HD networks now available

This is great news! I am away but I just Slingboxed in and didn't see them though...it said channels 73-80 but they are missing from my guide (looking at the all channels guide so no filters). Do I have to give them a call or is is supposed to be automatic?

Wonder why Chicago...Central time means shows will be on really late, especially in winter. The upside is that if I miss a show at 8pm in SD I can watch it at 9pm in HD or 11pm in HD now, so I have 3 times to catch a show...although I DVR everything I want to watch anyway.

Thanks for the update, this is good news!

Sean

Now the bad news, I did some research and they are pricing this CRAZY high:

From DBS forums: http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=159645

9.99 per network (one feed only. Chicago for Eastern and Central, LA for Mountain and Pacific)
7.49 per network if you have SD as well (plus the 3.49)
34.99 for all 4 networks
24.99 for all 4 networks if you have SD as well (plus the 12.99)

So for 4 networks in HD you are looking at $34.99/month and for HD and SD you are looking at $37.98/month JUST FOR 4 NETWORKS. That is way too high....right now I get all 4 networks in SD for $12.99...so this is almost triple the cost for HD!

$19.99 all in and they have me for sure but this is a bit ridiculous.

Sean

I agree wi you about the price? I was disappointed as well. I don't think they will have a lot of people jumping for it initially.

re.pricing: the bandwidth required for HDTV is about 4x to 5x greater than SD. I assume they are paying more for the HD space on the satellite and that cost is reflected in their pricing

Sloop Jones

I agree with the initial pricing being way too high. They are using one transponder for all 8 channels. 4 from Chicago and 4 from LA.
Hopefully they will find a way to make these more affordable soon.

Some people have a favorite network channel and you can purchase just one channel if you prefer. Some will buy them just for football season etc.....

But.....they are available.

Yeah, I thought more about it and will probably buy Fox (for $7.49 extra) during football season as they carry NFC games which I'm mostly interested in. Having 5 choices of FOX (LA, SF, Chi, NY, and VI) will give me a better chance of getting my team too (Redskins). And of course the ability to get the Superbowl next year in HD means that I'm definitely going to be the one amongst my friends hosting a Superbowl party (it's on CBS so I'll be buying that one for that month)!

Glad we have an option, just wish they'd price it more reasonably. I see a lot of people posting on other message boards that they have are going to pass until the price comes down.

Sean

As of this morning, my dishnetwork no longer has any networks and only shopping Chanel's........they are really becoming a pain in the butt and almost impossible to deal with. They have sent new receivers, countless new cards and still problems. Spending hours on the phone with them is really getting old.

As bad as it sometimes is, maybe it's time to go back to Innovative

That's funny. You were always happy before! See quote below.
Who's servicing the system these days??
Sounds like an LNB, connector, or switch problem. Easily remedied.
Anyone that's called dishnetwork knows they offer award winning customer service, so spending "countless hrs" on the phone is not necesssary. Do you still have my phone number?

Did I mention HD NFL! HD NBA! HD NHL! HD Networks! and it just keeps coming. More Hi Definition channels are announced regularly.

Exciting things coming to the carribean on Dishnetwork.

I have had Dish TV and Hughes Satellite for close to 5 years, Alan at Paradise Satellite(718-2488) did both installs.

The few times I have had a problem it has been dealt with in less than 24hrs.

He keeps appointments and knows what he is doing.

I highly recommend him.

PS--I would never dream of installing my own equipment ; I like having someone to call when I have a problem--someone who lives on St Croix, not the states or an outsource in India.......

The quote above was from the thread "Am I expecting too much?"

This too from that thread.

meowruff [ PM ]
Re: Am I expecting too much? - Update
October 11, 2008 11:33AM Registered: 1 year ago
Posts: 132

After more phone calls and e-mails, Orbitron finally contacted us, stating that we would receive our down payment and he would be picking up the loaner receiver. So, the exchange occurred. He gave us our $$ in the form of a money order (doesn't his business have a bank account?), and we returned the receiver. There wasn't an apology for the lack of service, or the hassles, but a quick exchange and a drive away.

Now, the good news! Alan at Paradise Satellite was a true angel (and I really mean that). Not only did he contact us, showed up at the agreed upon time, and hooked up everything, but the amount charged was a fraction of what Orbitron was attempting to charge us. And, on top of it, he's a nice guy! So, we now have the DISH network, and my husband will be a very happy person. Anyone needing DISH? Call Alan at Paradise Satellite! (OK, now I feel like an advertisement!)

Dish told me it was not a servicing problem; for what ever reason, they turn off the signal occasionally just to verify the account...go figure.

I think it depends on the knowledge level of who you speak with at dish; last week one went out and we got no help at all; when the other went out yesterday, the guy we spoke with knew exactly what to do. Still, several hours trying to resolve the prob lam.

Had it been a service problem, I would have called you immediately. It's just that dish is so difficult to deal with, not you.

STXResident,

Did you get your service back or are you still watching shopping channels? It's sad because to set up dish is big bucks. I feel for you and having to speak with customer service and get zero results. Truly sad.

Thanks for the heads up, we are watching limited channels trying to decide what to do before fall. Dish is a lot of money to put out and then have the problems you experience.

Tippi

STX,
When you say "one went out" are you talking about a reciever or account? If someone has several receivers and can't hook them to a dial tone or broadband connection they may require you to call in to verify the location of these receivers. They will ask questions that you could only answer if you can access the menu. Happened to my account once in 10 years. It's one of the ways they fight fraud. Some people build one account with the maximum number of receivers and then share them at several homes. Once you verify location they re-enable them instantly. In my case it was a 2 minute ph. call and within seconds they were re-enabled. (Yes, even Paradise Satellite has to pay for TV service) Not sure if this is what they were refering to on your account. ? You're correct in saying some CSRs are more knowledgable than others but that's true with any customer service call center. I hear nothing but praise for Dishnetwork phone support from most people! The CSR may say it's not a servicable issue but it's been my experience that when receivers act up it's often signal related. Or the receiver is on the fritz. And often operator error or hooked up improperly.

One of the reasons Choice lost money on the TV end of the biz is that they let properties with apartments build one account and signal was in many homes for one low price. Nice for the landlord but not to smart as a business.

"As bad as it sometimes is, maybe it's time to go back to Innovative" Good luck with Innovative! Did your Dishnetwork perform the day after Omar? Have you had any unexplained week long outages? Have you had blocks of premium channels missing with no explanation? Have you been told they have no replacement equipment ?(which happens often at Innovative). Not to mention, the boxes they use are supposedly late 1980s refurbished Motorola units.

Sorry to hear about your recent issues but know it's very rare!! If problems persist let me know. Your system should be as reliable as the day you purchased it. Which was over 6 years ago. My dish is over 10 years old and has never been out for more than a few minutes due to severe weather blocking signal.

Like I said above. Exciting things coming to the Carribean from Dishnetwork. Stay tuned for future announcements.
Or....email paradisesatellite@yahoo.com to get on my email list for future updates. HD is the future of TV!:-)

Alan

Skys--You sure don't sound very friendly and you certainly tend to go on and on. I guess one must blow their own horn loudly to drum up business these days.

Just disappointed she didn't call me before wasting time (hrs) on the phone.
I want to make sure one person's bad experience doesn't convince people that it's anything but a great service. Which it is!

Facts are facts and I like educated customers.

Sorry to ramble on sometimes but I've known this person for years. She should have asked for help before posting negative comments about the service I sell.

And if you ask around......You'll find I'm a very friendly guy! And very knowledgeable of how satellite systems work.

Nice first post Wroker. Do you have anything to share?

wrokerbee....(td)

If anyone reads this that has not lived on STX and had Innovative cable TV they might not understand the beauty of being able to subscribe to Dishnetwork.

When I moved here 10 years ago, Innovative said I was 18 WAPA poles away and it would cost $5000.00 to get cable. LOL
Several satellite companies have come and gone in the VI so some people are leary. Alpha Star and another one that I can't remember the name of came in, sold systems, and bailed out shortly after. 10 years ago it was a bit of a trick to get Dish to activate down here. Now they have VI and Puerto Rico promotions and have big things in store for us. Innovative cable shortcomings and early satellite co. failures were the catalyst for Choice Communications TV venture. Tough to compete with only a few thousand customers so they have since pulled the plug..

Sorry if I come across too strong!

Dish Rocks!

SkyVista(td) was the other.
Dish is the best. I have had it for over 10 years and it keeps getting better. I get 4 satellites now, 61.5, 110, 118.7 and 119. HD is great and Dish is the only game on island.

Dish is big bucks???? I paid $2000 in 1997. 12 years ago. I have had one service issue in 12 years. The earth settled where the dish was planted on a pole and the dish had to be repointed. That is it. one service call in 12 years!

The signal is as reliable as the sunrise. The picture quality in HD is crystal clear. The program/channel selection is 3x what "Ennevative" offers.

I see it as in investment and a time/money saver. No more trips the video store. Dish is offering movies on PPV the same day they are released as DVD's.

A basic Standard Definition install can be as low as $700. It is a chunk, but I know people who have monthly bar tabs higher than that.

It is big bucks if you don't watch much TV, don't have/enjoy a home entertainment system.

Big bucks is a relative term.

It can be done even cheaper if you are patient and watchful. We got our set up for $300 by letting everyone one know we wanted a dish/LNB's and listening. Once we heard of someone leaving island we asked about buying their dish and got it cheap. Granted we did end up buying new LNB's but that was cheap enough. We get great TV without static (Innovative used to drive me nuts with a bad picture). The only issue is if it rains hard we lose picture for a short period of time.
Dish Network is great - they all come with a dual DVR now. We DVR tons of shows so that when it does rain hard (as it will this time of year) we still have tons of stuff to watch.

Mr. Jones,

When times are tight, people can't easily throw around $700-$1000 for TV service. The bucks may be a relative term, but our islands are being hit big time by the same tightening of belts those in the states are doing. TV might not be as important as food on the table or the gas that is getting more expensive to get to work. Many of us are hoping to maintain some kind of income in these tight times.

Yes tough times have hit the islands.

Rock

And as one who is completely techno challenged, this kind of discussion convinces me that Innovative is the right "choice" for me.

Linda,
The receivers are a bit intuitive and the remotes are a snap. One remote runs all your stuff. The multiple satellites refered to by Rotor are seamless for the end user. Don't be scared.:-)

Queen,
I realize things are slow but I'm seeing lots of new TVs in people's homes. Some are spending money. Not to mention the "Toys" I see coming in through VI Cargo weekly. Honkin huge BBQs, Hot tubs, 70 " plus TVs, home gyms, fancy wheels and tires, etc....
Dish is a few bucks a day anyway you slice it.

Diving,
Absolutely! If you have/find a dish that wiil work you will save big. Good find. I'm always getting calls from someone that moved into a place with a dish and they get started cheap.

Sloop,
Couldn't have said it better.
One thing that hasn't been mentioned is how much better the sound is. dolby digital 5.1 surround sound. No extra charge.

Queen, As I said it is all relative. Food on the table first, money for the basics before TV for sure. $700 can be a lot or a little. Derepends on your circumstances and how you prioritize your expenses.

Sloop

Good TV service can save you money though if you look at what you are spending your money on. For instance, I would go to a bar to catch a game and end up with a $30 tab. Now I watch the game at home, spend $10 on beer and snacks and am just as happy. Net savings, $20. Repeat 5 times a month and the Dish paid for itself. Plus I drink less which is a good thing 🙂 Not saying this is the case for everyone but TV is popular precisely BECAUSE it is a relatively cheap form of entertainment. Not as cheap as it used to be but that's life.

If you let Alan hook you up you don't have to have ANY technical knowledge of anything whatsoever. It is easier than Innovative because at least with Alan he'll help you out if you have problems and let him know in a relatively quick fashion. Innovative it could take quite a while before you get things fixed if you have a problem. I lived on a property that we NEVER got digital service working through Innovative because they refused to replace the cabling to the property.

Even as someone who doesn't watch a ton of TV, Dish was probably the biggest thing that reduced my times of island fever. It made me feel less un-connected to the rest of the world and more like I was living in the US when I wanted that feeling. I'm not saying that this applies to everyone out there but to me it was very much worth the installation fee plus the monthly cost.

Sean

I still want DirecTV myself if only because I want the NFL package. Otherwise Dish will probably work. I'm waiting for a LED TV later this year before having to make a decision and will get by on Innovative for now (which isn't so bad now that I figured out my Tivo issue that was blocking a lot of channels.)