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T
Last reply · posted in Free To Air (FTA) Discussion
With all of the complaining, lawsuits, and constant problems the providers have with the pirate community; why not give the consumers what they have been asking for the whole time?

A short web search reveals a common gripe the "other camp" has always had; obscenely overpriced packaged programming that no one wants but are forced to pay for in addition to one or two more levels just to get the handful of channels they do watch.

Yes I have heard the providers' argument about resulting cost increases and possible die off of undersubscribed programming but let's face the music; the real costs come from sports and Disney programming and the same search will reveal the demand for that will remain.

It seems to me the answer doesn't lie in fighting the FTA community and hardware suppliers but rather in cooperation with them. Give the consumer a FTA HD PVR hardware solution that has North American provider multiple card support and true A-La-Carte program offerings.

The FTA community then doesn't have to pay for what they don't want (free FTA channels already there) and have provider supported access to the premium programming the vast majority are willing to pay for.

Quit force feeding the consumer and resistance will fall to a manageable level and demand for illegal pirate activity will fall to a point that cost vs. profitability limits participation.

As in all free enterprise, the market will work it's self out in the end.
10 Replies · 1968 views
T
The WWW will win the race...unless...

With all of the delivery options I already have at my home including ATSC, cable, satellite, internet, and now fiber from the phone company, the only one that seems to be on the ball is the World Wide Web. Traditional provider schemes are definitely behind the curve and when better web enabled AV equipment becomes available (and you can be sure it will) the rest are going to be in a world of hurt.

The technology exists right now for everyone to be part of the mix but those who hold out will be hurt the worst. The source providers aren't stupid and will offer their programming to any platform that they see a profit from so the idea that their loyalty to current outlets is exclusive is pretty narrow minded and won't float for long.
Sadoun
....the only one that seems to be on the ball is the World Wide Web...

It is pretty good but still in it's early stages. If you have multiple TVs at home and want to watch a decent video you will need a super broadband connection (20 mbps or higher). (Check your speed here: Speedtest.net - The Global Broadband Speed Test ). Also, for HDTV one channel will consume the full tunnel speed.

Several areas that have fiber optic connections will have no problem reaching that speed and higher. But copper connections will continue to have limited speeds.
T
It is pretty good but still in it's early stages. If you have multiple TVs at home and want to watch a decent video you will need a super broadband connection (20 mbps or higher). (Check your speed here: Speedtest.net - The Global Broadband Speed Test ). Also, for HDTV one channel will consume the full tunnel speed.

Several areas that have fiber optic connections will have no problem reaching that speed and higher. But copper connections will continue to have limited speeds.

You are right and I get my internet through the local phone company who recently laid fiber to my house. With it soon to be lit up my options will increase exponentially.

With that said, I don't want to see any of the current systems die so as I see it the best bet for continued viability for all is for everyone to get their offerings in the home.

I am not advocating giving their product away but to compete it needs to be available at the click of a remote. And it won't work if it costs the consumer too much just to have that option. I know I won't pay for any ridiculously high packages just to let them in my door.

The answer lies in getting their offerings into a universally connected hardware solution and let them all slug it out through advertising. Remember "If you build it they will come" and nothing fits this phrase better.
T
One more thing...

Oh yea…I almost forgot to mention it but if I'm not mistaken the one platform with the existing ability to offer the most bandwidth is where????

You guessed it…in the sky. :)
T
Change can be terrifying…but maybe not…

The real beauty of this concept is that the providers don't have to change at all.

Comparatively speaking very little investment is required to accomplish the realization of future growth.

First, stop giving so much hardware away.

The consumer could buy an off the shelf receiver with expansion slots enabling the individual providers the ability to develop their own tuner/adapter cards. Security would be enhanced since replacement (if it ever became necessary) would be far cheaper than swapping the entire IRD and CAM's can still be used for an extra layer if desired.

Traditional package programming with existing provider supplied IRD's and equipment can still be offered to current customers and any new ones who desire it.

The only change required will be software based inside the universal equipment allowing a la cart delivery and that too can be updated just like current IRD's are.

The cost of the tuner card can be passed on to the consumer in traditional ways like one time installation charges or package commitments.


Ok I think I'm done now....just my 2 cents...er...well maybe a little more.
Scott Greczkowski
Staff member HERE TO HELP YOU! Cutting Edge
Last reply · posted in The Chit Chat Club
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....
68532 Replies · 2673035 views
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H
TAKE IT As It Comes-The Doors
ClarkGable
Take It To The Limit - The Eagles
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harshness
Take It To The Limit - The Eagles
The two instances of "The" should have been highlighted.

Take
Me to the River - Talking Heads
dishstaller
Blinded By The Light - Manfred Mann's Earth Band
Bobby
I Saw The Light - Todd Rundgren
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meStevo
Lifetime Supporter
Last reply · posted in The Sports Section
Schedule drops tomorrow. Mandatory mini camps in June. Hall of Fame game August 6th.
112 Replies · 1763 views
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osu1991
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M
Hopefully nowhere near a microphone.
Y
Hopefully nowhere near a microphone.
After having experienced Gus Ferguson trying to call soccer games, I'm uncertain why NFL football analysts get hate. Even the "worst" of them are pretty good.
meStevo
Jalen Hurts out indefinitely as they treat and monitor a superficial blood clot in his leg.


View: https://x.com/RapSheet/status/2111074303185989663?s=20
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meStevo
Browns lead the AFC North 🤣

Seth Meyers What GIF by Late Night with Seth Meyers
Former member 209992
Last reply · posted in SatelliteGuys Support Center
For some reason, the satelliteguys.us site is loading a lot slower than usual on both Chrome on my Asus laptop and Safari on my iPhone.
I'm also seeing longer appearances of the blue bar at the top and the "3 blue bars" loading symbol.
Is anyone else also having the same problem? Thanks in advance.
541 Replies · 18552 views
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Scott Greczkowski
Was down due to an emergency update at the ISP. They did email me seconds before they took it down and apologized for the short notice.

However once the server was back online NGINX failed to start.

I was at the grocery store and just rebooted the entire server and everything came back up again.

Just got home from the grocery store I will bring in the groceries and then take a look at what NGINX failed the first time.
comfortably_numb
Was down due to an emergency update at the ISP. They did email me seconds before they took it down and apologized for the short notice.

However once the server was back online NGINX failed to start.

I was at the grocery store and just rebooted the entire server and everything came back up again.

Just got home from the grocery store I will bring in the groceries and then take a look at what NGINX failed the first time.

NGINX
The site uses Nugenix?!


View: https://youtu.be/_DhEEo5S9fg
Scott Greczkowski
Ok checked it out and for some reason the web server (NGINX) tried starting before the DNS resolver fully loaded. This is why it worked when I rebooted the machine.

Thanks to ChatGPT it had me change the NGINX config to prevent this from happening again.

With that said I can't prevent the ISP from doing emergency upgrades which was the cause of all of this.
navychop
Nature will develop better idiots.
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TRG
TRG
Nature will develop better idiots.
God help us.
Scott Greczkowski
I guess this is what the downtime was about.

IMG_0607.webp
Ramy
Supporting Founder
Last reply · posted in The Sports Section
Really excited for this season with Kentucky having a new coach and some really exciting recruits. Probably won't last long, but here's hoping this season is great.
150 Replies · 1824 views
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Foxbat
They ought to have fun with this… :devilish
osu1991
They ought to have fun with this… :devilish
Was thinking same thing. It should be a good week for sec shorts and roll call
R
A lot of upsets yesterday, but my LSU Tigers won.
Foxbat
Best fan sign I saw during the ND-BYU game: "Bear ate your Lucky Charms!" (Bear being the Cougars' QB). I was going to suggest, "Have you or your team been involved in a Carr crash?"
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M


They get cruel sometimes, very very cruel.😈. Hated to see my dawgs go down but I still say being ranked #1 is a hex on you!
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Peter Parker
Supporting Founder Lifetime Supporter
Last reply · posted in DISH Network Support Forum
No idea what improvements might be involved.
20 Replies · 901 views
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bookworm370
Has anyone noticed an FF stutter with 713? I used to be able to hit FF a few times and skip smoothly. After 713 (maybe 712), when I skip forward, there is a definite stutter for as many times as I have pressed FF.

Can anyone check on this and report back? Recorded programs and then press skip forward a few times to see if it's smooth? Normally, it just jumps to the right place after the skips.
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N
I'm getting fabulous picture on Ch. 148 4k, but zero audio with H713. This is with a recorded show (Notre Dame game). Anyone else have this? Audio is fine on every other channel.
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R
Has anyone noticed an FF stutter with 713? I used to be able to hit FF a few times and skip smoothly. After 713 (maybe 712), when I skip forward, there is a definite stutter for as many times as I have pressed FF.

Can anyone check on this and report back? Recorded programs and then press skip forward a few times to see if it's smooth? Normally, it just jumps to the right place after the skips.
My wife mentioned that her remote is acting strange this morning. She hit FF and it went to 15x FF.
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Foxbat
Wife bought me a t-shirt that has "have you tried turning it off and on again?"
Here's the one I need:
1792365258110.webp
dishstaller
Here's the one I need:
Just ordered one....that's great.
jsmit86
I'm getting fabulous picture on Ch. 148 4k, but zero audio with H713. This is with a recorded show (Notre Dame game). Anyone else have this? Audio is fine on every other channel.
It's a known issue.
For a temporary fix, go into the menu, Audio, and turn Dolby Audio "OFF". You will have PCM stereo audio.

I was able to give the tech ops team some data logs so they could diagnose the problem, and they rolled me back to H708 temporarily. It fixed that issue.

They let me know that they understand what caused the issue, and it will be fixed within a few weeks in a new update.
Former member 208119
Last reply · posted in SiriusXM Satellite Radio
My year was almost up and we got the new bill for a year of service for $ 360.00 insane sat radio is becoming like cable!!! i logged into my acct and hopped onto chat and told the rep that i wanted to cancel. she understood my concern and went quiet for a few minutes. i figured that she was canceling my service. she comes back and said that she seen that i have been a sub since 07 and then offers me the same package for a year for 120.00 with taxes and fee's!!! i grabbed it. after almost having a stroke :biggrin
239 Replies · 11075 views
Foxbat
Well, that was a waste of effort. Our new Cadillac comes with a three-month free trial. Good that it's free, bad that I'll have to go through the Cancellation Dance all over again…
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N6BY
Well, that was a waste of effort. Our new Cadillac comes with a three-month free trial. Good that it's free, bad that I'll have to go through the Cancellation Dance all over again…
I just bought a Ram 1500 truck with a 3 month free trial. What to do when it ends?

All I want is music and news, but it is listed for $11.99 + $5.00 more for news. But $16.99 per month isn't worth it to me.
comfortably_numb
What to do when it ends?

Ask for the "All Access Plan" for $5/month.
harshness
Ask for the "All Access Plan" for $5/month.
Since the agents are now AI, you keep refusing the offer until you can justify the cost.
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B
What i noticed with my last renewal XM is now billing me $4.99 monthly instead of one time yearly payment.
Jimbo
What i noticed with my last renewal XM is now billing me $.99 monthly instead of one time yearly payment.
Did you accidentally get on the wrong plan ?
I still do the once a year plans.
Jimbo
Since the agents are now AI, you keep refusing the offer until you can justify the cost.
Not entirely true ...
If you ask for a Human, you'll get one ...
You will definitely know when you do.
S
Not entirely true ...
If you ask for a Human, you'll get one ...
You will definitely know when you do.
Don't you mean phone sex operators:biggrin
Jimbo
Don't you mean phone sex operators:biggrin
Is That why you keep SXM ??? :biggrin
B
Did you accidentally get on the wrong plan ?
I still do the once a year plans.
I have to think maybe more people dont keep track of the monthly XM bill. Every time i renew i put a reminder on my calendar week before its time to renew. My wife told me the other day not to renew her and then i told her you are not going to be able to listen to XM at home. Then she changed her mind...!!
TRG
TRG
I have to think maybe more people dont keep track of the monthly XM bill. Every time i renew i put a reminder on my calendar week before its time to renew. My wife told me the other day not to renew her and then i told her you are not going to be able to listen to XM at home. Then she changed her mind...!!
I get an e-mail every month reminding me that X amount will be charged to my credit card. If I see it go up I get on chat or pick up the phone. But I also remember that my year is up in December.
B
I get an e-mail every month reminding me that X amount will be charged to my credit card. If I see it go up I get on chat or pick up the phone. But I also remember that my year is up in December.
yea i don't understand WHY, like you I get a notice each month. Mine is also up in December.
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Jimbo
yea i don't understand WHY, like you I get a notice each month. Mine is also up in December.
You get an email every month to let you know they are billing you for the next month.
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Foxbat
Mrs. Foxbat reminded me it's that time of the year to do the Cancel Tango💃🏽

The A.I. agent appears to be better than in the past. It got to the acceptable price quicker than previous years, no human operator involved. $5/mo and I still have over $50 in SiriusXM credit from my FordPartner benefits.
Jimbo
Mrs. Foxbat reminded me it's that time of the year to do the Cancel Tango💃🏽

The A.I. agent appears to be better than in the past. It got to the acceptable price quicker than previous years, no human operator involved. $5/mo and I still have over $50 in SiriusXM credit from my FordPartner benefits.
I forgot you can pay that with Ford Pass points, I won't be due again till Feb, but I'll have to remember to try it ... Not sure what needs to be done, but I do have a substantial amount of points currently.
S
Is That why you keep SXM ??? :biggrin
when i say cancel. they give the moon and stars!!! iv'e gotten free radios and a free month once since it was my bday ;).
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osu1991
Pub Member / Supporter
Last reply · posted in The Chit Chat Club

The number-one US state for EV growth, according to the June 22 Yardi report?
Oklahoma.


:eek


It has no ZEV mandates and "minimal" incentives, Yardi says, but also has cheap electricity, high multi-car household rates (so, for example, a non-Lightning Ford F-150 pulls their trailers), and a consumer base willing to switch.
113 Replies · 930 views
meStevo

Never realized that Tesla is losing to BYD at manufacturing too, which IMO is Tesla's biggest accomplishment and area of innovation. Nice writeup about the state of play and how we got here though. I have no faith that we're moving any productive direction though sadly, most changes and efforts feel reactionary rather than rooted in making use of the time being bought by tariffs, with few exceptions.

So: how are the cars so cheap, and what is being cut to get there? The best public accounting comes from the Rhodium Group, which compared BYD, Geely, and Leapmotor against Tesla's Chinese operation, a fair comparison because it removes labor costs and shipping from the equation entirely. Their estimate is that BYD builds a car for about $4,700 less than Tesla builds a Model 3 in Shanghai, roughly 15 percent of the Model 3's price. The breakdown is the interesting part. Direct government grants account for about $292 per vehicle, which is 5 percent of the gap. The biggest single factor is vertical integration: BYD makes about 80 percent of its top-tier components in-house, against 37 percent for Tesla, and that eliminates roughly $2,369 per vehicle in supplier markups. Lower overhead, meaning cheaper engineering talent and administrative cost spread across enormous volume, accounts for another $1,719. And BYD pays its suppliers on 155-day terms, against Tesla's 60, which is worth about $214 per car in float. When people say the Chinese advantage is subsidies, the per-vehicle number says otherwise. When people say it is slave wages, the Tesla Shanghai comparison says otherwise too. The advantage is mostly that BYD decided, twenty years ago, to make its own batteries, its own motors, its own power electronics, and its own semiconductors, and Western automakers decided the opposite.​
harshness
The EV company to watch out for is SAIC. They seem likely to take over Government Motors at some point.

GM originally struck a JV deal with SAIC to gain access to China. Now SAIC has taken China back with the substantial library of technology GM shared and they're looking to export to Mexico, South America, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific.
osu1991
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harshness
If it weren't for the sky-high electricity prices...

Of course, the real scare with Winter coming is the insane cost of heating oil.
dfergie
Staff member HERE TO HELP YOU!
Last reply · posted in The Chit Chat Club
Stumbled across this ... http://www.gaspricewatch.com/USGas_ZipSearch.asp
I found no local prices, although it did show stations at my location...
Added these to this post...
USA National Gas Temperature Map
State By State Gasoline Taxes
Gas Buddy

Ethanol Free Stations

5553 Replies · 460694 views
Bobby
Regular$5.999​
Premium$6.399​
Diesel$7.999​
at Costco, Rohnert Park.​
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dishstaller
Regular$5.999​
Premium$6.399​
Odd that out there, Prem is only 40 cents higher. Here it's a full dollar more.

Last night it was about $4.17 gas, $6,19 diesel.
harshness
Odd that out there, Prem is only 40 cents higher. Here it's a full dollar more.
On the West Coast, a 40-cent differential is common. It used to be 30 cents before the prices rose above $3.

A "full dollar more" sounds like it may be boat gas (non-alcoholic), which is a whole different discussion.
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Foxbat
Here in Indiana, the difference between Regular and Premium is usually a dollar, but some charge even more:
1792374072446.webp
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dishstaller
A "full dollar more" sounds like it may be boat gas (non-alcoholic),
Both non-ethanol and prem run about the same....buck more. When we were up in TN it was a buck more up there as well.
harshness
In Oregon, our premium boat gas is about a dollar more than our corn premium. Several stations only offer the non-corn premium grade.