Is this a good deal? (1 Viewer)

[Philip Thor]

I have a Tosh 55H70 that is anxiously waiting to display it's first ever HD presentation. There is no HD offered in my area (SE Virginia) OTA or cable. The regular cable comes across great on the Tosh and I need to keep the service anyway to feed my cable modem.
I gather from reading this group's posts that the 61.5 bird is my best bet. I have a clear shot at that satellite. I can't get to 110 or 119 due to large powerlines and towers in my back yard.
I emailed Dish Depot with my story and Mark replied that he would post an offering tailored to my needs. He did:
6000hbsho
$ 479.00 + $ 19.95 Shipping & Handling
6020 System (New Subscribers with HBO and/or Showtime Commitment Only)
Special Package for High Definition Fans Only!
Includes 6000 Receiver, Remote, 18in. Dish with Dual LNBF and install kit.
Access to HD HBO and Showtime plus HD PPV Channel.
HBO-$12.99/mo. plus $5.00 access fee.
Showtime-$10.99/mo. plus $5.00 access fee.
HBO and Showtime-$21.99/mo. plus $5.00 access fee.
Is this a good deal for my situation? Do I have to subscribe to a basic Dish Network package (which I can't use) and then add HBO/Sho? Is the access fee recurring (monthly)?
Thanks for any advice, Phil

 

[Steve Tannehill]

What are the $5 access fees? Is that what you pay if you don't sign up for any other channels except HBO and/or Showtime?
- Steve

 

[Philip Thor]

From reading posts in other newsgroups, I'm quite sure the access fees are charged in lieu of signing up for a package deal. At any rate, I think I'll have a professional survey performed, just to know for sure which satellites are available to me at my location. Totally out of character for me, this experience has caused me to slow down and carefully evaluate all the options.
Cheers, Phil