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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]DirecTV Touts HD Ambitions[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
But EchoStar Makes Subscriber Gains From Frustrated Viewers [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Source:http://www.tvweek.com/page.cms?pageId=292
[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]DirecTV touted its ambitious HD plans at an investor's conference last week, while many customers appear as frustrated as ever with the satellite operator's HD offerings and practices.
DirecTV assured Wall Street during the Kaufman Bros. conference in New York that by the end of 2007, the satellite provider will have enough capacity to offer 1,500 high-definition local channels and 150 national HD channels. Plans call for the launch of DirecTV's ninth and 10th satellites in the spring and summer of next year. DirecTV also touted its local channel growth, noting that the company can provide HD local channels to 58 percent of all U.S. households.
But in the meantime, DirecTV customers are venting their frustration in online forums. Currently DirecTV offers only seven channels in its HD package, compared with competitor EchoStar's 29, more than four times as many.
DirecTV's lineup is so crunched that last Sunday TNT HD was taken off the air to temporarily make room for NFL Sunday Ticket HD. In other words, the service literally cannot add an HD channel without taking one down.
Romulo Pontual, DirecTV's executive VP and chief technology officer, said this week that on future Sundays, the company will not necessarily yank TNT HD but rather "whatever [channel] is not relevant for the afternoon."
And then there's the issue of quality. HD fans love the format for its clarity. But for years hardcore DirecTV viewers have derided the service for providing "HD Lite"—a downsized resolution image that doesn't hold up when placed side by side with certain competitors.
"I have seen those alleged posts … we carry two HD channels on each transporter, and I believe EchoStar is the same," Mr. Pontual said. "I don't think we're making our services any worse—our services are good."
In recent quarters, EchoStar seems to be profiting from DirecTV's sluggish response. At the end of the second quarter, 1.3 million of DirecTV's 15.5 million subscribers had an HD package (up from 700,000 from the same period last year).
EchoStar's Dish Network service has about 12 million subscribers and is typically very protective of its HD subscriber count—even declining to provide the information when directly asked on a recent investors conference call.
But according to Kagan Research, EchoStar will have 1.6 million HD subscribers by the end of the year (compared with 600,000 at the end of last year).
The numbers are difficult to compare apples-to-apples since the firmest DirecTV figures are for the second quarter, and best available EchoStar figures are year to year. But if Kagan's projection holds up, the figures indicate 85 percent growth for DirecTV versus 166 percent for EchoStar.
Factoring in Kagan's projection for DirecTV, the race is tighter: 800,000 at the end of last year and 1.9 million projected at the end of this year (a 137 percent increase).
In terms of overall subscribers, EchoStar is firmly growing faster than DirecTV. During the most recent quarter, EchoStar added 195,000 subscribers compared with DirecTV's 125,000.
Mr. Pontual said he expects the next quarterly report to show a significant upswing in HD subscribers now that DirecTV has released its long-awaited proprietary HD DVR, which sells for less than the previous Tivo-based model offered by the satellite operator.
"We were selling the other DVR at a premium price," he said. "Now we have our DVR and we dropped the price and are selling every one we can produce. You're going to see a reversal … you're going to see a huge uptake in the HD package."
[/FONT]
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This article is part of TVWeek.com's High Definition newsletter, a weekly source of breaking HD news, articles and interviews written by Senior Reporter James Hibberd. [/FONT]
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But EchoStar Makes Subscriber Gains From Frustrated Viewers [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Source:http://www.tvweek.com/page.cms?pageId=292
[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]DirecTV touted its ambitious HD plans at an investor's conference last week, while many customers appear as frustrated as ever with the satellite operator's HD offerings and practices.
DirecTV assured Wall Street during the Kaufman Bros. conference in New York that by the end of 2007, the satellite provider will have enough capacity to offer 1,500 high-definition local channels and 150 national HD channels. Plans call for the launch of DirecTV's ninth and 10th satellites in the spring and summer of next year. DirecTV also touted its local channel growth, noting that the company can provide HD local channels to 58 percent of all U.S. households.
But in the meantime, DirecTV customers are venting their frustration in online forums. Currently DirecTV offers only seven channels in its HD package, compared with competitor EchoStar's 29, more than four times as many.
DirecTV's lineup is so crunched that last Sunday TNT HD was taken off the air to temporarily make room for NFL Sunday Ticket HD. In other words, the service literally cannot add an HD channel without taking one down.
Romulo Pontual, DirecTV's executive VP and chief technology officer, said this week that on future Sundays, the company will not necessarily yank TNT HD but rather "whatever [channel] is not relevant for the afternoon."
And then there's the issue of quality. HD fans love the format for its clarity. But for years hardcore DirecTV viewers have derided the service for providing "HD Lite"—a downsized resolution image that doesn't hold up when placed side by side with certain competitors.
"I have seen those alleged posts … we carry two HD channels on each transporter, and I believe EchoStar is the same," Mr. Pontual said. "I don't think we're making our services any worse—our services are good."
In recent quarters, EchoStar seems to be profiting from DirecTV's sluggish response. At the end of the second quarter, 1.3 million of DirecTV's 15.5 million subscribers had an HD package (up from 700,000 from the same period last year).
EchoStar's Dish Network service has about 12 million subscribers and is typically very protective of its HD subscriber count—even declining to provide the information when directly asked on a recent investors conference call.
But according to Kagan Research, EchoStar will have 1.6 million HD subscribers by the end of the year (compared with 600,000 at the end of last year).
The numbers are difficult to compare apples-to-apples since the firmest DirecTV figures are for the second quarter, and best available EchoStar figures are year to year. But if Kagan's projection holds up, the figures indicate 85 percent growth for DirecTV versus 166 percent for EchoStar.
Factoring in Kagan's projection for DirecTV, the race is tighter: 800,000 at the end of last year and 1.9 million projected at the end of this year (a 137 percent increase).
In terms of overall subscribers, EchoStar is firmly growing faster than DirecTV. During the most recent quarter, EchoStar added 195,000 subscribers compared with DirecTV's 125,000.
Mr. Pontual said he expects the next quarterly report to show a significant upswing in HD subscribers now that DirecTV has released its long-awaited proprietary HD DVR, which sells for less than the previous Tivo-based model offered by the satellite operator.
"We were selling the other DVR at a premium price," he said. "Now we have our DVR and we dropped the price and are selling every one we can produce. You're going to see a reversal … you're going to see a huge uptake in the HD package."
[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
This article is part of TVWeek.com's High Definition newsletter, a weekly source of breaking HD news, articles and interviews written by Senior Reporter James Hibberd. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Subscribe[/FONT]
80 Replies
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11835 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....
68538 Replies
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2673585 views
Lifetime Supporter
Schedule drops tomorrow. Mandatory mini camps in June. Hall of Fame game August 6th.
116 Replies
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1836 views
I guess even the patience of us laid-back Hoosiers has its limits:
www.colts.com
Colts relieve general manager Chris Ballard of his duties
Colts Owner & CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon released a statement Monday announcing the news.
www.colts.com
Be nice to see a Cowboy headline like that.I guess even the patience of us laid-back Hoosiers has its limits:
Colts relieve general manager Chris Ballard of his duties
Colts Owner & CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon released a statement Monday announcing the news.
M
Can we expect to see a new coach if we say "pretty please?"
I guess even the patience of us laid-back Hoosiers has its limits:
Colts relieve general manager Chris Ballard of his duties
Colts Owner & CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon released a statement Monday announcing the news.
Can we expect to see a new coach if we say "pretty please?"
Supporting Founder
Lifetime Supporter
No idea what improvements might be involved.
24 Replies
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1072 views
iJustine
Time for another AWESOME video from iJustine!
View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/P4_TzYKwcNY
Direct YouTube Link - This is iPhone Duo!
The official iJustine Website's Website
Buy her book!
View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/P4_TzYKwcNY
Direct YouTube Link - This is iPhone Duo!
The official iJustine Website's Website
Buy her book!
0 Replies
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13 views
TWiT Tech Podcast Network
Time for another AWESOME video from the TWIT Network!
View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-O2iLThF4z8
Direct YouTube Link - Generative AI: Revolutionizing Game NPC Dialogue & Behavior? #shorts
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed
View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-O2iLThF4z8
Direct YouTube Link - Generative AI: Revolutionizing Game NPC Dialogue & Behavior? #shorts
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed
0 Replies
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11 views
Staff member
HERE TO HELP YOU!
7 Replies
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105 views
Staff member
HERE TO HELP YOU!
Stargate SG-1 cancelled, Atlantis renewed
Monday - August 21, 2006 | by Darren Sumner
The future of Stargate is in question today, as SCI FI Channel has cancelled the long-running Stargate SG-1, Multichannel News reported today and a GateWorld source has confirmed. The news regrettably follows the airing of the show's milestone two-hundredth episode on Friday.
Stargate Atlantis, meanwhile, has been renewed for a fourth season, with the network hoping to see that the spin-off series can stand alone, according to a source.
Source Gateworld
Monday - August 21, 2006 | by Darren Sumner
The future of Stargate is in question today, as SCI FI Channel has cancelled the long-running Stargate SG-1, Multichannel News reported today and a GateWorld source has confirmed. The news regrettably follows the airing of the show's milestone two-hundredth episode on Friday.
Stargate Atlantis, meanwhile, has been renewed for a fourth season, with the network hoping to see that the spin-off series can stand alone, according to a source.
Source Gateworld
2033 Replies
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184143 views
Watch Stargate SG-1 for Free Online | Pluto TV
Stargate SG-1 picks up where the blockbuster film left off as the SG-1 team sets out to explore the mysteries of the Stargate and the worlds beyond it in the pulse-pounding series which became a worldwide phenomenon and a science fiction classic. Stream Stargate SG-1 for free on Pluto TV.
pluto.tv
TWiT Tech Podcast Network
Time for another AWESOME video from the TWIT Network!
View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/wVdnjWsw2Uk
Direct YouTube Link - Defender on Linux: Microsoft's Big Security Move #shorts
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed
View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/wVdnjWsw2Uk
Direct YouTube Link - Defender on Linux: Microsoft's Big Security Move #shorts
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed
0 Replies
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17 views
Supporting Founder
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.
152 Replies
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1935 views
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!
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!
Yup, I agree, I'd rather be 2 or 3 till the last few weeks.They get cruel sometimes, very very cruel.
TWiT Tech Podcast Network
Time for another AWESOME video from the TWIT Network!
View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/PSGt6dUXdnI
Direct YouTube Link - RTX Spark: NVIDIA's AI PC Powerhouse Details! #shorts
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed
View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/PSGt6dUXdnI
Direct YouTube Link - RTX Spark: NVIDIA's AI PC Powerhouse Details! #shorts
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed
0 Replies
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23 views