September 28th, 2011
Recently we explained how to set up DISH Network parental locks, but did you know your TV also offers parental controls?
These controls are based on the FCC regulated V-Chip guidelines, which require all TVs 13-inches and larger to be equipped with technology that allows the blocking of content based upon its rating.
Here are the ratings:
All Children — This program is designed to be appropriate for all children.
Whether animated or live-action, the themes and elements in this program are specifically designed for a very young audience, including children from ages 2-6. This program is not expected to frighten younger children.
Directed to Older Children — This program is designed for children age 7 and above.
It may be more appropriate for children who have acquired the developmental skills needed to distinguish between make-believe and reality. Themes and elements in this program may include mild fantasy or comedic violence, or may frighten children under the age of 7. Therefore, parents may wish to consider the suitability of this program for their very young children. Note: For those programs where fantasy violence may be more intense or more combative than other programs in this category, such programs will be designated TV-Y7-FV. For programs designed for the entire audience, the general categories are:
General Audience — Most parents would find this program suitable for all ages.
Although this rating does not signify a program designed specifically for children, most parents may let younger children watch this program unattended. It contains little or no violence, no strong language and little or no sexual dialogue or situations.
Parental Guidance Suggested — This program contains material that parents may find unsuitable for younger children.
Many parents may want to watch it with their younger children. The theme itself may call for parental guidance and/or the program contains one or more of the following: moderate violence (V), some sexual situations (S), infrequent coarse language (L), or some suggestive dialogue (D).
Parents Strongly Cautioned — This program contains some material that many parents would find unsuitable for children under 14 years of age.
Parents are strongly urged to exercise greater care in monitoring this program and are cautioned against letting children under the age of 14 watch unattended. This program contains one or more of the following: intense violence (V), intense sexual situations (S), strong coarse language (L), or intensely suggestive dialogue (D).
Mature Audience Only — This program is specifically designed to be viewed by adults and therefore may be unsuitable for children under 17.
This program contains one or more of the following: graphic violence (V), explicit sexual activity (S), or crude indecent language (L).
If you are having issues with parental controls blocking out certain content and you’ve verified your DISH Network receiver’s locks are not the cause, you may want to refer to your TV’s owner’s manual to ensure the V-Chip settings are correct.
Categories: DISH & TV news
September 26th, 2011
You just can’t beat the savings of DISH Network. Sign up today and you can save up to $800!
Categories: Specials & Deals
September 23rd, 2011
For those curious about the Tailgater, from programming to powering, check out DISH Network’s useful FAQ.
I have an HD Solo Receiver at home. Can I use it with my Tailgater?
Yes. Model ViP 211k is compatible with the Tailgater. When ordering, please select the “Tailgater Portable Antenna” option, priced at $350. Please note: Currently other HD Solo models are not compatible with the Tailgater.
I’m already a DISH Network customer at my home residence. Do I need a 2nd account for the Tailgater?
No! You can enjoy the same programming from home while on the road, and you’ll only need one television subscription!
(Some channels, including international programming and RTN, may not be available. Local channels and Regional Sports Network(s) are subject to availability based on your geographical location. Bluefield (WV), Lake Charles (LA), Columbia (MS), Springfield (MA), and Providence (RI) markets will not be able to receive SD or HD local channels through a Tailgater solution.)
How do you power the Tailgater? Can I run my Tailgater antenna, DISH receiver, and TV from my vehicle?
The Tailgater receives its power through the coax connection with the DISH Network receiver. The receiver will need to be plugged into a power outlet.
You can use an inverter to power your system off of your vehicle’s DC power supply (12V power outlet). However, if you plan to watch TV for more than a few hours, be sure to start and run your vehicle for a few minutes every hour. If convenient, a portable power generator or alternative accessory battery may be a better option for operating your system and can help preserve your vehicle’s battery life.
Will my Tailgater work during inclement weather?
Though rare, heavy rain, snow, or dense cloud cover can reduce the satellite signal, which may interrupt your television programming. Your television programming should return as conditions improve.
Can I use a DVR receiver with the Tailgater?
At this time the Tailgater is only compatible with the ViP 211k model receiver, a single-TV receiver that supports HD and SD programming. You can add DVR functionality and the ability to record and pause live TV by attaching your own USB external hard drive to the USB port at the back of the receiver and adding DVR functionality for a one-time service fee of $40. For more information or to see if your receiver is applicable, click here.
How do I prevent theft of my Tailgater?
To prevent theft, your Tailgater has a security bracket located at the bottom of the carry handle. Secure your Tailgater to a fixed object using a padlock and security cable (not included).
Categories: DISH & TV news
September 21st, 2011
When you sign up for a new DISH Network account you can get all four premium channels free for the first three months! That includes HBO, with its excellent HBO Family channel.
On HBO Family you can enjoys shows, movies and documentaries enjoyable for everyone in the family.
Classical Baby is a show which features a baby conductor leading short pieces of classical music by some of the world’s greatest composers like Back, Berlin, Satie and many more while delivering stylistic tribute to some of art’s greatest masters like Monet, Leger, Miro and others. Winner of a Peabody Award and three Emmy® Awards, Classical Baby is a fascinating offering sure to stimulate and engage your baby.
Enjoy compelling documentaries like “The Music in Me: A Family Special”, a stirring showcase of the musical talent of children all across America.
Categories: Channels & Shows
September 19th, 2011
Netflix has been both heralded and heckled for its announcement to split the company into two different companies: Netflix for DVD-by-mail and the new Qwikster for online streaming.
Many have speculated this is to ramp up for an online streaming merger with Amazon, or to even move entirely to online streaming as DVDs are quickly pushed into technological oblivion.
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has a history of making unpopular choices that pay off for the company, which is excellent if your primary concern is for the company. What about the customers?
Neflix estimated Q3 subscribers are separated as:
9.8 million subscribed to streaming.
2.2 million subscribed to DVD-by-mail.
12 million “hybrid”, subscribed to both streaming and DVD-by-mail, despite the recent up to 60% price increase on this option.
Clearly Netflix’s customer base is interested in a one-stop solution to entertainment, a place where they can stream and order DVDs by mail, as evidenced by the fact that half of them still subscribe to both services despite the price increases.
How can Netflix expect customers to be willing to not only pay more, but have to deal with two different companies, two different bills, two different customer service departments, two entirely different services? Isn’t the point of online entertainment supposed to convenience and ease of access?
Blockbuster Total Access still allows you to browse 100,000 titles for online streaming, DVD-by-mail, even in-store exchanges, all in one place. Even video games and Blu-ray discs are included. And you can get many new releases 28 days before Netflix.
What are you waiting for?
Already a DISH Network customer and still want to enjoy to convenience of Blockbuster? You can enjoy an extended 30-day free trial to Blockbuster Total Access, offered to Netflix users who want to say hello to Blockbuster!
Categories: DISH & TV news
September 16th, 2011
It’s football season and there’s no shortage of exciting games to watch every Sunday! Why limit yourself to just one game or to flipping around to different game and hoping you don’t miss something exciting?
With Picture-in-Picture it’s easy to watch two games at the same time! Switching between the two windows is as easy as pressing the SWAP button on your remote, you’ll never miss another game changing play!
To activate Picture-in-Picture your DISH Network duo receiver needs to be in Single Mode. You can active Single Mode by pressing the Mode button on the front of your receiver, usually located behind the door.
Once your duo receiver is in Single Mode you can easily activate Picture-in-Picture by pressing the PIP in button.
Swap: This swaps the active and inactive channels, the channel that is active is the one that plays sound.
PIP: This activates and deactivates Picture-in-Picture as well as toggles through the different window sizes.
Position: This changes the position of the inactive window.
Categories: Equipment & Remotes
September 14th, 2011
An inspirational true story, Soul Surfer tells the tale of 13-year-old Bethany Hamilton, a competitive surfer in a family of surfers. She dreams of the waves and spends as much time as she can in the water. One day during a day of sand and sun her dreams turn into a nightmare when she is attacked by a shark. The loss of her left arm leaves her reeling, wondering if she’ll ever be able to surf again.
Catch this excellent family movie about overcoming obstacles and maintaining faith on DISH Cinema today!
Categories: DISH & TV news
September 12th, 2011
Netflix’s recent price hikes and failed negotiations with Starz, its biggest supplier of new movies, leaves some wondering, “Why pay more for less content?”
Netflix’s current contract with Starz ends February 28th, 2012. After that time they will no longer have movies from Sony Pictures or Walt Disney Studios, or Starz original shows like Party Down and Spartacus.
When you sign up for a new DISH Network account you can get a free 3-month trial of 1-disc at a time Blockbuster! With Blockbuster you get:
If you’re already a DISH Network customer but still want to get away from the higher prices and and poor selection on Netflix, Blockbuster is offering a free 30-day trial to all Netflix members wanting to make the switch. Say hello to Blockbuster to sign up!
Categories: DISH & TV news
September 9th, 2011
Do you worry about your children stumbling on something on TV they shouldn’t see? DISH Network makes keeping adult content away easy with parental controls!
You can access the Locks menu from your DISH Network main menu.
Shows and movies can be blocked according to Motion Picture Association of America and TV Guideline Monitoring board ratings or based on expanded ratings such as language, nudity, sexual content, and violence.
Channel locks can be used to prevent access to particular channels.
This option disables the buttons on the front of your receiver. Helpful if you have small hands that like to play with buttons and lights. You would have to rely fully on your remote if you select this option, so make sure to keep it in a safe place.
If you have already set up a password you can use this option to change it.
Pay Per View and Video on Demand content can be blocked to prevent unwanted or accidental ordering. Note in this image above that this option currently states “Unlock PPV”, that means that PPV is currently locked. All of the locks will display this way if they are currently locked. So if you have already set up the Front Panel Lock, it will show as “Unlock Front Panel”.
This will remove all adult channels from your program guide.
You can use this option to either hide or show channels you’ve locked. If you hide them, the channels you’ve locked or that fall outside of the parental guidelines you’ve set will not show up in your program guide. If you show them they will be visible, but will still prompt for your password when you access them.
Option number three is the most important on this menu, as you must lock your system when you are done setting up your locks for them to take effect. If you make changes on the Locks menu but do not lock your system the changes will not be saved.
Remember, parental locks must be set up on every TV, even if you have a dual receiver for two TVs. The two different tuners in a dual receiver can have separate parental locks set up on each. This allows for you to customize the viewing experiences in your home. For instance, you can place a parental lock on the living room TV to prevent young eyes from accessing HBO, but you won’t have to worry about entering a password every time you want to watch True Blood on the television in your bedroom.
Categories: DISH & TV news
September 7th, 2011
MLB Network, the 24-hours baseball network, has been added to DISH’s channel lineup as the pennant races gain momentum. MLB Network is available to any customers who subscribe to America’s Top 200 and up, DISH Latino Dos and up, or the Multi-Sports Package. Remember, DISH Network is now offering the Multi-Sport Package with America’s Top 120 Plus and above through 1/04/12!
On MLB Network you can watch live game coverage of the regular season and spring training, as well as international live game coverage of the World Baseball Class and the Caribbean Series. You can also catch occasional live college and minor league games.
Categories: Channels & Shows