The Future of HD for Dish?
- Thread starter kirkdj
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IMHO E* bought space wisely. DirecTV did not, hence being forced into using or even thinking about having to use spot beams for content like national HD channels. Also the reverse polarity slots are DBS, just reversed. Which would you prefer for national content... KA, FSS or a blend of DBS? Again, just my opinion, they both do the same but I feel that one was a compromise while the other was a smart buy back in the day...
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I think that both adapted to changing market conditions pretty well. D* had the Ka sats up for broadband internet service, as I recall, which turned out not to be such a lucrative market. They regrouped and turned it into HD LIL, and they're using that for a marketing advantage.
E* more or less had Rainbow 1 dropped into their lap when VOOM folded, and picked it up for a song. With the satellite in hand, they decided to keep some of the VOOM channels, and get a good number of well paying HD subs to follow.
OK, this is the second time you mentioned reverse polarity slots, can you please provide a link to what you're talking about since I haven't seen any mention of this before.
I think if we re-visit this post in 6 months you will say just the opposite. I also prefer only having one dish on my property (is that also part of the bought space wisely?).
I'm sure that D* could have entered into arrangements to lease space if they wanted to also, but they made a business decision in 2004 to buy and build their own birds and they announced it, and they are damn close to completing it, and its pretty close to being done on schedule.
In the meantime, what are we missing 3 or 4 real HD national channels and the lowly watched VOOM offering that no one else (even their owner CABLEVISION) has? And yet while all this is going on, DirecTV actually does carry FAR MORE HD channels than DISH (don't all the HD locals count as channels to you? - I assure you they count as channels to the people that get them). We also have far more sports in HD, and don't those channels count to you? Far more RSN's in HD, don't those channels count to you? And some FULL-TIME RSN-HD offerings, don't they also count?
It's simply a story of 2 companies purposely charting different paths in order to attract particular audiences. They choose to be different on purpose. Neither is better or worse - they can only be preferred by each of us as to our viewing choices.
1. Voom channels have a lot of excellent programming. You can convince yourself it's no big loss to you since you only appear to want sports but they are legit HD channels with HD programming on them all the time, unlike many other "HD" channels.
2. HD LiLs are obviously important to those who receive them but since you only get yours, you cannot count them as consecutive HD channels, only as concurrent HD channels. If I cannot get them, why should I even consider them to exist?
3. RSNs face the same fate as LiLs - you have yours, I have mine so they are concurrent. Most sports events are blacked out on them unless they are your channels so those you can get from out of your area are virtually useless and do not broadcast all their blackout restriction free programming in HD.
4. Pro Sports packages are a definite plus but do not broadcast 24/7 and only for the season they are dedicated to.
DTV has a lot of HD bandwidth but not a truly clear advantage in HD programming.
Actually DIRECTV had little choice. They had already spent a few billion on the KA array satellites for internet service. They could throw away a few billion or adapt the satellites for TV. It seems to be working out well for DIRECTV, but had they really decided to go with Ka technology for HD locals and nationals they could have saved a HUGE amount of money and built much cheaper satellites (on the order of a few hundred million).
Echostar spent $200 million for Rainbow 1. For the satellite it was a huge cost, but they also got the FCC licenses for the transponders on 61.5, this made the deal cheap.
DIRECTV still has the advantage of a one dish solution. Echostar has a rag tag fleet of satellites all over the sky requiring multiple dishes in some locations (they have really improved this with 129/118.7).
Both companies now are comitted to larger dishes. Small DBS dishes are a thing of the past. KA satellite rain fade requires the larger dish and Ku-FSS and so many satellites require it too.
I am in area code 70448, just north of New Orleans. I hear that Directv will soon have a 150 HD channels by the 3Q of this year. They just started providing HD local channels for my area. Dish has gone up to $122 total for me a mo.
I am so undecided now as who to go with? Stay or go?
What is the HD future plans for Dish? Do customers stand by while Directv offers so much for less?
Does anyone know?
Kirk - I live in Covington & am very happy with DISH. They don't have HD Locals for New Orleans yet (I'm sure they will soon - Direct just got them - it's usually a negotiation dance with the local stations & if one of them is successful the other should be soon), but the 622 Receiver does a FANTASTIC job of integrating the OTA signals from my antenna into the prgram guide on the receiver (requires you subscribe to locals for $5 a month). I can select & record all the New Orleans channels that broadcast in HD right from my receiver.
The only thing I am missing is NBC HD from channel 6 - which hasn't come back since Katrina took down their broadcast equipment. I COULD subscribe to a distant networks package for NBC HD but haven't bothered to yet. If you can't put up a decent OTA antenna for HD you may want a distant networks package. I think we are eligible here.
People say that Direct is the way to go if you are a sports fanatic - I don't know about you but I physically can't WATCH 15 NFL games every weekend and certainly aren't willing to pay an extra $150 or more a year to do so. Besides the only football worth watching is the SAINTS.
I have far more HD channels than any provider that I am aware of - if that changes in the future I may have to re-evaluate. My bill, like yours is approx. $124 mo. for America's Top 250, New Orleans locals, 2 leased receivers, and all of the premium movie channels. I'm a TV nut, don't drink, fish, hunt, or own a boat or motorcycle - so this is the cost of my "hobby".
I think Direct is only cheaper for the initial few months - till they get you in the door - then their prices are compatible with Dish - there is a comparison chart somewhere on this website. Dish does the same thing with new subscribers.
To each his own.........
Its not a question of having to convince me, you or anyone else whether or not its a loss. I simply stated that VOOM has very low viewership (because it DOES). If it is something important to you, that's great. But NO ONE else carries even one channel of VOOM. I definitely read many more posts of people wanting MLB, or RSN or mainstream HD channels than VOOM.
Again, ok, but 90% of pay tv subscribers get their locals from their provider. Locals are an important offering, and both the D* and E* forums are littered with posts of people inquiring when they will be getting their locals.
The only sports that are blacked out are the pro-games. In case you weren't aware, there are great college games on all of the time. But again take a look at the 'headlines' and the much viewed threads in both D* and E* regarding RSN-HD. Many more than any of the VOOM channels, and more than most of the mainstream HD nationals as well. Don't sell sports short.
That's ok as well, but baseball is on everyday from 1pm (sometimes 12 noon) until 1-2 in the morning. I think thats pretty substantial actually.
I never said either had an 'advantage' - what I said is 2 companies, 2 different programming offerings - its that way on purpose - and whatever is best for you is the right choice. If DISH (or FiOS, or Cablevision) ever can give me more of what I desire, I will move ASAP. I prefer DirecTV, but would change at any time I felt I would be better off.
I will try to find the FCC post to the new slot filings by Echo. Also, don't be so sure I will be changing my tune in 6 months... ! ;0
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Alas, poor VOOM. Constantly maligned by those who live by sports alone. But where else can you go to see a Kurosawa film in HD, complete with subtitles? Where else could you see the whole James Bond series in HD? All the Frankenstein and Dracula movies, in HD? Is it a niche market? Yes, but so is Mercedes Benz, compared to Ford or Chevy.
I'll take my local RSN, which offers HD occasionally, and say "thank you, E*". But VOOM is always there after the game is over, with interesting content in HD 24/7.
The next Dish satellite was to go up this year on SeaLaunch. This will likely be delayed, due to their previous launch attempt exploding. They have applied for many more satellites with the FCC. There's a thread on this somewhere.
FYI - D* does have WDSU's HD channel up on their LIL HD service. And BTW, E* doesn't have any distant networks up on HD anymore, all you can get is the SD channel.
For the most part I agree. However, there are the Disney/ABC channels to launch early 2008 and the one news channel to launch later this year, that the networks, not D*, have announced as launching exclusive to D*. Doesn't mean E* won't add them later, but where are they networks announcing exclusive to E* launchings.
There was a poll, http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=80492&highlight=poll asking what HD channels D* customers want to see added, Voom was ranked near the bottom, the Weather Channel HD had more requests to be added. National Geographic HD and The History Channel HD were the two top rated, in fact some of the sports RSN were ranked lower then the requets for Voom.
You take the factual info that VOOM has low viewership as maligned even after I tell the poster if that what's important to him that's great. Amazing.
My point (and it is valid) is how come you read all the time people (D & E) wanting their RSN in HD (or in some cases even in SD), and their locals in HD - but far fewer asking for VOOM. Doesn't mean that it's not meaningful, but to me it surely means its lower down people's lists.
You don't need to look for flaming when it doesn't exist BTW.
I've mentioned this before, D*'s been out there getting the content provides to pony up and launch new HD channels to help fill their expected capacity later this year. All the E* fans say that E* will match, that's all well and good, but if E* has all the extra bandwidth laying around that they could use for more HD, why wasn't Charlie out there doing this to help cement his lead in HD vs. just reacting when D* gets their plan going?
AFAIK, none of the Superstations at this time are HD enabled. IIRC, TBS has announced they will have the Superstation up on D* later this year. For WGN, from web site, http://wgnsuperstation.trb.com/about/site/feedback/:
"Q: When will Superstation WGN become available in HDTV?
A: At some point in the future but not in the near term. DIRECTV and DISH NETWORK have also expressed interest but DIRECTV is further along in the process of doing so."
HD Channels by years end
Simple to add up all the local HD channels "D" has but only locals can receive you will reach 150 by years end. If "Dish" does the same the number will be close. It's just a marketing plot to fool the user into purchasing their product.
A lame way to run a business.
Simple to add up all the local HD channels "D" has but only locals can receive you will reach 150 by years end. If "Dish" does the same the number will be close. It's just a marketing plot to fool the user into purchasing their product.
A lame way to run a business.
