# 9 HD PPV's are up...Is it worth the bandwidth?



## emathis (Mar 19, 2003)

Do you think there was a big call for HD PPV? Could they tell from the 1 PPV that it would be a success or is it a gamble that might not be worth the bandwidth?


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

9? I count seven new ones and one old mirror for "8".
537 isn't active.


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## booger (Nov 1, 2005)

I count 9 HD PPV's.

I for one would order more PPV if more HD content were offered. I think this is a good thing. I don't own an HD DVD player, just an upconverting DVD player.

So, with the ability to archive movies/content I am happy with the new additions.

Thanks E*!


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## mraub (Mar 5, 2004)

If Dish could offer HD PPV movies on the same day they were released on DVD, I'd probably buy a couple a week


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

Unless I miscounted, I counted 9 as well... of course 1 of them was the existing one... so 1 old + 8 new is what I saw this afternoon.

Now that they have the channels, they can make some use of the contracts announced at various parts of this year where they made agreements with various studios for PPV.. and perhaps we will see much more choices in the near future.


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## Rick_R (Sep 1, 2004)

I read elsewhere that these PPV's share transponder space with the new RSNs. Thus the PPVs are only active when there is nothing in HD on the RSNs. Since we have lots of RSNs available (3 here in L.A.) I consider the PPVs fine only because it means that I have more RSNs.

I never use the PPVs myself. I have only used them in the past when my kids promised to pay me for the show if I got it.

Rick R


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

Turns out that was just a rumor (RSNs and PPVs sharing space). The PPVs (the new ones) went to a completely different place than the RSNs are, for the most part.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

539 is a mirror of 9467. Not a good thing to count mirrors twice.

The missing PPV is 537.


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## Bill R (Dec 20, 2002)

booger said:


> I for one would order more PPV if more HD content were offered.


I would add one word to that line and the word is "good". I looked at the list of the HD PPV channels and I really don't see much (what I consider) good content. Maybe that will change in the future (this seems to be a really poor month for PPVs) but there seems to be a lot of SD PPVs that should be offered in HD (maybe they aren't available to DISH in HD). There are just some movies (like "300") that lose a lot when viewed in SD without 5.1 DD sound.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

Aaacck! My bad ... I had 537 locked out!

Interesting. In the past when E* deleted a channel then re-added it the lock was broken. My receiver was still remembering the lock from a long time ago.

9 channels.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

James Long said:


> Aaacck! My bad ... I had 537 locked out!
> 
> Interesting. In the past when E* deleted a channel then re-added it the lock was broken. My receiver was still remembering the lock from a long time ago.
> 
> 9 channels.


I was just about to go count again... Usually I have no trouble counting to 9, but you were so insistent I was beginning to doubt myself!


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## davethestalker (Sep 17, 2006)

NO!!!!

They need to give us REAL channels for what we are already paying. As well, they need to get their (_|_) in gear getting all available locals on board. The stupid DishNetwork.com site says I can get my locals without an OTA antenna, but, noooooo, it's a lie.


The stupid PPV channels are just in the way.


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## zlensman (Jan 15, 2006)

I'm still reluctant to pay 5 bucks for new releases in HD. The wife and I get new releases from a local redbox DVD kiosk for a dollar. When we rent a title that's just mediocre, we say, "Well, that was OK...for a dollar". For titles that are just awful, "At least it was only a buck". A bad or mediocre title in HD PPV for $5 would not be easy to rationalize by comparison. "What a #&%* ripoff!" would probably be the consensus.

All the good films that we pretty much know we will like, we see in the theater (preferably in DLP). So, when those show up on PPV, it's a wash. Still, I may be tempted someday by films that are "on the bubble": ones we might have seen in the theater but weren't sure about. Even if we had a next-gen HD movie player (will the format war never end?  ), it would probably be around $4 to rent from Blockbuster. So $5 on HD PPV or $6 on Xbox Live Marketplace is reasonable from that perspective.

I hope they're not wasting a lot of bandwidth with these new HD PPV channels.


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## mspace (Mar 19, 2007)

zlensman said:


> Even if we had a next-gen HD movie player (will the format war never end?  ), it would probably be around $4 to rent from Blockbuster. So $5 on HD PPV or $6 on Xbox Live Marketplace is reasonable from that perspective.
> 
> I hope they're not wasting a lot of bandwidth with these new HD PPV channels.


Yea, but with the EHD you can own them for $5 without the need for HD DVD player


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## Jerry G (Jul 12, 2003)

I initially thought having multiple HD PPV channels was a great idea. I noted that Shooter was playing on an all day HD ticket. So I purchased it. Watched a few minutes, intending to record it at the start of the next showing.

Then I remembered why I stopped buying HD PPV movies. They weren't always in OAR. And sure enough, Shooter isn't in it's OAR of 2.35. Oh well, just wasted $5, the last $5 Dish gets from me for a PPV movie.

Dish, HD DVD and BD movies are always OAR. Those formats have resisted the desires of some non movie lovers to have the movie film their widescreen instead of watching a movie in OAR. I'm sad to see that Dish has elected to cater to the demands of the screen fillers instead of movie lovers. I think Dish will lose more money for HD PPV from those who expect OAR than they would gain from purchasers of movies butchered to fill the screen.


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## db2 (Aug 27, 2007)

Jerry G said:


> Then I remembered why I stopped buying HD PPV movies. They weren't always in OAR. And sure enough, Shooter isn't in it's OAR of 2.35. Oh well, just wasted $5, the last $5 Dish gets from me for a PPV movie.
> 
> Dish, HD DVD and BD movies are always OAR. Those formats have resisted the desires of some non movie lovers to have the movie film their widescreen instead of watching a movie in OAR.


I'm glad somebody else noticed this and shares my opinion. This is a big reason I like HDNet Movies, almost always OAR. I may buy one or two HD PPV movies in the future if the OAR is 16x9 but I have no interest cinemascope films shown open matte.


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## bill-e (Apr 14, 2006)

Interesting thing just happened to me. I clicked on a HDPPV to see that the price was...$5 is $3.50 more than I rent but that's not the issue. When I clicked on Cancel I was taken to the movie and had to change channels to get out. I hope I don't get charged or is there normally a preview or something with these?

I *may* rent the occasional movie if I ever go the ext HD route but $5 seems a little steep.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

You usually get to view the first few minutes of any PPV movie (if you are there at the time when it starts) before incurring a charge. You have to consciously say "Yes" by clicking that button in order to be charged for it and continue watching.

While I agree that I prefer original aspect too... you should always have the chance to preview before you buy, and see pretty quickly if it is OAR or not without wasting money if it is not.


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## Bill R (Dec 20, 2002)

bill-e said:


> When I clicked on Cancel I was taken to the movie and had to change channels to get out. I hope I don't get charged or is there normally a preview or something with these?


Don't worry you won't be charged. All DISH PPV movie channels have about a 5 minute preview at the beginning of the movie.


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## Jerry G (Jul 12, 2003)

db2 said:


> I'm glad somebody else noticed this and shares my opinion. This is a big reason I like HDNet Movies, almost always OAR. I may buy one or two HD PPV movies in the future if the OAR is 16x9 but I have no interest cinemascope films shown open matte.


The majority of HD viewers do understand and want OAR. Dish is making a mistake. But it's their income that's going to suffer by not showing HD movies in OAR. I may write them, but deep down I know it's a waste of time.


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