartoon Network, and such?

[Scott Greczkowski]

When will the 721 have Internet access available. :)

[Steve Mehs]

When Thomson going to start getting involved? and no I dont mean by those RCA branded 301s RatShack has. I mean Bona fied Thomson hardware!

[Chris Blount]

Originally posted by SParker
hey is there a way I can pay my monthly bill automatically? HAHAHA j/k :wave: Yeah I wondered that myself. It's such a pain having to write a check every month. Maybe they could have some way to do it by credit card. :D

[Ronaldo]

Hey Chuck...when is the compression going to be reduced so we can get some decent PQ? Its a tough sell to show my friends how great DishNetwork is when the screen is pixelating constantly. At the last tech talk the E* engineer mentioned that PQ "might" improve for the AT100 when E*8 goes online. He didn't sound very confident or sure about the PQ improving. When will this issue be resolved? And don't tell me about the merger and additional bandwidth...blah...blah...blah...because the merger is pie in the sky stuff for now and looks less likely every day with Enron, WorldCON, Xerox, Martha Stewart/IMCLone, etc... Congress is not going to be eager to approve a huge corporate merger while creating a DBS monopoly at the same time.

Also, when are we going to get weather information similar to what the cable systems have for their subscribers? Channel 9500 isn't cutting it :(.

[Nick]

Is the DP keyboard compatible with the 721?

[Scott Greczkowski]

Nick I didn't try that yet, I will try tonight and report back.

[psecic]

Originally posted by Z'Loth
MERGER QUESTION: With the additional capacity that the merger will bring, will you provide additional West coast feeds of channels that provide them, such as SciFi Channel, Cartoon Network, and such? 12

What use would an west coast feed of Cartoon Network be?:rolling:

[Karl Foster]

How many times will the word MERGER be used in tonight's chat?:D

[lee635]

Originally posted by psecic
12

What use would an west coast feed of Cartoon Network be?:rolling:

My 5 ear old loves cartoon network, but here on the west coast that "adult swim" or soup or whatever it it starts pretty early. I'd like the west coast feed. Or why not drop the east coast feeds of some channels and replace them with west coast feeds??? :rolleyes: ;)

[Mark Holtz]

Originally posted by psecic
What use would an west coast feed of Cartoon Network be? :rolling:

Don't laugh. Dish provides both east and west coast feeds of both Disney and Nick channels. In addition, the "adult swim" programming, such as it is, takes place earlier in the evening on the west coast.

[Jacob S]

I very seriously doubt that the dishplayer keyboard will be compatible with the 721 because their regular remote is not compatible with any of dish's other receivers so I dont think the keyboard is an exception.

I wonder if the dishplayer remotes are more reliable than the blue button dish remotes? I know that the keyboard for the 721 looked very very nice and won an award(s) but they charge extra for it.

[Darkman]

Hey - that is better - a "stick up" thread for CHAT :)

anyone knows the date yet for next Tech or Retail Chats?
maybe they ll announce anything on that on July 8 Charlie's...
:)

[Steve Mehs]

Or why not drop the east coast feeds of some channels and replace them with west coast feeds

Actually Lee that has already happened. Soap Net on both D* and E* is the west coast feed.

[Scott Greczkowski]

Just tried the Dishplayer keyboard on the 721. It didn't do a dang thing. :D

[Jacob S]

Do those Dish DVD remotes people were talking about that they could get for $15 operate the Dish Network Satellite Receivers? If so do they operate the PVR functions as well?

[Geronimo]

Will non Open TV recivers be updated to show locals in their OTA position ? The January Charlie Chat mentioned an upgrade and did nots eem to indicate that it was only for SOME receivers.

[Lyle_JP]

When will we get Dolby Digital on "Encore" and "Starz! Theater"? (Both station currently provide DD feeds if cable/sat companies want them).

-Lyle J.p.

[DarrellP]

When will the 6000 8PSK module be free to us "poor" subs?

[MediaMills]

Let's see if we can answer some questions early...

Welcome to the Charlie Chat!! We would report on some worthless news and show you some crappy videos but we wanted to get to news on the merger...write your congressman!!


Originally posted by SParker
is there a way I can pay my monthly bill automatically?

Yes, use Credit Card AutoPay. Sure we sometimes over bill or skip your payment causing you to default but who cares, it's only your credit rating. Now here's some merger news...


Originally posted by Z'Loth
With the additional capacity that the merger will bring, will you provide additional West coast feeds of channels that provide them, such as SciFi Channel, Cartoon Network, and such?

We don't have the bandwidth to do that right now, so support the merger! Besides, that would make sense and we're against that.


Originally posted by Scott Greczkowski
When will the 721 have Internet access available?

We just drop-shipped you a 721 and you want internet access? Call AOL and stop whining. Besides, after the merger is approved, we're going to buy AOL, but don't tell anyone!


Originally posted by Steve Mehs
When Thomson going to start getting involved? and no I dont mean by those RCA branded 301s RatShack has. I mean Bona fied Thomson hardware!

Who's Thomson? A special-interest group?


Originally posted by Ronaldo
When is the compression going to be reduced so we can get some decent PQ?

After the merger...roll the clip!!!


Originally posted by Nick
Is the DP keyboard compatible with the 721?

Dr. Pepper makes computer hardware now?


Originally posted by karl_f
How many times will the word MERGER be used in tonight's chat?

How many times do you want? We'll contact Arthur Andersen...


Originally posted by Jacob S
Do those Dish DVD remotes people were talking about that they could get for $15 operate the Dish Network Satellite Receivers? If so do they operate the PVR functions as well?

That configuration is not supported. We recommend you use Pay-Per-View because it provides us a better profit margin. DVD is a fad and won't be around long...like DirecTV. Speaking of that, support the merger!


Originally posted by Geronimo
Will non Open TV recivers be updated to show locals in their OTA position ?

Ask the Tech-Chat. Besides what does that have to do with the merger?


Originally posted by Lyle_JP
When will we get Dolby Digital on "Encore" and "Starz! Theater"?

That would take up more bandwidth that we don't have. We need to lauch EchoStar 8 and oh yea, the merger. Jim, roll the merger propaganda tape...


Originally posted by DarrellP
When will the 6000 8PSK module be free to us "poor" subs?

It's free with a $94 subscription to Discovery HD. More HD channels will become available after the merger.


Well, we are out of time. Don't forget to tune in to another extremely boring mind-numbing episode of the Charlie Chat!!!

[Steve Mehs]

:lol: That was good!

[n0qcu]

Sad thing is, its probably true enough to be used as the actual recap.

[Nick]

Media Mills - Great recap. Are you prescient or what?

Cool avatar too. What is it? :confused:


Nickster :cool:

[John Corn]

:lol: :rolling: :rotfl: I just got done reading STXJims post.....now this......:lol: , you guys are cracking me up. Are you guys still drinking and smoking from yesterday? :lol:

[Geronimo]

You saved me a lot of time. I can go out Monday night.

[MediaMills]

Originally posted by Nick
Media Mills - Great recap. Are you prescient or what?

Cool avatar too. What is it? :confused:
It's the molecular configuration of Prozac...my favorite office tranquilizer! :bang:

[MarkA]

WHEN WILL THEY FIX THE DISHPLAYER?!?!?! Now that's a question that they need to answer!

[Doug E]

Originally posted by Chris Blount
Yeah I wondered that myself. It's such a pain having to write a check every month. Maybe they could have some way to do it by credit card. :D :cool:

Two ways to pay bill....log on to dishnetwork.com and apply for auto payment by credit card....you may opt for one-time-only or every month. You still receive hard copy bill each month, and have plenty of time to challenge any charges before they are processed. OR you can call their 800 number and opt for credit card pay by using the automated phone system.

[Doug E]

Originally posted by MediaMills
Let's see if we can answer some questions early...

Welcome to the Charlie Chat!! We would report on some worthless news and show you some crappy videos but we wanted to get to news on the merger...write your congressman!!




Yes, use Credit Card AutoPay. Sure we sometimes over bill or skip your payment causing you to default but who cares, it's only your credit rating. Now here's some merger news...




We don't have the bandwidth to do that right now, so support the merger! Besides, that would make sense and we're against that.




We just drop-shipped you a 721 and you want internet access? Call AOL and stop whining. Besides, after the merger is approved, we're going to buy AOL, but don't tell anyone!




Who's Thomson? A special-interest group?




After the merger...roll the clip!!!




Dr. Pepper makes computer hardware now?




How many times do you want? We'll contact Arthur Andersen...




That configuration is not supported. We recommend you use Pay-Per-View because it provides us a better profit margin. DVD is a fad and won't be around long...like DirecTV. Speaking of that, support the merger!




Ask the Tech-Chat. Besides what does that have to do with the merger?




That would take up more bandwidth that we don't have. We need to lauch EchoStar 8 and oh yea, the merger. Jim, roll the merger propaganda tape...




It's free with a $94 subscription to Discovery HD. More HD channels will become available after the merger.


Well, we are out of time. Don't forget to tune in to another extremely boring mind-numbing episode of the Charlie Chat!!!

[Doug E]

Wow! Being very negative here. If not a happy camper, why not go back to the dark-age BUD C band?

[AJ2086]

Well Charlie has been pro merger for like the last year now adn he has been neglecting the Dish Customers

[Jacob S]

They even have a similar service that Primestar used to have in which you use a Primestar sized dish that is oval that is skewed like a dish 500 with two lnbf's picking up two satelites slots at the same time with a switch and it is a medium power satelite and gets most of the channels and I hear its cheaper than cable or Dish and Direct but not sure about the pricing. I know the hardware is a lot more expensive though. Its what Charter cable service uses in the Charter Everywhere service and they are getting VERY popular where I live because they dont have to pay any upfront costs, just for programming. Its called WSNET and I think they have another name for it too, like HITS or something like that, not sure. It is not C-band but Ku band like Primestar used and they probably use digicypher.

There's your alternative to Dish, DirecTv, and even C-band if you dont want to rotate a dish and dont want a big dish yet dont want the small dish service.

[MediaMills]

Originally posted by Doug E
Wow! Being very negative here. If not a happy camper, why not go back to the dark-age BUD C band?
Nope, not negative. I want the merger. With a national pricing plan that would compete with cable, I would benefit with either more channels or better picture quality. The latter would be preferable... :D

[Jacob S]

Why dont they also mention the service I had mentioned above as also being competition along with c-band, and cable?

[TNGTony]

Hi all!

Back from the shores of North Carolina and ready for the Charlie Chat! But just like last month, the summary will come around midnight monday night. I have to shoot my own live call-in show at 8pm on an evil cable access channel! :-)

See ya
Tony

[kelliot]

I just want to know when DiscoveryHD will truly be up on 148.

[Chris Blount]

Originally posted by TNGTony
Hi all!

Back from the shores of North Carolina and ready for the Charlie Chat! Welcome back Tony! Hope you had a great time.

[JP-Cableguy]

Originally posted by Jacob S
They even have a similar service that Primestar used to have in which you use a Primestar sized dish that is oval that is skewed like a dish 500 with two lnbf's picking up two satelites slots at the same time with a switch and it is a medium power satelite and gets most of the channels and I hear its cheaper than cable or Dish and Direct but not sure about the pricing. .... Its called WSNET and I think they have another name for it too, like HITS or something like that, not sure. It is not C-band but Ku band like Primestar used and they probably use digicypher.

HITS is a service that AT&T provides to Cable companies to add digital programming to their lineups. HITS=Headend In The Sky. HITS carries mostly digital tier programming (Discovery multiplex, FOX Sports multiplex, HBO/Cinemax/SHO/Starz multiplex, PPV, etc.) for cable companies to add to their system without putting in digital encoders for themselves. HITS was designed for SUPPLEMENTAL & SPECIAL INTEREST programming for cable. Their programming comes from KU band on Galaxy 4R and C-Band on Satcom C4.

WS/NET is sort of a quasi-competitor/quasi-friend of HITS. They have a lineup which almost mirrors DISH or Directv. They also parter with cable companies as their service can be put on a Cable TV system. The Cable company just puts on their local broadcast stations and they use the digital WSNET programming for everything else. WSNET's programming comes from Telstar 5 and Galaxy 4R.

Now, HITS and WS/NET are sort of in bed together with a service called HITS2HOME and WSNET Unwired. This is a service where the cable company puts a sattelite dish on your house for digital programming and their analog cable system gives you the local broadcast stations.

Both HITS and WSNET also have offerings to apartment complex owners and hotels, etc. where they can set up a mini-cable system inside their building.

[Jacob S]

Where can I find out the prices for these services?

[Scott Greczkowski]

kelliot people at AVSforum have been calling Dish Network and have been told that Discovery HD will be available at 148 within 2 weeks.

[Mark Lamutt]

Re: Discovery at 148 - I want to hear it from Charlie that that is going to be the case tonight. And I want to know *when* exactly. I'm sure not going to call and start paying for a channel that I can't get yet. Of course, I have my 3rd dish ready to go up if D-HD doesn't come to 148...

[JP-Cableguy]

Originally posted by Jacob S
Where can I find out the prices for these services?

Well--AFAIK these services are only available to Cable companies, apartment owners, etc. They aren't sold to the general public. You might try looking at WS/NET's website though, they do sell a product "programming and all". HITS is simply a transport provider.

www.wsnet.tv
www.hits.com

[AllieVi]

Originally posted by Mark Lamutt
Re: Discovery at 148 - I want to hear it from Charlie that that is going to be the case tonight. And I want to know *when* exactly.
Let's say Charlie gives an exact date. Based on his past performance in such matters, why would you believe him? :shrug:

[Marcus S]

As usual, All sub for the 5000 and OpenTV for the 6000, bring back the 4900 or make the 501 $199 permantly. Like any of this would really happen. Charlie does not listen to the general public or his subs anymore, just overpayed marketing people that poll specific groups that will result in the answer they want to hear and push to E*.

[Swampthing]

Forget about the 721, future of Dishplayer support, or even the launching of Echostar VI... I just wanna know what great movies will be on pay per view this month!!!

[Marcus S]

So far the nebulous we don't know what we will do when we switch all E* HDTV subs to the new PSK format. Thumb screws come to mind. A great selling point for retailers forced to tell potential subs that they may actually have to pay another $50+ if they purchase a 6000 receivier.

[Swampthing]

The best part of the Charlie Chat was the screwup over the price of the HD adaptor module for the 6000... so they had to offer it at $49 instead of $99.

The funny thing about the 721 contest was that the correct answer of the size of the hard drive WAS NOT in the video shown (yes, I reviewed the tape a couple of times to be sure). The only statement made was that it would hold over 90 hours of programming, and Charlie's rambling about GB's and MHz. So I guess the winner must have done his research on the Internet!

[TNGTony]

Sorry folks...no Charlie summary this month! I forgot to record it at 9 and there is no replay at 11! Doh!!! So I take it nothing big happened?

See ya
Tony

[Steve Mehs]

:( Too bad Tony :(

NGC was confirmed for Friday
Fox Sports West 2 gets add 'soon'
2 or 3 more cities to go up (I forgot what they were already)
Disc HD to be on 148 sometime next month
8PSK apaptors will be free w/ 1 year commitment of Disc HD or $49 without, up untill Aug 1st, $99 after that

Thats about it :)

[Darkman]

Originally posted by TNGTony
Sorry folks...no Charlie summary this month! I forgot to record it at 9 and there is no replay at 11! Doh!!! So I take it nothing big happened?

See ya
Tony

Tony! :(
j/k - we ll just have to survive somehow without your great Summary...

and lately the chat often is not repeated the same night neither...

anyhow - here are the Rebroadcast dates (so i think the soonest you can Watch it Live or have delayed summary is on Fri :) )

Friday, July 12, 2002
10:00 p.m. ET

Saturday, July 13, 2002
5:00 a.m. ET

Saturday, July 13, 2002
7:00 p.m. ET

Saturday, July 13, 2002
10:00 p.m. ET

Sunday, July 14, 2002
9:00 p.m. ET

Sunday, July 14, 2002
11:00 p.m. ET

Monday, July 15, 2002
9:00 p.m. ET

Monday, July 15, 2002
11:00 p.m. ET

Friday, July 19, 2002
10:00 p.m. ET

Saturday, July 20, 2002
5:00 a.m. ET

Saturday, July 20, 2002
7:00 p.m. ET

Saturday, July 20, 2002
9:00 p.m. ET

Sunday, July 21, 2002
9:00 p.m. ET

Sunday, July 21, 2002
11:00 p.m. ET

Monday, July 22, 2002
9:00 p.m. ET

Monday, July 22, 2002
11:00 p.m. ET

[Keith S]

The cities were Tucson, AZ and Burlington, West Virginia. Thats all I can remember.

[kelliot]

Originally posted by TNGTony
... there is no replay at 11! Doh!!!
Tony

Conveniently forgetting about west coasters.

[Bob Haller]

I missed it too. Busy getting DSL / AOL working. Tony how could you forget?

I tried to record it earlier today, it wasnt listed in the dP guide and I didnt have time to set a manual timer. Fact is I guess I NEVER have used one:(

[Darkman]

Bob - hehe

[Mike]

Originally posted by Steve Mehs
[BFox Sports West 2 gets add 'soon'
[/B]

Really!?! Any type of a time frame given at all like this Winter? Thanks!

[SParker]

why can't they rerun the chat at 11PM? I mean how many times do you need to see the remote control help channel.

[markh]

They mentioned 1st of September.

Fox Sports West 2 and National Geographic are pretty good news. At least on the forums, I've seen a lot of requests for them. In the case of Fox 2, it's been more like a lot of complaining about it not being there. :)

edit: September for FSW2, not for the Chat replay.;) Sparker sneaked in ahead of me.

[Marcus S]

Originally posted by Steve Mehs
:( Too bad Tony :(

NGC was confirmed for Friday
Fox Sports West 2 gets add 'soon'
2 or 3 more cities to go up (I forgot what they were already)
Disc HD to be on 148 sometime next month
8PSK apaptors will be free w/ 1 year commitment of Disc HD or $49 without, up untill Aug 1st, $99 after that

Thats about it :)

I think that the "after that" is not going to sit well with existing HD subs, including myself.

[Darkman]

Originally posted by SParker
why can't they rerun the chat at 11PM? I mean how many times do you need to see the remote control help channel.

I guess they want us to see all day long - that Guy say it to that Chick:

"Sometimes i just want to see the GAME!" - hehe

:blush:
Do you know what i am talking about?

[Karl Foster]

Tuscon and Burlington? How about Baltimore, Hartford, Las Vegas, New Orleans? Interesting choices to say the least.

[TNGTony]

Originally posted by Keith S
The cities were Tucson, AZ and Burlington, West Virginia. Thats all I can remember.

Errr.....There is no Burlington, West Virginia. :)

Do you mean Burlington, VT/Plattsburg, NY and Hunington/Charleston, WV? There are several West Virginia markets, but I don't see them putting up Beckly or Morgantown. :)

See ya
Tony

[Chris Blount]

On the DBSTalk chat last night someone mentioned that the Aug 1 date is bogus. The 8PSK module will always be $49.

[bolco]

Vermont locals are to be added. And I feel that the $49/$99 "error" was really NO error...just a way to make the consumer feel like they are getting a good deal, when (in all actuality) they are getting shafted.

[JohnH]

Re: the Vermont locals. I suppose they will have retrans agreement problems with WFFF Fox. It just makes sense they would, since the channel has been free for years now on AMC5 Mpeg2.

BTW: It appears they want to add more cities instead of reducing the number of dishes required for some cities. After all, it is in their best interest for us to have bunches of dishes. :)

Tuscon makes sense, since they have two Tps on that Arizona beam. They could put all the Phoenix locals on there, but it don't look like they will.

[Mark Lamutt]

Ok, here's the deal with the 8PSK module. Charlie made a mistake with the pricing last night on the chat. If you order a yearly subscription to Disc-HD, the 8PSK module is free. If you order a monthly subscription to Disc-HD, the 8PSK module will cost you $49. That $49 price will NOT change after August 1st. I was on hold in the studio (after making it through 3 screeners), but the final screener didn't want Charlie to look like an idiot on the air, so she told me that Charlie misspoke and the price would not be going up to $99.

I suspect that after August 1st, if you want to order the 8PSK module but don't want to subscribe to Disc-HD then the price will be around $99. That's just a guess on my part.

[markh]

JohnH, I can see by your list of receivers that you wouldn't mind if they required more dishes. ;)

Mark, too bad you didn't get on the air. What were you going to ask? It's good to be Charlie, they try to make you look not too bad.

Marcus, I don't get why you are upset. They said you would still see all the HD you do now without the adapter. If you subscribe to Discovery HD, ( for a year) you get it free. Wih the price of HDTVs I can't see $49 being a major poblem for those subs.

IMHwild guessO, if they change all HD to 8PSK then they will be free, but the early adopters will have to pay. I don't know if that's the right way to do it, but thatseems to be how it's done by everybody, not just Dish.

[Darkman]

Originally posted by bolco
Vermont locals are to be added. And I feel that the $49/$99 "error" was really NO error...just a way to make the consumer feel like they are getting a good deal, when (in all actuality) they are getting shafted.

whatever it was - an error in his script, and they just screwed up and forgot, or it was a "setup" or a "joke" - it ended up pretty funny though - i found so anyhow :) - the way Charlie said:
"well we might as well give it for 49 (now that we slipped up"

hehe..

[Mark Holtz]

Okay, went out after last night's Charlie Chat...

First off, IMHO, this was the most informative chat since I became a subscriber back in September. I can't wait to add the National Geographic Channel on Friday.

As for Fox Sports Net West 2, this will hopefully pacify the naysayers about Charlie not liking sports. I guess this was part of the deal worked out with Fox Network.

Expect plenty of whining from the broadcasters about Dish adding additional cities without resolving the second disk issue.

I was disappointed with Charlie's answer about West Coast feeds. In about a day or so, I will be writing a letter to Charlie addressing this issue, and noting that not everyone has PVRs and that, of the channels carried, when some of the channels go into "information mode", which can be as early as 9 PM PT.

[Mark Lamutt]

Mark - I was going to ask when Disc-HD would be mirrored to 148, and then when Charlie answered that, I was going to ask specifically about the price of the 8PSK. Because I look at 148 for my additional locals, I can't get D-HD until after August 1st, but if the price goes up to $99 for the 8PSK module on August 1st, I'm stuck either paying for a subscription to D-HD that I can't receive to get the deal on the 8PSK, or taking a hit on the 8PSK because I don't want to order a channel that I can't get. That was the gist of my 2nd question because of the pricing mistake Charlie made. I told the final screener that I would be really polite to Charlie, and not make him look like a fool on the air, but she was being protective... :D Oh well, hopefully next month. I really wanted to plug DBSTalk...

[Keith S]

I meant Vermont.

[Karl Foster]

Vermont makes sense. While not the most poulated state, they have the highest per capita of DBS subscribers of any state in the country. I would think that competition for those dollars is fierce, and Dish will have a leg up over Directv by adding Burlington locals. Good move, Dish.

[MediaMills]

OK, here we go...

Welcome Charlie and Jim...

Agenda:
New programming
New receiver coming - 721
Giveaways and Questions

Programming:
National Geographic Channel was the #1 requested channel. It's joining AT150 on July 12th at channel 186

Fox Sports Net West 2 will be available later this summer to in-market subscribers of AT100 in the following zip-codes:

900-918 and 922-935 (subject to blackouts and availability)

Fox retransmission agreement was reached. All major networks have retransmission agreements now for several years.

Locals that were added:
Oklahoma City, OK (up july 2nd)
Burlington, VT (up july 24th)
Tucson, AZ (up july 31st but missing NBC so it's $4.99) NBC wanted to charge Dish "too much" to carry it
Tulsa, OK (up july 31st)
We can do more locals after the merger!

Introducing "Channel Mapping" which allows OpenTV receivers to have their local channels mapped to their actual channel numbers. ONLY OpenTV receivers can do this! All OpenTV downloads should be done by the end of July. Channels will remain in the 8000 block as well.

Let's talk HDTV! DiscoveryHD Theater up June 18th. Free preview until August 1st on channel 9443 on the 61.5 satellite.
DiscoveryHD programming is compiled from all of the Discovery channels which is why it isn't free. It will be $7.99/month or
$95.88/year. Enhanced HD version coming on 9420 on 61.5 but your 6000 must be upgraded with a new module. If you pay for a
year of DiscoveryHD you get the adapter free. If you don't, then the adapter is $49?!? Charlie thinks it's $99...oops!
Well, maybe it's a promotion. Well, OK, $49 until August 1st then the price goes up.

HD linup: 61.5 148
Sho-HD 9430 9430
HBO-HD 9440 9440
HDPPV 9428 9428
HD DEMO 9443 n/a
DISCOVERY HD 9420 n/a
CBS EAST-HD 9453 n/a
CBS West-HD n/a 9454

DiscoveryHD and the HD Demo will share the same channel for a while. 6p-6a for DiscoveryHD and 6a-6p for HD Demo Channel.
DiscoveryHD is NOT on 148 yet. It will be available in August but only in the enhanced HD format. Tune in to the Tech Chat
next month for more info.

They try to run an AT150 promo and run a Bloomberg promo instead. Bloomberg is in the AT150. They're giving away a trip for two to New York City which includes airfare, 3 nights stay, limo tour, a Broadway show and a tour of Bloomberg's joint. If
you're currently an AT150 subscriber, you're automatically entered. If not and you upgrade to AT150 between 6/25 and 7/31 you are entered. Call Dish at 1-800-333-DISH to upgrade/enter.

Encore fanatics spotlight. Short video on the specialty Encore networks (Action, Westerns, Mystery, WAM, Love Stories, True Stories) Over 500 movies a month. BAM!!

Talk about Echostar 8. 2 hours prior to launch, they confirmed a problem with the satellite. It was taken off the rocket and de-fueled so that it could be checked out. They're not sure of a new launch date. "We have to get back in line for a new launch date." Launch delay won't effect current operations.

Question time!
email: Oscar - When will DiscoveryHD be available to west coasters on the 148 satellite?
Charlie - Available in august in the enhanced version (you'll need the new module)

emil: no name - Does Dish Network plan to offer HDNet?
Charlie - We'd like to and we're in discussions with HDNet however we need capacity to be able to do it. That will come with the merger. Contractually we can't offer it until next year and hopefully the merger will be done by then.

email: Brad - Will Dish Network add NBA-TV?
Charlie - Do you mean NBA League Pass? We're in negotiations. NBA is thinking about starting their own channel. We're in talks to carry that if it starts. Check the September Charlie Chat for more details.

Caller: Beverly - When will the Jacksonville locals be available?
Charlie - Jacksonville will be on Echostar 8, when it launches.

email: Hugh - I want more HD programming.
Charlie - Well, people need to produce more HD programming and we need capacity. An HD channel takes up the space of 6 regular channels. When we merge with Hughes, we'll have more capacity for more HDTV channels and high speed internet access. Note that the only pay HD channel on Dish Network now is DiscoveryHD. If you have HBO, HBO-HD is free. Same for Showtime. You must have the model 6000 to view HDTV programming.

Let's talk about the 721.
Video on the 721-- (a better overview can be found at http://www.dbstalk.com) :D
MUCH more detail on the tech chat next month but price is $599 for a complete system or $549 for just the receiver. The price is less than it costs to make the product (really?).
721 FAQ:
Q: Will the picture-in-picture function work on a tv without picture-in-picture?
A: YES--the picture-in-picture function is inside the receiver itself so it'll work on any TV.
Q: Since DishPVR 721 has two tuners, are there two smart cards or an "additional outlet" fee?
A: There is only one smart card and there is no additional outlet fee for the second tuner.

MAJOR BLUNDER TIME: Charlie says that the 721 can output two different channels at the same time. Engineering staff sh*ts and so does Jim! "This product won't do that. We have another product coming out soon that can do that, but not this one.
You can watch it on two different TVs, but it's the same channel on both TVs." Charlie: "Can you watch live TV one place and recorded TV another place at the same time?" Engineering staff sh*ts again! Jan Johnson, Product Marketing Manager sets them straight.

They're giving away a 721! Be the first caller to correctly identify the size of the hard drive in the 721.
Charlie: "Is that in Gigahertz? gigabits? no, gigabytes!"

More questions.
email: Scott - Could you please elaborate on the new service called Dish Home, and how it is different from WebTV?
Jan Johnson - Dish Home feature that is being added to the newer OpenTV receivers is a one stop location for accessing all of the new interactive features like weather, sports applications, entertainment applications. Charlie - "more information at the tech chat"

email: Carlos - Does the 721 deliver HDTV programming?
Charlie - No, it does not. The only model we have that can deliver HDTV programming is the Model 6000

email: no name - Will satellite internet prices become more reasonable after the merger?
Charlie - Yes. Satellite internet is a huge investment. The merger would split up the development costs and they can agree on a standard so that hardware can be mass produced and cheaper. charlie appeals to the rural folk with national pricing plan talk.

Do you want to comment on the merger? Go to http://www.echostarmerger.com Your congressman is waiting to hear from you!

Lets look at Showtime. A free preview on July 28th from 6am to 10pm ET/PT called Showtime All-Ages Movie Marathon. We have a Showtime giveaway. A Weber tabletop grill filled with marinades, spices, etc. The question - What two Dish channels will be showcasing the showtime All-Ages Movie Marathon?

Winner of the 721 is Steven Balinet from Michigan. The answer-120 Gigabyte hard drive. "That's over 100 hours of recording... WOW!!!"

caller: Mr. Pepperford - Does Dish Network have any plans to add west coast feeds of other channels, like USA or TNN?
Charlie - In general, no because most channels don't have west coast feeds. Suggest you use a pvr to time shift your programming.(little PVR plug there) The only west coast feed we don't have is Univision...we can check on that.

email: Michael - Has Dish Network considered making the French station TV5 available on the 148 satellite?
Charlie - I don't know. We will let you know.

email: Chuck - Will HD programming ever be available on 110 or 119 with a single dish?
Charlie - With the merger, yes. With the merger we could have a dish that could see 101, 110 and 119 satellites and we could conceivably move programming off of 61.5 and 148

Winner of the Weber tabletop cooker - Jack Nasel of Seattle, WA. The answer-318 or 319

email: David Sands - When do we expect to launch Echostar 8?
Charlie - We don't know. First we have to get the satellite checked out (within the next week) then we have to get a new launch date so it may be 4-5 weeks.

Next month is the Tech Forum. But before then college football starts, so ESPN Gameplan Early Bird Package is $89 before August 31st. After that it's $99 or buy it by the weekend at $14/Saturday. There are 9-13 games every weekend.

Nascar has a new home on TNT. TNT will rebroadcast races on Monday nights, including NBC races.

caller: James - The merger sounds really great, but the merger date keeps being pushed back. When can we expect it to happen?
Charlie - We don't know, hopefully soon but it takes time for the regulators to decide whether or not this merger is good or bad for consumers. We need approvals from the Justice Department (anti-trust) and FCC (best interest for the consumer).

We have an answer on Michael's question on TV5 at 148...it is starting July 10th!

email: no name - Can you explain in more detail what the enhanced HD module does? will I need this module to enjoy all HD programming?
Charlie - It allows us to pick up more bits so that we can get more HD channels on the satellites. All NEW HD channels will be in enhanced HD and will require the module.

email: Lou - Will Dish Network ever offer BET on Jazz?
Charlie - I don't know. Right now we don't have the capacity to do it. If we get enough calls from customers we could add it in the future. We're always looking for new programming.

We're running out of time...
The Tech Forum is Monday, August 12th at 9pm ET on channel 101
The next Charlie Chat is Monday, September 9th at 9pm ET on channel 101

Thanks for joining us!


Whew! Fingers are tired!

[Steve Mehs]

The BET Jazz thing was bull. I remember very clearly from July 2000 (yes 2000) chat, right after Charlie announced the additions of Fox Movie Channel, SoapNet and Golf Channel into the AT150 lineup, he mentoed BET Jazz will be added in the 'near' future. Oh well, maybe charlie can work out some deal with Viacom once the other BET channels are out. BET Jazz would be the only one Im remotly interested in though.

[Jacob S]

So what do you people think about this Charlie Chat, better than some of the previous ones or same ole same ole?

[Steve Mehs]

The beginning was great it started to remind me of my first few CC experiences back in the beginning of '99. Filled with useful information. But then the second half was filled with BS, especially that ever long, Encore clip.

[kelliot]

Charlie seems to fall for the same marketing BS that we get. (Reference: DHD price and 721 confusion)

If HBO-HD and SHO-HD go 8PSK I'm thinking free module or class action. I was promised HD when I bought my 6000.;

[Darkman]

we should be a bit lighter on Charlie and his Chat/Crew....

i say BS is not a big deal - putting up with some of it, once a month or once every 2 months - is better then not having Charlie's Chat at all...

from what i saw - it is a laid back/relaxing show - and they are giving an honest effort (they are just doing it - that is all, they do not have special type of Movie Director after all)

and this chat - beats DTV's chat (and cuz DTV doesn't have chats, their Monthly News with Tonya Mamie or whatever her name is)..

as to some other satellite providers that i ever came accross (example - in Canada - Express Vu or Star Choice) - they do not have Chat's period...

Lets give Charlie a little bit of credit too...even though some of the Chat is BS...
"BS walk" after all, so let it walk..... :)

Charlie is actually a cool dude - i like him..

[Kagato]

kelliot> I'm with you on that one. Although I would suggest talking to your state Department of Comerce or State Attorney General office first. In particular if you live in CA, WA, AZ, MN, NY. (They have reps for being very hard core on consumer rights/fair marketing.)

[AllieVi]

Originally posted by Darkman
we should be a bit lighter on Charlie and his Chat/Crew....

i say BS is not a big deal - putting up with some of it, once a month or once every 2 months - is better then not having Charlie's Chat at all...

from what i saw - it is a laid back/relaxing show - and they are giving an honest effort (they are just doing it - that is all, they do not have special type of Movie Director after all)

and this chat - beats DTV's chat (and cuz DTV doesn't have chats, their Monthly News with Tonya Mamie or whatever her name is)..

as to some other satellite providers that i ever came accross (example - in Canada - Express Vu or Star Choice) - they do not have Chat's period...

Lets give Charlie a little bit of credit too...even though some of the Chat is BS...
"BS walk" after all, so let it walk..... :)

Charlie is actually a cool dude - i like him..
I agree. I can't think of another corporate executive who takes on the challenge of regularly communicating with customers the way Charlie does. It's a refreshing change to the normal situation of executives being completely out of reach.

Charlie is willing to leave himself open to criticism from folks like us for things he says or promises in Chats. That's a big risk to take and I doubt many others would be willing to do it.

I also excuse the "not ready for prime time" nature of the show. We've become accustomed to watching programs with professional media personalities doing nearly perfect shows. That's a tough act to follow.

[dishrich]

Guess some people around here haven't heard the term "marketing hype" - guess there IS a sucker born every minute. :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolling: :rolling: :rolling: :rolling: :rolling:

[Steve Mehs]

The only other DBS provider that has a chat is SA* with the monthly update, but its not done live and its filled with about 5 minutes of useful info, the rest if the time theyre just trying to sell their service. I would rather have a Tanya Mammie chat over a Charlie Chat though :D Hopefully if the merger goes through she replace that ditz on the remote help channel.

[Darkman]

Originally posted by AllieVi

I agree. I can't think of another corporate executive who takes on the challenge of regularly communicating with customers the way Charlie does. It's a refreshing change to the normal situation of executives being completely out of reach.

Charlie is willing to leave himself open to criticism from folks like us for things he says or promises in Chats. That's a big risk to take and I doubt many others would be willing to do it.

I also excuse the "not ready for prime time" nature of the show. We've become accustomed to watching programs with professional media personalities doing nearly perfect shows. That's a tough act to follow.

Nicely put...in a Perfect English too :)
Agreed 100% with ya... - that is Exactly what i ment earlier...even if i happened to express it in some different words/slang

[Darkman]

Originally posted by dishrich
Guess some people around here haven't heard the term "marketing hype" - guess there IS a sucker born every minute.

Lots of nice smilies you had there in above post
i ll use just 2:

:hi:
:shrug:

[Darkman]

Originally posted by Steve Mehs
The only other DBS provider that has a chat is SA* with the monthly update, but its not done live and its filled with about 5 minutes of useful info, the rest if the time theyre just trying to sell their service. I would rather have a Tanya Mammie chat over a Charlie Chat though :D Hopefully if the merger goes through she replace that ditz on the remote help channel.

What is SA* by the way?

Tanya Mammie chat - over Charlie Chat - No WAY!!

But agree with you if the merger goes through and Tanya would replace "that ditz" on the remote help channel - that would be better then present, (on the other hand - i am so tired seeing "that ditz" that just about Anyone or Anything (at least for a short while) - would be Better then present Remote help channel's "that ditz"
But would not that be kinda a demotion for Tanya though :eek:

on the other hand if the merger goes through - they can add Tanya to Charlie Chat crew - She and Charlie and the other Dude - would be a definate promotion for her :lol:
And imagine if she sits on Charlie's laps also - Ratings/Popularity of the show would go up so drastically - that she d surely be next for a nice well deserved raise ( sooner then later anyhow ;) )

[JohnH]

SA* is Dominion's Sky Angel service on EchoStar 3 at 61.5w.

[SParker]

you mean you guys don't like Marnie? LOL that's shocking :D

[Geronimo]

Tnaya Memme is gorgeous but I miss Laurie Farkas.

[Darkman]

JohnH - i see
Thanx..

[Darkman]

Sparker - who are you talking to? - if to me - i love Mammie...( i am a man after all :) )
But we were talking about Chats, etc above...lol
and who is Marnie by the way? - you probably ment Mammie eh?
(then i replied correctly above accordingly)

Geronimo - who is Laurie Farkas? - just wondering

[SParker]

nah Marnie is that remote control channel chick, she gets to be a bit annoying after while. I will probably get beat over the head for saying this but Laurie would be really hot if she got her nose fixed. Darkman, Laurie was the Dish Network News gal. She now is a newcaster in Cheyenne Wyoming.

[Chris Freeland]

I thought this was one of the better recent chats, kind of reminded me of early days of Charlie chats. I thought it was interesting that Charlie indicated that E* was in negotiations for NBA League Pass and to check back in September. I know he has used the "in negotiations" tactic before, however he seamed more positive this time about getting the package, of course if the merger is approved us E* subs will likely gain access to all the pro-sports seasonal packages anyway.

[Darkman]

SParker - i see - thanks for clarification...
actually - that Marnie "remote" chick - is not that bad ...i can live with her (if i had too)...
But that other Character: "Sometimes I JUST WANT THE GAME" -
- hehe - when he says that...i just feel like loughing by now..

hmm - Marnie, Mammie - what is going on..even all the last names starting to look the same now, or is that just Me :)
lol

[JohnH]

I think Roxanne Austin would do a good chat. She certainly did a good presentation for the D* employees, when the merger was announced. :)

BTW: It is Tanya Memme .

http://www.tanyamemme.com/

[Steve Mehs]

Yeah Laurie was one in a million! I still miss tuning into DNN everyother day seeing whats new.

[Darkman]

JohnH - thanx for her last name exact spelling - so it is Memme

and now we can also go to her Home page - lol :)

[Darkman]

Just came from that web page dedicated to Memme...
Noticed Matt Gallant there also....
We forgot to mention him..after all he is Memme's partner and a Lucky Dude...

starting to feel around here like some Trip down Memory Lane :)

[Darkman]

Tanya Memme's email: Tmemme@hotmail.com

wonder if she gets many emails each day? ....hehe

[Nick]

"She (Laurie Farkas) now is a newcaster in Cheyenne Wyoming."

Can I get CheyWy on distant nets??? :D :D :D


The Nickster :smoking:

[Chris Blount]

A summary of the chat has been posted here:

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5573

[Geronimo]

Originally posted by Nick
"She (Laurie Farkas) now is a newcaster in Cheyenne Wyoming."

Can I get CheyWy on distant nets??? :D :D :D


The Nickster :smoking:


Sadly no. In fact I don't think they serve the Cheyenne DMA. A shame. We corresponded for a bit and she really is a nice person.