Directv First Quarter Report

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Beware the mixing in of DTVLA when it comes to numbers that they are gloating about.

The net additions were off slightly from last quarter's disappointing 119,000 to 100,000.

It is hard to imagine that the average bill is now up to $85.47.
 
And in the 1st quarter of lat year they have over 400,000... I consider that a deep decline.

I believe all the low lying fruit has been picked. The Satellite Gold Rush is over.
 
harshness said:
Beware the mixing in of DTVLA when it comes to numbers that they are gloating about.

The net additions were off slightly from last quarter's disappointing 119,000 to 100,000.

It is hard to imagine that the average bill is now up to $85.47.
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Not when I look at my bill. That may be why their increase in new subs may be down. The competition is really waging some aggressive price campaigns.
 
I think the numbers will be better then DIRECTV for new subscribers, however it would not surprise me to see that they are starting to decline as well.
 
There is usually a negative correlation between sub gains and profits. When one drops the other usually increases. This is because it cost the providers a lot to get someone going. They don't start profiting off of new subs for some time
 
The most interesting parts of this call was mention of Direct 14 (to be used as a spare or replacement) and a mention of Tivo. From the transcript:


Question (Analyst):

Lastly, if you could talk about where you are in your discussions with TiVo, about rolling out any new service?

Answer (CEO):

Sure, we've had an ongoing series of meetings with Tom Rogers and the TiVo team earlier this year. We're in the process of working with them. We've provided them specs for our box, and I think we expect them to have a box for us, an updated box, maybe the end of this year, or maybe early next year. I probably don't know the specific date that Tom's got targeted, but we're working closely with them, and certainly expecting to see a new box out of them that would work on DirecTV some time in the not too distant future.

Question (Analyst):

Any thoughts on how the service or the features would differ from what the TiVo is rolling out now with RCN?

Answer (CEO):

You know, to be honest with you, we're all working on alot of the same things. I mean, we've got demos that we've looked at internally that include television apps, that would enable you to look at youtube on the television, that would enable you to do things with movies and photos, that do video on demand, so alot of the same, what I'll call the connected experience across your screens, we believe is quite strategic, and it's something we'll talk about as we kinda complete our strategy later this year, but the good news is we've been working on this area over the last year or two, both with our Home Media Center (HMC) and our Multi-Room Viewing (MRV), and you'll see more of that later this year, but to be honest with you, I didn't see anything in the functions and features, and we did see a demo of it, that was materially different in functions and features then the kinds of functions and features we've been looking to build into our Home Media Center and our Connected Lifestyle Initiative.
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Tip to Sixto for pulling this from the transcript.
 
uncrules said:
The most interesting parts of this call was mention of Direct 14 (to be used as a spare or replacement) and a mention of Tivo. From the transcript:




Tip to Sixto for pulling this from the transcript.
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And as long as DirecTV has that written agreement from TiVo that TiVo will NOT sue DirecTV for patent infringements as TiVo has Dish, et al., in exchange for the new DirecTiVo product, DirecTV will continue to drag its feet on a box DirecTV never really wanted. Keep in mind, DirecTV gets to spend its own money on sharing cost of the development of the box and all the promotional costs including detailed obligations relating to how the box is promoted and "sold" to its customers, just like all TiVo partnerships, the other party gets to bear just about ALL the costs while paying TiVo a favorable licensing fee. This is one of the reasons Charlie said, no thanks, to TiVo, and one can presume AT&T and Verizon weren't keen on shoveling tons of cash into the TiVo coffers without TiVo pulling its own financial weight, so they got sued, just like Dish. Hey, Dish and Direc do have something in common: Charley is dragging out the lawsuit, and DirecTV is dragging out the DirecTiVo. Now, can they all "get along." :)

DirecTV continues to send waves that it just really doesn't want this box to become a reality. In fact, one could imagine that DirecTV secretly hopes that Echostar/Dish will ultimately prevail in the patent lawsuit. Stranger things have happened.
 
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The decline in numbers are due to Dish changing their crieteria for new customers.

You got to remember last year Dish was pissing away potential new customers left and right who passed the credit check but only had debit cards.

Then you got the second issue that until Febuary 2009, Dish was offering no year long discount like Directv for customers to sign up for the service.

You got Dish offering DHAToo, as a pay in advance program to customers in Mary 2009.

Finally, you got the 400,000 people who signed up in Q1 2009 coming off of their year long discount, being told that their bill is going up $30 per month.

You got x number of customers every day getting satellite television, the question how many go with Dish and how many go with Directv.

The decrease for Directv is probably directly related to the increase for Dish customers. It was vice versa last year when Dish was loosing subscribers left and right.
 
Araxen said:
Tivo UI is miles better than the Directv DVR UI. Directv's looks like it it was coded for an 8-bit Nintendo.
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Really?

So the TiVo complicated folder navigation is better than Directs one button control for just about everything? God forbid you want to switch back and forth between a recorded program and a live program. With the HR2x all you have to do is hit the PREV button. With the TiVo you have to hit the List button, then select your folder, then select the show, then select Resume playing. To go back to live you have to hit a totally different button.

Even turning the thing off. HR2x all you do is hit the off button and both the TV and the DVR turn off at the same time. With the TiVo you hit the TiVo button, then scroll all the way down to the bottom to select a separate command, and then hit the separate TV button mixed in with the number buttons.

I haven't even gotten into programming, previous channels, missed recordings, freeze ups, ex. There is no single command on a TiVo that takes fewer steps, fewer button pushes, or fewer folder navigations that that of the HR2x.

And interactive features. The HR2x with Direct blows away what the TiVo can do with Direct.

So again, why is a TiVo better? I know, because it may look better or it may be faster. Big friggen whoop when the speed is canceled out by all of the navigation through sub folders and lame remote layout just to do a simple task
 
DodgerKing said:
Really?

So the TiVo complicated folder navigation is better than Directs one button control for just about everything? God forbid you want to switch back and forth between a recorded program and a live program. With the HR2x all you have to do is hit the PREV button. With the TiVo you have to hit the List button, then select your folder, then select the show, then select Resume playing. To go back to live you have to hit a totally different button.

Even turning the thing off. HR2x all you do is hit the off button and both the TV and the DVR turn off at the same time. With the TiVo you hit the TiVo button, then scroll all the way down to the bottom to select a separate command, and then hit the separate TV button mixed in with the number buttons.

I haven't even gotten into programming, previous channels, missed recordings, freeze ups, ex. There is no single command on a TiVo that takes fewer steps, fewer button pushes, or fewer folder navigations that that of the HR2x.

And interactive features. The HR2x with Direct blows away what the TiVo can do with Direct.

So again, why is a TiVo better? I know, because it may look better or it may be faster. Big friggen whoop when the speed is canceled out by all of the navigation through sub folders and lame remote layout just to do a simple task
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Are you serious?

Both boxes have advantages and disadvantages, but you're completely nuts if you think the DirecTV box has an edge (and I'm not saying TiVo has the edge either). Its just that half your arguments for why TiVo is at a disadvantage are bogus.

It's not an issue of the folder based system either. Its whether or not its use is intuitive, which it is. Plenty of missed programs with Directv's box as well.

Turning the power off... LOL. Stick your ear next to a DirecTV DVR with the power off and tell me it's off. If lights going out make you feel better than fine, to each their own.
 
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