DISH gets back on the plus side, now has over 14 million subscribers

Take that AT&T. The only thing better than a success story is a comeback, and after being stuck in a tailspin shedding over 100k customers in Q4 of 2008, Dish Network has announced it added more customers than anyone else in the third quarter. Over 150,000 shining new faces... and paying customers helped it tick over the 14 million mark for the first time. Now, on to resolving the TiVo issue and getting that new SlingLoaded DVR out the door.

[Robert Mechum Posted Dec 11th 2009 12:46PM]

This will last until Q2 of 2010. DirecTV will have their new bird up and running by then.

[dan991199 Posted Dec 11th 2009 1:21PM]

@(Unverified) i would expect the opposite, with the troubles FTA is having i would expect to see a good number of them migrating over to legit dish because they already have the equipment up and beamed.

[Robert Mechum Posted Dec 11th 2009 1:34PM]

@dan991199

Hardly, FTA numbers are dwindling. Not to many to be gained from that crowd. Dish is sinking fast.

[dan991199 Posted Dec 11th 2009 1:47PM]

@(Unverified) dish is sinking fast but has just shown its largest growth to date?

[XEOD Posted Dec 11th 2009 2:08PM]

@(Unverified) Unlikely... Dish too has a new "bird" and just waiting for it to be switch on for use. Sorry to bust your bubble but Dish has better equipment and soon they will have the new SlingLoaded DVR PLUS better rates!

[Robert Mechum Posted Dec 11th 2009 2:16PM]

@XEOD You've been given some faulty info. Dish has not launched a new satellite and has no plans to do so.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 11th 2009 1:25PM]

So what's their new bird going to offer. More channels that don't offer anything in HD anyway. It's not the channels folks it's the content.

[Robert Mechum Posted Dec 11th 2009 1:31PM]

@(Unverified) Here are a few...

AMC HD
BBC America HD
E! HD
ESPNU HD
G4 HD
Hallmark Movie Channel HD
HLN HD
Lifetime Movie Network HD
MavTV HD
MSNBC HD
Outdoor Channel HD
Style HD
Travel Channel HD
Turner Classic Movies HD
TV One HD
We TV HD
WGN America HD

There are about 60 or so in total to choose from when adding channels.

[n2whyteguyz Posted Dec 11th 2009 1:59PM]

@(Unverified) & which of those offer predominately HD content?

[EatingPie Posted Dec 11th 2009 2:22PM]

Here's my experience...

E!-HD is certainly *not* primarily HD.
Mav-TV is an embarrassment, and is either upconverted or crappy camcorder stuff 90% of the time -- even though it is 16:9. This channel is a joke. Time Warner replaced HDNet and HDNet movies with it, and said "being HD is not enough." HDNet actually demanded to be removed from a premium tier, and Time Warner, not wanting to charge *less*, axed them, bringing in MavTV. Being in HD isn't enough? Showing crappy camcorder takes of sexy girls exercising at the gym and smiling lasciviously apparently IS enough. Lame beyond belief.

However.

Hallmark HD
Lifetime HD
MSNBC HD

All these are primarily HD content. BBC-HD should also be, though I haven't personally seen it. And even though the first two are "chick" channels, they're way better than the MavTV atrocity.

TCM HD
AMC HD

I have Turner HD, and they *still* do stretch-o-vision! But it's becoming less and less, probably only about 30% of the movie content now. Though they actually stretch-o-vision Angel still, which was filmed in HD!

Short answer: probably a good line up. You're likely to get a mix, but as Turner shows, there is a movement toward more and more HD content on HD stations all the time.

-Pie

[SpongeBobPistolPants Posted Dec 14th 2009 8:43AM]

@(Unverified) at least with dish you can pick from channel packages that don't cost an arm and a leg. turbo HD with locals and DVR only runs me about $40 a month. Not to mention how much better the HD is than what time warner offers (thank you mpeg4 encoding). If they don't get serious about a media center solution they'll be losing my business once that Ceton tuner hits the market.

[jagowar Posted Dec 11th 2009 2:19PM]

All I want to know when that media center box will be coming out.... or if I should be looking at that ceton cablecard tuner first.

[Ghoti Posted Dec 11th 2009 4:18PM]

Adding some more HD should be their next step. Like BBC America!!!

[FarmerBob Posted Dec 12th 2009 6:38PM]

Being a DISH sub since 1994, I want the 922 for the new GUI. DISH has always been second . . third rate in interface and its support info. Lots of missed program timers due to bad EPG info. I'm hoping that the 922 not only had a newer "adult" more contemporary GUI, but gets the support info from more reliable sources. Their whole line needs serious updating. They may have great hardware, but not software. That was a good portion of the reason for all the ship jumpers. The current increase is not due to anything that DISH has to offer other than pricing. Everyone I know that has just switched, moved because of price and misses their old GUI's and more accurate info. IF they (DISH) steps up as they should have years ago and take their software to level of their hardware, they'd be a monster provider. But if seems that part has not sunk in . . . yet.

The Sling added features are nice, but more needs to be fixed to make it note worthy. The delay in the release of the 922 is that they are professing to want to have it perfect before they release it . . . next Spring.

Now I only need to get my 1000.2 single dish replaced with two separate dishes so that I can get the best signals from the birds I can. I have only had a couple of weather drop outs, but since I have never had them before, since 1994, with the two dish set up, I'm headed right back to the tried and true.