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The battle between Fox Broadcasting and Dish Network continues with an amended filing asking Judge Dolly Gee of the U.S. District Court for California's Central District to once again issue a preliminary injunction to block sales of Dish Network's Hopper DVR. The amended lawsuit involves technology introduced with the updated Dish Hopper with Sling, which began shipping to customers on February 11.

In November 2012, Gee rejected Fox's request for a preliminary injunction to disable the Dish Hopper AutoHop technology, which was first introduced last year. Fox appealed that ruling to the 9th U.S. Circuit … Read more

DANA POINT, Calif.--You might think that Dish Network Chairman Charlie Ergen wants to kill TV advertising. With the introduction of the Dish Hopper with Sling HD DVR nationwide this week, the company ironically launched a new series of commercials to promote the latest version of its ad-skipping product.

In one commercial, the "Boston guys" sit on a couch paying their last respects to commercials. "Now that we have the Hopper, we can watch commercial-free TV," they said. "Commercials are out of our lives."

Granted, viewers keep the fast-forward button handy to skip ads … Read more

Dish is taking its digital video recorder, the Hopper, national today, and it's doing it with an ad that declares the death of TV advertisements.

The campaign is just the latest salvo in a fight between Dish and the major broadcast networks, including CBS, the parent company of CNET. Dish and the broadcasters are tussling over the legality of the Hopper's automated ad-skipping technology, which the networks believe threaten a business model heavily dependent upon commercials for revenue.

Dish said it now offers the Hopper's service nationwide and to promote its news, the company has launched, ironically, … Read more

Sprint Nextel played the field a bit before committing to a merger with SoftBank, according to a merger proxy document filed by Sprint this week with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The nation's third-largest wireless carrier had discussions with at least four companies, though the specific names weren't revealed.

The wheeling and dealing underscores the trend toward industry consolidation, spurred partly by competition, as well as by the need for more wireless spectrum. Sprint, in particular, was in both a financial and spectrum bind prior to the SoftBank deal.

Before the SoftBank deal, Sprint had discussions with "… Read more

Clearwire continues to like Sprint's buyout offer, but isn't ruling out a bid from Dish Networks just yet.

In a "Transaction Update" released today, Clearwire said that its Special Committee charged with determining the value of both Sprint's and Dish's offers "has not made any determination to change its recommendation of the current Sprint transaction." That said, the committee added that it will continue to hold discussions with Dish, "as appropriate," to make a final determination.

Sprint Nextel last year announced plans to acquire the remaining 50 percent of Clearwire … Read more

The Consumer Electronics Association, a trade organization that represents 2,000 technology companies and runs the International Consumer Electronics Show, announced today that the Dish Hopper with Sling HD DVR is joining the Razer Edge gaming tablet as a co-winner of the 2013 Best of Show in the CES awards program. The CEA also designated the Dish Hopper a 2013 Design and Engineering Award Honoree at CES.

CNET, which produced the Best of Show awards program under contract with the CEA, originally voted the Dish Hopper with Sling as the winner. The Dish Hopper product was taken out of the … Read more

The Consumer Electronics Association, a trade organization that represents 2,000 technology companies, voiced its support today for Dish Network's ad-skipping technology -- the focus of a heated multifront battle between the satellite TV provider and major broadcast television networks, including CBS, the parent company of CNET.

At issue is the legality of Dish's digital video recorder, the Hopper, including its "AutoHop" feature. AutoHop allows customers to record the entire prime-time lineup and automatically skip commercials. Broadcasters argue that the technology threatens to undermine an industry that depends on advertising revenue to help cover the cost … Read more

CBS amended its lawsuit against Dish Network today, claiming the satellite TV provider misled the network about planned ad-skipping technology during contract negotiations in 2011.

The lawsuit is part of a legal battle between Dish and the major television networks that erupted last year over "AutoHop," which allows customers to skip commercials at the touch of a button. The networks, including CBS, which is the parent company of CNET News, contend that the technology threatens to undermine an industry that depends on advertising revenue to help cover the cost of their shows.

In its amended lawsuit, CBS accused … Read more

As more Blockbuster video rental stores slip into the red, its parent company Dish Network has decided to shutter 300 stores across the U.S., according to Reuters. The closing of these stores could mean that as many as 3,000 employees would also be laid off.

After Dish bought Blockbuster in 2011, for $320 million, the company said it planned to keep 1,500 of the chain's rental stores open and maintain 15,000 employees. However, with profits dropping, and with video streaming and downloading popping up all over the place, Dish ended up keeping only about 850 locations open. … Read more