Model 6000U Now Shipping With 8PSK

[HTguy]

Model 6000s have been hard to come by lately. I had several customers waiting for 2-3 weeks until I managed to get some drop-shipped to me from an E* distribution center accross the country.

All of the new ones had the designation 6000U on the invoice and the 8PSK modules were already in them. Evidently the inventory shortage was due to E*'s decision to start including the modules.

Pretty good news for new 6000 customers!
:)

[dmodemd]

Well isn't that nice...

So for those who bought a 6000 two months ago, got roped into getting Discovery HD for a year are SOL?

Charlie Chat's on tonight, right? ;)

Lee

[sampatterson]

Have they changed the price for the 6000U?

[DarrellP]

I hope they give us early adopters a free one.

[angiodan]

I called the chat last night, never got on the air, but basically the guy told me that the adapter is included with no price increase. So those of us that just bought a 6000 when discovery was announced did get sucked into a year of discovery in order to get it.

Is that bad or good depends on how you feel about Discovery!
The people who just bought a 6000 a couple of weeks ago prior to the module being included should definitely request a free upgrade without disc. if they don't want it.

[HTguy]

Originally posted by sampatterson
Have they changed the price for the 6000U?
Nope. :)
I hope they give us early adopters a free one. Well, you had your chance. Maybe the next time they put up an HD Ch (like HDNet) you'll get another one. :shrug:

[DP1]

No, I think he meant a truly free one.. as in without having to drop 100.00 on a channel that has about 1 new hour of programming per week.

[DarrellP]

Ditto, DP1, why should I have to drop $100 to watch a channel that never updates content to get a module that can only be used on that channel? If they are offering it for no extra charge on new units, they should issue everyone with a 6000 a free module.

[HTguy]

Originally posted by DarrellP
...
If they are offering it for no extra charge on new units, they should issue everyone with a 6000 a free module.

Oh, you mean they should just give away an 8PSK to any one with a 6000... (even if they don't want DiscHD)...like all the other companies do when they upgrade their products. Companies like..........Gee, why can't I think of any?

OK, sarcasm mode off: how would they even be able to verify if you rate one? Send in your receipt to show you bought it new from a legit dealer? The paperwork & admin time would cost them a healthy chunk in addition to the cost of the modules.

Somehow I get the feeling DP1 & DarrellP have never run a business or manufactured a high-tech product.

:rolleyes:

But I still think you might have a chance for a deal when they put up more HD Ch's if you want any of them.

[DP1]

Well I guess their precious bandwidth must not be worth much to them because surely you're not suggesting that they'll ever move the other 5 channels over to 8psk unless every 6000 owner actually had the module.

Or is their grand scheme in fact to move all HD channel to that modulation one day and they're just hoping to sucker as many in as they can first before they do in fact have to start giving them away?

I mean they'd definitely switch all the channels over if everybody bought one, right?

[angiodan]

I'm not saying that everyone with a 6000 gets a free module, but myself and others that just purchased a new 6000 receiver since Disc. HD came on the air (early to mid June), should get the module for free by giving us a programming credit.

I mean, come on, I would have waited the 2 months before buying the unit, and then I could have DECIDED whether I wanted to subscribe to Disc. HD, instead of saying "Well I might as well plunk down the $96 for the module since I get some programming with it as well."

Don't get me wrong, I want more HD as much as the next guy and by subscribing I guess we are supporting this, but there really is not enough new programming each month to warrant the $8/mo charge.

Do you think if Charlie told us the module will be included in new 6000 purchases starting in Sept. a couple of months ago, anyone would have bought a 6000 back then? I don't think so. I for one would have waited.

On top of that Charlie has the nerve to say there isn't room for HDNET, yet new foreign channels keep getting added. Why not lose the demo channel, and what about the additional slot on the transponder carrying Disc. HD? I thought that is why we need the module, to open up bandwidth.

[DarrellP]

Dish's plan is to eventually put all of their HD content on 8PSK, then what? Should I have to pay for an upgrade because of something they did to make the programming not work on my receiver?

They are giving them away in new 6000's and not all of those people are going to sign up for Discovery HD so why shouldn't I get a free module? Maybe we will when they do the switch to 8 PSK otherwise I'll just stick to OTA HD.

If they gave away the modules they would surely get more subs to Discovery HD. Since they charge $3 more than cable for the same channel, I'm sure they have a ton of profit in this channel.

[HTguy]

:soapbox:

Some of you guys need a reality check!

Early adaptors pay a price for being early. Thus it has always been and it will ever be so.

I pity the fools who first bought plasma TVs... in fact I feel a little sorry for the ones buying them today...next year they'll be better, cheaper & more reliable. The rich kids who had to have them first regardless of price made this possible but they won't get any rebates or special deals on next year's models.

Whatever company made the computer you're using now probably has a newr generation model that's faster, has more capabilities & costs less today. You not expecting a free CPU or video card upgrade are you? How about a free OS upgrade from MS?

It's always up to us whether to jump in & get what we want today or wait for the next upgrade or better model... some neurotic people can never decide to get off the dime & spend their lives shopping...but we shouldn't whine about it when someone who get's it later get's it better.

BTW, as a retailer I did not get a free 8PSK either. I had to pony up $49 for it to have DiscHD in my showroom and I'll have to "eat" that $49 (+more) when I sell my demo. If I was getting it today it would be $99!

C'est la vie. C'est la guerre.
:rant:

[DP1]

Thats not the issue. If theres a good reason for me to upgrade at my own expense, I will. Bring on the 921. I'll pay. Again, this "upgrade" is for *their* benefit not mine.. as much as they'd like me to believe otherwise.

Let me put it another way. Hypothetically if they went and parked one of the "spare" birds at say 72 to go ahead and make room for more HD channels, I'd be the first in line to convert my 300 at 61.5 to a 500 so as to be able to pick up both slots. I'd do that and add the neccesary switch all at my own cost without thinking twice. So you can see that in my case it hardly boils down to cost or wanting something for nothing.

Or were they to have done something truly virtuous in my mind with the spare slot in the 6000 like make a plug-in firewire outputting module, there again, I'd pay 350.00 or more for that in a heartbeat. And believe it or not I wouldnt whine even if the new ones came with that particular module.

But this notion of them wanting to switch their system over to 8psk but making me pay for it on my end is lame. They're just gouging HD owners because they figure they have more discretionary income and are so desperate for HD programming that they'll do whatever they have to do.

The 6000 all things considered is actually a POS anyway as HD receivers go..quit adding insult to injury especially when they're gouging bigtime on the price of the channel itself to boot.

[jacmyoung]

The change to inlcude the 8PSK in the 6000U is an indication that they plan to switch all HD to 8PSK some day. I suggest all current 6000 owners wait for that day since by then they will have to offer the module for free.

I suspect that one other reason for the change is all current 6000s can no longer be manufactured because they don't have closed caption capability, and the FCC's deadline for such manufacturing date was 7/1/02. So the reason for the current 6000 shortage may just be that they could not build any more of them after 7/1, while the new 6000Us needed time to catch up.

As for HTGuy's continued analogy of early adoptor's paying more, I agree with PD1, this simply does not apply.

Let me reinterate my points on the 6000, which HTGuy had denied some of the facts below at various point of our debate but all is ture today:

First 6000: $499 with two open slots for upgrade;
Second 6000: $499 and a free 8VSB OTA module promised;
Third 6000: $499 and 8VSB OTA module for $99;
Fourth 6000: $499 and 8VSB OTA module for $149;
Fifth 6000: $499, plus $149 OTA, plus $49 for the 8PSK module, but "free" if you pay $96.98 for DiscHD for a year;
Sixth 6000: $499 plus $149 for OTA, plus $99 for the 8PSK.

The question is really simple: can anyone find another example of a modern consumer electronic device of which the retail price have increased five time for the same functionality they advertised or promised to deliver in the first release (all for $499)?

[jacmyoung]

Now if Dishnetwork had just released the current 6000s right before the DiscHD debut, and charged a $747 in the initial release for a full functional unit and some of you bought into that, then two month later they roll out a 6000U for $648 which include all the previous 6000 can do plus some new features, then HTGuy's theory, although still pushing it, but may be more relavent.

[angiodan]

The sixth 6000 is really $499 INCL 8PSK plus $149 for OTA for new purchases.

A 6000 now it includes it for the same price. That is my point, I could have waited two months, and not payed $49 or 'free' with $96 Discovery HD Repeat Theater.

So I did pay $747 for a 6000 right before the Disc. HD debut as far as I'm concerned.

[DP1]

On the First 6000.. You forgot Open Tv which was originally planned for the 6000... In fact when they did a segment on the upcoming 6000 on a Tech Chat around Jan 2000, they demo'ed it that way.

Course they blew that off too. But maybe it's still coming afterall ... for yet another 100.00 ;)

[dmodemd]

The 6000 is essentially MD'd hardware at this point - manufacturer discontinued - very little support.

What DISH will do is when the next HDTV receivers come out (the JVC 9000 and 921) it will have 8PSK built-in and then they will start switching it all over. By that time they will know if they have a merger or not.

Then they just tell everyone: 5000s and 6000s(w/o8PSK) are obsolete - you need to get the new systems or the 8PSK. If they are nice, they will give some sort of upgrade discount (if you commit to another year :) ).

They certainly can do that - equipment does get obsolete.

If there is a MERGER - TOO BAD you are screwed! Cuz you can't tell them to shove it and jump to DirecTV. Most cable companies still behind on the HDTV curve so Dish has GOT YA!

So bottom line, I think everyone is going to have to at least pay for the 8PSK to stay in the HD game. It will NEVER be FREE! People already PAID for it.

[DP1]

Oh yeah? Does it really get obsolete insofar as suddenly not having the ability to simply get all the channels you've been getting all along?

If you think they're ever just going to pull the plug on ALL the HD channels, and if a person doesnt want to drop 100.00 to keep getting them they're SOL, why dont they just do it now and get it over with?

[jacmyoung]

angiodan, the 6th 6000 for new customers existed, albeit for a very short time. But for all the existing 6000 owners who have not paid for the 8PSK, they will fall into the 6th 6000 category if they want the 8PSK.

I am not criticizing Dish for the 6000U though, it is more reasonable and it in a way and to some degree corrects their past sin:)

[Mike123abc]

The 6000 is getting dated. It does not do more than one show ahead of current on guide. It also does not let you watch the show when browsing the guide like the other ones do now.

Too bad the 8psk card did not include some memory.

[DarrellP]

None of the receivers show more than current plus next if you are in the browse mode. If you are talking about hitting the Guide and not seeing more, tune to channel 120 then browse the guide and it will fill in much quicker.