# Retailer Chat, December 22, 2005: some details, locals, etc...



## Darkman (Apr 16, 2002)

"Jim and Amir is announced.." - hehe - but Eric is sitting for Amir  .. with Jim...

"excited about Next Year" - Jim...

Busy chat.. - talk about Launches and New Hardware...

Meridian, MS - added Fox there (dec 7th)

PPV - Dec / Jan - .. Movies


Sirius Special.. with new activations .. and fullfilment - get free Car Radio (Sirius)

...
Kinda busy ..so rest of this Chat.. when get a chance...


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## Darkman (Apr 16, 2002)

from Leslie .. look at ViP622 DVR now

Mpeg 4 / Mpeg 2 . .and other good goodies.... 

Up to 9 -day EPG, 
On screen caller ID , with History...

etc etc...


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## Darkman (Apr 16, 2002)

Now talking about 6.2 Replacement Remote(s)

It has configurable keys for various applications, .. multiple freqs.. etc etc


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## Darkman (Apr 16, 2002)

Retailer Care Site .. has some New / Updated documents now on various Hardware...


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## Darkman (Apr 16, 2002)

HD programming will be soon activated using Mpeg-4 receivers...

942 etc will be discontinued eventually.. .. - suggestion to Retailers to stock up what they NEED!

622s - Feb 1st.....


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## Darkman (Apr 16, 2002)

DHA changes.. - Locals are no longer Bundled .. - customer will have a choice to receive locals or NOT....

Only buy 811s and 942 as you NEED them.. - use them up (to retailers again)

FFA (FREE for ALL) changes also.. Dual Tuner receivers are available.....


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## Darkman (Apr 16, 2002)

at 60 - 29.99 - price guranteed until Jan 2008 ( 5 bucks more for locals - if choose to)

at 120 - 39.99
at 180 - 49.99

Effective Feb 1, 06


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## Darkman (Apr 16, 2002)

Latino Everything PaK - additional $2 dollars/month (as of Feb 1, 06) (only this one change in Latino packages)


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## Darkman (Apr 16, 2002)

DISH is working on a Family Package.. 

Few obstacle involved.. so for now no details.. But it's coming soon..


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## Darkman (Apr 16, 2002)

In January - additional Latino programming will be available... 
Details are coming at the later date..

HD locals Map is being shown.... - more Cities are coming...
Boston, Atlanta.. LA.. NY, CHI... (possibly in 45 days or so.. )

and plans for more in future...


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## Alpaca Bill (Jun 17, 2005)

Darkman said:


> HD programming will be soon activated using Mpeg-4 receivers...
> 
> 942 etc will be discontinued eventually.. .. - suggestion to Retailers to stock up what they NEED!
> 
> 622s - Feb 1st.....


Any pricing for the ViP622??


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## Darkman (Apr 16, 2002)

CES - Jan 5 - Jan 8 .. DISH will be there... ( missed at which booth #  )


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## Darkman (Apr 16, 2002)

"Any pricing for the ViP622??" ------> if there was a mention.. i missed it i guess.. hard to keep up Live, expecially when doing other things as well.......


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## Darkman (Apr 16, 2002)

Talking about Pocket Dish(es) - "Great Product!"


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## Darkman (Apr 16, 2002)

Phone calls now...

on Jan 9th - Customer Chat..

On Jan 11th - Retailer Chat


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## Darkman (Apr 16, 2002)

Low on calls.. maybe folks are taking time off


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## Darkman (Apr 16, 2002)

Chat almost over.. they are talking about Incentives Trip for Retailers..and it's location...


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## Darkman (Apr 16, 2002)

Jan 9, 06 - Special HD info Charlie Chat - (Monday)

Jan 11, 06 - Noon ET - Next Retailer Chat... - (Wednsday)


..
That's all she wrote for this chat.....


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## TNGTony (Mar 23, 2002)

Did anyone catch the pricing for AEP or AT120/180 + HBO + Cinemax?

Any price increase on the premium channels?

See the EKB page on Dish's price increases through the years here.

See ya
Tony


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## Darkman (Apr 16, 2002)

Wasn't mentioned.. - just what in posts 7 and 8 above...


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## SummitAdvantageRetailer (Feb 20, 2005)

Darkman said:


> at 60 - 29.99 - price guranteed until Jan 2008 ( 5 bucks more for locals - if choose to)
> 
> at 120 - 39.99
> at 180 - 49.99
> ...


Whoa, big news to existing customers there:

So, customers that want locals will pay on 2/1/06:

AT60 w/locals = $34.99
AT120 w/locals = $44.99
AT180 w/locals = $54.99

Looks like I'll be paying $2 more than now for AT180. But AT60 customers pay a whopping $3 more. I hope when they increase the prices, they put in at least a few more channels. This $2 to $3 increase on America's Top xxx packages is similar to D*'s TC price increases last year. I wonder how much D* will raise prices on their TC packages.


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## DJ Rob (Jul 24, 2003)

I heard that the new HD pak will be $19.99. Any word on that?


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## MikeW (May 16, 2002)

No increase on AEP? That would be good news for a change. AEP has been hit HARD over the last few years.


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## Chris Blount (Jun 22, 2001)

This time Dish mentioned the price increase before Christmas. Last year it was just after Christmas. They just love hitting us with this stuff during the holidays don't they? 

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?p=341245


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## invaliduser88 (Apr 23, 2002)

Darkman said:


> at 60 - 29.99 - price guranteed until Jan 2008 ( 5 bucks more for locals - if choose to)
> 
> at 120 - 39.99
> at 180 - 49.99
> ...


Saw this coming a month ago!


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## invaliduser88 (Apr 23, 2002)

Chris Blount said:


> This time Dish mentioned the price increase before Christmas. Last year it was just after Christmas. They just love hitting us with this stuff during the holidays don't they?
> 
> http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?p=341245


I guess they want to make sure we have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

More details on the 622 please!

Will there be an upgrade program for existing 921 and 942 owners or are we SOL? History says the later.


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## navychop (Jul 13, 2005)

I'll bet there will be no upgrade program until CURRENT programming is converted to MPEG-4 exclusively. New HD in MPEG-4 will probably not drive an upgrade program.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

Thanks Darkman ...
ViP622 February 1st. Sign me up!

JL


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## DJ Rob (Jul 24, 2003)

navychop said:


> I'll bet there will be no upgrade program until CURRENT programming is converted to MPEG-4 exclusively. New HD in MPEG-4 will probably not drive an upgrade program.


I've been told that also.
I talked to a retailer friend of mine who watched the chat earlier today. He thought that Jim had said for them to only sell the older HD units (811,942) to the customers that won't want any programming in MP4 so the customer wasn't buying a new box in a couple of months. And if they want an MP4 HD Dvr, tell the customer to wait until Feb for the 622 which will be going for $700. Of course this is all second hand info


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## ned215 (Dec 22, 2005)

Anyone know if there's still going to be a discount for paying annually instead of month to month once the rate hike takes effect? If there is, anyone know what those new rates will be?


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## Wicked (Oct 29, 2005)

invaliduser88 said:


> Saw this coming a month ago!


NFL Network, CSTV, ESPNU, Reality................


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## ClaudeR (Dec 7, 2003)

This is crazy - another $3 ??!!??? Charlie - Give me my local guide data on the 921 and I can drop locals - you SATELLITE PIG.


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## scooper (Apr 22, 2002)

Not a big surprise...

Still a good deal for what you're getting though.


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## CoreyH (Jul 4, 2005)

Another retailer chat with no new local markets...

Still no new LIL markets until E10. It makes one wonder what E* is going to do with all those spotbeams on R1 at 61.5. The available capacity boggles the mind - but for now R1 sits with empty spotbeams.

It would be nice if E* would at least announce "coming soon" markets so retailers can start promising locals at some defined point in the future.

On the bright side at least customers no longer have to pay for locals E* isn't providing. This is a great move and makes E* competitive with D*. Too bad E* charges $5 for locals instead of $3 like D*. I guess $34.99 is still competitive though.

How can Charter go 2 years without a rate increase?!? Grrr. Hopefully charter does their rate increase right when E* launches locals in my primary market.


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## Bill R (Dec 20, 2002)

Darkman,

We appreciate the information but I have a question for you: Why do you make multiple post about one chat?

Why don't you just put everything in one post? You did 17 posts when you could have added everything to the first post by editing it (you do know that, don't you?).


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## juan ellitinez (Jan 31, 2003)

Bill R said:


> Darkman,
> 
> We appreciate the information but I have a question for you: Why do you make multiple post about one chat?
> 
> Why don't you just put everything in one post? You did 17 posts when you could have added everything to the first post by editing it (you do know that, don't you?).


He was reporting "real time" It wasnt a summary after the chat


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## ClaudeR (Dec 7, 2003)

CoreyH said:


> On the bright side at least customers no longer have to pay for locals E* isn't providing.


Except if you have a 921 and you want program guide info


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## kstevens (Mar 26, 2003)

navychop said:


> I'll bet there will be no upgrade program until CURRENT programming is converted to MPEG-4 exclusively. New HD in MPEG-4 will probably not drive an upgrade program.


What about those of us who are leasing the 942. Is there an exchange program?

Thanks,

Ken


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## Mike123abc (Jul 19, 2002)

ned215 said:


> Anyone know if there's still going to be a discount for paying annually instead of month to month once the rate hike takes effect? If there is, anyone know what those new rates will be?


Currently if you pay annually you get 12 months for the price of 11. Of course you also lock in your price for a year, so if you do by Feb 1 you end up paying 11 months of the current rate for a year of service, even though they raise the price you still have the old rate locked.

Only odd issue of annual is that AEP is not available for annual sub. You can sub to AT180 and the Mega Movie Pack and avoid the DVR fees like you do with AEP, but you end up not having NBA TV since that is only in AEP and not in AT180.

Note that AEP is somewhat discounted already, you do not save much paying annually over AEP, but you get to put the price increase off almost a year.


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## BoisePaul (Apr 26, 2005)

CoreyH said:


> Still no new LIL markets until E10. It makes one wonder what E* is going to do with all those spotbeams on R1 at 61.5. The available capacity boggles the mind - but for now R1 sits with empty spotbeams.


If memory serves, either the design or the licensing of R1 require that the uplink for each spotbeam be contained within the footprint of that spotbeam. So, while R1 has 22 spotbeams, E* would need to have 22 seperate uplink centers to use those spots. Some of them overlap, so I guess it might be possible that could reduce the number of uplink centers by a little, but I really don't know.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

BoisePaul said:


> If memory serves, either the design or the licensing of R1 require that the uplink for each spotbeam be contained within the footprint of that spotbeam. So, while R1 has 22 spotbeams, E* would need to have 22 seperate uplink centers to use those spots.


It's the design. To fully use all 130 spot transponders at R1 E* would have to have 11 uplinks - some of them on the west coast where 61.5 isn't the best solution in E*'s stable.

See TNGTony's page here in the EKB for the downlinks.

JL


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## David248 (Jun 22, 2004)

Are you certain Dish is still offering annual rates? They removed them from there website about the time they raised prices at the beginning of this year. If annual rates are still available, does anyone know what AT60 and AT120 annual rates are currently?



Mike123abc said:


> Currently if you pay annually you get 12 months for the price of 11. Of course you also lock in your price for a year, so if you do by Feb 1 you end up paying 11 months of the current rate for a year of service, even though they raise the price you still have the old rate locked.
> 
> Only odd issue of annual is that AEP is not available for annual sub. You can sub to AT180 and the Mega Movie Pack and avoid the DVR fees like you do with AEP, but you end up not having NBA TV since that is only in AEP and not in AT180.
> 
> Note that AEP is somewhat discounted already, you do not save much paying annually over AEP, but you get to put the price increase off almost a year.


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## rocatman (Nov 28, 2003)

James Long said:


> It's the design. To fully use all 130 spot transponders at R1 E* would have to have 11 uplinks - some of them on the west coast where 61.5 isn't the best solution in E*'s stable.
> 
> See TNGTony's page here in the EKB for the downlinks.
> 
> JL


You would think that Dish would use their new uplink sites in Illinois, Virginia and Texas for Rainbow-1 specifically the Chicago, Raleigh and Houston uplinks but I don't think that Rainbow-1 has been mentioned in the FCC applications for these sites, only E-10. The Blackhawk site can probably do the Minneapolis uplink if the new Illinois site can not and Dish probably has an agreement with Cablevision/Voom to use the Bethpage site for the New York area. Not counting the western spotbeams, Dish would also need uplink sites for Atlanta, Miami, St. Louis, New Orleans and Bangor although I think the last two maybe of lower priority. By the way I think the total number of uplink sites for Rainbow-1 is 14 for spotbeams but 4 of these are out west.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

Most of R1's downlinks are paired two to one to uplinks, for example: the Chicago uplink feeds the Chicago and Detroit downlink spots. There are 14 uplink sites:
Beam: R01 Bangor 69.25W 44.90N
Beam: R03 Bethpage 74.87W 41.06N
Beam: R05 Raleigh 78.02W 35.43N
Beam: R06 Atlanta 83.99W 33.67N
Beam: R09 Miami 81.30W 26.96N
Beam: R11 Chicago 88.22W 41.51N
Beam: R12 New Orleans 89.44W 30.84N
Beam: R13 Minneapolis 94.57W 46.77N
Beam: R14 St Louis 92.26W 38.52N
Beam: R17 Houston 96.33W 29.27N
Beam: R18 Denver 105.77W 40.41N
Beam: R20 Seattle 119.63W 46.07N
Beam: R21 San Fransisco 120.89W 37.93N
Beam: R22 Los Angeles 115.34W 33.50N

I don't expect E* to use all of the spots on R1. Just enough to do a few eastern market HD LILs if they get pressed for space at 61.5 . It is nice to know that they are there for the future.

JL


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## Eraven34 (Dec 23, 2005)

David248 said:


> Are you certain Dish is still offering annual rates? They removed them from there website about the time they raised prices at the beginning of this year. If annual rates are still available, does anyone know what AT60 and AT120 annual rates are currently?


Got this from Customer Service Nov. 13, 2005:

"Thank you for your e-mail. Below is an overview of the programming packages we offer. Prices are effective 02/01/05.

America's Top 60 ($26.99/month or $297.00/year)
America's Top 120 CD ($37.99/month or $418.00/year)
America's Top 180- &#8230;&#8230;($47.99/month or $528.00/year)

Cinemax- 5 channels&#8230;. ($11.99/month or $132.00/year)
ShowTime- 10 channels&#8230;. ($11.99/month or $132.00/year)
STARZ - 8 channels &#8230;.($11.99/month or $132.00/year)
HBO The Works- 8 channels&#8230;. ($13.99/month or $154.00/year)"

So they still offer a '12 months for the price of 11' kind of deal.

Eric


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## Darkman (Apr 16, 2002)

juan ellitinez said:


> He was reporting "real time" It wasnt a summary after the chat


Bingo!

Had no time to play around with this any differently this time.. besides.. Scott at other forum does it in this manner on the constant basis ...

Not a big deal anyhow... 
- as to 17 posts vs. 1 post.. - someone is welcome to subtract 16 posts from my post total.. or even go one step further and combine the 17 posts into 1 post 

P.S. By the way, that wasn't the 1st time i reported the chat's info in this manner...


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## BFG (Jan 23, 2004)

Wow so only 2 years after dish I'll be paying $5 more than what I paid when I started...


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## navychop (Jul 13, 2005)

After 4 years with DISH, I'll still be paying less than I did each month to a cableco that provided fewer channels and far worse PQ.


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## Ray_Clum (Apr 22, 2002)

No news on significant viewed :nono2:


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## Ray_Clum (Apr 22, 2002)

Darkman said:


> at 60 - 29.99 - price guranteed until Jan 2008 ( 5 bucks more for locals - if choose to)
> 
> at 120 - 39.99
> at 180 - 49.99
> ...


AT60 - 29.99
AT60 w/locals (or AT60-DHA which includes locals) - 34.99
TC - 38.99
AT120 - 39.99
TC w/locals - 41.99
TC+ - 42.99
AT120 w/locals (or AT120-DHA which includes locals) - 44.99
TC+ w/locals - 45.99
AT180 - 49.99
AT180 w/locals (or AT180-DHA which includes locals) - 54.99

Makes the difference between TC and AT120 minimal... If it wasn't for using a 522 (no 2nd receiver fee) and being an SBC|Dish customer ($4/mo discount) I'd switch back to DTV around March (to see what DTV's pricing would go to) - My AT120+DVR will be 45.98 and TC+locals+DVR+2nd Rec would be 52.97. If DTV ever came out with a dual output DVR (similar to 522/625) it would make things very interesting...


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## navychop (Jul 13, 2005)

Don't forget, D* HD PQ is less than E* HD PQ, plus they have fewer HD channels. And E* moves to the full 15 Voom channels next month, making the gap even wider. This will matter a LOT in the next few months. How many non-digital TVs will be sold by next Christmas? Plus, the "15" model DVR from D* has very bad reviews.


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## DISHDADDY (Dec 26, 2005)

Darkman said:


> Retailer Care Site .. has some New / Updated documents now on various Hardware...


 Did they mention anything about the 105 locals? I Know they are changing some areas to 129, but if they leave some as 105 than they had better start making 105's that can stand hot and cold temps.


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## Darkman (Apr 16, 2002)

None of that was mentioned on this particular chat anyhow....


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## nater131 (Dec 9, 2005)

HBO increased $1


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