Showtime Free Preview 3/31- 4/3

[retiredTech]

Showtime Free Preview Friday 3/31 thru Monday 4/3

Special channel locations for free preview located on channels 285-295.
(note: these numbers won't be visable until the preview starts)

Upgrade to Showtime and get free Häagen-Dazs® ice cream for a year – Effective March 1, 2006 through April 30, 2006

Eligible existing customers can upgrade to Showtime on 3/1/06 through 4/30/06 and get free ice cream for a year! For details, go to www.dishnetwork.com/icecream. For customers to receive their 12 Häagen-Dazs® Cool Gift® Certificates (maximum value of $4.25 each):

Customers print their name, address and phone number on a 3x5 card.

They mail it along with their DISH Network billing statement (between 3/1/06 and 6/30/06) showing customers’ first two months of paid Showtime programming to:
Showtime Häagen-Dazs® Cool Gift® Certificate Offer
P.O. Box 1208 Dept. DS
Grand Rapids, MN 55745-1208

[Opynion]

and if we don't have a 3x5 card, I suppose we can make one, by measuring 3x5 and cutting it off from a box of ice-tea, and on the white part just print the info, and as soon as we recieve the certificates for the ice-cream, then we can cancel Showtime :rolleyes: it's sounds like a good deal :)

[Slamminc11]

get ready for all the dish family package people to start their whining about not getting the free preview as they did with the HBO preview

[DCSholtis]

You mean they wont get to see the season premiere of Penn&Teller:BS on Monday??? awwwwwwwww damnnnnnnn :D

[GATER]

Does this preview include the showtime HD channel?

[James Long]

Does this preview include the showtime HD channel?Yes. (HD receivers only. Non-HD receivers will only get the other channels.)
Based on JohnH's Report (http://www.dbstalk.com/showpost.php?p=551723&postcount=8):
285 SHO-E
286 SHO-W
287 SHOTO
288 SHOCS
289 SHOEX
290 SBYND
291 TMC-E
292 TMCXE
293 SUND
294 FLIX
295 SHOHD

[retiredTech]

Bumping this up in case anyone missed the accouncement of the free preview.

[GATER]

Yes. (HD receivers only. Non-HD receivers will only get the other channels.)
Based on JohnH's Report (http://www.dbstalk.com/showpost.php?p=551723&postcount=8):
285 SHO-E
286 SHO-W
287 SHOTO
288 SHOCS
289 SHOEX
290 SBYND
291 TMC-E
292 TMCXE
293 SUND
294 FLIX
295 SHOHD

Thanks for the listing James.:up:

[GeorgeLV]

It's sad that the Dish Family complainers have set the bar so low that it must be explicitly said that only HD receivers will get Showtime HD.

[Fifty Caliber]

It's sad that the Dish Family complainers have set the bar so low that it must be explicitly said that only HD receivers will get Showtime HD.

Do they also state that you need an HDTV to view them as well?

[James Long]

Technically, you don't have to have a HDTV to view those channels. An E* HDTV receiver is enough.
You only need a HDTV if you want to watch those channels in HD. :D

[Stewart Vernon]

Maybe they will need to start saying that you need a TV... and electricity... or lots of batteries.

[angiecopus]

why do they always turn the free previews on late, i thought they would have turned them on after midnight or even before 7:00 am.

[ryker]

Anyone have their free preview starting yet? It is 8:00 am here and nothing so far.

[Wayne]

get ready for all the dish family package people to start their whining about not getting the free preview as they did with the HBO preview

I think most of the Dish Family complainers were those who picked the package on the basis of costs and not content. I know if I had this package and a family with young kids I would be glad that Dish does not automatically turn on the movie packages during free previews.

With that said, does Showtime have anything to offer? I looked over the schedule for this weekend and it looks pretty sad. I think I set at least 2 timers on my DVR during the HBO free preview but I don't see one movie worth watching from Showtime. Hardly any new movies with Crash being the only exception (and one I don't plan to watch). Paramount (being a sister company and main movie supplier) hasn't done well at the box office and it really shows on Showtime.

I also know that HBO and Showtime are trying hard to offer original programming, but even those programs look to be only trying to push the envelope for pushing the envelope's sake and not creating programs with interesting characters that you related to or even care about. I tried watching BIG LOVE on HBO and I found myself asking who cares about these people and why would I subscribe to HBO for programs like this.

Just my opinion.

Hopefully we will get a Starz free preview soon! I usually find several good movies to DVR from them.

[angiecopus]

Anyone have their free preview starting yet? It is 8:00 am here and nothing so far.


9:00 am and no free preview yet.

[angiecopus]

10:35 and yet still no free preview. i would have thought they would have had it on now.

[Fifty Caliber]

I think most of the Dish Family complainers were those who picked the package on the basis of costs and not content. I know if I had this package and a family with young kids I would be glad that Dish does not automatically turn on the movie packages during free previews.

Being that the America's Family Basic package is now being sold as the entry level English language tier by Dish retailers, I imagine that there will be more of this type of complaining. Personally I feel that there should be an opt-in by phone call option for subscribers of the America's Family Basic tier. This would allow the subscriber to see the free preview, after having been read a script by the CSR that the free preview might contain material that is not "family-friendly".

[Ashrak]

The Free preview just became active on my receiver. I guess they turned it on at 11am EST.

[DishBill]

I think most of the Dish Family complainers were those who picked the package on the basis of costs and not content. I know if I had this package and a family with young kids I would be glad that Dish does not automatically turn on the movie packages during free previews.

Hopefully we will get a Starz free preview soon! I usually find several good movies to DVR from them.

I'm a Dish Family complainer, but what does that make you? A Dish Family subscriber complainer? Seriously, you shouldn't project your thinking on others as it's way off base. Maybe some are forced to go for the cheapest option. But, just because someone chooses the Family package doesn't mean it's not a content decision. Content was the main factor for me. I replaced the 180 package with Family + HBO and Starz and still pay less. The only channel I miss is Fox Soccer Channel, but the movies and HBO series and children shows more than make up for this.

The purpose of a free preview is to gain subscribers. You will get the preview, but it sounds like you are too cheap to subscribe even if you like (DVR) what you see. By excluding Family subscribers they miss out on potential subscribers like myself. Although I agree Showtime's offering is weak.

It's likely I'll switch to another package when NFL season starts up so I have ESPN. But, another part of my decision is the hope that Family gives Echostar more leverage with companies like Viacom that are charging too much for their programming. I don't need or want MTV. I want choice.

Family Package is not a parental control, so saying that a parent would not want a free preview is ridiculous. End of rant.

[Fifty Caliber]

The purpose of a free preview is to gain subscribers. You will get the preview, but it sounds like you are too cheap to subscribe even if you like (DVR) what you see. By excluding Family subscribers they miss out on potential subscribers like myself.

I could not have sad it better.

[Wayne]

DishBill, thanks for your response. I like free previews like anyone else. It adds value to the nearly $60.00 a month I spend with Dish. I did subscribe to Starz for 6 months last year but dropped it after the fall TV season began. I will probably pick it up again this summer. I'm looking for value in my programming. Showtime is the weakest of the three movie packages and this weekend's schedule hasn't changed my mind.

Fifty Caliber, I think the opt-in option is a great idea for the Dish Family subscribers. I hope that Dish will have their CSR's ask that question at time of activation.

[JohnH]

E* late again. :(

[the_bear]

My guide shows “No Info Available” for the SHO channels after 12 noon PST. I tried rebooting, but no change. Is anyone else seeing this? Is this an accident, or a SHO attempt to prevent DVRing?

[FTA Michael]

The Free preview just became active on my receiver. I guess they turned it on at 11am EST.I prefer to think of it as 9am Echostar time. :D What time do you get to work in the morning?

[mike1002]

Yep, I see that also. I just went up to the Showtime channels and browsed through to see what was coming. I also tried the reboot to force a guide reload and it went through the acquiring satellite but did not download the guide. I guess it figures what I have on my 508's disk is the latest so it doesn't bother to redownload it.

Oh well, I only found a couple of movies I was interested in and they don't show up until saturday so I have plenty of time.

Mike

[tomcrown1]

Yep, I see that also. I just went up to the Showtime channels and browsed through to see what was coming. I also tried the reboot to force a guide reload and it went through the acquiring satellite but did not download the guide. I guess it figures what I have on my 508's disk is the latest so it doesn't bother to redownload it.

Oh well, I only found a couple of movies I was interested in and they don't show up until saturday so I have plenty of time.

Mike

to get the guide to re-download do a check switch and then the guide will down load

[Opynion]

It's been a long time since Showtime had movies I'd like to see, after the preview I'll sub to this package for one month, to view these movies that I never seen before:
HOTEL RWANDA
CRASH
JU-ON
THE SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW
THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST
SAW
DOGVILLE
MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE
and other old movies I read about as being good movies, like:
FIVE EASY PIECES
WHITE LIGHTNING
COP
MONKEY SHINES :rolleyes:

[Geronimo]

Being that the America's Family Basic package is now being sold as the entry level English language tier by Dish retailers, I imagine that there will be more of this type of complaining. Personally I feel that there should be an opt-in by phone call option for subscribers of the America's Family Basic tier. This would allow the subscriber to see the free preview, after having been read a script by the CSR that the free preview might contain material that is not "family-friendly".


Of course Echostar does not sell the DISH Family Pack that way and that is probably one of the reasons they chosea differnt name for it.. The preview is only available to subs of certain packages and that particular package is not one of them. Those who want it can sub to AT60 which is the entry level package in the America's packages.

But the retailers should make it clear that this is a separate and distinct package from the ATXX packages. I hate to think that someone might be misled into believing that they would receive the free previews when they clearly cannot. That is why the package really should be called by it's proper name----DISH Family Pack----so as not to mislead customers.

[Geronimo]

Maybe they will need to start saying that you need a TV... and electricity... or lots of batteries.

What if some of us need new prescription lenses to enjoy it in HD? Shouldn't DISH be providing those free of charge?

[Lyle_JP]

There's something very amusing about the idea of "Family Tier" subscribers complaining that they cant get their free preview of "Queer as Folk" and "The L Word".

[Slamminc11]

There's something very amusing about the idea of "Family Tier" subscribers complaining that they cant get their free preview of "Queer as Folk" and "The L Word".

two best things running this weekend in the free preview. I dropped Showtime when QAF ended. Was a pretty good show actually. Couldn't get into the "L Word", but then again, don't quite get the whole "L" thing anyway, so...

[thxultra]

There's something very amusing about the idea of "Family Tier" subscribers complaining that they cant get their free preview of "Queer as Folk" and "The L Word".


May do them some good to watch these :) QAF was the best thing show time ever had. I switched to starz after they droped the show.

[Titus2525]

Thank God the "family tier" "subscribers" cannot see the "Passion of the Christ".
:lol:

[Stewart Vernon]

In the olden days of weekend free previews...

They used to kick-in on Friday night at the start of prime-time (just prior to 8pm) and they would introduce the weekend freebie... then have someone annoy you in between movies about how great the channel is.

So I've basically always assumed that when they say "free preview starts today" that it means by 8pm. I figure anything prior to that is gravy!

Probably also worth noting that they don't automatically turn it off on midnight of the last day... it usually goes into the wee hours of the next morning with some bonus freebie before someone remembers to turn things off.

[James Long]

I wish (especially now that they are doing new ranges for previews) that they would turn on the channels at midnight the day the preview begins and show a slate advertising the preview (or a loop of the ad they are playing on the system) until the official start time. That way the EPG would have a chance to update in the wee hours of the morning and the first evening's programs would be better advertised.

Other than that I like the idea that they are on 'new channels'. I have all the channels I do not subscribe to locked out and hidden so I'd never see a free preview unless I did some unlocking.

[Stewart Vernon]

I just had fun with my 501... The EPG wasn't up to date beyond midnight... so I tried a check-switch, but suddenly my 110 disappeared during the check-switch... even though my receiver in the other room was sitting on a 110 channel! So I know my dish hadn't blown off the roof :)

So... the I did a reboot and waited forever for the guide to not download since I didn't have 110... and wade through the "warning you are only connected to 1 satellite" messages... then ran a check switch again, and this time 110 came back.

Then the pleasure of waiting for another guide download, which this time was correct...


THEN, scan through the entire 4-day preview only to find one movie I wanted to see.

Since there's a lot of buzz about "Crash" and winning best-picture and all... I figure I'll try and watch it.

Sadly, I noticed a LOT of movies on SHO this weekend that were on the last time they had a freebie, and I had already watched the movies then too.

Fun!

[pez2002]

i would take hbo/starz over showtime anyday

[JohnH]

The timing of Premium Previews, for years, has been based on the Standard Broadcast day, which is 6 AM to 6 AM. The DirecTV Showtime preview started at 6 AM EST and will stop at 6 AM on tuesday morning. If you check the E* EPG you will find the E* preview stops at the end of the last movie before 6 AM on Tuesday and it will be automatic(They seem to be doing it one movie earlier). Somebody at E* forgot about the HBO/Cinemax preview and they turned the channels on late. Looks like the same thing happened with the Showtime preview.

[ban_cable]

How come Starz/Encore never have any free preview? :mad:

[Slamminc11]

How come Starz/Encore never have any free preview? :mad:

guess you need to email or call Starz/Encore and ask them!

[Paul Secic]

How come Starz/Encore never have any free preview? :mad:
Encore cost $5 extra for: AT 60 AT 60 + AT 120 Customers.

[Opynion]

Encore cost $5 extra for: AT 60 AT 60 + AT 120 Customers.

That's right, six encore channels for five bucks;
I wish they had the same deal for six more channels :)
TMC-W
TMCX-W
FOX MOVIES
FLIX
THE SUNDANCE CHANNEL
TCM
for AT 60
AT 60 +
DL
DL Plus
DL Dos Packages

If they had this I wouldn't support a la carte, :rolleyes:
or maybe I would :lol:

[Paul Secic]

That's right, six encore channels for five bucks;
I wish they had the same deal for six more channels :)
TMC-W
TMCX-W
FOX MOVIES
FLIX
THE SUNDANCE CHANNEL
TCM
for AT 60
AT 60 +
DL
DL Plus
DL Dos Packages

If they had this I wouldn't support a la carte, :rolleyes:
or maybe I would :lol:

FLIX is a cool channel. It's too bad E couldn't add it to AT 180.

[Titus2525]

That's right, six encore channels for five bucks;
I wish they had the same deal for six more channels :)
TMC-W
TMCX-W
FOX MOVIES
FLIX
THE SUNDANCE CHANNEL
TCM
for AT 60
AT 60 +
DL
DL Plus
DL Dos Packages

If they had this I wouldn't support a la carte, :rolleyes:
or maybe I would :lol:
That will never happen. Dish uses the movie channels as leverage so that the customer has to spend a lot of money to get any uncut movie channels in their packages, the minimum requirement being the at120. A stand alone movie tier with the above channels plus IFC makes a whole lot of sense to me. But dish will never do this too since a load of subscribers would drop the at packages in a heartbeat and dish would loose a ton of excess profit. Either way the market will eventually force dish to allow for some form of a la carte or at least a cheap themed tier system, otherwise their customer base will be just rural markets as the cities go to more wallet friendly cable alternatives like FIOS and the internet.

[Geronimo]

I wish (especially now that they are doing new ranges for previews) that they would turn on the channels at midnight the day the preview begins and show a slate advertising the preview (or a loop of the ad they are playing on the system) until the official start time. That way the EPG would have a chance to update in the wee hours of the morning and the first evening's programs would be better advertised.

Other than that I like the idea that they are on 'new channels'. I have all the channels I do not subscribe to locked out and hidden so I'd never see a free preview unless I did some unlocking.


It would be nice if the EPG had info on what was ona dn not justa note about the free proeview.

[Hoobastank]

Eligible existing customers can upgrade to Showtime on 3/1/06 through 4/30/06 and get free ice cream for a year! For details, go to www.dishnetwork.com/icecream. For customers to receive their 12 Häagen-Dazs® Cool Gift® Certificates (maximum value of $4.25 each):

LOL, 12 pints of ice cream is a year's supply? :lol:

Not at my house. I wouldn't pay a quarter to get Showtime, they had absolutely no movies that I watched during the freeview, unlike the HBO view a couple weeks ago where I DVRd about 8 movies. That's just my opinion, but I am serious about the ice cream. How the hell do they get away claiming that it is a year's supply? Did they guage this supply by monitoring the eating habits of an anorexic?

[Opynion]

That will never happen. Dish uses the movie channels as leverage so that the customer has to spend a lot of money to get any uncut movie channels in their packages, the minimum requirement being the at120. A stand alone movie tier with the above channels plus IFC makes a whole lot of sense to me. But dish will never do this too since a load of subscribers would drop the at packages in a heartbeat and dish would loose a ton of excess profit. Either way the market will eventually force dish to allow for some form of a la carte or at least a cheap themed tier system, otherwise their customer base will be just rural markets as the cities go to more wallet friendly cable alternatives like FIOS and the internet.

Well, Dish already has 6 Encore movies channels for $5 & if they wanted to, they could also offer six more channels, for $5 more, and this could be the channels offered: 1.TMCX-W, 2.FLIX, 3.THE SUNDANCE CHANNEL,
4.IFC,
5.FOX MOVIES and 6.TCM, even for $10 I would still take this movie package. :rolleyes:

[Titus2525]

Well, Dish already has 6 Encore movies channels for $5 & if they wanted to, they could also offer six more channels, for $5 more, and this could be the channels offered: 1.TMCX-W, 2.FLIX, 3.THE SUNDANCE CHANNEL,
4.IFC,
5.FOX MOVIES and 6.TCM, even for $10 I would still take this movie package. :rolleyes:
Really? I have to look into that package. I vaguely remember reading about the encore theme package somewhere on this website. I wonder why dish doesn't advertise it.

[Opynion]

Really? I have to look into that package. I vaguely remember reading about the encore theme package somewhere on this website. I wonder why dish doesn't advertise it.

The "Encore Package" is available for $5 dollars more to AT 60 to AT 120 (& DL subscribers)
It's not advertised on the Dish web-page,
it's like Dish best kept secret, you have to tell the CSR that you want the Encore package, to get it.
That's why they say
STARZ pack for $11.99 or "less",
the "less" is the encore package. :)
when I asked the CSR if they had any other cheaper pack of movie channels?;
CSR said: Yes Sr. we have the Encore Package for $4.99 /
That was like music to my ears :rolleyes:
The encore package has more than 450 movies a month, my favorite encore channels is Encore-W & Encore-Action :) and just to be back on topic, you don't get free previews of the encore package, the way you do with the SHOWTIME FREE PREVIEW.

[ban_cable]

LOL, 12 pints of ice cream is a year's supply? :lol:

Not at my house. I wouldn't pay a quarter to get Showtime, they had absolutely no movies that I watched during the freeview, unlike the HBO view a couple weeks ago where I DVRd about 8 movies. That's just my opinion, but I am serious about the ice cream. How the hell do they get away claiming that it is a year's supply? Did they guage this supply by monitoring the eating habits of an anorexic?

I only support HBO/Cinemax, Starz. Best movies.

[ban_cable]

Encore cost $5 extra for: AT 60 AT 60 + AT 120 Customers.

$5 for 6 channels. When Encore first came out on cable, it cost $1.

[Slamminc11]

$5 for 6 channels. When Encore first came out on cable, it cost $1.

and that was how many years ago?

[Paul Secic]

I only support HBO/Cinemax, Starz. Best movies.
I just downgraded to AT 120 & removed all east dishnets, WWOR, KWGN and added HBO & WPIX. I'm not fond of network TV because it has degraded over the last 2 years. I can always record Boston Legal, ER Commander in Chief (if it ever comes back). I really need to save some money. I kept KTLA because its a cool station.

[Titus2525]

$5 for 6 channels. When Encore first came out on cable, it cost $1.
Is the public interest channels and the encore theme package only available for at-60 and above packages or what dish considers "subscribers" or are they or at least one of these packages available to so-called "customers" or anybody that has the equipment to receive them much like the free preview weekends were up until a few days ago. Yes I am considering buying a el-cheapo "stealth" package to go along with my locals only "package".

[Opynion]

I suppose that anyone that takes the Family Package for el cheapo pri¢e, and not for family values, I think that person can also subscribe to the encore package, asking the CSR might help. :)

[Geronimo]

I would not be so sure of that. a few are lisleading people into believing that the DISHFamily package is part of the AT xxx chain. It is not and is not eligible for several addons. i would call DISH first before assuming that ANYTHING is available with it.

[JohnH]

Encore Pack is 7 channels.

[Opynion]

i would call DISH first before assuming that ANYTHING is available with it.

That's right, that's why I said...
asking the CSR might help. :)

Encore Pack is 7 channels.

I only recieve 6 encore channels when I subscribe to that pack;
a CSR told me, about two or three years ago, that I could get all the Starz and Encore channels togther if I wanted, I was not interested at the time, so I don't remember the price she gave for all those channels, but it was around $14.99 if I'm not mistaken.

[Steve Mehs]

That's why they say
STARZ pack for $11.99 or "less",
the "less" is the encore package.

Actually the 'or less' part most refers to the bundling of premium services. The Starz Super Pak is $11.99, but less if you have a few premiums already.

When Encore first came out on cable, it cost $1.
And it’s not that much more then that all these years later. TW charges $3 for the Encore Pak, Encore E and Plex are not included as they’re included with basic digital cable, but all the other 7 are.

[Opynion]

Well I never got WAM with the encore package, maybe they do include it now. :)

[Paul Secic]

Actually the 'or less' part most refers to the bundling of premium services. The Starz Super Pak is $11.99, but less if you have a few premiums already.


And it’s not that much more then that all these years later. TW charges $3 for the Encore Pak, Encore E and Plex are not included as they’re included with basic digital cable, but all the other 7 are.
On the old AT&T Cable they had The Sundance Channel on basic cable. BTW AT&T is getting back into distribution via phone line.

[Fifty Caliber]

I suppose that anyone that takes the Family Package for el cheapo pri¢e, and not for family values, I think that person can also subscribe to the encore package, asking the CSR might help. :)

You are probably right on that point. Dish Retailers are pushing the America's Family Tier as the new basic package.

[Opynion]

Dish Retailers are pushing the America's Family Tier as the new basic package.
They're trying to fish customers
at least to el cheapo package, it's better than no new customers at all. :rolleyes:

[Slamminc11]

You are probably right on that point. Dish Retailers are pushing the America's Family Tier as the new basic package.

Don't forget, it's still called Dish Family!!!!!

[Geronimo]

He inisists on giving it his own name. The problem is that this practice can lead to some confusion. While retailers are pushing it as a low cost package it soes not give a customer the same rights to some things (eg movie previews) that the AT series does.) I would hate for a consumer to be misled into thinking he was purchasing something in the AT series when theya re not.

[Slamminc11]

After having to put up with his "instance" on calling Dish Family something that it is not for a while now, I have come to the conclusion that he really doesn't care who he confuses, as long as he gets to keep saying it! Apparently it makes him feel important somehow