Product Review: DISH Network HD

Simple review -

I'll state that I like DISH Network - with a few reservations.

To be Honest, I'd rather have cable - and the high speed Internet that goes along with it. But since the developer who built the neighborhood in which the Mountain Redoubt sits didn't have the foresight to include decent telecom infrastructure, I have nothing saved a jury rigged phone line - it actually runs to the neighbor's junction box by the street. How do I know this?

My rant against Qwest.

Two years ago,I decided to re-sod my yard (maybe re-sod is an incorrect terms, the plants that made up our "yard" were never sod to begin with). So I did the responsible thing and called the "Blue Stake" people. Out they came, when they were supposed to (wonder of wonders), and dutifully put little orange flags where our telco line was supposed to go - from a little green box next tot he street to the junction box on the side of the house. So when I ran the tiller near that section of the lawn I was careful to excavate the actual line, till where the line had been and then rebury the line. At that time I noticed another line that came out of our junction box that went in the back yard... I had already done the other side yard and the back - I had a sinking feeling. My feeling was confirmed when I went inside and picked up the telephone - no dial tone.

Rat-bastards.

Dug up the balance of the mystery line (found the break), spliced the cut, tacked a goodly portion to the side of the house, and carefully and deeply buried the balance of it.

Phone service restored.

This is a sample of the confidence I have in Qwest. I have others, but this was supposed to be a review of DISH.

So anyway, love my new HDTV. Love the Service that I have (America's Top 200 with HD). Two gripes only (and one isn't really a gripe): 1) When I signed up for the HD service, I was told that I'd get a rebate. Rebate is still "processing" Five months later.

2) Discovered last night that I hae allergies to the type of Aspen Trees in the yard - but only when they drop a LOT of pollen, correspondingly I couldn't sleep. So I went down to watch some TV. Discovered I had two additional HD channels (SCIFI and CNN). Hot-diggetty-dog. Why didn't they tell me? Not complaining that loudly, but a quick note on last month's bill would have made me all warm and fuzzy. As it is now, I can try to struggle through the 4th season of Battlestar Galactica in full 720p glory (not really feeling it).

So, if you are like me and have to have Satellite TV, then I recommend DISH Network. Just don't be pissed when the signal cuts out due to snow or rain. Where I live we get LOTS of snow, not so much rain (although the National Weather Service says we should get rain today and snow tomorrow), but like a lot of modern technology - when it works, it's great.

***UPDATE***: Still wish that I could get the HD feed for the Salt Lake ABC Affiliate...