# Best package advice



## khearrean (Mar 24, 2004)

Forgive me folks if this is covered somewhere here, but I can't seem to find the exact info I'm looking for & I'd like to be informed before I call Dish. I have been a Dish customer for 14 years. I currently have America's Top 250 ($64.99), HD250 ($10.00), & HD Platinum ($10.00). I also have locals, but for some reason I don't see that itemized on my bill. I rarely look at it since my wife handles & pays all the bills.
I read a lot here about the Absolute package. First, can someone tell me the difference between that & the (2) HD packages I currently have?
Also, I've been considering changing to strictly the HD channels (don't even know what this is called anymore). The only reason I haven't is because of TV Land because I love a lot of their programming. But, if I were to do so, can someone tell me how much my monthly bill would reduce to? BTW, I'd still want to keep the Dish locals.
And BTW, I saw somewhere where there was supposed to be a $6.00 monthly reduction because of losing Nat'l Geo, but I don't see that reduction on my latest statement dated 9/25. 
Thanks for any info.

Ken


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## coldsteel (Mar 29, 2007)

HD Absolute is no longer available. The 'HD-only' package is Dish America Gold. Due to contracts with channel providers, not every HD channel is available in the Dish America Gold. You will lose Fox News, Fox Business, MTV, Nick, MSNBC and a few more. Dish America Gold with locals is $54.99, so you'd save $20 a month, but only get about 40-45 HD channels.

I'd recommend just doing the HD Free for Life promo to save the $10 for the HD 250.

Also, there's no discount being offered for Nat Geo or FX.


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## khearrean (Mar 24, 2004)

coldsteel said:


> HD Absolute is no longer available. The 'HD-only' package is Dish America Gold. Due to contracts with channel providers, not every HD channel is available in the Dish America Gold. You will lose Fox News, Fox Business, MTV, Nick, MSNBC and a few more. Dish America Gold with locals is $54.99, so you'd save $20 a month, but only get about 40-45 HD channels.
> 
> I'd recommend just doing the HD Free for Life promo to save the $10 for the HD 250.
> 
> Also, there's no discount being offered for Nat Geo or FX.


Is it too late to be grandfathered into this program? I read somewhere that if you had HD250 & Platinum, you could bypass the auto-pay, but I may have mis-read that. BTW, I do want the package that will give me the maximum # of HD channels. (I assume I have that now). But you're saying that if I change to the HD for life, I will still get everything I get now, which also includes SD channels & save $10/mo? 
Oh and as a side question; my bill used to say America's Top 250 with locals ($64.99). Now that line just says America's Top 250. Did Dish drop the remaining verbage along the way? Because I am receiving the Dish locals & still paying that $64.99.

Ken


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## tampa8 (Mar 30, 2002)

Top250 includes locals when locals are available. Only Top 120 breaks it out.

Not quite sure what you want to be Grandfathered into, but I can pretty safely say you cannot be Grandfathered into anything you don't currently have. Anyone can bypass the auto pay for the free for life promo with a one time charge. At this time you are paying $10 for what we are getting for free, I don't think you will gain any channels, but you won't be losing any either by getting the free for for life. 

You will be required to have the correct satellite set-up that gets all the channels you are subscribed to. That was not always the case so if there are HD channels that you don't get because you don't have access to the correct satellites, you will have to have them install whatever you need. (Eastern Arc for example for some people. Usually affects those that had Dish 500 for 119/110)

You have what I have - TOP250 and HD Platinum. Difference is my SD channels that have an HD counterpart are free for me, you are paying $10.


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## khearrean (Mar 24, 2004)

At one time I thought I remembered reading some posts that talked about (if you were a current subscriber) and enrolled in certain packages, you could be "grandfathered" into the HD For Life & bypass the one-time fee and the auto-pay. But now that I go back through some old threads, I see where that expired some time ago. That's what I get for not coming on here more frequently. Particularly since I really never haved cared for using auto-pay to pay for anything.
But you've cleared it up & I appreciate all the info from everyone. Thanks guys!!

Ken


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## bjwilson (Feb 14, 2008)

Ken, you should still be able to get the HD Free For Life program. Log into your account on dishnetwork.com and follow the "Get HD For Life" link under "My Account." You will need to either commit to another 24 months and go paperless billing with autopay, or pay a one time upgrade fee of $99.


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