Marketable Investment Securities, Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents, and Other Investment (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Marketable investment securities, restricted cash and other investment securities
Current marketable investment securities	$ 1,334,546	$ 1,431,745
Restricted marketable investment securities	76,700	65,843
Noncurrent marketable investment securities - ARS and MBS	118,470	109,327
Total marketable investment securities	1,529,716	1,606,915
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	57,172	66,592
Other investment securities - cost method	2,879	2,805
Investment in DBSD North America		1,297,614
Total other investment securities	2,879	1,300,419
Total marketable investment securities, restricted cash and cash equivalents and other investment securities	1,589,767	2,973,926
Current marketable investment securities - VRDNs
Marketable investment securities, restricted cash and other investment securities
Current marketable investment securities	185,005	160,555
Current marketable investment securities - strategic
Marketable investment securities, restricted cash and other investment securities
Current marketable investment securities	452,082	360,052
Current marketable investment securities - other
Marketable investment securities, restricted cash and other investment securities
Current marketable investment securities	$ 697,459	$ 911,138

Marketable investment securities, restricted cash and cash equivalent and other investment securities.

No definition available.

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- Definition

Investments in debt and equity securities which are categorized neither as trading securities nor held-to-maturity securities and which are intended be sold or mature within one year from the balance sheet date or the normal operating cycle, whichever is longer. Such securities are reported at fair value; unrealized gains (losses) related to Available-for-sale Securities are excluded from earnings and reported in a separate component of shareholders' equity (other comprehensive income), unless the Available-for-sale security is designated as a hedge or is determined to have had an other than temporary decline in fair value below its amortized cost basis. All or a portion of the unrealized holding gain (loss) of an Available-for-sale security that is designated as being hedged in a fair value hedge is recognized in earnings during the period of the hedge, as are other than temporary declines in fair value below the cost basis for investments in equity securities and debt securities that an entity intends to sell or it is more likely than not that it will be required to sell before the recovery of its amortized cost basis. Other than temporary declines in fair value below the cost basis for debt securities categorized as Available-for-sale that an entity does not intend to sell and for which it is not more likely than not that the entity will be required to sell before the recovery of its amortized cost basis are bifurcated into credit losses and losses related to all other factors. Other than temporary declines in fair value below cost basis related to credit losses are recognized in earnings, and losses related to all other factors are recognized in other comprehensive income.

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This element represents the aggregate carrying amount of all cost-method investments held by the Company. Generally, such investments do not have readily determinable fair values and are not required to be accounted for by the equity method. The carrying amount of such securities equates to cost, adjusted for other-than-temporary impairment. The cost method and lower-of-cost or market, an adaptation of the cost method, is generally followed for most investments in noncontrolled corporations, in some corporate joint ventures, and to a lesser extent in unconsolidated subsidiaries, particularly foreign.

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Total debt and equity financial instruments including: (1) securities held-to-maturity, (2) trading securities, and (3) securities available-for-sale.

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Total debt and equity financial instruments including: (1) securities held-to-maturity and (2) securities available-for-sale that will be held for the long-term.

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Total debt and equity financial instruments including: (1) securities held-to-maturity, (2) trading securities, and (3) securities available-for-sale which are intended to be held for greater than one year or the normal operating cycle, whichever is longer and that are pledged to one or more secured parties who have the right to buy, sell, or re-pledge the collateral.

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- Definition

Other investments not otherwise specified in the taxonomy.

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Other long-term investments not otherwise specified in the taxonomy, not including investments in marketable securities.

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The carrying amounts of cash and cash equivalent items which are restricted as to withdrawal or usage. Restrictions may include legally restricted deposits held as compensating balances against borrowing arrangements, contracts entered into with others, or entity statements of intention with regard to particular deposits; however, time deposits and short-term certificates of deposit are not generally included in legally restricted deposits. Excludes compensating balance arrangements that are not agreements which legally restrict the use of cash amounts shown on the balance sheet. This element is for unclassified presentations; for classified presentations there is a separate and distinct element.

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