Directv 16 Launch Schedule

slice1900 said:

Directv doesn't have any incentive to move people off satellite. It doesn't save them any money once customers are installed, and could cost them money if they price the 'Directv via IP' product lower (though based on the packages shown as being available for Directv Now, it looks like the pricing will be the same modulo no "advanced receiver fee" since there's no Genie)

What I think they will do, quite quickly after the Directv via IP product is available, is to preferentially sell that new customers because of the savings in install costs that Directv would normally eat. They might even start charging for new installs of satellite as a way to further incent people to go with the cheaper-to-install product.

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What you're saying makes sense, and I see those as steps to be taken starting in 2019/20, not five years from now. A little lower overall pricing (installation + equipment + programming) for streaming vs. satellite, along with a stronger marketing push for the former, will do a lot to shift the distribution mix over the course of a few years.

Only thing I'd add is not to read too much into the pricing that AT&T posted a week or two ago for the Entertainment, Choice, Xtra, etc. packages on DTV Now. I'm not sure what their rationale is in putting those packages on DTV Now at those prices but I don't believe it's a key part of any long-term strategy. That may or may not be a guide to how pricing for their forthcoming "DTV over IP" will compare to traditional DTV satellite service.

NashGuy said:

I'm not sure what their rationale is in putting those packages on DTV Now at those prices but I don't believe it's a key part of any long-term strategy. That may or may not be a guide to how pricing for their forthcoming "DTV over IP" will compare to traditional DTV satellite service.

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If the prices on the DirecTv Now service are any indication, I don’t see any incentive for satellite delivered customers to switch. Seems like a step backward.



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bobvick said:

If the prices on the DirecTv Now service are any indication, I don’t see any incentive for satellite delivered customers to switch. Seems like a step backward.

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Yep, *absolutely* a step backward (unless you happen to have real problems with rain fade). It's the same packages but without a few channels that they carry on satellite (WGN, ION, local PBS stations, possibly other major locals). And the streaming packages with DTV Now only have a 20-hour cloud DVR in which the recordings auto-delete after 30 days! And the pricing is the same as the regular, non-promo pricing on satellite. Only money you're saving is whatever you spend on satellite STBs and DVR service. (DTV Now includes simultaneous service to 2 devices that you own, whether that's Roku, Apple TV, phone, tablet, PC, etc.; a 3rd stream can be added for $5 extra.)

As things are currently priced and structured, AT&T clearly has no real interest in signing folks up for those bigger, more expensive channel packages on DTV Now rather than on satellite.

I wonder why Stephenson even said the prices would be lower on DTV over IP? If DTV over IP is going to be their main premium TV service in the future wouldn't it have their premium pricing? He probably should have said it would save AT&T money and not the consumer. It would be the exact same service on IP vs. SatelliteTV with all its same features that DTV Now wouldn't have. Except it would have the DTV Now interface. Then cost savings would be with paying the installation, the making of the satelliteTV equipment and maintaining the warehouses for that equipment.

CSM said:

I wonder why Stephenson even said the prices would be lower on DTV over IP? If DTV over IP is going to be their main premium TV service in the future wouldn't it have their premium pricing? He probably should have said it would save AT&T money and not the consumer. It would be the exact same service on IP vs. SatelliteTV with all its same features that DTV Now wouldn't have. Except it would have the DTV Now interface. Then cost savings would be with paying the installation, the making of the satelliteTV equipment and maintaining the warehouses for that equipment.

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Prices can be "lower" if it is one dollar less so that's hardly going to be difficult for them. Since there's no Genie and thus no reason to charge the $15 "advanced receiver fee" I think it should be at least $15 + taxes cheaper. Maybe more depending on what they do about the $7 per TV fees. I expect the package prices themselves to be the same.

slice1900 said:

Prices can be "lower" if it is one dollar less so that's hardly going to be difficult for them. Since there's no Genie and thus no reason to charge the $15 "advanced receiver fee" I think it should be at least $15 + taxes cheaper. Maybe more depending on what they do about the $7 per TV fees. I expect the package prices themselves to be the same.

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What you state may end up being how they price it, but I would still think that AT&T would offer their "full package" streaming customers -- at least those who will be using the C71 Osprey box -- the same opportunity to sign up for a 24-month contract with up-front incentives (reduced pricing for the first year, Visa gift cards, etc.) as they offer their satellite TV customers. Because, without those deals -- which are currently NOT available with DTV Now's Entertainment, Choice, etc. packages -- the streaming version would be a much worse deal for a lot of potential customers.

Yes, I realize that part of the allure of these "cord-cutter" cable services like DTV Now, YouTube TV, etc. is that they have no contract and can be stopped and started whenever one wants. But that's not something that the majority of cable TV subscribers are interested in doing. Most folks, when they sign up for a new service, plan to keep it year-round for quite some time. And those consumers would be expecting up-front discounts and rebates.

It will be interesting to see which route AT&T takes with regard to marketing/branding. On the one hand, they could do what I think would make the most sense, and offer streaming versions of their full satellite packages under the main DirecTV brand, with the same contracts, promotions, billing system, etc. Only real differences would be that the streaming customers would get the self-installed C71 box and possibly pay less for DVR service, additional TVs/STBs, and installation. Meanwhile, DTV Now would continue as it is with only their Plus and Max packages. In this scenario, "DirecTV" = traditional full-scale cable TV service with all the bells, whistles, costs and commitments while "DirecTV Now" = flexible, skinnier, lower-cost no-contract streaming cable TV on any device, aimed at cord-cutters. The former can be bundled with AT&T home internet at a discount and the latter with AT&T mobile service at a discount.

The other branding option would be "DirecTV" = any TV service offered via satellite, regardless of package size, price, or commitment and "DirecTV Now" = any TV service offered via streaming, regardless of package size, price, commitment, and whether you use your own device or an AT&T STB. In this scenario, we would see full-price, full-scale packages and the C71 box roll out under the DTV Now brand. This doesn't make as much sense to me but it may be the route that they're going given that we now see the traditional satellite packages offered under DTV Now and the two new DTV Now packages (Plus and Max) offered via satellite under the DTV brand. We'll see...

If the posting of the regular Directv packages as options for Directv Now is not a mistake, maybe that will be the way to get access to those packages without a contract, and as you say the IP version of Directv will continue to have commitments so that it will be as similar as possible to satellite in all ways (except the $15 savings and cloud DVR)

If they have a contract they'd be able to offer better pricing to the IP customers since Directv doesn't have to pay for the install. Though I'll bet a year or so after the IP version comes out, Directv will simply start charging for the satellite install and eventually might stop doing installs altogether and refer you to third parties for that or let you DIY like back in the day.

slice1900 said:

If the posting of the regular Directv packages as options for Directv Now is not a mistake, maybe that will be the way to get access to those packages without a contract, and as you say the IP version of Directv will continue to have commitments so that it will be as similar as possible to satellite in all ways (except the $15 savings and cloud DVR)

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Yep, could be. Although I still don't think that those unadvertised packages, ranging in price from $93 - $135 a month, are going to have any takers on DTV Now, even without a contract.

slice1900 said:

If the posting of the regular Directv packages as options for Directv Now is not a mistake, maybe that will be the way to get access to those packages without a contract, and as you say the IP version of Directv will continue to have commitments so that it will be as similar as possible to satellite in all ways (except the $15 savings and cloud DVR)

If they have a contract they'd be able to offer better pricing to the IP customers since Directv doesn't have to pay for the install. Though I'll bet a year or so after the IP version comes out, Directv will simply start charging for the satellite install and eventually might stop doing installs altogether and refer you to third parties for that or let you DIY like back in the day.

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I wonder if stopping the installs would they also stop sending out techs for repairs and that would force customers over DTV over IP or DTV Now? Or they would refer you to like you said to third parties for repairs or do it yourself for repairs.

I and not sure if this is different than what NashGuy said about two versions of DTV over IP. DTV Now with the DTV SatelliteTV channel packages without contracts but wouldn't have the same features as DTV over SatelliteTV. Then have DTV over IP with a two year contract one with all the same features as DTV over SatelliteTV and it be called DTV or AT&T TV?

CSM said:

I wonder if stopping the installs would they also stop sending out techs for repairs and that would force customers over DTV over IP or DTV Now? Or they would refer you to like you said to third parties for repairs or do it yourself for repairs.

I and not sure if this is different than what NashGuy said about two versions of DTV over IP. DTV Now with the DTV SatelliteTV channel packages without contracts but wouldn't have the same features as DTV over SatelliteTV. Then have DTV over IP with a two year contract one with all the same features as DTV over SatelliteTV and it be called DTV or AT&T TV?

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Yeah, that's a pretty good summation of what both I and slice1900 were saying, I think.

Picking up on your reference to the AT&T TV name, that raises the possibility of yet another scenario, one in which the upcoming "DTV over IP" service is named AT&T TV and has channel packages, pricing and features that DON'T mirror DTV satellite. In other words, a completely new full-scale all-the-bells-and-whistles cable TV service that sits alongside DTV satellite and Uverse TV but that is delivered via OTT streaming rather than either satellite or managed IPTV. If those "AT&T TV" trademarks get used, I have to think it's going to be for this. We'll see...

NashGuy said:

Yeah, that's a pretty good summation of what both I and slice1900 were saying, I think.

Picking up on your reference to the AT&T TV name, that raises the possibility of yet another scenario, one in which the upcoming "DTV over IP" service is named AT&T TV and has channel packages, pricing and features that DON'T mirror DTV satellite. In other words, a completely new full-scale all-the-bells-and-whistles cable TV service that sits alongside DTV satellite and Uverse TV but that is delivered via OTT streaming rather than either satellite or managed IPTV. If those "AT&T TV" trademarks get used, I have to think it's going to be for this. We'll see...

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Good point. I forgot about those AT&T names that they just recently registered. Those could be for the AT&T TV channel packages and they are renaming the DTV Now channel packages and using the DTV channel package names. People think AT&T should stick with the DTV name because its well known. However, its still associated with SatelliteTV. The beta box has the DTV name on the bottom of it and on the power brick. They could change those to AT&T TV for the retail product. I could see AT&T launching DTV over IP as AT&T TV promoting it as a totally all new TV service and as a way to separate it from DTV. They could do something like introducing AT&T TV no dish required and wont go out in bad weather.

I've had several friends call me after they had some technical problems or wanted a receiver upgrade and the tech that responded told them to get Directv via Internet or that they would not upgrade their satellite equipment and to get service over Internet. This was several months ago.

CSM said:

I wonder if stopping the installs would they also stop sending out techs for repairs and that would force customers over DTV over IP or DTV Now? Or they would refer you to like you said to third parties for repairs or do it yourself for repairs.

I and not sure if this is different than what NashGuy said about two versions of DTV over IP. DTV Now with the DTV SatelliteTV channel packages without contracts but wouldn't have the same features as DTV over SatelliteTV. Then have DTV over IP with a two year contract one with all the same features as DTV over SatelliteTV and it be called DTV or AT&T TV?

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My only small issue with Dtv via IP or D*IPTV or what ever it's called... is that a lot of people suffer with POS cable broadband and often times D* sat signal is more reliable that POS cable broadband with there constant random outages . At least with D* u know when weather may effect the system.. POS cable broadband goes out randomly for no reason. Multiple times per week . I remember last summer in a 2 week period my neighbor had 5 major outages for hours...

People. Choose D* to not rely on the POS cable network


Also some POs cable companies have data limits 1TB or less per month . Also rual areas don't have access to broadband

If we all had access to FTTH we would not have to worry about POS cable broadband but that's a separate issue .

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If you have unreliable cable broadband or low caps you should stick with satellite. No one is suggesting that 'Directv over IP' is suitable for everyone, any more than Directv satellite is suitable for everyone.

Looks like it was pushed up now. Seems very fluid when Arianespace is going to do the launch. I wonder if all the moving around from May to July to June is related to one of the satellite payloads not being on-site yet, or running into some issues that need to be fixed first?

Is VOOM still available in Europe?