Dish Network

Earlier this month we talked about the possible merger between T-Mobile and Dish Network. T-Mobile is one of the most disruptive of the four major mobile carriers in the US and it has been trying to get someone to buy it for years. So far, federal regulators have shot down potential suitors. T-Mobile now has a suitor that the regulators presumably would like since the merger would leave four major carriers in the US.

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Sling TV, the live television service offered by Dish Network, has slowly expanded its content offerings for Spanish-speaking subscribers, but today it has blown the doors open, launching a new “Sling Latino” service that brings with it nearly two dozen live channels for $12/month, and a lesser package with 16 channels for $7/month. This includes some of the top Spanish-speaking channels from well known networks, and includes on demand content. For those in certain countries there are some extra perks.

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Dish Network, claimes to be the nation's 2nd biggest cable provider, and T-Mobile, the very outspoken fourth player in the country's "four carrier" wireless industry (at least according to the FCC) are said to be discussing a possible merger scenario, with some claiming a very positive outcome for the two companies is close at hand. If true, the industry could witness one of the biggest mergers between traditional media and communications companies, both of which are being threatened by the growing strength of the Internet.

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This week the folks at DISH Network have added Netflix multi-room functionality for their Joey-using clients. In addition to extending the abilities of Netflix, DISH is bringing Vevo - for music videos - to the Hopper DVR experience. DISH suggests that the addition of Netflix in this manner to Joey units makes them "the first major U.S. pay-TV provider to offer its customers a whole-home Netflix experience." To be clear, this isn't the first time Netflix has been on the Hopper DVR - it's the first time it's been extended to the Joey system.

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Sling TV wants to free you of the cable shackles that bind you. HBO is aiming for the same effect, as their recent Apple TV deal highlighted at Apple’s latest gathering. The two, it seems, would be a match made in heaven. Like so much other cable content already has, a new report says HBO is headed to Sling TV. In a deal with Dish Network, who operate Sling TV, HBO is said to offer up their service to the Internet TV service, and will also provide HBO NOW to Dish.

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Sling TV is an exciting option for television viewers, giving the best of television while offering the convenience and piecemeal freedom that comes with watch-it-anywhere Internet streaming. The service, which is from Dish Network, offers a core package that includes many channels streaming in real-time, counted among them being such popular offerings as ESPN, AMC, Disney, ABC Family, CNN, and more. Some users have discovered that not all is quite as it seems, however, and they have started to revolt.

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This week the folks behind the DISH Anywhere app have released the ability to expand to multiple user profiles. This means that several different users can work with the same DISH network devices, each with their own user profile. Each new user profile can have its own suggestions and authorizations, each different depending on if it's been tagged Admin or viewer. Admins have the ability to see parental controlled content with use of a passcode. This app is ready for iOS, Android, and Kindle devices this afternoon.

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Today, Dish is announcing their CEO is stepping down. Joseph Clayton took over for Dish co-founder Charlie Erdman in 2011, and was charged with transforming Dish’s business. He was at the head of the table as Dish acquired a massive portfolio of spectrum (relative to their needs), and also helped bring us Sling TV. In his absence, Erdman will reclaim the CEO role. The appointment of Erdman, who sat on Dish’s board since stepping down as CEO, isn’t temporary, either, suggesting even more change is afoot.

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Dish Network's long rumored Internet television service became real last month with the introduction of Sling TV, a service that allows subscribers to watch live channels streamed over the Internet. Upon introduction, the service brought with it a dozen channels (including those coveted sports channels), and now less than a month later the number of channels it offers has expanded. Sling TV has struck a new partnership with Univision, and under it will add several of the network's Spanish-language channels.

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When the FCC auction ended last week, Dish walked away with roughly $10 billion in spectrum. That spend was down from $13 billion, where Dish took advantage of $3 billion or so in discounts. Now, an FCC commissioner is questioning whether or not Dish should be entitled to those discounts. The rub is in how Dish actually acquired the spectrum, where they used a series of subsidiaries to snap up blocks of spectrum. In doing so, they took advantage of ‘small business’ discounts.

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Oh thank goodness the Dish team have come to their senses, turning their advertising-skipping feature "AutoHop" on its head for the Super Bowl. Instead of skipping the advertisements, Dish suggests you may want to skip the football. With Reverse AutoHop, the Hopper DVR device will allow you to watch the entire Super Bowl without all those tiresome, boring minutes of sports. Now you can just watch Kim Kardashian's T-Mobile USA ad instead - or the one with the rabbits. Or the one with the guy - the ad about the stuff!

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As I write this review, SportsCenter is on in the background. I’ve not watched ESPN in years — actual years — so this review is like revisiting a memory. I’m a bit of a cord cutter (I still get Internet via the cable company), and there are several reasons for that. Sling TV brings cable back into my life, but in the best way possible. I don’t have to re-up some cable contract, and it works with streaming devices I have on every TV. It’s must-have TV. Here’s why.

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