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Package downgrade question

Discussion in 'General DISH™ Discussion' started by tigerwillow1, Dec 8, 2014.

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  1. Dec 8, 2014 #1 of 35
    tigerwillow1

    tigerwillow1 Legend

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    Jan 26, 2009
    With the rather large price increase coming it's time to ask whether to go to a lower cost paackage, go to a DirecTV new customer package, or cut the cord completely. In reading the fine print it looks like in changing from Top 120 to the Smart Pack I'll lose free HD. What I can't figure out, and my question is, if I do the downgrade and give up HD, will Dish let me keep the 722 DVR, or make me swap it out for a SD DVR? I dread the work of setting up all the favorites lists and timers again.
     
  2. Dec 8, 2014 #2 of 35
    thomasjk

    thomasjk Legend

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    You won't lose the 722.
     
  3. Dec 9, 2014 #3 of 35
    RBA

    RBA Well-Known Member

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    Your locals will still be in HD.
     
  4. Dec 9, 2014 #4 of 35
    tampa8

    tampa8 Godfather/Supporter

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    You don't lose the HD for life, it is as the name suggests, as long as you are a subscriber you have it. And you have it with the Smart pack for locals and freeviews. The smartpack does not have other channels in HD. Since locals are always in HD (If available) you can have an HD receiver.
     
  5. Dec 9, 2014 #5 of 35
    Rduce

    Rduce Legend

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    Switching to DIRECT would not be beneficial. Any savings would be eaten up in the last 12 months of the contract agreement. In fact, at least in my case when I checked, it would have cost twice as much as I was then paying for DISH.
     
  6. Dec 10, 2014 #6 of 35
    tampa8

    tampa8 Godfather/Supporter

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    While not always the case for everyone it is the same for me. I pay about $15 less a month with DISH for comparable equipment and package.
     
  7. Dec 12, 2014 #7 of 35
    tigerwillow1

    tigerwillow1 Legend

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    Jan 26, 2009
    Thanks for all of the replys. If as suggested I can downgrade to Smart Pack and keep the 722 that's what I'll most likiely be doing. Otherwise I'd be going to Direct or cutting the cord. I came to Dish a bit over 2 years ago (after 10+ years with Direct), fully intending to switch back to Direct when the 2 years were up. Dish, however, has thwarted my plans 2 ways: (1) I have access to OTA MeTV which I can't get with Direct's restrictive OTA capability, and (2) Access to The Blaze, not offered by Direct.
     
  8. Dec 12, 2014 #8 of 35
    harsh

    harsh Beware the Attack Basset

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    Sounds like DIRECTV is the party actively doing the thwarting.

    You've got a lot of homework to do before you contemplate cord cutting.
     
  9. Dec 13, 2014 #9 of 35
    russ9

    russ9 Godfather

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    Where is the "small print" on the cheap packages? Paying more $$$$$ for less quality (of programming) I am finally getting close to whatever the satellite equivalent of cord cutting is.
     
  10. Dec 13, 2014 #10 of 35
    Stewart Vernon

    Stewart Vernon Roving Reporter Staff Member Super Moderator DBSTalk Club

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    Why would you need fine print? You can clearly see the price and the channels included in the package for that price. It's up to you to determine if you are getting good value for the tier you choose to subscribe to, no?
     
  11. Dec 14, 2014 #11 of 35
    russ9

    russ9 Godfather

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    Well, there is nothing the Smart Pack (or any other package listed) description relating to the inclusion or lack of HD channels. Plus I was just using "fine print" as it was the phrase used in the original post. Is that okay Stewart?

     
  12. Dec 14, 2014 #12 of 35
    Stewart Vernon

    Stewart Vernon Roving Reporter Staff Member Super Moderator DBSTalk Club

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    It's just that your post made it seem like you're somehow being ripped off by not getting the best channels in the cheapest package... which as far back as I can remember would always have been true... you buy the basic cable package, you don't get the best channels either and probably don't get HD channels either (except for locals)... you have to pay for the higher tiers to get the better channels and HD. It didn't seem like anything new or hidden or buried in the fine print to me is all. So I was confused by the statement.
     
  13. Dec 15, 2014 #13 of 35
    Mojo Jojo

    Mojo Jojo Legend

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    Mar 14, 2012
  14. Dec 17, 2014 #14 of 35
    tigerwillow1

    tigerwillow1 Legend

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    Jan 26, 2009
    Thanks for the tip about the Welcome Pack. It would work well except for one "must have" channel that is missing. I won't say which one to avoid getting the thread derailed, but if we lost that one, it would very close to cutting the cord completely. One thing I don't understand, is that higher packages aren't proper supersets of the lower packages. In comparing the Welcome Pack against the Smart Pack, there are a few channels in the Welcome Pack that aren't in the Smart Pack. Makes no sense to me. One thing that would work for us (do you hear me Dish?), is if one could buy a package and add a few channels to it for a few bucks a month each.
     
  15. Dec 17, 2014 #15 of 35
    ryan8886

    ryan8886 Mentor

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    I'm left kinda confused in this thread. I'm in a similar situation to the OP. I presently have Dish America and am considering a step down package. I have HD for life. Do I not get HD channels if I step down to something like the Welcome Package?? I see channels like HGTV in there that have HD and SD channels....do I lose my HD even though I have a 722 and 722K??
     
  16. Dec 18, 2014 #16 of 35
    RBA

    RBA Well-Known Member

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    Do you want HD or a low price, keep Dish America at a higher price or give up HD for a lower price. Both Welcome & Smart Pack give you a lower price but the only HD included is Local Channels and any "Freeviews"
     
  17. Dec 19, 2014 #17 of 35
    david_jr

    david_jr Godfather

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    I think a lot of people would like to use the model you suggest. The problem is most agreements Dish has with channel providers are for package price, not al a carte. I think Dish would like al a carte for certain less viewed channels, but the content owners are not so willing because the fewer subscribers to their channel there is, in an al a carte model, they either have to charge more for the channel or make less money, which they don't like. If they own other popular channels they use those as a bargaining chip to get its less popular channels placed in packages to get more subscribers. Do not confuse subscribers with viewers. They want subscribers because everyone pays whether they watch or not. Of course then they tell the advertiser they have all of those subscribers as viewers to get more money out of them. It's a vicious circle!
     
  18. Dec 22, 2014 #18 of 35
    Mojo Jojo

    Mojo Jojo Legend

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    Mar 14, 2012
    I do not think it I derailing the thread if you want to downgrade your package. What are the channels you must have? It may possible you might have overlooked a package, a la carte, or/and premium offering combo.

    I think Dish packages the Welcome Pack to keep subs out of a contract for a low price. That is what is keeping us with Dish. When we first started we had AT250 along with HD Platinum (now HD250Free and BB@Home), and it seemed great. However, prices increased. Then, channels have rebranded, changed content, and have different owners causing us to watch them less. Therefore, I also put some of the blame on content providers. I find some greedy with shifting times to odd start and end times, adding more commercials (like making some movies three hours when they could be two along with playing it four times in a row), and playing the same programs on two to four channels they may own.
     
  19. Dec 22, 2014 #19 of 35
    Mojo Jojo

    Mojo Jojo Legend

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    &lt;blockquote class=&#39;ipsBlockquote&#39; data-author=&quot;RBA&quot; data-cid=&quot;3319484&quot; data-time=&quot;1418880042&quot;&gt;&lt;p&gt;<br />
    Do you want HD or a low price, keep Dish America at a higher price or give up HD for a lower price. Both Welcome &amp;amp; Smart Pack give you a lower price but the only HD included is Local Channels and any &amp;quot;Freeviews&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;<br />
    <br />
    <br />
    Additionally, you may add some a la carte or/and premium packages which may contain some HD offerings or/and channels.
     
  20. Jan 26, 2015 #20 of 35
    tigerwillow1

    tigerwillow1 Legend

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    Jan 26, 2009
    I procrastinated until seeing the new-improved bill with the $5 increase and switched over to the Welcome Pack. After traversing the "phone tree from hell" I picked the callback option instead of holding. The callback came right on schedule and the CSR handled the transaction with total efficiency. One of the best satellite TV CSR calls I've ever been part of.

    I'd be willing to pay $10 per month more to add 3 or 4 specific channels that probably wouldn't cost Dish more that $2, but the bean counters at Dish and/or the content providers of course won't allow that.
     
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