I am not surprised...

It did not surprise me when I got an email last night with the news that DISH Network was filing a counter suit against DIRECTV in their false advertising lawsuit.

I remember writing on the day the DIRECTV sued DISH that DIRECTV just opened up a can of worms it did not want to open.

If you read the lawsuits from both companies, both companies make some good arguments. But my question is how far will this go? Now I fear that each time one of the companies makes an ad that there will be a new lawsuit.

One of the things that the lawsuits is hitting on is the HD channel count from both companies. This has been a sticky point here in “The Satellite Dish” for a couple of years. It is my opinion that both companies take liberties in their HD channel count. Some count their HD PPV channels, others count their part time HD RSN’s. These numbers that are advertised are not real.

What I think the satellite companies need to do is get honest in their HD channel counts what I suggest is in their ads they put in a graphic saying “For more details on our HD channel count please visit our website.”

Then on their website list each package with a break down of how many national HD channels are included with that package.

For example for DISH Network wording could be something like… “Our Amercia’s Top 250 Package with HD access includes 110 National HD channels, plus your local HD Networks and HD Regional Sports Networks (where available) plus an amazing HD PPV library.”

And an example for DIRECTV would be something like “Our Total Choice XTRA Package with HD access includes 110 National HD channels, plus your local HD Networks and HD Regional Sports Network (where available) plus an amazing HD PPV library.”

Something like that would be able to inform consumers what they will be getting. All these numbers being thrown around on TV mean nothing when a large number of the channels are HD PPV or HD RSN’s. Give people a real count of what to expect.

I feel an educated consumer is a happier consumer.

It’s a shame both companies now need to take legal action against each other as in the end no matter who win’s I feel ultimately no one does. The only thing I can see positive from these lawsuits is that its keeping a number of lawyers employed.

Maybe the old rule my grandmother taught me still holds true today… “Honesty is the best policy.” I wish the satellite companies would both learn this.