FYI: Threaten to cancel Dish Network and get this offer

[vi edit]

I was paying over $80 a month for a DVR, HD programming, local channels, 3 TV's and the top 100 package.

In an effort to shut down some extra bills I'm trimming back on services so this was one of the frivilous things to go. So I called up and asked to cancel my service. They transferred me to account rententions to try and save me. The rep asked why I was cancelling and I just said that I was trying to save money. She then asked if I was going to have any other TV options. I wasn't planning on it and just said I was going with free OTA HD feeds from my local stations.

At that point she came back and said they were offering an "essentials" package for $10 "due to the hardships in the economy".

Package includes these:
AMC
Bloomberg
Boomerang
CMT
Comedy Central
Discovery Kids
Food Network
Hallmark
HGTV
The History Channel
HSN
MSNBC
MTV2
Oxygen QVC
ShopNBC
TBS
TLC
WE
The Weather Channel

Mostly crap, but Comedy Central, Food Station, TBS, Disovery Kids and History are worth $10.

This isn't advertised on the website so I thought I'd pass along.

 

[bignateyk]

That's a pretty shitty lineup, but for $10 i guess it would be worth it.

 

[Kelvrick]

Originally posted by: bignateyk
That's a pretty shitty lineup, but for $10 i guess it would be worth it.

Without going into HBO, Showtime, Skinemax, what else is there?

I'd say thats a decent deal. Comcast will charge that much for just the regular channels.

 

[ScottyB]

If it had Sci-fi and Cartoon Network, it would be worth it.

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: bignateyk
That's a pretty shitty lineup, but for $10 i guess it would be worth it.

If I could add ESPN for $5 more it would be perfect for me. But I know that ESPN is one of the most expensive stations that they have to buy. It's more for my wife than me anyway. She loves most of the comedy shows on TBS and can catch Scrubs reruns on Comedy Central. Plus a couple of the others just give you some mindless filler when you just want to sit and veg out for half an hour.

If you are very minimal TV watcher (probably less than 10 hours a week in my house), then it's nice alternative to next cheapest bundle which is like $40 after the signup incentives go away.

 

[Aikouka]

If I could pay $5 more and get HD networks (I can't get NBC HD or ABC HD via OTA) I'd probably do that.

 

[bignateyk]

Originally posted by: Kelvrick

Originally posted by: bignateyk
That's a pretty shitty lineup, but for $10 i guess it would be worth it.

Without going into HBO, Showtime, Skinemax, what else is there?

I'd say thats a decent deal. Comcast will charge that much for just the regular channels.

ABC, CBS, FOX, ESPN, TNT, etc...

Really the only channels I want are:

ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, ESPN to take care of my football and hockey watching needs.

Then throw in discovery, history, learning to watch when i'm bored.

 

[venkman]

Locals plus ESPN, TNT, TBS, SciFi, Cartoon Network, Comedy Central, and Fox Sports Detroit would make up my ala carte package. Heck, I could probably live without SciFi even.

 

[alm99]

Why can't cable offer a deal like this? I would gladly pay the additional $10 beyond the basic $17 for local channels 2-18, for food network, history channel, HGTV, discovery.

 

[kedlav]

Originally posted by: venkman
Locals plus ESPN, TNT, TBS, SciFi, Cartoon Network, Comedy Central, and Fox Sports Detroit would make up my ala carte package. Heck, I could probably live without SciFi even.

Essentially the same, but I'd like FSN-Detroit in Cleveland to get more Wings games. History Channel as well. Oh, and all of 'em in HD would be nice.

 

[OutHouse]

you know it would be nice dish and direct offered a "ala- cart" program. you pick any channel for 5 bucks each. i have the top 100 package and i dont watch most of what is on it but to get the channels i like i have to have the top 100. it would be nice to cut out all the crap channels like HSN and WE

i think a ala-cart program would go over well, but what do i know, im just joe schmo consumer.

 

[vi edit]

Had I chosen too, I could have got locals for the additional $5 bringing up the bill to $15.

I didn't have a need for them though. I now have a powered antenna on the roof and coax wired to every place that needs it.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

how is this not cheating the system... *remembers amazon prime thread that got closed because its supposedly fraud*

 

[bignateyk]

Originally posted by: Citrix
you know it would be nice dish and direct offered a "ala- cart" program. you pick any channel for 5 bucks each. i have the top 100 package and i dont watch most of what is on it but to get the channels i like i have to have the top 100. it would be nice to cut out all the crap channels like HSN and WE

i think a ala-cart program would go over well, but what do i know, im just joe schmo consumer.

except if they switched to ala-cart the price of individual channels would skyrocket. By forcing useless channels on consumers as part of a package deal they can offer them for much much cheaper than usual.

You might be able to get channels like ESPN for $5, but the lesser watched channels (sci-fi, food network, etc..) would be far more expensive (assuming they didn't just go off the air altogether)

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: DLeRium
how is this not cheating the system... *remembers amazon prime thread that got closed because its supposedly fraud*

How is it cheating the system if it's something that was offered to me by the company? I had every intent to cancel my service and was provided this option to save me as a subscriber.

It's not something that is listed on the website, and not something that I even remotely expected to receive.

Since it isn't something that is readily known I figured I'd drop a friendly PSA to people looking to cut down on some bills.

 

[Jugernot]

Originally posted by: Kelvrick

Originally posted by: bignateyk
That's a pretty shitty lineup, but for $10 i guess it would be worth it.

Without going into HBO, Showtime, Skinemax, what else is there?

I'd say thats a decent deal. Comcast will charge that much for just the regular channels.

Playboy TV.... Directv FTW!

 

[Vehemence]

No Discovery, ESPN, Sci-Fi, and Cartoon Network? Pshaw I say. Pshaw.

 

[SAWYER]

I called and dropped my hd service and they taked on a 7/month hd enabling fee since I am leasing a rec. I bought a stand def rec off hidefdigest for 30 bucks and will be saving that ridiculous fee and a 7/month fee for leasing their rec.