Breaking news: DIRECTV Announces Plans for new HD

[ScottChez]

Check out the press release that just hit after the stock market closed today.


http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/040908/85955_1.html

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Thanks Scott!

Just posted it a few minutes ago.

I would have posted it earlier but the stuipid WYSIWYG editor in Vbulletin screwed up everything and added a bunch of spaces. (grr)

 

[byron!]

wow.

 

[dfergie]

Just saw scottchez's post at dbs, interesting....

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

The big question is what does this mean for VOOM?

 

[LOBO2999]

Theres nothing about whats going on now or whats coming be for the end of the year.

 

[dfergie]

The big question is what does this mean for VOOM?

Doom?...

 

[obeythelaw]

i noticed the article said "all with one small satellite dish." Does this mean there will just be spot transponders all over the place? Or are they talking about the 5 LNB dish?

 

[Stargazer]

A buyout of their hardware. Dish will need it pretty bad. I wonder what Dish will do to counteract this.

 

[NightRyder]

The big question is what does this mean for VOOM?

This is a killer. The only way they'll survive is to join up with E*.


NiightRyder

 

[Ilya]

The big question is what does this mean for VOOM?

Well, actually, for VOOM it means that D* (with its focus on local channels) is not going to be a real threat in HD arena for another 3 years. VOOM has the capacity to offer more than 100-110 HD channels in 2005, and D* is not going to catch up until mid 2007. At least, this is how I read it.

 

[Neutron]

Doom?...

HAHA!!!!

 

[fredfa]

Of course to cover the top 30 markets (52% of the nation's households) DirecTV will not need all of the 500 spot beam capability.
Actually, 500 spot beams would probably cover the top 55-60 markets, which would allow DirecTV to reach close to 75% of the nation's households.
But if they stuck to the top 30 markets it would leave me to believe (although I know next to nothing about satellites and their capabilities) that there will be plenty of transponder space left over for additional national HD channels.
I think market research has shown NewsCorp's DirecTV management exactly how high to prioritize adding extra premium movie channels.
I believe that D* feels the need for them to be far below regional sports channels and the ability to offer all MLB, NBA, NHL (if it ever plans again) and NCAA telecasts in HD when available to those folks signing up for the sports packages.
After all, there is a place people can go to receive all the premium movie services now available.
It is VOOM.
And unless VOOM's sub levels start to skyrocket, I suspect D* management is going to worry about other programming concerns.
In their mind there are far more subscribers to be plucked from MSOs in, say, Minneapolis, than would be enticed to leave VOOM and come over to DirecTV for additional HD movie channels -- channels already available on VOOM, and frankly attracting a minuscule audience.
If I didn't find plenty of enjoyable shows on network TV, and more than enough sports to watch, (and if I enjoyed movies more!) I would definitely be a VOOM customer, too.
For HD movie buffs VOOM is definitely the DBS company to deal with.
I wish VOOM were more of a factor, I really do, because then DirecTV would have to do even more in the HD area.
But in all fairness, after Charlie kept DirecTV asleep for more than a year, it seems to me the new management has acted more quickly than could be expected to position D* for the future.

 

[ckudrna]

Pretty cool stuff. All that bandwidth from those guys. Quite amazing. Hope no space people are living near them or they are bound to be sterile.

I guess I am not totally excited about the HD locals being the plan. I get all locals OTA, so it is no real change for me. It will be great news for folks who have trouble picking up signals.

I hope before the local HD launch takes place Directv adds a host of national HD channels. Still standing by for more HD (non local).

Bravo was good Directv, how about adding at least one of those guys a month to keep us all happy?!

 

[rtt2]

(This article was written last week) now we know what is happening to spaceway - what about the rest of HNS?


At Press Time: HNS Could Be Splintered. (Hughes Network Systems)

The expected sale of Germantown, Md.-based Hughes Network Systems by The DirecTV Group [DTV], of El Segundo, Calif., is likely to be finalized next month, and a strong possibility exists that different parts of the organization could be split off. One option for DirecTV, industry sources suggest, is for a financial buyer like Ft. Worth-based Texas Pacific Group to buy most of HNS and then sell off its operations in parts to others.

Chase Carey, The DirecTV Group's president and CEO, said during a recent conference call with analysts that he expected HNS to be sold by the end of the third quarter. September marks the last month of the third quarter, and industry interest is growing regarding the fate of the world's largest VSAT services provider. HNS also manufacturers VSAT terminals, it provide Ku-band satellitebased Internet connectivity to consumers and businesses, and it is developing the Ka-band SpaceWay project to provide enterprises with access to high-speed broadband. It's looking as though SpaceWay likely will be kept by DirecTV to provide local channels, while the rest of the HNS empire would be sold piecemeal after the acquisition.

 

[DobyMax]

Everyone keeps saying how Voom can do this and that and add 100-110 more HD channels. That may be true. But lets be real and state what Voom better be in a hurry to add..............more customers. They are getting left far behind and making up no ground.

 

[fredfa]

More specifics about DirecTV's plans could come tomorrow:
--------------------------------------------------
The DIRECTV Group to Attend the Morgan Stanley Media & Communications Conference

EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Sep 2, 2004 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The DIRECTV Group (NYSETV) will be participating in a "Fireside Chat" at the Morgan Stanley Media & Communications Conference at the Grand Hyatt Washington in Washington D.C. A live webcast of the presentation will be available at our website (www.directv.com). Also, an archive of the webcast and a copy of the presentation will be posted on www.directv.com under the "Investor Relations" link.
When: 8:00 a.m. PT/11:00 a.m. ET Thursday, September 9, 2004
Webcast: www.directv.com
Speaker: Chase Carey, President and CEO
The DIRECTV Group