Satellite TV Bills to increase

[DishSubLA]

I know next to nothing about cablecards, but from a quick look at the wiki it appears the FCC dropped the ball. The section of the 1996 telcom law refers to 'multichannel video programming distributor' which would seem to fit Dish and DirectTV too. No idea why the FCC didn't make Dish support something like a cablecard.

I'm more curious what this fee is used for. If it is simply to support the FCC I would oppose it. Not that what we think matters........

Dish and DircTV sent a letter to the FCC saying there were being left out of the CableCard, a CableLabs spec system. In other words, the Cable Cos. were no including satellite in the coming cards. At the time it seemed everything was going to be Cable Card and if you did not have a box that was compatible, you would be OUT of the loop. Fortunately for Dish and DirecTV, they were shut out of Cable Card because the technology was a mess. Making matters worse was Cable Cos. implementation of Switched Video requiring 3rd party boxes such as TiVo's to get a stupid device for the switched video so that the TiVo could tune to most of the channel.

The TiVo forum has been filled with Cable Card and Switched Video implementation HATRED threads because it made using a 3rd party box like TiVo a huge pain to almost impossible without a lot of pain. It's clear: Cable Card was to guarantee the Cable Cos. box fee revenue along with the switched video compatibility devices that never seemed to work for TiVo even though they were supposed and promised to.

 

[bigjohnok]

I can't imagine Dish and Directv don't have to pay fees to have satellites orbit the Earth. That has to cost something to some Government entity.

there is a lot of regulation that comes with having what is a communication satellite in orbit, especially now with technology allowing hacking to become normal event. now to take control of a satellite it would be more of a nation or a even a corporate type entity that would have the resources at hand that could do it.

 

[Jim S.]

Dish and DircTV sent a letter to the FCC saying there were being left out of the CableCard, a CableLabs spec system. In other words, the Cable Cos. were no including satellite in the coming cards. At the time it seemed everything was going to be Cable Card and if you did not have a box that was compatible, you would be OUT of the loop. Fortunately for Dish and DirecTV, they were shut out of Cable Card because the technology was a mess. Making matters worse was Cable Cos. implementation of Switched Video requiring 3rd party boxes such as TiVo's to get a stupid device for the switched video so that the TiVo could tune to most of the channel.

So CableCard is a mess, so what? Dish DOES have cards, and there ARE receivers that can read them, Dish just won't let you use them.

 

[mdavej]

Trash cable card all you want, but it saves me at least $50/month and works beautifully. If satellite had cable card, you wouldn't have to pay $25+ for DVRs and $6+ for boxes. My cable card based system is far better than anything satellite can offer.

 

[Jim5506]

Then you could pay $14 for the satellite cable card, because it supports 2 tuners - dish and Direct have to make money somehow to attract investors - they will get money out of you anyway they can.

I would probably have cable cards in at least one of my 3 TiVos with Suddenlink now if they were not so stinky about me moving from double play (Phone/internet) to triple play (Phone/internet/cable) - losing half of my discounts.

 

[Radioguy41]

With this fee increase and the MLB playoffs moving to FS1 which isn't available in any reasonably priced Dish package I think it's time to walk away. A satellite package of 150 channels with about 120 of those being home shopping or religious just doesn't justify the cost. I won't starve, I get more than 40 channels off my outdoor antenna including Ion, AntennaTV, and RTV among others as well as all the networks and their sub-channels. Movies come from Netflix so essentially the only real loss would be ESPN and frankly I can't stand them anymore with all the jerk desk jockeys they have.

 

[mikej0530]

I think we need to fire everyone in Washington. I'm tired of them taxing us to death and we get very little out of it. This is not an attack on just this administration. It's both parties. If they need more money take it away from all those congress members because they do nothing to earn the pay anyways.

 

[MikeD-C05]

I think we need to fire everyone in Washington. I'm tired of them taxing us to death and we get very little out of it. This is not an attack on just this administration. It's both parties. If they need more money take it away from all those congress members because they do nothing to earn the pay anyways.

That's not TRUE! They are just finishing their Annual summer 5 week vacation and are due back in D.C. tomorrow morning.

 

[DishSubLA]

Trash cable card all you want, but it saves me at least $50/month and works beautifully. If satellite had cable card, you wouldn't have to pay $25+ for DVRs and $6+ for boxes. My cable card based system is far better than anything satellite can offer.

But you would have to give up Hundreds of dollars, closer to $1000 in some more complex installs, that are provided to subs for FREE nor a pretty cheap $99 to change out a system from ViP to the Hopper. The Cable Card for 3rd parties means you get to pay for all the equipment up front, like the TiVo model and that is why TiVo is on the long road OUT, with its hints of "exit strategy" by 2018 when the patents expire. Sure, Cable Card is fine for the really affluent and the rich, but not for the masses nor me.

 

[DishSubLA]

So CableCard is a mess, so what? Dish DOES have cards, and there ARE receivers that can read them, Dish just won't let you use them.

Actually, I think there is a misunderstanding of how the Cable Card works. The free slot for a card in Dish boxes is for DECRYPTION purposes. Currently, the Access Card is built-in to the Dish boxes, but Dish WILL, as it has in the past, have to implement NEW encryption, and they will send out a NEW card that goes in that slot. It is NOT for Cable Card. Dish boxes have no support for Cable Card. Cable Card is on the way OUT and even the FCC admits that is was a BUST. Keep in mind the cable industry through its CableLabs designed the entire system. I buy the conspiracy theory on Cable Card. There are new gateway systems the FCC and Cable industry, and possibly satellite for the future, but NOTHING really close to becoming reality.

 

[jerryez]

If I remember correctly, Dish does not have cable cards because Dish would not let the TV makers have access to their technology for fear of someone stealing the technology. When I had a TiVo, that is what TiVo stated is why their units were not compatible with Dish. Dish would not provide the technology for the use of cable cards.

 

[Juan]

If I remember correctly, Dish does not have cable cards because Dish would not let the TV makers have access to their technology for fear of someone stealing the technology. When I had a TiVo, that is what TiVo stated is why their units were not compatible with Dish. Dish would not provide the technology for the use of cable cards.

Maybe with the virtual joey things will change

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[Jim S.]

Actually, I think there is a misunderstanding of how the Cable Card works. The free slot for a card in Dish boxes is for DECRYPTION purposes. Currently, the Access Card is built-in to the Dish boxes, but Dish WILL, as it has in the past, have to implement NEW encryption, and they will send out a NEW card that goes in that slot. It is NOT for Cable Card. Dish boxes have no support for Cable Card. Cable Card is on the way OUT and even the FCC admits that is was a BUST

Again, I think you're missing the point. Forget about the name CableCard, AND forget about Dish's receivers! There are lots of models of satellite receivers in the world, and the vast majority of them HAVE decryption card slots! So why doesn't the government force the providers in this country to let us use them?

(As a matter of fact, the manual of my first-generation Dish receiver actually EXPLICITLY STATED that they were using the open DVB-S standard for broadcasting so that they would be compatible with other equipment... I don't know why they mentioned that. I suspect that the manual was written by someone capable of dealing with reality, i.e. an engineer, whereas the actual decisions were made by someone with a liberal arts degree.)

 

[Jim5506]

HMMM... Suddenlink is pushing their TiVo Roamios with cable card as their top of the line DVR, I'm sure other cable cos are too.

I don't see any evidence that cable cards are on the way out, actually to the contrary.

 

[jarvantgroup]

This is where the whole thing goes sideways...what, the FCC wants to charge DBS providers for using frequencies? Orbital slots? The space and the air between the sat and our homes? There's no "equality" to cable companies at all in this situation, none whatsoever...

It seems like cable companies have been screaming for years about the 'inequality' of them having to pay the extra fees for providing their service. I see their eagerness to 'level' the playing field as just a stop gap measure to narrow the pricing divide between cable companies and DBS providers. If their costs to provide service can be somewhere in the neighborhood as the DBS providers, then maybe they can stop some of the exodus of customers fleeing from their ranks. You all know that there is little to no cost to govern, regulate, and maintain the wide open orbital space as opposed to the millions and millions of telephone poles, towers, transmission lines, etc.

 

[DishSubLA]

HMMM... Suddenlink is pushing their TiVo Roamios with cable card as their top of the line DVR, I'm sure other cable cos are too.

I don't see any evidence that cable cards are on the way out, actually to the contrary.

CC is reality for now and is the ONLY way TiVo or other 3rd party boxes (like the old retail Moxi) can receive encrypted and digital cable channels today (along with those awful tuning adapter where SDV is deployed), so of course it is still the solution, but not for long, and the FCC has made it clear they will be deciding on a NEW scheme to replace CC and Dish has already filed a submission as to what THEY would like to see. Of course TiVo has submitted what they prefer and clearly state CC is a failure and glad to see FCC moving along. The info for the coming death of CC and birth of a new standard is at FCC along with all the statements from those affected, including consumers. Also, those of us on the TiVo forum have been following this far more closely for far longer than we on the SAT forum. Every MVPD and manufacturer including major CE brands like Sony, Samsung, etc. have also filed with what they would like to see. The FCC has its preference. The number of Cable Cards deployed is about 600,000 out of the tens millions of subscribers in the cable co. world. That is another reason the FCC considers Cable Card a failure and a coming legacy. It seems everyone would like to see CC be done, and it is moving along in that direction. I would say the the FCC is far enough along that we could see a decision within a year and something start to be deployed within the second year.

For a while, AllVid was the likely successor, but new technologies have come along since that may make universal decryption as well as universal adapters for ALL MVPD's, including DBS, less costly and easier and provide for more tuners, so there is some minor reconsideration at this point, but EVERYONE at this point knows Cable Card is on its swan song, and are gearing up to argue for and choose a new standard even if it is AllVid or some other enhancement or variation of it. You don't see any evidence because you don't know where to look for it. Far more evidence and reality contrary to your statement.

 

[bigjohnok]

It seems like cable companies have been screaming for years about the 'inequality' of them having to pay the extra fees for providing their service. I see their eagerness to 'level' the playing field as just a stop gap measure to narrow the pricing divide between cable companies and DBS providers. If their costs to provide service can be somewhere in the neighborhood as the DBS providers, then maybe they can stop some of the exodus of customers fleeing from their ranks. You all know that there is little to no cost to govern, regulate, and maintain the wide open orbital space as opposed to the millions and millions of telephone poles, towers, transmission lines, etc.

you dont understand how geosynchronous orbital slots work do you?
they are limited.

 

[ChadT41]

I'll give him a 'like' if he can tell me how far out(generalized) the dish and dtv sats are.

 

[dare2be]

Isn't it something like 26,000 miles?

 

[bigjohnok]

Isn't it something like 26,000 miles?

22,000 roughly