I would just like to not have to read tea leaves, like lists of resolutions of prior spats, absence of AMC in channel lineup cards, etc. Unfortunately for us, we're not willing to live without Mad Men and Breaking Bad, no matter what "high quality" channels replace AMC. I'd REALLY prefer not to leave for Comcast, but I need to make a decision soon, as I'm having my roof replaced soon, and have no desire to sink a dish into it just to have it removed a week or two later!
I'm in the same boat. I'm one of those who will definitely go back to cable if AMC gets dropped. But the current spat is very different than others, so you don't really have to read the tea leaves. All the facts are there, so you don't have to guess.
- Dish has publicly stated weeks ahead of time that the have no plans to renew AMC's contract. It's not conditional. They have no plans to renew. That's normally not done. Other negotiations were kept quiet until the last minute. If this is truly just a negotiating tactic, it's the worst one I've ever seen.
- Reliable Dish sources (DIRT, etc.) don't deny that AMC will be dropped.
- Dish has already removed AMC from the lineup cards. They've never done that in other disputes.
- Dish is also in a legal battle with said company and is keen to punish them in any way they can.
I know many disagree with me, but I think they are simply ignoring the facts. In other disputes, both sides express a willingness to negotiate. That hasn't happened at all in this case. Also, Dish expects AMC to drop their asking price because of low ratings and availability elsewhere. These are total BS arguments made up to justify their punitive move. AMC has relatively ratings, higher than ever. And everybody offers their content multiple places. So if these are Dish's criteria, then they should drop every channel since everybody that streams via Hulu or their own sites has "devalued" their content.
We'll know soon enough. I have my plans in place with the cable company. I'm watching all my recordings so they'll all be gone by the end of June. I've reworked my junction box. I have my sling adapter ebay listing ready to go. I don't want to switch, so if there is a deal, then great, I'll gladly eat my words. But I think the likelihood of a deal is extremely low in this case. AMC is gone.
