DigitalTVDojo

I should say right up front that I never quite “got” Imus in the Morning. Plus, as a New York Sports fan, I wasn’t exactly crazy about the fact that he took up like four hours in the morning drive slot on WFAN, the city’s (heck, the world’s) premier sports talk station. But I know a lot of people DO like the guy, so I thought I’d let you all know about his resurfacing after the “nappy-headed-hos” remark that got him booted from WFAN and MSNBC.

According to a recent story in Broadcasting & Cable, Imus is set to return to the air, and his show will be simulcast on RFD-TV, a channel that is primarily available to subscribers of Dish Network and Direct TV. (There are a few cable companies that carry it, but it’s unspecified who those carriers are.)

Here’s a brief snippet from the article. I guess all you Imus fans out there can start rejoicing:

Imus will get a three-hour morning slot on the satellite/cable channel, which will be repeated at its HD channel the same evening. RFD-TV claims nearly 30 million homes via DirecTV, EchoStar Communications’ Dish Network and various cable deals.

Tags: No Comments.

Well here’s something you probably wouldn’t expect to hear. Dish Network saw a pretty big “churn rate” this past quarter, meaning the number of people who canceled their Dish Network subscriptions in any given month was higher than it has been in a long time.

Surprisingly, this is being attributed to the sub-prime lending crisis, and I guess this does make sense. After all, with people moving or losing their homes and a near-record pace, it stands to reason that people aren’t going to keep paying for a satellite TV subscription they don’t use. Here’s a quote from EchoStar CEO Charles Ergen:

“If you go down some subdivisions in America today, every other house has a for sale sign, and that particular house may have a dish on the roof or may have cable running into the house, and there is nobody living there,” Ergen told analysts. “You have that kind of backdrop where it is much more competitive environment because of the economy.”

Tags: No Comments.

Just read a really interesting article on the new battle shaping up over Dish Network vs Direct TV, and it’s no surprise what it’s about — HD programming.

According to the guys over at TVPredictions.com, Direct TV has been hammering Dish in recent subscriber numbers, thanks in part (they say) to Direct TV’s HD dominance. Clipped from the article:

EchoStar, the nation’s second largest satellite TV service, reported Friday that it added 111,000 net new subscribers in third quarter, compared to 295,000 in last year’s third quarter.

However, DIRECTV last week said it added 240,000 net subscribers in the third quarter, compared to 165,000 in the 2006 third quarter.

DIRECTV began its high-def expansion in the third quarter, jumping from 10 HD channels to more than 70 high-def channels by the end of October.

I’ve never really been one to endorse one service over another, but this looks like it’s certainly some troubling news for Dish Network. Direct TV has done a great job at recognizing that high-definition is the future of television programming, and by being so aggressive in adding HD channels, they’re really starting to kick Dish’s butt.

If you have either service, what do you think of the HD programming available? Leave some comments below and let us know.

Tags: No Comments.

It’s long been known that satellite TV (especially Direct TV) simply blows away cable when it comes to specialty sports coverage. Just this last April, cable companies like Comcast and Time Warner came within inches of losing out on baseball’s out-of-market package, MLB Extra Innings.

And although Direct TV has always had exclusive coverage of the NFL Sunday Ticket, the league wants as wide a distribution as possible for it’s fledgling NFL Network. And that’s where the trouble starts.

Both Comcast and Time Warner have thus far refused to carry the network on their basic cable tier, meaning subscribers who want access to the channel have to pay extra. And that has some owners and league officials hopping mad. Clipped from a recent NY Times Article:

Legislators in four states so far have filed bills that would pretty much ensure that the N.F.L. gets its way. In Texas, Mr. Jones has been using the fact that two Cowboys games will be shown on the network to stir up all kinds of trouble. He’s calling on Cowboys fans all over the state to abandon Time Warner in favor of competitors like DirecTV. And he’s talking to sympathetic legislators, who have threatened to file bills favorable to the N.F.L., bills that are being written by lobbyists hired by the league. (The Texas Legislature, which meets every two years, is not in session now.)

And then there’s Washington, where the N.F.L. is backing a proposal that would insert the Federal Communications Commission into these kinds of disputes. The proposal probably would ensure that the NFL Network gains the “carriage” it is seeking; it would also wreak havoc on the workings of the market — and would be quite likely to raise cable bills a lot more than $1 per subscriber. This, apparently, is what happens when you say no to the National Football League.

Interesting dispute here. Congress got involved during the baseball flap by holding hearings, and strongly encouraging MLB to cut a deal with the cable companies that would have been shut out. Only time will tell if they take a similar stance with the NFL.

Tags: No Comments.

We’ve been telling you lately about Direct TV’s goal to be the leader in HD programming by the end of the year, with a stated goal of offering 100 High-Def channels very soon, an amount that would blow away both cable and rival Dish Network.

Seems like sports fans are going to be a big beneficiary of this move. Here’s a story we saw over on the Broadcast Engineering blog. Clipped from that site:

DIRECTV is now offering the NBA TV channel in HD as part of its goal to offer 100 HD channels by the end of this year. With the addition of NBC TV HD, the direct-to-home satellite TV provider now offers 74 HD channels, including 16 sports networks.

The NBA TV HD channel will feature more than 72 games and other NBA programming in HD and will be available to subscribers on channel 601.

DIRECTV has been aggressively marketing its HD offerings to differentiate itself from cable companies that on average offer far fewer linear channels in HD.

So obviously, as I said, this is good news for sports fans and anyone who’s a Direct TV subscriber. Now get on out there and get a kick-butt HDTV so you can take advantage of it!

Tags: No Comments.

Everybody talks about HDTV this and High Def that, but how important should that be to you, the consumer? What does it really mean for you that Dish Network offers more High Definition programming than anyone else? A lot can depend on how much time you spend watching TV and the sort of programming you enjoy the most.

High definition, by ‘real’ definition, refers to the number of pixels (picture elements) or color dots that are used to display a picture on the screen. Standard resolution uses roughly 500 pixels across and 500 pixels down while high definition uses 1920 pixels by 1080 pixels. So you can see that the number of pixels in HDTV is significantly higher.

What that means to you is brighter colors with more depth and brilliance, sharper images on the screen and an increased viewing area. High def images are generally wider than standard ones. Dish Network HD programming includes 75 channels of the most vivid, crystal clear images you’ve ever seen. Click here to learn even more about the HD programs available from Dish Network.

Some people may not realize that just buying an HDTV is not enough to enjoy HD programming, from any source. You must also have a receiver capable of decoding the high definition signal. Dish Network offers an HDTV receiver with a built-in DVR that allows you to pause live TV and record in high definition.

My own brother didn’t believe me at first when I got my HD equipment from Dish Network and raved about the difference between HD and regular channels. He changed his mind when he came to the house one Saturday to watch an afternoon of college football and felt like he was at the game instead of at my house. He was so blown away he insisted on using my computer at halftime to check out that website I’d used (don’t forget to click on the link). By the end of the afternoon he’d ordered his own High Definition equipment and set up his delivery date!

Poor Matt…he either didn’t know or didn’t remember that he needed an HDTV to receive HD programming.  But he’s got one now and still thanks me for proving him wrong about HDTV. There is a difference and it’s huge.  If you already have an HDTV, Dish Network will provide everything else you need.

Using their state of the art HD receiver with built in DVR you can record up to 55 hours of HD programming and a whopping 350 hours of programs in standard definition. They always have a special promotion going, and it changes frequently, so you need to visit the site I recommended to my brother to see the latest bargains.

Dish Network continues to lead their industry in providing the latest technology and the most HD programming possible for their subscribers. I’ve been a happy, satisfied subscriber for a long time now and take every opportunity to recommend them to friends and family.  Head on over to the link I suggested now and see why.

Tags: No Comments.

Guys,

The feedback on my last post was so amazing that I decided to put up a full guide on EXACTLY how I saved nearly $2,000.00 when I bought my 52″ HDTV. You’re going to love this one. And don’t forget to send me a thank you note! — Harry

Grab the Guide Right Here 100% FREE: http://digitaltvdojo.com/hdtvdiscounts/hdtvdeals.htm

Tags: 1 Comment

Mark is my best friend in the whole world. We’ve been best friends for nearly 30 years. So when he said he was saving up to buy a 52-inch LCD TV, I decided to do what I could, (short of just giving him money, which he’d never take anyway) to help him reach that goal. Somewhere in my endless surfing for a great deal on TVs, I ran across a term I wasn’t familiar with; refurbished electronics. So I started researching it.

What I found was nothing short of astounding. Who knew you could find name brand TVs and other electronics for a fraction of their retail price? It sounded almost too good to be true and being the skeptic that I am, I dug even deeper. The more I learned, the more excited I got for Mark. I knew I’d be able to find him the TV of his dreams and save him a boatload of money at the same time.

I finally found a site that I wound up giving to Mark to place his order through. By then I’d done enough looking to know that this one was up-front and dealt with the type of refurbished LCD TVs that he was looking for. I’ll give it to you in just a minute, and believe me, you should really check it out. Buying a refurb is a bit tricky if you don’t know what you’re doing, and these guys are hands-down the best place I found. But first you need to understand what happens to make a TV become a ‘refurb’.

Let’s say someone buys a TV from a big-name retailer, gets it home and discovers it doesn’t fit in the space they have. Or maybe it’s too small. So they take it back. That TV, according to consumer laws, can’t be resold as ‘new’ because the factory seal has been broken. And yet, it isn’t really ‘used’ either. So it becomes a refurbished set.

It goes back to the manufacturer and they in turn send it to their factory-authorized refurbisher. There the set is inspected and tested thoroughly and care is taken to be sure all original parts, manuals and accessories are intact. Because they’ve just tested the set, the manufacturer will usually offer a warranty, so you’re covered if something does happen to go wrong. The end result for you and me is that we can then purchase the set in good-as-new condition for huge savings! And I mean HUGE savings.

If you’re not careful though, you can get taken to the cleaners by less than reputable sellers of refurbished LCD TVs. That’s why the only place I recommend you go is right here (click on the link to check them out). Otherwise you could wind up buying a true ‘used’ set that a couple of geeks spiffed up in their basement. You must buy from a site who only deals with factory-authorized refurbishers.

Personally, I think refurbished is the only way you should buy an LCD TV or any other major electronic purchase. Again, if you go here I honestly believe you can’t go wrong, but I won’t take any responsibility if you go off on your own.

As for my friend Mark, he got his Samsung 52-inch LCD TV and he couldn’t be happier. He was able to save almost $2,000, and you’ll just have to believe me when I say there’s no way anyone would ever know it wasn’t right off the showroom floor. If you’re even *thinking* about replacing your old set you should check out the links I give you above! You’ll be glad you did!

Tags: No Comments.

It’s bad enough I’ve had to listen to my loud mouth neighbor brag about his Dish Network satellite TV system every single weekend for months, but last weekend I’d had just about all I could take and I came close to punching his lights out. It’s because of me that the pompous ass even HAS Dish Network.

When he first moved in, this was back when he seemed like a decent human being, he was asking all kinds of questions about cable TV and who did I use for my Internet connection. You know, just typical ‘I’ve just moved here’ type questions. So I tried to help him out, like a good neighbor should, and pointed out all the reasons he should consider a Dish Network satellite TV system instead of staying with cable.

I even showed him this website (go ahead, click on the link) where I had gotten such a sweet deal when I signed up for Dish Network. But did he listen? Oh no. He thought he could do better than me, so he spent I don’t know how long online, visiting a bunch of different websites, trying to beat my deal.

Here’s the kicker; the SOB wound up right back here (same link as before – check it out), the site I had shown him in the first place! And yeah, he got a better deal than I did, but it’s only because Dish Network was running a different promotion. In fact, that’s the perfect thing about this site; they stay on top of whatever promotion is currently being offered. Not an easy task, considering how often the promotions change.

Anyway, he’s been crowing for weeks about how he bundled his services to include Internet access and how much money it saves him every month. I’m the one who told him about Dish Network’s DSL service and how much unbelievably faster it is than dial-up. I’m the one who shared my favorite site with him (which, by the way, is the same one I recommended to my own mom) because I KNOW they always have the best deals.

I know, I know, I should probably just let it go, but he’s just so damn hard to ignore. I’m glad I’ll be moving soon, and I’ve already got things lined up to take my Dish Network system with me. The only difference is that I’ll be in a rural area and DSL isn’t available. But since Dish Network offers a satellite Internet connection through their partnership with Wildblue, I won’t have to sacrifice the great service I’ve come to know and appreciate from Dish Network.

So if you’re as arrogant as my neighbor and think you can find a better deal on Dish Network Internet service, go right ahead. But remember this site, and when you’ve grown weary of searching, you can go there and rest assured you’re getting the best deal Dish Network has to offer.

The only other piece of advice I’ll give you is this; if a pot-bellied, bald guy named Harry should happen to move in next door, put up a really BIG fence!

Tags: No Comments.

I just saw something that nearly sent me straight to bed and under the covers with an icepack on my head and a thermometer sticking out of my mouth. What was it? Even now I don’t like thinking about it. I just got taken back to the days before I got high-speed Internet access.

[Cue ominous music]

I just watched a webpage load in a browser with a 56K connection. [shudders] Ack – please don’t make me relive that!

Okay, let’s get serious. I sat down to write this review of Road Runner High Speed Online, and as part of that, of course, I had to check out just how fast the service really is. After all, what good is a Road Runner review without a thorough speed test, right.

That’s when I came across this demonstration…

Over on Time Warner’s website, they give a live demonstration of the speed of the service by loading a representative webpage using a typical Road Runner High Speed Online connection and put it up side by side with a connection powered by a 56k modem. Click here to run the test for yourself.

As you can see, using Road Runner your page would load in about 1 second. Using that old 56k modem [shudders again – stop that!], it took 21 seconds.

So obviously it’s, uh, faster (I’m a master of understatement).

And the difference is even more apparent when you try and load a video clip – you know, from like Youtube or Google Video or wherever. Check it out…

Seven SECONDS for the coyote bait – Seven MINUTES (nearly) for 56k.

So, again, it’s…uh…faster (see, I told you I’m something when it comes to toning down the rhetoric).

Speed is all well and good. But if you have to pay an arm and a leg for it, that’s another matter entirely. Well here’s where Time Warner totally blows you away. Connections this fast can often run you north of say $75 per month. But they’re running a special right now (click on the link to see it) where you can get their most popular package for just $29.95 a month. That’s a HUGE bargain, believe me.

And if that wasn’t enough, they’re also giving away a free wireless router and free cable modem so you can connect the entire house on one Internet connection (which means everyone can be online at the same time), and they’ll GIVE you $25 just for checking it out.

Seriously – I’m not making it up. Click here to see this deal now before they take it away.

Hope that helps you make a decision. I know what mine would be.

Tags: No Comments.