Why I love C band programming

[tvropro]

I got a Direct Tv promo in the mail today and started reading the fine print, just for laughs. Now I know why I like C band so much. Attached is the pizza small print, love there charges in BOLD

 

[ParaclipseCKu]

We may not get everything but at least we can do what we want, when we want and not be tied into these silly contracts!

 

[tvropro]

Contracts and hidden add on fee's for everything. No thank you I'll take my C band 4DTV and My DVB

 

[Radioguy41]

Contracts and hidden add on fee's for everything. No thank you I'll take my C band 4DTV and My DVB

X2

 

[stogie5150]

The only thing they missed was what they really SHOULD have said:

"Actual Results may vary."

 

[Corrado]

I get those DirecTV ads in the mail all the time from different retailers, seems like no two are alike. Different offers during the same month. The only thing that never changes is the nickel and diming. No wonder there's such turn over when the promotion ends.

I'll stick with my C band too...

 

[Lone Cloud]

I have to agree, and even though I don't have any 4dtv, I am more than pleased with the variety and quality of the available and free C-band transmissions.

I't's true, if you add up what a basic subscription costs for 2 1/2 years and what I've paid on equipment, I'm probably not going to break even for another year or so. But people who are in hard times and now letting their Directv and Dish Net go have very few options, often no tv at all.

If I didn't buy one more piece of electronic hardware I'd still have a whole bunch of cool stations, free, legal and some of amazing quality.

C-band may not be as good as it once was when you could get everything, but it is still very good. and if you have a Ku setup of some kind to add to it, you can watch tv without any of the "I'm paying too much for this" pressure.

True Free To Air is a cool hobby. It's fun and there are very knowledgeable people in it, like on this site, who are free with their knowledge to help others.

You love it tvropro? Count me in.

 

[truckracer]

I won't have cable or pizza dish. I have been those routes before and it is just not worth it.
The only purpose i see for pizza dishes is for apartment dwellers who have no other choices besides cable services.

I know by the time i got the package i wanted with pizza dish service and my other receiver, I had about 80.00 per month in it. 720.00 per year plus.

With c-band, I spent about 35.00 per month and got what i wanted.
I don't sub to any services now. I am straight FTA and OTA digital local tv with an outdoor antenna.

 

[tvropro]

Glad to hear this

This is a good addition to this thread:

Dish Drops 102,000 Subs In Q4 - 2009-03-02 11:58:00 - Multichannel News

 

[Anole]

Dish Drops 102,000 Subs In Q4

Don't 'cha wish SatGuys could pick up 50k members? -
And I know you wish C-band could pick up 50k users! -

You gotta think a lot of those are not just churning (going to the other provider), but closing down their accounts due to lost jobs and the economy.
(Sorry, I'm writing this before reading the article)

What a boost in sales it would be for the DVB receiver vendors to capture a small portion of that market!
Sadoun and SatelliteAV need to beat the bushes - there are customers to be gained in these troubled times!


edit: okay, I read the very short article.
I'll stand by the above opinion.

 

[N6BY]

While I agree that the contracts and fine print are confusing and the customer may end up getting scr*wed by it, I have been a Dish Network subscriber since 1997 (back when they were a MUCH friendlier company to deal with).

I got around most of the nickel and dime charges by buying (not leasing) a Dish 501 and a 508. My monthly bill is about $64 for their 'Americas Top 250' package. I avoid the $5 charge for locals with my OTA antenna.

But I love C-Band for things I cant get on Dish network, like the East coast networks on 99W and the ability to watch prime time programming 3 hours early (I'm in California).

Also love the occasional news feeds I find and some of the international channels. What a fun hobby.

 

[kirara386]

And I know you wish C-band could pick up 50k users! -

I just cancelled dish and went to 4DTV subscription services last month...so that's one more subscriber for C-band

 

[turbosat]

fine prints

I think I read that fine print correctly, Must maintain service , DVR...etc. SO now they are tying you to a DVR if you accept one of these promotions. I know I've been getting a ton of those letters, average at least 1 a week for several months now, sometimes two. Most of them get shredded without reading because I hate legalese but once in a while I will read one. But didn't catch that part of the trap! What if I didn't want their video recorder, haha....well. I won't ever have a tv service contract again, been there and had that.

 

[Cadsulfide]

You can steal more money with a briefcase than with a gun

 

[tvropro]

I got around most of the nickel and dime charges by buying (not leasing) a Dish 501 and a 508. My monthly bill is about $64 for their 'Americas Top 250' package. I avoid the $5 charge for locals with my OTA antenna.

$64 a month is cable robbery rates to me. Even if you pay NPS's new higher prices for the absolute digital for a year it comes to around $37 a month. No strings, no contracts, no local taxes. To me that's the winning hand

 

[tvropro]

You can steal more money with a briefcase than with a gun

Just look at capital hill

 

[Inno]

I just cancelled dish and went to 4DTV subscription services last month...so that's one more subscriber for C-band

+1

I subbed to 4DTV for the first time just this January and I have absolutely no regrets. I get only the channels I want and don't have to buy a huge package to get 'em. Between 4DTV, FTA and OTA I'm a happy boy !!

 

[tvropro]

Every new or returning sub to 4DTV is a PLUS for C band satellite programming. Each one that cancels the pizza guys for us is even better

Support C band Programming, Keep the 4DTV alive and well. :up

Subscribing to C band programming since 1987 nonstop

 

[dunnsept]

I'm all for singing the praises of C-band. I tell as many people here as I can. The response from most is "huh? you mean that old stuff still works?" or for the city kids "whachou talkin bout?"
I have been having discussions with my boss about all of this. He went with Dish just as I bailed on them to go back to c-band. his biggest factor was HD content. Straight C-band is really lacking on that front as we all know. BUT now he's really regretting it. He just came to me yesterday complaining & swearing. the "sweet deal" he negotiated with them, they somehow forgot/lost.. instead of a $65 a month bill, he got nailed with $150/month!
I'll take NPS trying to sell me a cell phone over that any day! ;-)

 

[tvropro]

I have been having discussions with my boss about all of this. He went with Dish just as I bailed on them to go back to c-band. his biggest factor was HD content. Straight C-band is really lacking on that front as we all know. BUT now he's really regretting it. He just came to me yesterday complaining & swearing. the "sweet deal" he negotiated with them, they somehow forgot/lost.. instead of a $65 a month bill, he got nailed with $150/month!

:haha ROTFL ... Man Im busting a gut, $150 a month now thats what I call hidden costs. Play with hot pizza and your going to get burned by the hot melted cheese