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Post by graybeard on Mar 16, 2011 10:39:55 GMT -6
I've just gone through a rare spate of problems with my Earthkink DSL, and their Hindu product support with German accent and attitude has me thinking it's time to change, after 16 years with them and their predecessors.
Dish is offering a deal combined with internet. We've been paying a lot more money to DreckTV. I've been content with Dreck, other than the price, and I heard complaints some time back about Dish.
I'm sure DreckTV bought Dish a few years ago. Has there been a split, or is it just pseudo competition?
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Post by jeffolie on Mar 17, 2011 10:43:33 GMT -6
I have Dish for satellite TV. I like Dish. I plan to go back to Verizon when our contract ends in December because I do not want to deal with the hard disk inside the settop box DVR problems that may happen even though we have had no problems so far but hard discs eventually corrupt and fail. Changing back to Verizon avoids the expenses with Dish. I ended our Verizon triple play contract when it expired so that I could use Magic Jack instead of Verizon's landline phone service which is very expensive with almost as much fees and hidden taxes as Verizon's monthly charges. When I go back to Verizon TV it will be without Verizon's phone service and include only Verizon's excellent internet and Verizon's TV.
Here are some warnings:
1. price: the entry, lost leader price of $24 does not include much and other costs will bring up your monthly cost immediately and after the introductory $24 price rolls over to the following 2nd year. You will not pay just $24 for the introductory period, you will pay more than the lost leader price of $24 for the introductory period. I called just a week ago and threaten to terminate Dish as a negotiating tactic and Dish reduced my monthly cost for the remainder of my contract. Dish has a very large termination fee so be sure you want to keep Dish before the grace period ends.
2. service. Dish will automatically enroll you for a $39 iniatial non refundable fee to service your Dish products, but you can refuse by talking to them and declining it. If you need service after refusing, then you must pay the $39 plus service charges on top of the fee no matter when you agree to the $39 fee. I talked to Dish, declined the $39 and have not yet needed any service after 1 year and 3 months into my 2 year agreement with Dish.
3. HD costs. HD, high definition, is not available for free on all stations. HD does cost more with Dish depending on what package you get. I selected and agreed to pay for some HD on a 120 channel package which worked out fine but with the added cost.
4. movies. We rarely watch the movies offered and do record a couple here and there to the setbox, DVR but do not pay for 'on demand movies' ever. Mostly, we record everything we end up watching (mostly one hour programs we enjoy and not movies) to the settop box, DVR so that we can skip by fast forwarding past the commercials and watch at our convenience and/or playback portions. Dish includes for free some movie channels such as EPIC, ENCORE, etc and now gives as a free bonus STARZ without paying for them, but we rarely watch what is offered.
4. satellite. Dish's satellite equipment resets when it loses the signal at least once per week, but it is not a problem and resetting takes minutes. You must learn the procedures to use the 'SAT' button on the remote and we often just reset the whole system by rebooting by unplugging the settop box at the wall which is easy and quick. While the satellite is resetting your recording is interrupted but we are merely talking about 5 minutes or less once a week or less frequently which does not matter much to us.
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Post by graybeard on Mar 18, 2011 10:25:28 GMT -6
Thanks for all the good info, Jeffo. They supposedly offer internet, too, but there is no detail on their website. I guess they want you to call so they can rush you into something stupid.
As for tv, Drecktv has been excellent, with only one hiccup that wiped out the saved programs last year.
My recent tangle with Earthkink may have been their fault, a bogus upgrade from Microsoft, or competitive sabotage by Verizero.
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Post by jeffolie on Mar 18, 2011 15:08:50 GMT -6
Verizon's very fast broadband internet fits excellently into the game playing by 2 of my young adult children. Speed means game playing on worldwide, multi player arrangements avoids lags and delays that reduce their skills significantly.
Our local other sources of internet are not good enough for 2 of my young adult children...too slow. We hardwired their computers into the router increasing their speed that was not available by using wireless connection to the router. There was a one time fee to hardwire them into the router but no added monthly charge.
When my wife and I are empty nesters, then I will feel free to shop for other internet sources.
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