New prices/packages?

[Jhon69]

Just get TC+ and you won't have to worry.

 

[scotsmanron]

You gonna send me the $$$ difference every month?

 

[boba]

Total Choice is currently $44.99 and has over 155 channels, the replacement package is "Choice" with over 140 channels for $49.99. That is $5 more for 15 channels less or a big Double Dip. Reduce the package by 10% in content increase the cost by 10% seems like a heck of a deal for D*. Has anybody heard about what channels are being dropped?

 

[hiker]

Total Choice is currently $44.99 and has over 155 channels, the replacement package is "Choice" with over 140 channels for $49.99. That is $5 more for 15 channels less or a big Double Dip. Reduce the package by 10% in content increase the cost by 10% seems like a heck of a deal for D*. Has anybody heard about what channels are being dropped?

From a psot over a TiVo Community I see this:
Channels being removed from the former "TOTAL CHOICE" package and moved to "EXTRA":
E!
G4
OLN=VERSUS
Golf
Discovery Health
ESPN Classic
National Geographic
Fuel TV
Speed
Fox Reality
Sleuth
WGN
Oxygen

 

[Mtnmike]

You gonna send me the $$$ difference every month?

Here's a novel idea./ Drop DirecTV if you are priced out.

 

[wh5916]

Here's a novel idea./ Drop DirecTV if you are priced out.

I'm about to, by the end of this week.

 

[veener88]

I e-mailed D* about the HD and when my contract is done. It is on August so I should be good for when the HD packages come in, and this is what I got back. I am sure it is nothing new but thought I would post this incase something might be.

As for the new HD channels, although we can't specify yet the specific dates on when we will be adding the new HD channels in our lineup, upon review, I found that we will be launching more DIRECTV HD – national channels this year. We'll offer hundreds of games from RSNs (regional sports networks), including YES Network, Comcast Sports Net, NESN, and Fox Sports. We'll also offer an expanded line-up from all premium movie channels and we will add HD channels on more than 70 major networks, including:

A&E
Bravo
Cartoon Network
CNN
Food Network
FX
HGTV
MTV
National Geographic
NFL Network
SciFi Channel
Speed
TBS
The History Channel
The Weather Channel
USA Network

In addition, we're committed to continue providing the best in HDTV programming, so we're in constant discussions with program providers to continue adding new channels and programming. We expect to offer HD locals in 100 markets, serving 85% of U.S. homes.

 

[Hauser]

I've been talking with DTV about the HD packages and have some input to add. The Story: During the Buckeye/Gator game on 1/8/07, my DTV Phillips Tivo box decided to reset itself. I called DTV to complain. Spoke with a Customer Retention person (declined to talk with Tech Support) and they cut me a deal on the HR20 w/ 5LNb Dish. The deal was $99 for upgrade on rental box ($199/3 months, w/ $100 discount applied first month) along with 4 months free HD service. They didn't mention anything about a new 2 year contract either. I scheduled to have it installed on 2/3/2007 and became very anxious to see what I was getting. I looked online regarding the HD channels they would be giving me and only saw a list of 7 channels plus the KC area locals. I immediately went to the web and e-mailed my concern of the number of channels they had and my desire to see more channels (I compared my level of service to my inlaw's Dish HD service). The next day was the CES announcement that the CEO made regarding the improved service that DTV will be offering this summer (~August). I was happy. My question was answered pretty quickly. That night (1/9/07) I received an e-mail from customer support addressing my concerns and saying that improved service was on the way this summer. I then received 2 more e-mail with regard to my inquiry from different reps and got the same basic answers.
Tuesday (1/16/2007), I received a call from a DTV rep regarding if my questions had been fully answered. (I was flaberghasted by the amount of attention I was getting.) I told them Yes, except that now I was wondering what the new packages would be. The rep said that they had received an e-mail regarding it a few days earlier and began filling me in with the levels that are being quoted in the other posts (about $5 more than current levels). From what the rep said, this is what I gather. They will begin offering the new pricing in March even though the increase in national HD channels won't occur until Jun, July, and/or August when DirecTV-10 and DirecTV-11 launch and pass testing. The new prices will include DVR service fees as the service will be a standard for all new customers and old customers who renew. The rep then said the new packages are supposed to keep the existing channels and add all of the national HD channels (although we won't really know if this is true until it happens). Existing customers will then have the option of keeping the existing services and rates or upgrading later.

I'm happy with the answers I received, however I did express my concern to the rep when he told me that if I chose to sign with the new package in March, that my rates would be increasing $5 over what I am paying now without me receiving any additional services. The rep then tried to justify it to me by saying that there were some upfront costs that needed to be covered by the company and that this was the only way. I gave him a quick piece of my mind regarding that B$ and the conversation ended. Anybody else have any thoughts on this?

But you said the new pricing would include the DVR service fee, so that would even out the extra $5.00 it costs for programming wouldn't it? Isn't the current DVR Fee like $5.99?

 

[Jimbo]

But you said the new pricing would include the DVR service fee, so that would even out the extra $5.00 it costs for programming wouldn't it? Isn't the current DVR Fee like $5.99?

Yes, it would.
I really dont think the change is that big a deal.
IF you take the package you have and add the HD package and the addl / lease rec. fees that you curently pay,don't forget the DVR fee, add that all up and seewhat you are paying and then look at teh packages they are changing to and you will find it is very close in price.
Now I have not looked at any changes in channels in each packages yet.
I have yet to see this info on thier site for compairision.

Jimbo

 

[scotsmanron]

Here's a novel idea./ Drop DirecTV if you are priced out.

Don't tempt me, cable is looking better here every day and Comcast here just announced that they are "will be adding many new HD channels in the upcoming months". So it looks like they are in on whatever D* is doing. As someone speculated all these HD channels are exclusive to D*.

D* is pricing themselves out of the market. IT'S ONLY TV!!! I'll buy my parents a Tivo with two tuners, get a Slingbox and run it through a Media Center PC before long, and split the cost with them. It may not be HD but SO WHAT? What do I care if FoxNews is in HD?

 

[jpn]

It may not be HD but SO WHAT? What do I care if FoxNews is in HD?

If you don't care, why do you keep posting about it?

 

[scotsmanron]

The same reason you reply to me.

 

[wneilson82]

Don't tempt me, cable is looking better here every day and Comcast here just announced that they are "will be adding many new HD channels in the upcoming months". So it looks like they are in on whatever D* is doing. As someone speculated all these HD channels are exclusive to D*.

D* is pricing themselves out of the market. IT'S ONLY TV!!! I'll buy my parents a Tivo with two tuners, get a Slingbox and run it through a Media Center PC before long, and split the cost with them. It may not be HD but SO WHAT? What do I care if FoxNews is in HD?

If Cable here had better service and wasn't fighting with every channel it seemed, I would probably still be with them.

With that said, I love SundayTicket and am a huge MLB fan so the choice for me is quite simple.

 

[bonscott87]

As someone speculated all these HD channels are exclusive to D*.

I don't think there is anyone that seriously thinks that. These networks would definatley not make them exclusive to D*, it would be stupid. Now I can certainly see a "first launch on DirecTV" deal but certainly not an exclusive.

D* is pricing themselves out of the market.

Hardly.
Wow, they went up $3. Big deal.
Cable is already more expensive and goes up at least once a year themselves.
Dish also is raising rates.

This comes up anytime there is a rate increase. But everyone increases rates so switching just because of that makes no sense. Switch if you have other reasons. If you switched every time your provider raised rates you'd be switching at least once a year, no matter who you're with.

It's funny because if you go to the Dish forums you see the same threads "I'm switching to DirecTV or cable because Dish is pricing themselves out". Funny stuff.

 

[scotsmanron]

Typo on my part. I meant are not.

But the pricing....It's only $3 if you never change. If you do up it goes. And with the new FCC ruling cable is only going to get cheaper. If it were just $3 I wouldn't say too much, but the HD paks aren't going to be cheap. I'm beginning to think it's just not worth it. I'm going to have to think long and hard about it.

 

[jpn]

Typo on my part. I meant are not.

But the pricing....It's only $3 if you never change. If you do up it goes. And with the new FCC ruling cable is only going to get cheaper. If it were just $3 I wouldn't say too much, but the HD paks aren't going to be cheap. I'm beginning to think it's just not worth it. I'm going to have to think long and hard about it.

Early in 2006 I was told by a reliable and respected dealer-source that we'd have many new national channels by end-of-2006. At the time, that's what the dealer had been told. That plan was just announced to the public at CES.

The same thing applies to this new package/pricing model. It's all speculation until a press release announces it to the public. You're worked into a lather over speculation.

I would rather pay a nominal annual increase to cover cost increases and new channels, than to have the constant pissing-contest that E* has every time a provider raises its price by $0.10.

As for cable, the feds have always slanted the playing-field in their direction. But it's safe to speculate that requiring ATT to offer naked-DSL is a strong indication that cable will be required to do the same with broadband. That's going to pick their pockets, and they'll do their own part to raise their package prices. Don't count on low cable pricing just yet.

 

[satjay]

Rasing prices and Sunday Ticket/Super fan. Two post subjects that are yearly staples.....

I am intrested in there HD packages down the road...It will intresting to see how they break those down

 

[Jhon69]

Don't tempt me, cable is looking better here every day and Comcast here just announced that they are "will be adding many new HD channels in the upcoming months". So it looks like they are in on whatever D* is doing. As someone speculated all these HD channels are exclusive to D*.

D* is pricing themselves out of the market. IT'S ONLY TV!!! I'll buy my parents a Tivo with two tuners, get a Slingbox and run it through a Media Center PC before long, and split the cost with them. It may not be HD but SO WHAT? What do I care if FoxNews is in HD?

You know you might have just figured out a way to the problem.That idea doesn't
sound bad at all.

 

[scotsmanron]

I don't know how well this would work, but if I don't care about HD and I'm beginning not to, then this is looking better and better. I'm going to talk to some of the computer wizards about it.

 

[quirkykarma]

If we upgraded to TC + in the next few days do you think it would just go up a few dollars in March, or would changing something now bump us into the "new customer" pricing?