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I wanted to contribute and thought of something new that may be liked, and well, I guess may not be liked 
Anyway, I thought a summary of quotes from the investor call that pertained to the sub may be of interest, so here goes:
The majority of the call was Chase Carey, D* CEO, who also received a 3 year contract extension today.
Transcript of quotes from: Earnings Call Transcript
I'll try to organize them for you:
THE COMING HD EXPANSION:
Everything is going well with our new satellite, which launched about a month or so ago.
{Costs} In terms of HD rollout, it will not have an impact. We are looking to get the HD channels as part of what we would expect as part of a relationship on the standard def channels, so we do not -- we will not have a programming cost increase related to HD.
{Channel Agreements } Today we have agreements in place with about 90 channels, and continuing to work on more so we are adding to that. We will launch with an HD package with over 70 channels around the end of the third quarter. Again, the difference there is some of the channels need a couple more months to get their HD stream online, and we do expect over the coming months, between the end of the third quarter and the end of the year, we'll get to the 100 channels that we talked about. So we will launch with really a fabulous HD package, the 70-plus channels and then over a couple of months build to the 100 channels that really we think will define us in a unique way competitively in the marketplace.
The first part we said the satellite that is up will get us something like 70 at launch, 100 by the end of the year. The second satellite, which will go up in the second half of the year, will give us the full capacity we talked about of 150 channels, plus a ton of local markets, virtually all of them if we chose to. So that hasn't changed and that will be where we will be kind of the middle of next year on a capacity standpoint.
{No significant increase in programming costs for D* to provide us more HD}
In terms of HD rollout, it will not have an impact. We are looking to get the HD channels as part of what we would expect as part of a relationship on the standard def channels, so we do not -- we will not have a programming cost increase related to HD.
VOD:
The other major content event during the second half will be the launch of our initial VOD offer in the fall. This VOD offer, which will use both the hard drive and broadband connection, and will be we think really will be a truly distinctive and exciting new feature. We believe customers will find its easy-to-use characteristics, which is something we focused a lot on, and attractively packaged offering will really be uniquely attractive and differentiated from others out there.
What it really is going to be, from a broadband perspective, is a product that is much more integrated into the television. I mean, you can get products -- it is going to integrate the broadband and our product, we're going to push down to the disc, integrate it into the guide and integrate it into the customer experience in a different way, in a much more user-friendly and easy-to-access way. That really is what it does, is it takes it, and as opposed to being able to get it and then figure out how you get it, it is going to really take those offerings and put them on the screen, make them available to our customers in a way that they can get at it just like they get at channels today, and promote it and package it in a way that is truly attractive to them and educate consumers on it. So it will really become a much more, for the customers that get it a much more central, sort of core part of the DIRECTV experience for the customers who value that.
it's probably enriched from today but it is an ongoing process. And ultimately through the -- you've got a lot of -- you have lots, you have hundreds of titles. I don't know, maybe -- but it is a wide, wide range of selection.
Again, what we are trying to do, and I think it is the right way, is I think right now VOD is not a very -- I don't think the way VOD has been done, it has been done with a prioritization of sort of ease of use and consumer friendliness. It's sort of been there, go find it. What we are going to try and do is package, present, and organize this in a way that is much more user-friendly and therefore it is one that consumers find, as they try to learn how to use it, a much more rewarding experience but with a rich, with a truly rich set of choices but one that you can whip through and figure out what do you really want to watch.
EQUIPMENT:
{Advanced equip means SD DVR, HD, and HD-DVR}
if you take the number of new customers taking an advance product in Q207, it was more than 70% greater than those that were taking it Q206.
the number of existing customers upgrading to an HD DVR in Q207 was up almost four-fold versus a year ago.
Between now and year end, the HD DVR box cost will decrease about $100 per box. The HD box cost will reduce about $50 per box before year end {Not indicative of a price reduction, this is their cost reduction}
COMPETITION:
Looking toward the second half of 2007, clearly our headline event will be our launch of really what will be the best and largest selection of HD channels that customers ever imagined, which will really enable us to leapfrog our competition. Everything is going well with our new satellite, which launched about a month or so ago.
There is no question it's an increasingly competitive marketplace but we really feel good about where we are positioned and think we've got a lot of wind at our back as we go forward competing in the marketplace.
In terms of Dish and DIRECTV {working together}, I'm not sure there's a whole lot of insight to give. We have been talking to Dish, certainly not just the last few quarters but the last couple of years. We've done a few, we've done some things that we haven't -- we back {haul} -- a fair number of standard def signals to get today.
I don't think this is a dramatic change and I think it's really just part of an ongoing process
HOMEZONE type products:
I mean, the set-top box exists today so it is really working through some of the software and working through some of the distribution issues with some of our partners. But I think from a technological perspective, the box is really a box we could deploy in the next quarter. So it is really more probably the logistics around the distribution of the box with the appropriate partners to make it happen.
But our boxes are going to have, like VOD, which we are launching in the next couple of months, will in essence have broadband connectivity to it. We have set-top boxes that can integrate a PC and a TV today.
In many ways, the technological and software issues around it are largely there. It is really probably more working through the business issues around distribution with an array of partners.
OTHER:
Retention and upgrade spending was down significantly from the first quarter of '07 {There were less D* giving me the farm threads this quarter}
{Success of their marketing campaign in prep for the HD launch:}
In terms of HD, look, I think the campaign we have launched -- I mean, it's been to really communicate to the marketplace what we had coming in HD has been successful. I mean, and I think to some degree, I guess a best estimate would be to the degree you look at how our competitors have spent an awful lot of energy in the last three or four months trying to refute or muddy the waters about the advantages we are going to have. So I think it has been successful. I think it is tough to track.
Source: DIRECTV Investor Relations
Anyway, I thought a summary of quotes from the investor call that pertained to the sub may be of interest, so here goes:
The majority of the call was Chase Carey, D* CEO, who also received a 3 year contract extension today.
Transcript of quotes from: Earnings Call Transcript
I'll try to organize them for you:
THE COMING HD EXPANSION:
Everything is going well with our new satellite, which launched about a month or so ago.
{Costs} In terms of HD rollout, it will not have an impact. We are looking to get the HD channels as part of what we would expect as part of a relationship on the standard def channels, so we do not -- we will not have a programming cost increase related to HD.
{Channel Agreements } Today we have agreements in place with about 90 channels, and continuing to work on more so we are adding to that. We will launch with an HD package with over 70 channels around the end of the third quarter. Again, the difference there is some of the channels need a couple more months to get their HD stream online, and we do expect over the coming months, between the end of the third quarter and the end of the year, we'll get to the 100 channels that we talked about. So we will launch with really a fabulous HD package, the 70-plus channels and then over a couple of months build to the 100 channels that really we think will define us in a unique way competitively in the marketplace.
The first part we said the satellite that is up will get us something like 70 at launch, 100 by the end of the year. The second satellite, which will go up in the second half of the year, will give us the full capacity we talked about of 150 channels, plus a ton of local markets, virtually all of them if we chose to. So that hasn't changed and that will be where we will be kind of the middle of next year on a capacity standpoint.
{No significant increase in programming costs for D* to provide us more HD}
In terms of HD rollout, it will not have an impact. We are looking to get the HD channels as part of what we would expect as part of a relationship on the standard def channels, so we do not -- we will not have a programming cost increase related to HD.
VOD:
The other major content event during the second half will be the launch of our initial VOD offer in the fall. This VOD offer, which will use both the hard drive and broadband connection, and will be we think really will be a truly distinctive and exciting new feature. We believe customers will find its easy-to-use characteristics, which is something we focused a lot on, and attractively packaged offering will really be uniquely attractive and differentiated from others out there.
What it really is going to be, from a broadband perspective, is a product that is much more integrated into the television. I mean, you can get products -- it is going to integrate the broadband and our product, we're going to push down to the disc, integrate it into the guide and integrate it into the customer experience in a different way, in a much more user-friendly and easy-to-access way. That really is what it does, is it takes it, and as opposed to being able to get it and then figure out how you get it, it is going to really take those offerings and put them on the screen, make them available to our customers in a way that they can get at it just like they get at channels today, and promote it and package it in a way that is truly attractive to them and educate consumers on it. So it will really become a much more, for the customers that get it a much more central, sort of core part of the DIRECTV experience for the customers who value that.
it's probably enriched from today but it is an ongoing process. And ultimately through the -- you've got a lot of -- you have lots, you have hundreds of titles. I don't know, maybe -- but it is a wide, wide range of selection.
Again, what we are trying to do, and I think it is the right way, is I think right now VOD is not a very -- I don't think the way VOD has been done, it has been done with a prioritization of sort of ease of use and consumer friendliness. It's sort of been there, go find it. What we are going to try and do is package, present, and organize this in a way that is much more user-friendly and therefore it is one that consumers find, as they try to learn how to use it, a much more rewarding experience but with a rich, with a truly rich set of choices but one that you can whip through and figure out what do you really want to watch.
EQUIPMENT:
{Advanced equip means SD DVR, HD, and HD-DVR}
if you take the number of new customers taking an advance product in Q207, it was more than 70% greater than those that were taking it Q206.
the number of existing customers upgrading to an HD DVR in Q207 was up almost four-fold versus a year ago.
Between now and year end, the HD DVR box cost will decrease about $100 per box. The HD box cost will reduce about $50 per box before year end {Not indicative of a price reduction, this is their cost reduction}
COMPETITION:
Looking toward the second half of 2007, clearly our headline event will be our launch of really what will be the best and largest selection of HD channels that customers ever imagined, which will really enable us to leapfrog our competition. Everything is going well with our new satellite, which launched about a month or so ago.
There is no question it's an increasingly competitive marketplace but we really feel good about where we are positioned and think we've got a lot of wind at our back as we go forward competing in the marketplace.
In terms of Dish and DIRECTV {working together}, I'm not sure there's a whole lot of insight to give. We have been talking to Dish, certainly not just the last few quarters but the last couple of years. We've done a few, we've done some things that we haven't -- we back {haul} -- a fair number of standard def signals to get today.
I don't think this is a dramatic change and I think it's really just part of an ongoing process
HOMEZONE type products:
I mean, the set-top box exists today so it is really working through some of the software and working through some of the distribution issues with some of our partners. But I think from a technological perspective, the box is really a box we could deploy in the next quarter. So it is really more probably the logistics around the distribution of the box with the appropriate partners to make it happen.
But our boxes are going to have, like VOD, which we are launching in the next couple of months, will in essence have broadband connectivity to it. We have set-top boxes that can integrate a PC and a TV today.
In many ways, the technological and software issues around it are largely there. It is really probably more working through the business issues around distribution with an array of partners.
OTHER:
Retention and upgrade spending was down significantly from the first quarter of '07 {There were less D* giving me the farm threads this quarter
}{Success of their marketing campaign in prep for the HD launch:}
In terms of HD, look, I think the campaign we have launched -- I mean, it's been to really communicate to the marketplace what we had coming in HD has been successful. I mean, and I think to some degree, I guess a best estimate would be to the degree you look at how our competitors have spent an awful lot of energy in the last three or four months trying to refute or muddy the waters about the advantages we are going to have. So I think it has been successful. I think it is tough to track.
Source: DIRECTV Investor Relations
42 Replies
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5572 views
With very few exceptions, we won't be able to do a side-by-side comparison since the new HD channels will only display on new receivers. Only existing channels will be comparable, and that's only if they mirror them in MPEG2...which we all assume they will do. We will just have to remember the "bad ole days" and looking lovingly upon the new signals and think about how our kids will never believe us when we say, "when I was your age, we actually had to use antennas to see HD...and it was only in MPEG2"
iJustine
Time for another AWESOME video from iJustine!
View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/cSIz5ZEDKaY
Direct YouTube Link - Left handed Duo?
The official iJustine Website's Website
Buy her book!
View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/cSIz5ZEDKaY
Direct YouTube Link - Left handed Duo?
The official iJustine Website's Website
Buy her book!
0 Replies
·
4 views
Pub Member / Supporter
Lifetime Supporter
Just finished S2. Watching Gary Oldman as deshvilved, dejected MI-6 agent, Jackson Lamb, is one of the best things streaming right now. Already 2 more seasons in the works. HIGHLY recommended. And yes, Mick Jagger sings the theme.
66 Replies
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6741 views
Pub Member / Supporter
Lifetime Supporter
He was 71 yrs old. One of my favorite songs is Seminole Wind....the violin is killer.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8sh9P3X33w
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8sh9P3X33w
6 Replies
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60 views
Pub Member / Supporter
Lifetime Supporter
I'm surprised Walmart hasn't banned this guy from all of their stores. He has been on their CASE the past few months.
View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/f3zr37ekgKM?feature=share
View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/f3zr37ekgKM?feature=share
24 Replies
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233 views
Interesting article about the work being done to develope an ATSC 3 converter box. Yes it does mention affordable.
www.tvtechnology.com
Pearl TV Issues Progress Report on Low-Cost 3.0 Converters in Advance of NAB Show New York
Group has secured lower pricing from key tech players to make less costly boxes available
www.tvtechnology.com
7 Replies
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245 views
It's dead, they just don't know it yet. They killed it by forcing DRM on it, and that TOTALLY botched implementing it.
There is absolutely NO compelling reason for anybody to switch to ATSC3.0. They only want it as a total and complete money grab.
TFLEV
Time for another AWESOME video from TFL Electric Vehicles!
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lIepOAbUWs
Direct YouTube Link - I Drive the MOST POPULAR Chinese Car in the World: You Won't Believe What the Geely E2 Costs!
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lIepOAbUWs
Direct YouTube Link - I Drive the MOST POPULAR Chinese Car in the World: You Won't Believe What the Geely E2 Costs!
0 Replies
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8 views
Staff member
HERE TO HELP YOU!
Cutting Edge
Sometimes a thread gets so many posts in it that is can cause issues for the server so that why today we introduce The Song Name Game Part 3!
So let the game continue!
The last song was added by Bobby who posted...
One Meat Ball - Andrews Sisters
CONTINUE ON AND HAVE FUN! WELCOME HOME TO SATELLITEGUYS.US!
Here are the original rules for the game as posted by WebbyDude back in 2006. http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/68645-Song-Name-Game
Just name a song title and the band who performed it. The next person does the same thing, but needs to list a song title or band name which includes a word from the previous entry. Pick songs from any genre.
Example:
Long Live Rock and Roll -- Rainbow
Rainbow in the Dark -- Dio
Another example:
Ride the Lightning -- Metallica
Lightning Strikes -- Ozzy Osbourne
Get it?
An additional note: we all know that song titles, sometimes, use profane words. Because this is a family friendly website it is advised that you clean up that title up a bit. This is accomplished by using something like sh!t instead of the real word. Thanks....
So let the game continue!
The last song was added by Bobby who posted...
One Meat Ball - Andrews Sisters
CONTINUE ON AND HAVE FUN! WELCOME HOME TO SATELLITEGUYS.US!
Here are the original rules for the game as posted by WebbyDude back in 2006. http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/68645-Song-Name-Game
Just name a song title and the band who performed it. The next person does the same thing, but needs to list a song title or band name which includes a word from the previous entry. Pick songs from any genre.
Example:
Long Live Rock and Roll -- Rainbow
Rainbow in the Dark -- Dio
Another example:
Ride the Lightning -- Metallica
Lightning Strikes -- Ozzy Osbourne
Get it?
An additional note: we all know that song titles, sometimes, use profane words. Because this is a family friendly website it is advised that you clean up that title up a bit. This is accomplished by using something like sh!t instead of the real word. Thanks....
68566 Replies
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2675674 views
Why are ViP922s So rare? like its crazy how ebay has none, i checked everywhere, also, i got a ViP222k now, which is actually activated!
21 Replies
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541 views
LOL. It depends if the person saw it during the years when they were actually still available which is 1968 to 1983 meaning the person could be 43-58 years old or they can even be a few years old if they learned to read and write at a young age and actually saw a telephone with that label somewhere recently just like even here in San Francisco, payphone still exist physically in public places but whether they can be used or not is a different issue. It still looks like this even today:
I opened my Radio Shack in Sept 1984 and right about that time they did the whole deregulation thing with the phone companies. I bought TONS of those phones that had been refurbished with a new outer shell. You could throw one of those out of a 3 story high window and it would still work.
That was an interesting time in history. I would have older customers come in and ask about phones.....they were terrified that they were going to get into trouble hooking up a second phone without the phone company knowing about it. One of the funniest episodes of WKRP was the one where Johnny thought the cops were showing up because they had an unregistered phone. I guess younger folks can't conceive of a time when you were limited to the number of phones you could have in your house....and limited to the length of the cord
That was an interesting time in history. I would have older customers come in and ask about phones.....they were terrified that they were going to get into trouble hooking up a second phone without the phone company knowing about it. One of the funniest episodes of WKRP was the one where Johnny thought the cops were showing up because they had an unregistered phone. I guess younger folks can't conceive of a time when you were limited to the number of phones you could have in your house....and limited to the length of the cord
Every time my Dish contract comes up I weigh the options of keeping Dish or switch to streaming. Right now I can watch/record the OTA channels vis my HDHomerun. I also can stream CBS and NBC via the Paramount+ and Peacock apps. What I would need to find is how to watch the Food Network, HGTV, Syfy, USA, Hallmark channels, Great American Family, Lifetime channels plus a few more with an app or two. My current Dish bill is $118, so I should be able to get a few apps for a lot less.
Any suggestions? I would want the best picture quality and audio quality I could get.
Any suggestions? I would want the best picture quality and audio quality I could get.
5 Replies
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191 views
USA and SyFy content is on Peacock, you can receive the rest of those channels via Philo, only $25 a month.
Philo - Stream Live and On-Demand TV
Why pay more for TV? Start your Philo free trial and enjoy live TV plus on-demand content starting at just $25/month. Stream hit shows, movies, and more.
www.philo.com
TWiT Tech Podcast Network
Time for another AWESOME video from the TWIT Network!
View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/x3Zbzo-tk-s
Direct YouTube Link - Project Helix Price Rumor: Could the Next Xbox Cost $1,800? #shorts
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed
View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/x3Zbzo-tk-s
Direct YouTube Link - Project Helix Price Rumor: Could the Next Xbox Cost $1,800? #shorts
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed
0 Replies
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10 views