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SkysTheLimit
Rotor, All American Direct offered HD networks from Chicago or LA. When that company was sold they made an executive decision that they could not operate and afford the required bandwidth to support HD for the distant networks. The satellite they "decommissioned" (old 61.5) was never really authorized here either. Thanks for the plug!

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JoeyBallgame
So, they never called today, so at Noon I called them back and they said I am scheduled for this Saturday am.
I am on STT, otherwise I would have calle Paradise, I've read good things about them here.

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rotorhead

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SkysTheLimit
Rotor, All American Direct offered HD networks from Chicago or LA. When that company was sold they made an executive decision that they could not operate and afford the required bandwidth to support HD for the distant networks. The satellite they "decommissioned" (old 61.5) was never really authorized here either. Thanks for the plug!

Don't get me wrong. I like Alan. He does a GREAT job. I know many of his customers and they are all happy with the service that they get from him. He is however a bit disingenuous with his story of the changes that Dish made to their programming last year. BTW, Alan does not control Dish's programming. He simply has to accept it and roll with the changes.

I have been a Dish customer here since 1999.

The networks were originally available directly from Dish. New rules from Congress forced them to spin them out to AAD.

First about the executive decision that All American Direct made to no longer offer HD networks out of Chicago and LA. They didn't just up and decide to end the programming. AllAmericanDirect's lease on these transponders ended and Dish wanted the bandwidth back so Dish raised the rates on the transponders enough so that the HD offerings were no longer profitable for Sobongo/All American Direct. So they ended. After 5 years of getting the networks in HD they were no longer available. Thank you Dish.

Second, about the 61.5 satellite never really being authorized here. When Dish originally came out with HD programming it was all on 61.5 for the eastern arc. You had no choice, you want HD you get it from 61.5. I called and signed up for their HD package. They sold it to me and charged $10 per month for it. They NEVER said they were selling me this programming but by the way this is not really an authorized satellite. For years they sold me HD programming on 61.5. Then they started migrating some of the HD programming to 110. When they took down the 61.5 satellite we lost two thirds of our HD channels. Most of the HD channels that were part of the Premium Movie Package went away. You used to get 5 HD channels from HBO, now 1 channel. Same with all of the other movie channels.

Did they lower their rates? NO, they raised them. They came out with the story that this was their first rate increase in years and there wouldn't be another for 3 years. But unfortunately it coincided with us losing HD networks and HD programming on 61.5. The net result last January was a rate increase plus a loss of HD networks and two thirds of our other HD programming.

Ask dish for a channel lineup card for the Puerto Rico/Virgin Islands package which lists all of the channels that you can receive. They probably won't give you one. Then compare the number of channels that you get with what people in the states get. Then compare what Dish charges you versus what they charge in the states. Same rates as in the states with much less programming.

This prompted me to drop my Dish Premium Movie package and sign up for Netflix and HuluPlus instead. $16 per month instead of $42 per month, and I could not be more happy. Then someone on here mentioned USTVNOW. It's free for the networks. It works great.

I was just responding to this question to point out that if you have a good Internet connection then you have alternatives to Dish.