# Cancelled the HD package...again.



## Jon J (Aug 23, 2000)

Football on ESPNHD and ESPN2HD are over, don't care about basketball, have seen all the stuff on HDNET, Discovery, etc. So, I called to cancel the HD package and was greeted by a CSR who agreed there's really very little in the package to make it worth the money if you're not a basketball fan. The cancellation was, of course, painless with no special offers to stay.


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## rkester (Jan 10, 2005)

Suprized the guy didn't try to keep you on board with some free months or similar.

I guess they know their HD offering is weak and arent going to push keeping it on for too long. As long as you dont cancel their service completely.


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## ebonovic (Jul 24, 2001)

I keep trying to cancel the HD Package, but the occasional College basketball game in HD, and Extreme Engineering on Discovery (and Monster Garage, and American Choppers), plus a few others... just enough to make me keep it.

Then mix in Battlestar Galatica in HD... Then the Olympics in February..
$9.99 (in March) is not SO bad afer all. (not great, but enough out there to keep me intrested)


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## rkester (Jan 10, 2005)

I'm new to the HD DTV stuff, so seeing the same 20 programs over and over and over isnt wearing thin yet.

But in 6 months when Ive see it all over and over, I think change will be welcomed. Like our satellite overlords.


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## ebonovic (Jul 24, 2001)

Don't get me wrong... there are MASSIVE amounts of repeats on the current HD Package...

But there is just on the boarder of enough new stuff to keep me intrested.


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## pdawg17 (Mar 1, 2003)

ebonovic said:


> I keep trying to cancel the HD Package, but the occasional College basketball game in HD, and Extreme Engineering on Discovery (and Monster Garage, and American Choppers), plus a few others... just enough to make me keep it.
> 
> Then mix in Battlestar Galatica in HD... Then the Olympics in February..
> $9.99 (in March) is not SO bad afer all. (not great, but enough out there to keep me intrested)


Are they going to be showing a lot of Olympics thru the HD package that is different from the nbc coverage? On what channel and is there a schedule somewhere?


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## moonman (Jul 21, 2004)

Has anyone noticed that you can't add/remove the H/D pak via your online
account anymore??? What's up with that? I guess they want you to call, so they can
tell you how great the pkg. is


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## Jon J (Aug 23, 2000)

rkester said:


> Suprized the guy didn't try to keep you on board with some free months or similar.


Very nice lady just turned it off...click. No discount offers, no nothing. Just g'bye.

And moonman, I could have eliminated it online but I wanted to be sure I would not be charged a termination fee.


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## ebonovic (Jul 24, 2001)

Yes, someone pointed out the HD package not on the website any more.

My guess, is they are trying to cut back on people turning it on and off (just like the premiums where being done), for just one day or one hour.

As for the Olympics...

Universal HD is scheduled to show a good amount in HD.... 
(Edit: Looking through the list, it looks like UHD is primarily going to be showing HOCKEY)
But most of first run material is going to be that of non-primetime items.

Head over to http://www.nbcolympics.com/index.html

for a brakedown of what will be on what NBC/Universal networks.


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## MisterEd (Jun 6, 2001)

If I remove the HD package do I lose:

My DTV locals in HD (82,3,4,5 etc) - I get them OTA as well so it wouln't be a big deal?
HBO, SHO HD (I subscribe to them in SD already via Premier) ?


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## Jon J (Aug 23, 2000)

Will not affect OTA HD or the HBO or SHO HD channels.


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## rkester (Jan 10, 2005)

Jon J said:


> Will not affect OTA HD or the HBO or SHO HD channels.


Agree on the OTA since you get them OTA.

However do not agree on the premiums. If you do not subscribe to the HD package, you do not get the premium HDs (SHO and HBO). Those channels are part of the HD package, and are only available to those with the HD package who subsribe to them normally.


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## dishrich (Jan 16, 2002)

rkester said:


> However do not agree on the premiums. If you do not subscribe to the HD package, you do not get the premium HDs (SHO and HBO). Those channels are part of the HD package, and are only available to those with the HD package who subsribe to them normally.


100% wrong - I have HBO, DON'T have the HD package & get HBO HD just fine.
It's NEVER been a requirement to have the HD package to get the HBO &/or Showtime feeds; just that you sub to those corresponding SD premium tiers.

And for the record, you also do NOT need the HD package to get the HD LIL feeds; you just need to sub to locals.


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## ebonovic (Jul 24, 2001)

dishrich said:


> 100% wrong - I have HBO, DON'T have the HD package & get HBO HD just fine.
> It's NEVER been a requirement to have the HD package to get the HBO &/or Showtime feeds; just that you sub to those corresponding SD premium tiers.
> 
> And for the record, you also do NOT need the HD package to get the HD LIL feeds; you just need to sub to locals.


Ding Ding 100% correct...

Including those that applied for waviers as well for the distants.
They also not tied to the HD Package.

Bottom line... the only HD content affected by bringing the HD package on and off yoru plan, are ESPN, ESPN2, UHD, Discovery, HDNet, HDMovies


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## rkester (Jan 10, 2005)

dishrich - I was just repeating what I was told by DTV on several occassions. I have asked them about that several times when inquiring about the HD package and equipment.

So what you are saying is, if I dumped the HD package but had the HD reciver I'd still get my HBO HD. Geesh, that essentially means the HD package offers me even less items for my money. :/


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## dishrich (Jan 16, 2002)

rkester said:


> dishrich - I was just repeating what I was told by DTV on several occassions. I have asked them about that several times when inquiring about the HD package and equipment.


Well not quite, since the way you said it made it sound like you were 100% SURE about this. (as in you had actually tried disco'ing the HD pkg & lost your HBO HD personally) If you have had D* for any length of time, you should know by now most of the CSR's have no clue - THAT'S why you come to this board for the CORRECT answers, he he!  



> So what you are saying is, if I dumped the HD package but had the HD reciver I'd still get my HBO HD. Geesh, that essentially means the HD package offers me even less items for my money. :/


You got it, bub...


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## rkester (Jan 10, 2005)

So has there ever been a time when the HD companions to the Premium movie nets was only part of the HD package if you sub'd to those channels already?

I was told that years back when looking into HD for my dad, and then 2x recently when I was considering the switch after getting my HDTV.

And yes i know the CSRs are about worthless (minus a handful who really try, props to those who do know stuff). I spent an hour with them this weekend trying to fix my old receivers problems. to have them send me to someone else who just went blip blip and was done.


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## ebonovic (Jul 24, 2001)

The HD Package it self is only a few years old...

When the first HD items where available, it was only the HBO and SHOW.. and it was tied to the premium subscription.


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## rkester (Jan 10, 2005)

So there is possibly something behind what I was told 3x. Ok, so I feel less poorly informed for now. At least I know DTV is the source of the confusion here.

If the SD quality was not so poor anymore, I'd rather spend the $10 a month that I do on HD for a 2nd premium or something.

bleh.


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## dishrich (Jan 16, 2002)

But understand, when there was only the HBO HD feeds, there never was an "HD pkg" per se, because there was NO extra charge for the HBO HD feed - get the HBO pkg, & if you had an HD box, you got HBO HD for NO extra charge - it's been this way since day 1 of HBO HD. It has always been this was for Showtime HD as well.

When the HD pkg was added, (which was ESPN, Discovery, & the 2 HD nets) this did NO change the way HBO (or Showtime) HD was priced; since it was FREE, it didn't matter about the HD pkg.


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## MisterEd (Jun 6, 2001)

If I cancel the HD package and lose the DTV broadcast HD networks (NY) will all the SP's that I have setup to the 82,83,84,etc HD channels automaticlly revert to one of the other matching networks channels or would I have to reprogram all my SP's ?


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## jamesbobo (Jun 18, 2000)

MisterEd said:


> If I cancel the HD package and lose the DTV broadcast HD networks (NY) will all the SP's that I have setup to the 82,83,84,etc HD channels automaticlly revert to one of the other matching networks channels or would I have to reprogram all my SP's ?


Why do you think you would lose the HD broadcast networks? They're not part of the HD package either.


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## MisterEd (Jun 6, 2001)

I didn't know if they were or were not which is why I asked.  So basically it seems I have absolutely nothing to lose. I keep the HDef NYC networks on 82-8x, I keep SHO and HBO HD ... all I lose is the useless stations I have yet to look at because I have no interest in bugs, old movie reruns and some crappy sports network. Total waste of $10.99 IMHO.


jamesbobo said:


> Why do you think you would lose the HD broadcast networks? They're not part of the HD package either.


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## jamesbobo (Jun 18, 2000)

Mistered, I was in the same boat you're in. After having the HD package for about three months, I only watched two HD Discovery shows. I cancelled the package. I still get NBC, ABC, CBS, HBO and Showtime in HD. 
If you don't watch sports, or Battlestar Gallactica, the HD package is almost useless.


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## axelf (Jul 4, 2004)

The rep told me that 2 new channels were coming next month. One of them was National Geographic. Not sure what the other one was. I wasn't overly impressed, but I like Galactica and Knight Rider.


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## pdawg17 (Mar 1, 2003)

axelf said:


> The rep told me that 2 new channels were coming next month. One of them was National Geographic. Not sure what the other one was. I wasn't overly impressed, but I like Galactica and Knight Rider.


In general, why are they so hush-hush about what channels are coming? You would think with "next month" being so soon that they would have told us by now...


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## dishrich (Jan 16, 2002)

pdawg17 said:


> In general, why are they so hush-hush about what channels are coming? You would think with "next month" being so soon that they would have told us by now...


1. They DON'T want the competition to know until they HAVE to.
2. In case something goes haywire BEFORE they actually put the channel up, they don't want to have egg on their faces. (DISH knows this all too well from years past - hell, they sometimes have problems right AFTER a channel gets launched   )


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## cheridave (Mar 2, 2004)

pdawg17 said:


> In general, why are they so hush-hush about what channels are coming? You would think with "next month" being so soon that they would have told us by now...


So more people won't have to cancel their HD Package .......again

Dave


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## ebonovic (Jul 24, 2001)

dishrich said:


> 1. They DON'T want the competition to know until they HAVE to.
> 2. In case something goes haywire BEFORE they actually put the channel up, they don't want to have egg on their faces. (DISH knows this all too well from years past - hell, they sometimes have problems right AFTER a channel gets launched   )


DirecTV users know it too... It was a good three or four months after the ESPN2-HD announcement, before it was turned on.


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