From what we can tell, this is just marketing hoopla to get you to buy a drive "certified" for use in a particular application; in all actuality, users can connect any USB 2.0 external hard drive to their DISH Network HD DVR and expand their storage capacity for a one-time fee. Nevertheless, Western Digital has just let loose its 500GB My DVR Expander, which "more than doubles" your available recording hours by storing up to 300 hours of SD content and 60 hours of high-def goodness. As predicted, the drives work with the satcaster's ViP family of HD DVRs, and WD is apparently looking to expand the brand to other carriers as soon as they get with the program and enable USB storage. Those willing to fall for this ploy can procure the half-terabyte drive for $149.99, but considering that the port activation fee is still charged, we can't imagine looking elsewhere first.

[Via FarEastGizmos]

It's no secret that DISH Network has seen better quarters than Q1 2008, but CEO Charlie Ergen is already outlining ways to improve things in the future. On a recent conference call with analysts, Mr. Ergen reportedly acknowledged that DirecTV and telephone outfits "had garnered the lion's share of new customers in the first quarter." The infamous AMC-14 failure and a (relative) dearth of HD expansion options were both blamed. After realizing that operations and customer service were slipping in February, the exec became more involved with day-to-day procedures in an attempt to right the ship; however, he still felt that DISH "probably missed the HD window last year." Curiously enough, the satcaster has just recently felt the need to giveth and taketh away, but if it really can stay on track and deliver close to a hundred HD channels before 2009 dawns, we can certainly see things turning around.

[Image courtesy of Reference For Business]

Well, that was quick. In the midst of adding 22 new HD channels and reporting less-than-stellar Q1 results, DISH Network has now removed the only five remaining VOOM channels from its lineup. If you'll recall, 10 of the 15 went dark yesterday, but now reports are flooding in saying that the last of 'em have also vanished. Yeah, we know the VOOM networks weren't the most watched or anything, but knocking your HD lineup down by 15 doesn't sound like the greatest of moves either. Unless it's planning on adding 15 way more desirable options, that is.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Yesterday's DISH announcement was bittersweet for some DISH HD fans as they were enjoying the addition of 22 new HD channels, some noticed that 10 of their favorite -- well maybe not all 10 --Voom HD channels were MIA. A quick visit to the DISH Network website showed that the 10 in question were missing from the list there as well. The two that seems will be the most missed are HD News which evidently had more news in actual HD than any other news network, and Worldsport which is a favorite among soccer fans. Some DISH subscribers are understandably very upset about being forced to sacrifice the 10 for the new lot, but only time will tell if subscribers will end up with more new HD programming than before. Of course the biggest loser here is VOOM, as two thirds of its channels have lost their carriage on what was probably their biggest provider.
[Thanks, Scott].

Read - DISH HD programming page 1
Read - DISH HD programming page 2
Read - Satellite Guys forum

Adding 22 new HD channels to its national HD lineup may boost the subscriber rate in Q2, but Q1 is apt to leave a lasting sting. While DirecTV managed to secure 275,000 net subscriber additions during its Q1, DISH Network mustered a paltry 35,000 -- down 90-percent from the 310,000 additions a year ago. Notably, the outfit still managed to report a higher quarterly profit thanks to "lower expenses following the spin-off of set-top box business EchoStar," but that little tidbit is mostly being overshadowed. Craig Moffett, analyst at Sanford Bernstein, even went so far as to suggest that the subscribers gained by other carriers during the quarter "clearly" came from DISH, and the company itself admitted that "gross net additions would likely continue to be negatively impacted by competitive factors" such as the expansion of FiOS TV. It's hard out there for a satcaster, wouldn't you say?

[Image courtesy of HowToSatTV]

If you still believe that the fate of AMC-14 was going to get in the way of DISH Network rolling out new HD channels, you have to give up on that one because last night DISH announced the addition of 22 new HD channels including some that only its biggest competitor, DirecTV currently carries. Of the 22 channels, most are stretch-o-vision, but at least hold promise and a few have popped up recently unannounced. The biggest win is for news and movie fans as CNN HD, CNBC HD, ESPNews HD and a few movie channels top the list. The full list after the jump.

[Thanks, Scott]

This day last week, DISH Network brought HD locals to Norfolk, Virginia. Today, it's doing the same for Hartford-New Haven, Connecticut and Portland-Auburn, Maine. If you'll recall, neither of these two markets were included on DISH's master list of Spring rollouts, but for whatever reason, it's showing New England some serious love. No mention is made of what channels are being made available, so we'll cautiously assume that the Big Four (ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX) will be ready for viewing in glorious high-def.

Don't look now, but DISH Network is holding tight to its Spring rollout schedule by introducing HD locals to Norfolk, Portsmouth and Newport News, Virginia here on the first day of May. Curiously enough, DISH isn't announcing any other new locales along with it, but we suspect a slow trickle of these releases will find their way out as the month continues. Competition just got a little stiffer, didn't it Cox?

For many answering our latest inquiry, switching from cable to satellite simply isn't possible. If you're stuck in an apartment or other form of multiple dwelling unit, there's at least a fighting chance that your landlord won't allow the drilling and such typically required to get a dish installed. To that end, DISH Network will soon be rolling out its DISH Optical Network service, which essentially takes satellite delivered material beamed to "a group of dishes" and pipes the content over fiber lines to up to 128 subscribers. Needless to say, this could be a real boon for leasers who only have a limited selection for programming, but sadly, we'll be forced to wait until rollouts begin in undisclosed locales "later this year" before wrapping our heads around a price.

[Via The Capital Times, image courtesy of Sat Pro Atlanta]

Last we checked, South Bend, Indiana wasn't on DISH Network's master list of cities to receive HD locals in April or May, but sure enough, it seems as if the locale will be joining that exclusive club after all. According to a resident, DISH sent out an email informing him that HD locals "were available in his area," and while he's yet to contact the satcaster to verify, it does match up with some lingering reports from earlier this month that South Bend could be launched soon. So, any other locations finding HD locals from DISH right out of the blue?

[Thanks, Josh]

Update: Seems DISH may have pulled a trigger too early here. We'll keep listening to see if South Bend really is one of the next in line to get HD locals. Thanks, Jason!

DISH Network and News Corp's satellite subsidiary NDS Group in California have been involved in an industrial espionage lawsuit for years now, but there was some big drama in court today: a hacker by the name of Christopher Tarnovsky (who used the handle "Big Gun," among others) testified that NDS hired him to create a device called "the stinger" that could reprogram DISH Network access cards. DISH lawyers say the plan was to flood the market with hacked cards, which would cost the satellite company $900M in revenue and repair costs. Unsurprisingly, NDS (which supplies DirecTV, among others), says that it hired Tarovsky only to reverse-engineer DISH's cards for competitive reasons, and Tarnovsky himself says that he believes "someone is trying to set him up." Sure, sure -- but no one's explaining why he was mailed mobile electronics from Canada with $20K in cash stashed inside, or why he was officially on the payroll of HarperCollins, a totally different NewCorp subsidiary, for more than 10 years. Sketchy sketchy -- and we thought satellite hacking was dead.

Read - Reuters article about Tarnovsky's testimony
Read - 2002 article about Tarnovsky and NDS

Just as we had heard, DISH Network has indeed thrown HD locals into the mix for eight more markets. As of today, subscribers in Burlington - Plattsburgh, Vermont, Greensboro - High Point - Winston Salem, North Carolina, Greenville - Spartanburg - Asheville - Anderson, South Carolina, Huntsville - Decatur, Alabama, Jackson, Mississippi, Knoxville, Tennessee, Mobile - Pensacola (Ft. Walton Beach), Alabama and Providence - New Bedford, Rhode Island can tune into at least three of the big four national broadcast stations. If your city isn't on this list, yet it's squarely placed on this one, we'd say you're one step closer to joining the in-crowd.

It wasn't too long ago that we sat in awe as EchoStar X lifted off into outer space, and in around two years, we can all relive that moment as EchoStar XV does the same. Announced today, Space Systems/Loral was chosen to "provide a new direct broadcast satellite (DBS) for DISH Network," and the bird will be based on the outfit's "space-proven" 1300 platform. As it stands, this becomes the eighth SS/L satellite built for EchoStar, and while we're not told exactly what it's heading up to handle, we are informed that it will "support the expansion of DISH Network's programming and services." Hopefully it'll have a few less issues than the AMC-14 when it lifts off in 2010, eh?

Call it a hunch, but we're being told that DISH Network is gearing up to launch HD locals in eight new markets within the next 24 to 48 hours. Right around a week after it got busy with its last round of HD local rollouts, we're fully expecting a handful of other cities to get the same treatment. In no specific order, Greensboro, NC, Providence, RI, Burlington, VT, Greenville, SC and Knoxville, TN will all see high-def versions of their nearby ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX stations. Meanwhile, Huntsville, AL (CBS, NBC, FOX), Jackson, MS (ABC, CBS, NBC) and Mobile, AL (ABC, CBS, FOX) will be receiving higher-resolution versions of three out of the four major broadcast networks. Keep a close on that EPG, and be sure to let us know when these areas go live.

[Thanks, HDJ]

Although DISH Network was quick to assure customers that their DVRs would stay functional after losing its patent appeal against TiVo, it looks like the company was a bit quick on the draw. Although the majority of the company's DVRs have had their software updated to include non-infringing code, the VIP 721, 921, 942 and Homezone 1022 boxes haven't been updated and installers are being told that they can no longer install or activate them. You're safe if you've already got one up and running, but if you were in the market for a specific box, it's probably wise to double check those numbers.

[Thanks, Dennis]