It is back to the future this year for DISH Network, as they are leaving their 2009 package names behind, and returning to the America’s Top series. No longer will they refer to their packages as the Bronze, Silver, and Gold, instead returning to numbers which reflect the approximate number of channels in the lineup. In this article, we will review a mid-tier package, the America’s Top 200.

The DISH Network America’s Top 200 package provides the subscriber quite a bit of content for the monthly fee. Overall, you and your family will enjoy more than 120 digital video channels, and more than 80 digital audio channels. Quite a few Sirius satellite radio stations are found in this package which are not found in the America’s Top 120.

One nice feature with looking at the Americas Top 200 for 2010 is that DISH Network has held the line on the package pricing. The normal DISH price for this package is $52.99 a month, and that price includes local channels and regional sports networks in your area. If you are considering DISH Network as a new subscriber, you can get a $15 a month reduction on that price, dropping it down to $37.99 a month for the first year of service.

To get an idea of all of the channels available in this bundle, check our Classic Silver 200 review for everything included.

As far as comparing the America’s Top 200 with DIRECTV, this package aligns most closely with the Choice Xtra package. That bundle from DIRECTV satellite includes around 200 channels total, and is regularly priced at $63.99 for 2010. Discounts for new customers drop that package into the same range as the America’s Top 200 for the first year, but you will pay more with DIRECTV starting in year two.

Additional offers on the DISH Network America’s Top 200 for 2010 include free HBO and Showtime for three months, free installation in four rooms, and 6 months free of the DISH Network service plan. If you want to continue with the DishHome protection plan after the six month promotion, is is $5.99 per month.

Additional fees to consider with this DISH Network package include HD access and digital video recorder charges. For $10 a month, you will get access to 55 full time HD channels with the America’s Top 200, as well as plenty of PPV high definition channels. If you want a DISH Network DVR, that will cost $6 a month for the first unit. While DISH Network did not raise package prices in 2010, they did add some hefty charges on additional DVR units, which can range from $10 to $17 a month depending on the unit you select. Be sure you have an accurate quote from either DISH Network or an authorized retailer if you need more than one DVR so there won’t be any surprises.

If you are in the market for a new pay television provider in 2010, then you may want to take a close look at the DISH Network bundles that are available to you.  With DISH Network, you can enjoy all of the local and national networks that you get from your local cable TV company, and in most cases at a lower price overall.

DISH Network Bundles

If you are currently subscribing to basic cable, you are probably paying at least $60 a month.  For digital or premium cable through a provider like Comcast, the bill moves into the $80 to $150 a month range depending on how many premium channels you have.  While a DIRECTV bundle may save you some over cable TV, their overall pricing structure is a bit more than with DISH Network.  With a DISH Network bundle, you can start with a package as low as $19.99 a month for the Dish Family package, but since very few subscribe to this package, we will start off with the Dish Classic Bronze bundle, and consider how it compares to cable.

The DISH Network Classic Bronze bundle is a great choice if you are currently a basic cable customer. Depending on your cable company, you probably pay anywhere from $50 to $75 a month for basic cable, and for that you probably get around 100 channels.  With the Classic Bronze bundle, you will get 120 channels total, of which around 25 are music stations.   Current pricing is $24.99 a month, which is a $15 discount from the regular price during the first year.  After that you are looking at $40 a month.  DVR service is another $6 per month, but even at the regular price this bundle compares well against basic cable.

The Classic Silver bundle is next up from DISH Network.  With more than 200 all digital channels, this package matches up well against digital cable or the DIRECTV Choice Xtra bundle.  This package is priced at $37.99 a month when considering the $15 first year discount.  Regular pricing is $52.99, which again compares well with something like your typical digital cable bundle.

The DISH Network Classic Gold bundle is next on the list, and comes in at $47.99 a month, or $62.99 a month if you are considering the price once the promotional period is over.   Here you will find over 260 all-digital channels when you count both audio and video.  Quite a few of these are Sirius satellite radio stations, so if those are not high on your list, the Silver 200 bundle may be a better choice.

Finally, the America’s Everything Bundle is the all inclusive choice available from DISH Network.  Everything in the Classic Gold package is included, plus more than 30 premium movie channels like HBO and Showtime are included.  This Dish bundle is just under $100 a month, and is also eligible for the new customer discount for 12 months.

A few additional factors to consider when looking at a DISH Network bundle.  All of the above packages include local channels where available.  DISH Network reaches more than 95% of the country with local channel programming, so this shouldn’t be much of an issue.  If you want high definition content with your DISH Network package, then you will be paying an additional $10 a month.   The number of HD channels you get depends on the bundle you pick, obviously the bundles with more channels overall also offer more HD channels.

Finally, none of the DISH Network bundles include the monthly fee for DVR service.  Right now, DISH Network charges $6 a month per DVR, though there are rumors circulating that Dish may be raising rates on their HD DVR service.  This does compare well with cable TV providers, some of whom charge upwards of $15 a month for DVR service.

Two of the big companies that compete head to head for your business are DISH Network and Time Warner cable. While Time Warner is the second biggest regional cable company, DISH Network is a national satellite TV provider. If you have access to both of these companies, you should line up and compare DISH Network vs. Time Warner cable before signing up for cable TV service.

With people looking for the most bang for their buck, cable and satellite TV companies are being scrutinized closely to see exactly how much they are charging. That is the case with both Time Warner and DISH Network, just like all other providers. Which should you choose if price is your number one consideration?

It depends on what you want from your satellite or cable provider. Many cable companies are offering triple play bundles of service, where you not only get your cable TV, but also your high speed internet service and home phone line. Time Warner cable, or TWC, is no different than Comcast or Cox cable in this regard, as they of course would rather make money off of their subscribers with three different services rather than one. If you want all of these services, you can usually get a good deal on a Time Warner triple play bundle.

On the other hand, many do not want a home phone because they use cell phones. Or they don’t have a computer so they don’t want internet service. They are just looking for a high quality cable TV service at an affordable price. If this is the situation you are in, then DISH Network satellite TV is probably the better choice rather than TWC.

Now if you are just comparing DISH Network prices vs. Time Warner cable pricing, you probably won’t find a big difference overall. Lets take a brief look at what each company offers so you can make the right decision when comparing TWC vs satellite TV service.

With DISH Network, pricing is fairly straightforward, and it is easy to figure out the package rates no matter where you live. Dish TV offers the Classic Bronze 100, the Classic Silver 200, the Classic Gold 250, and the America’s everything package. As you can probably figure, the number listed with each DISH Network package corresponds to the approximate number of channels in the package. If you are mainly interested in movies, then the America’s Everything is the way to go, with more than 30 commercial free movie channels.

DISH Network pricing starts at $39.99 for the Classic Bronze 100 and moves all the way up to $102.98 for the America’s Everything package.  Right now, the current DISH Network offer gives new subscribers a $15 discount for the first year of service.  While these packages do include your local channels, they do not include HD channels, which cost an additional $10 per month.  Another extra is the DISH Network DVR, which is another $6 per month up and above the base package price.

Now with Time Warner cable, the price can vary a bit from area to area.  Time Warner cable reaches across the country and is in several areas including New York, Ohio, California and Texas.  Major cites served by TWC include Los Angeles, San Diego, Cleveland, San Antonio and Austin.  In each area served by Time Warner, the company has to obtain a cable franchise and set rates with the approval of local authorities.  So while the price differences are minor, you won’t find them uniform in the different areas.

To give you an idea of the rates charged by Time Warner, we pulled up some of the pricing in the North Carolina area served by TWC.   Here you will get Digital cable including one digital box, one premium digital tier, as well as basic and broadcast cable for $71.95 a month.  Local channels are included, but DVR service is not, that will cost you another $10.95 per month.  Time Warner does offer Free HD, but the number of HD channels can vary quite a bit, especially in areas that have not been upgraded yet.

If you aren’t interested in Digital cable and the On-demand features that come with that service, you can get basic cable from Time Warner.  Pricing on that is listed from $34.83 a month up to $56.66, so you will probably want to call TWC directly to get an accurate quote.  Several add on bundles are available as well.  The Time Warner Spanish package is called Nuestra Tele, which can be added for $24.95 a month, or $34.95 a month if you want Spanish HBO programming.  The Family Choice offer gives subscribers a package of 15 family themed channels for an additional $12.99 a month.  If you are looking for Spanish channels, a better way to go would be the DishLATINO package on satellite.

Additional receivers are another consideration when comparing Dish TV and Time Warner service.  Each additional Time Warner cable Box will cost $7.23 per month, so keep that in mind when counting up all of your television sets.  An alternative is using the CableCard option for $2.50 a month.  Each DISH Network DVR and receiver is capable of delivering signal to one HDTV and one standard definition TV.  If you are hooking up more than two sets, you will pay $7 per month for each additional receiver, and another $5.98 per DVR.

Now pricing isn’t everything when comparing TWC to DISH Network, so lets look at a few additional considerations.  Finding your favorite channel is of course important when you are looking at selecting a cable or satellite TV company.   Both DISH Network and Time Warner carry all of the regular cable television channels you are used to including CNN, Fox News, ESPN, and Discovery.  Where you may find some issues is when you look into some of the second tier sports channels out there.

In particular, if you are a big NFL fan you probably won’t be to happy with the hard line Time Warner cable has taken when it comes to carrying the NFL Network and the new RedZone channel.  The NFL and Time Warner cable have been battling for years over carriage of the network over the cable system, and it looks like there will not be a resolution for the 2009 season.  The NFL also rolled out a new channel airing just on Sundays called the RedZone channel, and while it has been picked up by DISH Network on their Multi-sport tier, it has not been picked up by Time Warner yet.  Neither company has access to the NFL Sunday Ticket package, which is locked up with DIRECTV through the year 2014.

Other out of market packages are fairly even when looking at TWC against DISH Network.  Both carry the NBA League Pass and the NHL Center Ice packages which usually run about $200 per season.  DISH Network does not carry the MLB Extra Innings or the MLB channel, while Time Warner does, so that may be a factor in your decision if you are a big baseball fan.

Now when it comes to high definition, both Time Warner HD and DISH Network have been working hard to roll out as many  channels as possible.  DISH Network is considered the national HD leader, offering access to more than 140 channels currently.  While Time Warner’s channel count is a bit lower in most areas, they are doing better than most cable TV companies.   Time Warner expanded to about 100 HD channels in the New York City area in February, 2009 mainly in response to all of the high def being offered by Verizon FiOS.  While this is great for some served by TWC, others continue to wait for the cable company to upgrade their network so more HD content can be added.  Call your local Time Warner office to find out exactly how many HD channels are in your area when comparing services against DISH Network.

One area where Time Warner beats DISH Network is in the on-demand programming available.  Similar to other cable companies like Comcast and Cox, Time Warner has upgraded their cable TV network so that there are nearly 10,000 on demand programs available at any given time.  Now many of these are just short clips, and who can really watch 10,000 shows?  But it is a feature that becomes fairly addictive in that there is always something on, and you can watch episodes of your favorite shows that you may have missed in the past.  DISH Network does offer Pay per view movie on demand, but not much more than that.  The alternative is to record your favorite content on the Dish DVR so you can watch it at your convenience.

Speaking of DVR devices, which is better?  The DISH Network DVR vs Time Warner’s DVR.  When it comes to capacity, the DISH Network DVR wins hands down.  The Dish TV DVR holds 55 hours of HD content, or up to 350 hours of standard definition content.  The current Time Warner cable DVR’s hold 35 hours of HD, or up to 80 hours of standard def content.  While Time Warner DVR’s will do the trick when it comes to recording and playing back programming, the Dish Duo ViP 722 has been praised by CNET and others for its functionality.

A final consideration when comparing Time Warner against DISH Network is the other services available with cable TV that aren’t with satellite.  Bundles include your choice of digital cable TV, TWC digital phone, and Road Runner high speed internet service.   Usually the best Time Warner deals come into play when you are a new customer signing up for all three services.  Depending on the level of service you want, you can get all three services for around $100 per month for the first year.  Be sure to confirm with Time Warner what the price is after the deal is over so you know what to expect as far as regular pricing goes.

So there are a few of the factors to consider when looking at Dish vs Time Warner.  Hopefully you will find the package that fits your needs at a great price.

For many years, people who wanted cable TV only had one source, the old cable television company. In the mid 90’s, satellite TV companies Dish Network and DIRECTV were finally able to break the cable monopoly. Now in many areas, consumers have a third option, as Verizon and AT&T have rolled out new technology allowing cable TV service to be delivered through the phone network. In this article, we will compare two of these relative newcomers:

Dish Network vs. AT&T U-verse

Dish Network and AT&T have a bit of history, as in the past they used to be business partners.  AT&T used to sell Dish Network satellite TV until early 2009.  So you might wonder, why did AT&T sell Dish Network and now DIRECTV service when they have their video service?

The reason for this is because U-verse is still in the early stages of deployment. AT&T cable packages are introduced slowly as the needed technology is deployed from city to city. Plenty of red tape must be overcome by AT&T in applying for a cable TV franchise for every area they intend to serve with U-verse.

This of course is the first major difference when comparing U-verse vs Dish Network. AT&T uses their existing network of copper lines to deliver U-verse, while DISH Network of course installs a small satellite dish unit to deliver content. AT&T does have fiber optic lines going to the neighborhoods it that have U-verse, then the signal travels the rest of the way to each hope on copper pairs.  Many are under the impression that U-verse uses a satellite dish, but this is not the case.

If you are concerned about reliability, you should be fine with both U-verse and Dish Network.  Satellite TV has been around now for more than 15 years, and usually only goes out during very intense storms.  With AT&T U-verse, the issues usually only come up during installation.  Once the U-verse installer has you up and running, you shouldn’t have any significant downtime.

So how do Dish Network and U-verse compare when it comes to pricing and programming options?   Of course AT&T wants you to buy more than one product when you are buying their U-verse TV option, so if you are in the market for high speed internet or home phone service it is a good idea to price out the U-verse bundle options.  AT&T U-verse now offers a triple play package which also combines U-verse voice along with your cable  TV and internet service, so you don’t have to have a home phone line if you don’t need or want it.

There was a small U-verse price increase in February 2009, so these prices reflect the current pricing for just U-verse TV service with one receiver.

The U-verse Family and the U100 packages are both quoted at $49 per month.  This is a $5 increase over the price in 2008 which was $44 per month.  The U-verse family package has 70 channels, and the U100 has 130 channels, so why you would select the U-family package at the same price is quite a mystery.  The U-100 package is comparable to the Dish Network Classic Bronze 100 package, which has around a hundred channels total, and regularly priced at $39.99 per month.

The AT&T U-200 package is next up, and has up to 230 channels of programming depending on your area.  Currently priced at $64 per month, the U-200 increased $5 from last years price of $59 per month.  Here you will find all of the major cable channels, but no premium movie networks.  There is also a U-200 Latino package which adds quite a bit of Spanish language programming for an extra $10 per month.  The comparable Dish Network package would be the Classic Silver 200, which has in the area of 200 all digital video and audio channels.  The Classic Silver 200 is regularly priced at $52.99 per month.

The next offer from U-verse is the AT&T U-300 bundle for $79 per month.  Here you will basically find the U-200 package with the AT&T Movie package added on to bring the channel count up to nearly 300 networks.  The movie package contains 31 commercial free feeds from Starz, Showtime, Encore and Flix.  You won’t get HBO or Cinemax channels here though.  The closest comparision to this from Dish Network is probably the Classic Gold 250 package which is offered at $62.99 per month, though is does not contain the premium movie channels like the U-300.  With Dish Network, you can add on premium movie channel feeds and get discounts based on the number of channels you want.  For example, you can get two premiums for $22 a month, or three premiums for $31 per month.

Finally, we come to the all inclusive packages offered by U-verse and Dish Network.  The U-450 offers nearly 400 channels for $109 per month on a stand alone basis.  In addition to all of the channels in the U300 package, the U-450 adds several HBO and Cinemax channels.  It also adds the Sports pack, which carries dozens of regional sports networks from around the country.  The U-450 compares to the Dish Network America’s Everything Pack, which has over 280 channels of service for $102.98 per month.  This Dish Network package does include several feeds of the premium movie channels like HBO and Showtime.

Now if you are a big sports fan, there may be some things to factor in when comparing Dish TV vs U-verse.  While both Dish Network and U-verse carry the main sports channels like ESPN and Fox Sports, they aren’t equal when it comes to premium sports packages.  Both are locked out of the NFL Sunday Ticket package which is only on DIRECTV.  But when it comes to the NBA League Pass or the NHL Center Ice packages, you won’t find them on U-verse yet.   Dish Network does offer both of these packages, which currently run in the area of $200 per season.   ESPN Gameplan is available through both Dish Network and Uverse.

Now when it comes to promotional deals, you should closely compare Dish Network vs AT&T U-verse and see what they are willing to offer you.  Currently, both Dish Network and U-verse offer free installation, so you don’t have to worry about having a big upfront cost with either service.  They also will throw in equipment such as the U-verse Total Home DVR or the Dish Network ViP 722 DVR.   These advanced DVR devices allow you to watch and record television programming on your terms, and save you plenty of time as you can skip through commercials on programs already recorded.  Keep in mind, you do have to pay additional monthly service fees for DVR service with Dish Network, which is about $6 per month.  AT&T includes DVR service for the first unit in the package price.

U-verse and Dish Network do offer other deals though to entice you to subscribe.  AT&T has been big on their “cash back” offers with U-verse, which can net you anywhere from $50 to $250 back when you subscribe as a new customer.  One thing U-verse has been pushing is the online ordering process, so if you decide to go with U-verse, you can usually get a bigger check back in the mail by ordering U-verse service online.  Dish Network deals currently offer a monthly discount on programming during the first year of service, which is $15 off of any programming package except for the DishFamily package.  So basically you will save $180 during the first year with Dish Network, while you will get a nice check within a few months if you go with AT&T U-verse.

If you are looking for lots of high definition content, you really can’t go wrong with either Dish Network or AT&T U-verse.  Right now, Dish Network offers 140 national HD channels, though they do count pay per view HD in there so it is a bit inflated.  AT&T HD currently offers more than 110 channels in almost all areas that have U-verse.  One thing you will find is that if you are a premium movie channel fan, U-verse has quite a few movie channels in HD than are not yet deployed by Dish Network HD.  As far as cost goes, right now Dish Network and U-verse charge a $10 fee for access to HD channel content.  The only exception to this is the U-450 package, which currently includes HD access in the package price.  Dish Network Turbo HD used to be an option for those who only wanted HD content, but it looks like this has been eliminated for new customers.

Both U-verse and Dish Network offer DVR service, though depending on your situation you may want to go with one company over another.  AT&T U-verse offers a fairly unique device called the Total Home DVR.  Basically, the unit allows you to move from room to room and still watch the content saved on your DVR device.  The AT&T DVR also allows you to record up to four shows at one time, while with Dish Network you can only save two shows at a time on the ViP 722 DVR.  Dish Network’s DVR does offer Duo DVR service, which allow you to save and watch content on two different TV’s in your home.  As far as storage capacity goes, the AT&T DVR can hold up to 133 hours of SD content or 37 hours of HD programming.  The Dish Network ViP 722 holds 350 hours of SD or 55 hours of HD content.  U-verse does have an offer for their higher end customers that promises a DVR with larger capacity.  Customers subscribing to the U450 can get 233 hours SD/65 hours high definition DVR device from AT&T.

Remember when considering Dish Network vs U-verse your personal situation.  Research each company and get a price quote based on the number of HDTV’s and regular TV’s you want hooked up.  Additional charges will apply based on the number of receivers needed, so keep that in mind when reviewing the prices here. For addition information, we invite you to read our AT&T U-verse review, and our collection of Dish Network articles.

If you haven’t bought a high definition television yet, then you probably are not worried about getting HD channel content from your cable or satellite TV provider.  If that is the case, then the DIRECTV Choice Xtra package might be a good alternative to consider if you want something different than traditional cable TV.

Choice Xtra Package Review

The DIRECTV Choice Xtra package is one step up from the Choice package.   You will get 200+ channels, compared to the 150 that are in the Choice package, and the price is only $5 more.  Right now, the regular price fof the Choice Xtra package is $60.99 per month, but there is a nice discount for new DIRECTV customers.

If you are a new subscriber, DIRECTV offers you a $21 discount for the first year of service on this package. You do have to commite to DIRECTV for a 24 month period in order to get free installation and this reduced price.  That brings the price down to a very affordable $39.99 per month for the first year.  Be sure to go the rebate site in order to get the full DIRECTV deal you are entitled to as a new subscriber.

What else can you expect with the DIRECTV Choice Xtra package?   As mentioned, 200+ channels are included and among them are your local channels in almost all areas.  ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX will all be delivered in 100% digital quality.   Music channels are a big part of this DIRECTV bundle as well, as 68 XM satellite radio channels are part of the package.

When you sign up for the DIRECTV Choice Xtra package, you will get professional installation in up to 4 rooms of your home.  If you do get service in more than one room, there will be additional monthly charges for each DIRECTV receiver, similar to the charge you would get for additional digital cable TV boxes.  Current promotions offer the subscriber a free HD DVR upgrade,.  Even if you don’t have a plasma screen TV at this time, it would be smart to get the HD DVR in case you do buy a new HDTV in the months ahead.  That way you will have the right DIRECTV equipment for HD access.

Another potential monthly fee with the Choice Extra package is for the digital video recorder, or DVR.  As mentioned, you can get a free HD DVR device as a new subscriber, but there is a monthly  fee of $6 to make that DVR work.  Once you have used a DVR to watch TV, you won’t ever want to go back, and $6 per month is a small price to pay for the time you will save skipping through commercials.

A brief note if you are comparison shopping between the two satellite TV providers, Dish Network vs DIRECTV.  The Choice Xtra bundle is probably closest to the Classic Silver 200 package.  This package offered by Dish Network also has 200+ channels, and the regular price is $52.99 per month currently, with a $15 discount per month for the first year.

Finally, as discussed earlier the DIRECTV Choice Xtra package is designed for people who do not want HD access.  But if you do at some point want to add high definition channels to the package, you can do so by simply calling DIRECTV.  The monthly charge is currently $10 for HD.

If you are interested in the exact content offered in the Choice Xtra package, here is a channel lineup showing you what to expect with this particular bundle.  (XM satellite radio channels not listed)

A&E

ABC Family

America’s Store

American Movie Classics (AMC)

Animal Planet

The 101

BBC America

Black Entertainment Television (BET)

BET J

The Big Ten Network

The Biography Channel

Bloomberg Television

Boomerang

Bravo

BYU TV

C-SPAN

C-SPAN2

Comedy Central

Country Music Television (CMT)

Court TV

CSTV

Current TV

Cartoon Network

CCTV-9 (Chinese language)

The Church Channel

CNBC

CNBC World

CNN

Daystar

Discovery Channel

Discovery Health Channel

Discovery Home

Discovery Kids Channel

Discovery Times Channel

ESPN

ESPN2

ESPN Classic

ESPNEWS

EWTN

Disney Channel (East)

Disney Channel (West)

DIY Network

E! Entertainment Television

FINE LIVING

FitTV

Food Network

Fox Business Network

Fox Movie Channel

Fox News Channel

Fox Reality

Fuel TV

Fuse

FX

GEMS TV

GOD TV

The Golf Channel

Great American Country

G4 videogame tv

Galavisión

GSN, the network for games

Hallmark Channel

HDNet

HD Theater

Headline News

Home & Garden Television (HGTV)

Home Shopping Network

i Independent TV

Independent Film Channel

The History Channel

History International

HITN-TV

The Learning Channel (TLC)

Lifetime

Lifetime Movie Network

Lifetime Real Women

Link TV

Logo

National Geographic

NFL Network

Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite (East)

Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite (West)

Military Channel

MSNBC

MTV

MTV2

NASA TV

Nicktoons Network

Noggin/The N

NRB

ONCE México

Oxygen

RFD-TV

The Science Channel

SCI FI Channel

PBS Kids Sprout

QVC

REELZ Channel

ShopNBC

Sleuth

SOAPnet

Speed Channel

Spike TV

Sport South

Style

Superstation WGN

The Tennis Channel

TBS

TCT Network

TNT

TV Guide Channel

TV Land

TV One

Toon Disney

Travel Channel

Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN)

Turner Classic Movies (TCM)

Univision

USA Network

Versus

VH1

VH1 Classic

WE: Women’s Entertainment

The Weather Channel

The Word

World Harvest Television (WHT)

DISH Network has rolled out their latest special in response to the new NFL Sunday Ticket offer from DIRECTV. So what can you get as a new subscriber to the latest DISH Network offer?

First, lets look at the monthly price discounts. The new DISH Network offer gives the customer a $15 dollar per month discount for the first 12 months of service. This is a bit of an improvement over the last DISH Network deal, which offered a $25 discount during the first six months of service. So basically you will save $180 total instead of $150 on programming costs during your first year of DISH Network service.

The DISH Network offer applies to all packages except the Dish Family bundle. So you are looking at a price of $24.99 per month for the Classic Bronze 100 package or $29.99 for the Classic Bronze 100+ bundle. The Bronze 100+ adds your regional sports programming to the regular Bronze package. As mentioned, this DISH Network offer locks in these prices for one full year.

If you are looking for a medium tier package with DISH Network, the offer provides new subscribers with the DISH Network Classic Silver 200 package at a reduced price of $37.99 a month. This special offer includes all of the Bronze 100 channels, plus channels like Speed, Animal Planet and Bravo. Also included are dozens of Sirius Music stations in addition.

The next DISH Network offer is the Classic Gold 250 package. For this package, new customers will be looking at a monthly rate of $47.99 for the first year. After that, the price goes up to the regular rate of $62.99 per month. Additional channels here beyond the Silver 200 package are the Tennis channel, Fuel TV, ESPNU, and the Fox Soccer channel.

The final DISH Network discounted offer is the America’s Everything package. This bundle includes every cable network you can imagine, including dozens of commercial free movie channels like HBO. This package is priced at $87.98 for one year, then moves up to $102.98 after one year.

Now another consideration for most folks is high definition, or HD content. All of the above packages do not include HD channels, but they can be added for $10 per month. The number of HD channels your receive depends on the package. For example, the HD add on for the Bronze package includes 55 channels, while the add-on for the Gold package includes 80 HD channels.

If you are looking at the prices for the new DISH Network deal and they look a little higher than prior offers, you are right. It looks as if DISH Network packages are now including the local channels in the price, when in the past they were a bit lower and you would have to add on the local channels for $5 per month.

DISH Network has also eliminated the DishDVR advantage bundle from their lineup. Instead, you can now order the Bronze, Silver, or Gold packages and add a “With DVR” bundle. This charge of $5.98 per month will cover one HDTV and one standard definition TV for the same monthly charge. Unfortunately if you have 2 or more HDTV’s, you will have to pay extra monthly receiver fees for the HD receiver.

Finally, the new DISH Network special provides a few extra goodies for new customers. One extra is free HBO and Starz for three months. If you don’t call to cancel, these premium movie networks will continue at the regular price after three months. Another nice addition is the 3 for free promotion. With this offer you can get HD receivers for up to three of your HDTV’s with no initial equipment cost. Note there is a $7 per month charge for each additional receive after the first one.

Overall, the latest DISH Network offer is an affordable TV package for non-sports fans out there. DIRECTV certainly is the way to go for big time NFL fans, while DISH Network is making a strong play for HD and movie fans.

Update: Classic Silver 200 has been renamed Americas Top 200

A few months ago, DISH Network renamed their programming packages, switching away from the America’s Top bundles to names that match up with their Turbo HD packages. One such package is the DISH Network Classic Silver 200, which was formerly the America’s Top 200 package.

The Classic Silver 200 package includes all digital audio and video programming comparable to the DIRECTV Choice Xtra package. Right now, you can get a $25 discount on the DISH Network Classic Silver package, making it an affordable option compared to cable TV companies like Time Warner. So what all is included in this package? Here are a brief review of the DISH Network Classic Silver 200 bundle.

DISH Network satellite TV of course delivers signal to your home via a small satellite dish mounted on your home. You need a clear view of the southern sky, so even if you are in an apartment, you may be able to get the Classic Silver 200 package if you have a deck or balcony. From there, the DISH Network installer will provide service into your home, reaching up to four different television sets. Additional receivers are needed if you are getting more than two rooms hooked up, so be sure to verify the monthly charges for these extra satellite TV boxes.

With the DISH Network Classic Silver package, you will get all of the popular basic cable channels like ESPN, CNN, TNT and TBS. An added bonus for sports fans is the addition of the NFL Network to the Classic Silver 200 lineup, as the NFL and DISH Network recently reached a multi-year agreement to carry the station for several years.

Other popular channels carried on the Classic Silver 200 package include MSNBC, Speed, the Fox News channel, and Toon Disney. At the bottom of this article we have included a full list of channels in this package.

As mentioned earlier, there is a deal on the DISH Network Silver 200 package which offers a $25 discount for the first six months of service. This reduces the price from the normal rate of $47.99 per month down to $22.99 a month. What additional charges can you expect with this package?

DISH Network offers the lowest bottom line prices when comparing programming packages with DIRECTV and cable TV providers. So while the price looks great up front, be aware of charges for DISH Network local channels and DVR service. Right now, DISH Network charges $5 per month for local programming, which almost everyone wants. Additionally, while DISH Network will provide new customers with a new DVR or HD DVR when agreeing to a two year service agreement, you do have to pay extra for DVR service. This is currently in the area of $6 per month per DVR. Also if you need or want more than one DVR when setting up service, you will pay for that too. One nice thing is that installation is free for up to four rooms, as long as there isn’t anything extremely labor intensive in getting your satellite TV system setup.

The current makeup of the DISH Network Classic Silver 200 package is approximately 110 video channels and about 90 audio channels, of which more than 20 are provided by Sirius satellite radio. No premium movie channels are included in this package, but of course can be added individually or as packages.

Finally, most new DISH Network and DIRECTV customers are setting up service in order to get HD programming. With the Classic Silver 200 package, you also get the SilverHD package free for six months. If you continue with HD service after six months, the cost is an extra $10 per month. While cable TV companies like Comcast claim to offer “free HD” you can usually come out with a lower overall price with DISH Network when comparing with regular cable TV prices.

So how does the channel lineup look for this DISH Network package? As mentioned earlier, here is a complete list of the current channels included. Of course this is subject to change, so check with DISH Network directly if you want the most current information.

A&E
E! Entertainment Television
Sci-fi Network
Telefutura Este
BBC America
FX
SiTV
Telefutura Oeste
BET
Galavisión
SoapNet
USA Network
Bravo
Game Show Network
Spike TV
Univision Este
CCTV-9
IMF
TBS
Univision Oeste
Comedy Central
Lifetime
TNT
WGN Superstation
ReelzChannel
Oxygen
TV Guide Chanel
We: Women’s Entertainment
Mens Outdoor & Recreation
ION
KBS World
C-Span
CNN
CNN Headline News
NASA
C-Span2
Fox News Channel
MSNBC
The Weather Channel
CNBC
G4techTV
The Pentagon Channel
FAMILY
ABC Family
Disney Channel (West)
Noggin/ The N
TV Land
Cartoon Network
Nickelodeon / Nick at Night (East)
Nickelodeon / Nick at Nite (West)
Toon Disney
Disney Channel (East)
MOVIES
American Movie Classics
Independent Film Channel
Turner Classic Movies
SPORTS
NFL Network
ESPN
ESPN Classic
ESPN2
ESPNews
TVG – Horse Racing TV
HorseRacing TV
Speed Channel
Fox Sports Net (Varies by Region)
Animal Planet
Discovery Health
History Channel
The Learning Channel
Discovery Channel
Food Network
Home & Garden Television
The Travel Channel
Florida Education Channel
University House
University of Washington TV
Country Music Television
MTV
MTV2
VH1
Fuse
BYUTV
Free Speech TV
Documentary Channel
University of California
Classic Arts Showcase
Good Samaritan Network
Colours TV
HITN
LINK TV
Research Channel
RFDTV
Angel One
Daystar
Eternal Word Television Network
Trinity Broadcasting Network
SHOPPING
Beauty & Fashion Channel
Jewelry Television
Men’s Channel
Shop NBC
Home Shopping Network
iDrive Resort & Residence

Digital Audio Channels

70s Songbook
CD Kidtunes
SIRIUS Classic Vinyl – Early Rock
SIRIUS Praise – Gospel Music
Acoustic Crossroads Latin Styles
SIRIUS Classical Voices – Operas
SIRIUS Prime Country – ’80s & ’90s Country
Adult Alternative
Light Classical
SIRIUS Disorder – Free Form Rock
SIRIUS Pure Jazz – Classic Jazz
Adult Contemporary
Modern Rock Alternative
SIRIUS Elvis – All Elvis!
SIRIUS RUMBON – Reggaeton/Tropical SIRIUS RUMBON -
SIRIUS Faction – Punk HipHop Rock Mix
SIRIUS Remix – Dance Club Mix
BYU Radio Network New Country
SIRIUS First Wave – Classic Alternative
SIRIUS SPA 73 – NEW AGE
Big Band Era
NuJazz
SIRIUS Gold – ’50s and ’60s Hits
SIRIUS Soul Revue – Classic Soul
Blues Power Rock
SIRIUS Hair Nation – ’80s Hair Bands
SIRIUS Spectrum – World Class Rock
Reggae
SIRIUS Hard Attack – Heavy Metal
SIRIUS Spirit – Christian Hits
Classical Ambience Urban Beat
SIRIUS Heart & Soul – R&B Hits
SIRIUS Standard Time – Standards
Contemporary Christian
SIRIUS ’60s Vibration – ’60s Hits
SIRIUS Hip Hop Nation – Uncut Hip Hop
SIRIUS Super Shuffle
Contemporary Instrumentals
SIRIUS – BBC-1 SIRIUS Hits One – Top 40 Hits
SIRIUS Symphony Hall – Symphonies
Contemporary Jazz Flavors
SIRIUS – Love Songs
SIRIUS Hot Jamz – Hip Hop & R&B Hits
SIRIUS THE GLOBE SIRIUS THE GLOBE
Country Classics
SIRIUS Alt Nation – Alternative Rock
SIRIUS Jam on – Jam Bands
SIRIUS The Coffee House
Country Currents
SIRIUS Area 63 – Trance/Progressive
SIRIUS Jazz Cafe – Smooth Jazz
SIRIUS Totally ’70s – ’70s Hits
SIRIUS Back Spin – Old Skool Rap
SIRIUS Left of Center – College Rock
SIRIUS Underground Garage – Garage Rock
Eurostyle
SIRIUS Big ’80s – ’80s Hits
SIRIUS Mexicana – Regional Mexican
SIRIUS Universo Latino – Latin Pop Mix
Fiesta Mexicana
SIRIUS Bluegrass – Bluegrass Music
SIRIUS Movin Easy – Easy Listening Hits
SIRIUS WAX – Hip Hop Mixes and Remixes
Hawaiian Music SIRIUS Blues – Classic Blues
SIRIUS Octane – Pure Hard Rock
SIRIUS the Bridge – Mellow Rock
SIRIUS Boombox – Breakbeats/Old Skool
SIRIUS Outlaw Country
SIRIUS the Pulse – The ’90s & Now
Jazz Traditions
SIRIUS Broadway’s Best – Broadway Musicals
SIRIUS Planet Jazz – Contemporary Jazz
SIRIUS the Roadhouse – Classic Country
Jukebox Gold
SIRIUS Buzzsaw – Classic Hard Rock
SIRIUS Pops – Classical Favorites
SIRIUS the Strobe – Classic Disco
SIRIUS the Vault – Deep Cuts Classic Rock
SIRIUS Classic Rewind – Recent Rock

Update: DISH Network 2011 price increase

DISH Network is greeting their customer base this February with a hefty price increase which may have customers looking to DIRECTV or other cable TV providers. The Dish TV price increase takes effect today, though the news first broke back in December of last year.

So how will you be affected by DISH Network raising rates? Lets take a look at how DISH Network has arranged its pricing for 2009.

First, DISH Network has eliminated the package names that have been around for years, such as the Americas Top 100, or AT100 as it is often referred to. Gone as well are the America’s Top 200, America’s Top 250, and the America’s Everything Pack. DISH Network has renamed these packages to match the Turbo HD names that came out last summer. Here is how the DISH Network packages transition.

America’s Top 100 is now the DISH Network Classic Bronze 100. This package is moving up from $32.99 to $34.99. With local service it moves from $34.99 to $39.99. Price increase of $2.00 a month. Add $10 per month for the Turbo HD Bronze addition.

America’s Top 200 is now the DISH Network Classic Silver 200. This bundle is increasing in price from $44.99 to $47.99 per month. With local channels, it increased from $49.99 to $52.99 per month. Overall an increase of $3.00 over 2008 prices. Add $10 for the Turbo HD Silver package.

America’s Top 250 is now the DISH Network Classic Gold 250. The base package increases from $54.99 to $57.99 per month. With locals, the price of $59.99 goes up to $62.99 per month. Overall, prices increase $3 a month for the 250 channel lineup. Add $10 for the Turbo HD Gold package.

Lastly, the all inclusive DISH Network America’s Everything Pak is renamed the Classic Everything Pak. This was $94.98 last year, and will be $97.98 in 2009. With local channels, the price increases from $99.98 to $102.98. Overall, a $3 per month increase here. Again, the Turbo HD Gold addition can be had for another $10 per month.

One area where DISH Network is making up some lost ground is on their DishDVR Advantage packages. Last year, DISH Network made a big deal over the fact that they were freezing prices on several of their packages. In actuality, they only held the line on the DishDVR Advantage packages, and the Dish Family package. But DISH Network is making up for that with this year’s price increase.

The DishDVR Advantage Classic Bronze will move from $39.99 a month up to $44.99 a month, a $5 increase. DishDVR Classic Silver will increase from $49.99 up to $57.99 a month. Finally, the DishDVR Classic Gold 250 will increase from $59.99 up to $67.99 a month. Thus the Silver and Gold DishDVR packages will both increase $8 per month. So DISH Network customers may have enjoyed lower prices in 2008, they are basically being hit with a double increase in 2009 to make up for DISH Network’s lost revenue, and to bring prices more in line with DIRECTV and cable television.

If you are one of the new subscribers to the DISH Network Turbo HD only packages, you will also encounter a price increase. Turbo HD Bronze is jumping $5 per month, from $24.99 up to $29.99 a month. Turbo HD Silver customers will see their prices move up from $32.99 to $39.99, an increase of $7 a month. Finally the Turbo HD Gold package will increase a whopping $10 per month, from $39.99 up to $49.99 a month. Turbo HD came into the market last summer with extremely low prices for the all high definition channel lineups, but those low prices are quickly disappearing. Rumors of new HD channels have been floating across message boards, but nothing has come of yet for the new Turbo HD packages.

As far as good news, while there isn’t much, current DishLATINO customers won’t feel as much pain. Several Dish Latino packages including the DishLatino Plus, DishLatino Dos, and DishLatino Max will actually decrease slightly if you already have local channels, but will slightly increase without local channels. The pricing is actually the same with or without locals for most DishLATINO packages, so customers may as well sign up for them.

Premium movie channels also remain fairly stable with the latest DISH Network price increase, with HBO going up a buck, and no change to Cinemax, Starz, and Showtime.

Overall, the price increases look to be standard for the course, as Comcast, Time Warner, and DIRECTV all are doing the same. 2009 will certainly be difficult for both satellite TV companies, as DISH Network and DIRECTV fight to maintain and grow their respective subscriber bases. The one disappointment for DishDVR and Turbo HD customers is that their great 2008 rates have basically been thrown out the window.