This past holiday, our household gift was an upgrade to our long-standing DISH Network television service. I’ve been a DISH customer since 1997, several months after their initial launch. And while I’ve resented their long-standing singular focus on expanding their customer base while thumbing their noses at existing customers, it seems that their tune has changed in the past couple of years. Now, in addition to extending special offers to new customers, they extend some to existing customers as well. (What a concept!)
One of the changes driving this is the emergence and importance of high-definition television (HDTV). It seems that cable, as well as DISH’s larger competitor in the satellite space, DirecTV, and DISH Network itself, are all vying to wear the crown of HDTV leader. So far, DISH seems to be winning that battle, with ostensibly the largest number of HD channels actually in-service (including local channels in HD in many markets), and at a price point that makes sense. Plus, with the successful launch of EchoStar XI in 2008, DISH Network is well-positioned to keep-up their pace of remaining competitive with cable and giving DirecTV a run for their money.
DISH has always been the scrappy underdog in a lot of ways, and I’ve sort of liked that about them. While your results may vary, every time I’ve looked at the cost/benefit of Comcast cable service, vs. DISH Network, vs. DirecTV, DISH has consistently come out on top. But the key reason it has isn’t found in the marketing materials of DISH Network, and it’s a pity. But you’re about to hear the secret, and it’s at the very core of why I re-upped with DISH over the Christmas holiday:
DISH Network receivers have an RF output, and a UHF (radio) remote control.
Why is this important, and what possible difference does it make to the cost/benefit analysis? After all, cable boxes and DirecTV have RF outputs too. Well, sure, but they also have only IR (infrared) remote controls that require you to stand in front of the receiver or converter to change channels, view the program guide, etc. A UHF remote lets you walk around your house and change channels, view the program guide, etc.
Still not with me? OK…
When you subscribe to cable TV, you have two choices. They can run a coaxial cable to your television, and you can get so-called “analog” channels, an ever-dwindling number of stations and networks, primarily locals and public access. If you want the good stuff, the channels people actually want to watch, you need a converter box. And more specifically, you need a converter box for every television you want to these channels on. You pay extra for every one of them, of course. (Some newer TVs have a different solution, the CableCARD, but there are still incremental costs associated with using one.)
When you subscribe to DirecTV, you need a satellite receiver for every single television you want to watch DirecTV on, because to use the receiver, you have to have a remote control pointed at the receiver. Sure, they do have multi-television deals. But I have no less than eight (yes, eight) televisions in my house. Do I really want to pay for eight satellite receivers? Not really. And in case you didn’t hear, old analog televisions won’t receive squat over-the-air starting in February, which means in my case, I’d have to have a DirecTV receiver for each one of these TVs if I wanted to watch anything on them.
Enter DISH Network. One DISH receiver’s RF output can be cabled to multiple television sets, much like analog cable television. But that remote? I can walk around the house with it. In the kitchen? Pick-up the remote and use it. In the office? Pick-up the remote and use it. It doesn’t matter; the receiver might as well be in the same room.
It is true that if you want high-definition, the RF cable isn’t going to help; you need HDMI or whatever to deliver HD programming to an HD television, so in this sense, we’re back to a level playing field. But like most people at the moment, most of my TVs are older, standard definition (SD) sets, and I still want to use them at the minimum possible cost.
The DISH ViP 722 receiver that sits next to the big screen delivering its lovely HD picture is one smart receiver. It does have an IR remote that sits with it in the basement. But the UHF remote it also has travels around the house. The RF output from that same receiver runs to several other regular televisions in the house. The 722 automatically downsamples HD programming to SD televisions, allowing me the full and complete spectrum of programming available. Its high capacity DVR lets me record things with as much ease and intelligence as a TiVo, handling SD and HD programming with equal ease, and letting me watch either type of programming on either type of TV. It’s connected to the Internet, and while the service is still expanding, I can download video-on-demand programming over broadband and watch it through the receiver. The user interfaces to use the receiver are generally good looking, and easy to use.
Simply put, I’m in television nirvana. I get just about every station, every network I could ever want to watch. A huge selection of high definition programming. Can easily record any of it and watch it when I want, on any television I want, without a pile of receivers taking-up space everyplace in my house. And I get all of it for a price that’s far lower than cable or DirecTV would charge me for the same capabilities.
I still don’t understand why DISH Network is the underdog in this space, and not the leader. But as long as the underdog does a better job, at a better price, then my choice is obvious.
Like a lot of underdogs, I don’t think they do a very good job of explaining their features and benefits. They clearly work to make their message understandable to the lowest common denominator of consumer, but in the process, they’re glossing-over myriad competitive advantages that they have. I suspect that they’ll continue to do a poor job of that, frankly. And by adding technologically sexy features, like integrating Slingbox into their new ViP 922 receiver, their services are actually getting more difficult to explain, not easier.
Be that as it may, I’ve been a bit of an underdog myself, and I’ve always typically worked for the underdog as well, so perhaps that’s part of the appeal. Regardless, my hat’s off to DISH. They clearly “get it.”
