starting Aug. 15, six months of DishHD programming for free.” [Archive]

CALI_WATCHER

07-10-07, 01:43 PM

Hound

07-11-07, 01:03 PM

I was reading the release and what struck me as interesting was the comment "starting Aug. 15, six months of DishHD programming for free.”

That is curious. Unfortunatly, it is probably for people WITHOUT HD... but would be nice if DISH threw the subscribers a "bone" for a month or two to celebrate???

I guess having the free DVR and 6 months of free HD programming beats the current promo (1/2 price programming for 10 months)....

Just interesting...

August is when the 18 month commitments begin to expire for people who
signed up for the 622 back in February 2006. The press release was not
specific. It is possible that if existing HD subs agree to another commitment,
that E* will offer the free HD for a period of time. Only E* can tell us that.

With the new HD programming, Dish 250 at $57.99 with locals and $20 HD fee is still very expensive at $77.99. The $20 HD fee is still the highest in the industry.

For example, with Comcast in my area to get Versus/Golf HD, the base cost is $59.75 plus $5 HD fee = $64.75.

Cablevision the base cost is Family Cable at 46.95 plus IO for $9.95 = $56.90 (and this includes Voom and about 40 HD channels total).

For Verizon, which has not yet announced Versus/Golf HD, the base package is $42.99 which includes Versus and you have to add $7.99 for sports for Golf = $50.98.

Directv for Choice Xtra and Golf/ Versus HD, which Directv says is coming in September, is $54.99 plus $9.99 HD fee = $64.98.

Now that Dish is offering free HD for 10 months to new customers with any
of the base packages, it is very possible the Dish will offer some HD promotion
to existing subs, and adjust the HD price or package pricing in February 2008 to a more competitve rate.