DISH Network TurboHD service made its debut on August 1st, generating quite a splash with television advertising touting the availability of the only 100% HD service. Is Turbo HD all it claims to be? More importantly, is it worth it when comparing prices with either Direct TV or other DISH Network packages?
After reviewing the packages and pricing for Turbo HD, it looks more like marketing fluff than a viable alternative to programming and packages already available in the market today. DISH Network has fallen behind DirecTV’s lead in a big way over the past year, and obviously they feel TurboHD was a necessary step to help them get back in the HD game.
So what exactly is wrong with the whole TurboHD setup? First off, if a customer actually selects the HD only package, either Bronze, Silver, or Gold, they don’t get many channels to work with.
TurboHD Bronze contains 24 HD channels, six HD PPV channels, and 14 HD VOD channels. For $24.99 per month, that is probably all you should expect. Add locals for $5 and you may get them in HD if DISH Network has them in your area.
TurboHD Silver has 32 HD channels, the six pay-per-views, and again the 14 HD Video-on-demand channels. This package also includes regional sports networks where available, so you may get 2-3 channels there. Cost on this is $32.99 or $37.99 with locals added.
TurboHD Gold includes 40 HD channels, six PPV, 14 HD VOD and regional sports networks, all for $39.99 per month, or $44.99 with locals. Here are the 40 National HD channels in the Gold package, fewer channels are in the Bronze and Silver packages of course:
A&E HD
Discovery Channel HD
HDNet
Sci Fi Channel HD
ABC Family
Disney (E)
HGTV HD
TBS in HD
Animal Planet HD
Encore (E)
History Channel HD
Tennis Channel
Big Ten Network HD
ESPN HD
Lifetime HD
TLC HD
Biography
ESPN 2 HD
Lifetime Movie Network HD
TNT HD
Bravo
ESPNews
MHD
Toon Disney
Cartoon Network
Food Network HD
National Geographic HD
Travel Channel
Golf Channel/Versus HD
NFL Network HD
CNBC
Hallmark Movie Channel
Planet Green
Weather Channel
CNN HD
HD Theater
Science Channel HD
WGN
Finally, DISH Network offers the Turbo HD Platinum package. This stand alone package adds the following 7 channels on to any TurboHD package for $10 a month.
HD Net Movies
NBA TV
Smithsonian HD
World Fishing Network
MGM HD
NHL Network
Universal HD
So how does this compare with traditional packages, either with DISH Network, DirecTV, or even cable companies like Comcast, Time Warner Cable, or Cox communications?
As far as content goes, it doesn’t. Even with the Gold package, you are looking at a total of only 50 channels of programming once you toss out the PPV and HD VOD channels, which shouldn’t be counted in the first place.
Why only 50 channels, even when DISH Network is now claiming over 100 HD channels? None of these packages include premium movie channels, such as HBO, Showtime, Starz, and Cinemax. Then add all of the regional sports networks (RSN) that are not available nationwide, but are still claimed by DISH Network as HD channels, and you will finally get close the the 100 HD channels they claim to have.
DISH Network also continues to insist on charging an extra $10 for all of the available HD content that it carries.
These channels are the better channels available on cable TV, but they certainly don’t cover nearly enough of the pay television universe.
Now of course you don’t have to subscribe to just the TurboHD package. Any of these tiers can be added to DISH Network’s existing programming packages:
What this results in, however, is an almost unlimited number of combinations regarding standard packages, HD packages, and DVR additions. I fear for the DISH Network customer service representative, manning the phones and trying to explain all of the standard packages, along with the multitude of Turbo HD offerings available in addition.
Overall, I understand why DISH Network is promoting the heck out of Turbo HD, it is an attempt to level the playing field with DirecTV. The problem with their HD only packages is that ordering and understanding satellite TV may take longer than you ever thought possible.
16 comments ↓
That stinks. I was all excited and called my dad about getting him a bunch of channels for his two HD televisions. I knew there was a reason that it was cheaper than what he is paying right now for standard definition channels. I just didn’t know what it was until reading this. I don’t watch tv myself, except maybe Fox News.
This looks like the perfect package. None of the extra lousy channels I am innudated with on cable tv. A nice compact set of channels that have good quality shows. I am going to cancel all but the limited basic set on cable and use turbohd as my HD supplement. I’ll save $60/mth and get better channels! Now that is something I can live with.
I’m not impressed with the packages from most providers - sure you get 100, 200, 300 channels… of crap that I don’t want to watch or can’t possibly watch and still be be a productive citizen. You have to take into account A) all the junk channels and B) once you have an HDTV, you don’t watch much standard def. It just looks like crap next to HD.
Plus I still can’t believe we’re still paying for channels to spam us with commercials, but that’s another story.
I just dumped my cable because of these reasons. TurboHD is actually compelling to me since it’s all HD and only $30/month, but until there are better TV options I’ll stick to free internet content, thanks.
I agree with Jeff on the lack of watchable programming. We don’t have Direct TV where I live, but our satellite here is the same pretty much.
I agree that the 2-300 channels that cable networks nd satelite tv providers offer are not worth it. They charge a lot of money for channels that the average person will never watch. In the absense of an “ale carte” option which would allow people to choose the channels they want, the Turbo HD packages are a great deal. 35 dollars a month for locals plus all of the channels that you would normally watch, or 40 dollars to add local sports networks. Fantastic! if you ask me, and I just ditched my cable provider for this and will be saving 50 dollars a month.
I’d ordered the TurboHD Gold package plus our local DMA in combination with a ViP 722 HD DVR and I’m more than pleased!
I thought I’d miss channels moving from a larger SD package on DirecTV, but I’m finding that all the shows we did watch are here in the Gold package. The DVR is a huge improvement over our previous R16 and is extremely easy to program to capture our shows in “new release” only configuration. No wasted hard drive space on reruns.
Much cheaper than our previous package, plus it’s HD!
[...] little comparison shopping. The newest deals include an all hi-def package from DISH Network called TurboHD Gold. DirecTV offers HD service for only $9.99 a month. Prices are different with cable TV companies [...]
Like others, I’m finding the Dish TurboHD Bronze to be the perfect package for me, a sports fan. Here are each carrier’s lowest-end priced package that contains ESPN with High Defintion and DVR, as I just checked online:
Cox cable - $81.65 (they make you get both SD and HD)
DirecTV - $55.96
Dish TurboHD - $34.99
Seriously, there’s no comparison. I don’t need 100 channels, with 70 channels I usually just skip. I even get local channels with this package.
i expect to get a the top 200 + bronze. my main concern is picture quality. i get hd over the air and the quality is superb, minus the pixilation when the wind blows hard–the only reason im switching. ive heard the quality is not as good as over the air? any feedback?
i just dumped Time Warner cable for the Gold TurboHD package. The reason is that I only watch HD channels because I can’t stand the poor quality of SD channels. This package offers more HD channels than Time Warner and I will probably watch most of these channels. With Time Warner I probably only watch about 20 of the channels (even though I have hundreds of SD channels) so I will end up with more with this package and save money too. Not to mention this HD DVR blows cable away!
Lea,
Sounds like I am in the same boat with you, except Comcast was the victim in my case. They only have 12 HD channels in my area-WHAT A JOKE! Got the Turbo HD Gold along with the platinum add on for a few months at least, plus HBO and Cinemax. I dont miss the standard channels at all, just a bunch of shopping channels anyway! Comcast better get its act together before they lose all of their customers…oh and your right about the HD DVR…its awesome
I agree with most of the posts here. I am an old DirecTv customer and I called to see if they had any HD deals for a returning customer that owns their equipment. Nope. You need to buy one of their SD packages with a new contract/equipment and add select HD channels for $10/mo. I don’t want all the crap in their base packages. Don’t like 10 shopping channels, MTV, VH1, E, etc. Dish Network’s new HD only programming is close to perfect. I am very very happy to pay their price for only HD channels that I will actually watch.
People that compare Dish Turbo to other providers by counting channels don’t understand. My cable company makes me pay $50 a month for the analog channels before I can add HD for $5 for. Dish Turbo has more channels than cable and the only reason I’m not getting this just yet is that here in the Philadelphia area Comcast is using a FCC loophole to withhold the Philly sports network from satellite providers. Other than that this package has all the channels I watch and they don’t make you pay for all those analog channels us HD owners aren’t watching anyway.
I absolutely love DISH offering Turbo Bronze. We, a married couple at thirties on a budget, love movies and Blue-rays, and are not very much into TV. Moreover, local HD channels work just great with our TERK HD antenna. Hence, $25 for CNN, ESPN (X2), Disney, TBS, SciFi, A&E, Weather, and more… sound just too good to be true, at least to us.
One thing. 24 months commitment or $100 installation fee, certainly stinks. Especially when you had no experience with satellite tvs. No money-back guarantee for the picture quality doesn’t make any sense, for this kind of a “new” business.
[...] A final consideration you should know about is how DISH Network is numbering the channels included in the packages. For example, the TurboHD Bronze setup which includes 44 channels, of which 24 are network channels, six are PPV, and 14 are VOD, (video on demand) channels. For some, that number would be adequate others are accustomed to having a lot more content to choose from. One final note, the Turbo HD packages do not include premium movie channels like HBO or Cinemax, so don’t be surprised when you have to pay more for those commercial free channels. For more detail on these packages, check out the Turbo HD Review. [...]
This package looks absolutely amazing. When my buddy Michael tryed to get an install he realized a tree needed to be moved. He almost backed out…..then Dish offered 10 a month off his bill for the first year. Well……..not only was it a deal to start….but that paid for the tree branch removal…….DING DING DING…..we got a winner. When we first turned it on we were a little down…….thought the picture wasn’t right….played with the options and instantly when we switched to 1080 option we were blown away. Add the dvr……ability to download your favorites……downloading from work when he found something awesome………this service is exactly what he needed. I am going to get this for the house very soon. Comcast gives you jumbled numbers…….you get exactly what you want with this package.
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