DirecTV Propaganda Strikes Again...

[space86]

In the mail today I received a mailer wanting me to come back to DirecTV,
The Ad says Over 130 HD channels on DirecTV with 200 HD channels
coming soon. And it says Dish Network has barely over a 100 HD channels.

I looked at the mailer closer, and they
are counting FSN HD channels in there 130 HD channel total.

Are these FSN HD channels even full time channels yet?

 

[harshness]

Are these FSN HD channels even full time channels yet?

Some are and some aren't. The interesting statistic is that 30 of these "HD channels" are PPV channels that sometimes show the same movie at 20-30 minute intervals across four or five channels. Tonight, for example, DIRECTV is playing X-Men: Origins on five channels, Earth on three and the Hannah Montana movie on three channels. Three movies are consuming 11 channels. Another way of looking at this is that they're showing three movies in the time span that they could have showed 32-36 different movies.

I believe that DISH counts their HD PPV channels among their conventional channels. This doesn't change the fact that DISH has more linear channels than DIRECTV even with the PPV channels counted. Of course I'm not counting the NFL Sunday Ticket channels that share space with the CINEMAHD channels.

Comcast counts puts on demand programming up against the linear channel counts of the satellite providers.

 

[space86]

Some are and some aren't. The interesting statistic is that 30 of these "HD channels" are PPV channels that sometimes show the same movie at 20-30 minute intervals across four or five channels. Tonight, for example, DIRECTV is playing X-Men: Origins on five channels, Earth on three and the Hannah Montana movie on three channels. Three movies are consuming 11 channels. Another way of looking at this is that they're showing three movies in the time span that they could have showed 32-36 different movies.

I believe that DISH counts their HD PPV channels among their conventional channels. This doesn't change the fact that DISH has more linear channels than DIRECTV even with the PPV channels counted. Of course I'm not counting the NFL Sunday Ticket channels that share space with the CINEMAHD channels.

Comcast counts puts on demand programming up against the linear channel counts of the satellite providers.

30 channels are Pay per view and they count that, WHAT A JOKE!

 

[tstolze]

I received mail from Direct today also, on the envelope it said "important information about your Dish Network Account". Then inside it went on about Dish's exaggerated channel counts, outdated technology and poor customer service. I was a bit aggravated with the outside of the envelope, although if it would have just said DirecTV, I would have deposited it in the recycle bin without opening it.

 

[jacmyoung]

30 channels are Pay per view and they count that, WHAT A JOKE!

I have no problem if they include reasonable amount of PPVHD channels in the count, but when each of those PPVHD movies is repeated on three separate channels, they should be counted as just one, not three. In this DirecTV's case 30 PPVHDs should be counted as 10. Not to mention it is a hassle trying to scroll through those "30 channels" when we don't even order PPVs anymore since they implemented the 24-hour window.

But if they can manage to fill these 30 channels all with distinct HD movies, then they should be able to legitly counte 30 HD channels. I know many people do not consider counting PPVs legit in the first place, which I totally understand, but I cut the providers some slack.

 

[Jhon69]

DirecTV called to try and get me to come back until I told them I am a SD subscriber so the guy said he would make a note about that by my name and they won't bother me again!.:clap

 

[space86]

DirecTV's next satellite launch in December, and they claim
they will have room for 200 HD channels including the ones they have now.

 

[satjay]

I have been with dish now for about seven months from Direct, I get mailings mahybe twice a week from them.

 

[simplexswrhs90]

We switched from DirecTV to DISH almost 3 years ago and we still get those promotions in the mail from time to time saying please come back. I said they're just wasting paper because we're not planning on switching back.

 

[whatchel1]

I've never been with them & I get some stuff from them to leave E* & come over to them. Ain't gonna happen they only carry 2 of the big 4 in this area. The station I work for is not carried on D*.

 

[dangue]

I just saw a commercial talking about joining DirectTV which will have 200 future HD channels.

 

[space86]

I just saw a commercial talking about joining DirectTV which will have 200 future HD channels.

Based on DirecTV adding a new satellite by the end of the year.

I wonder why Dish does not say 200 HD channels coming soon,
after all Dish launched their new satellite two months ago.

 

[harshness]

DirecTV's next satellite launch in December, and they claim they will have room for 200 HD channels including the ones they have now.

They might claim that, but the earliest possible launch date is in January 2010 and turn-up will be some weeks later. At this point, DIRECTV seems to be hedging towards introducing more (not necessarily new) channels by mid 2010.

 

[harshness]

I wonder why Dish does not say 200 HD channels coming soon, after all Dish launched their new satellite two months ago.

And Echostar 14 is expected to launch early in March 2010. I think it unlikely that DIRECTV will get a significant jump on DISH network in terms of linear HD channels.