Dish Seen In DirecTV’s Orbit

[Scott Greczkowski]

Ten years ago, both companies were using pretty similar switchgear and switching technology. Things have changed substantially in how (and at what stage) they stack channels these days.

Such is not to say that it isn't possible, but it isn't as easy as it was back when.

You do have a point there, the main difference is with DIRECTV SWM because it needs to support and convert the KA band. I dont think the DISH receivers can be modified to pick up the KA band. However the DIRECTV should be able to pick up the DISH transponders fine. Again for this its more software then hardware. Look at how many DIRECTV dishes are looking at 110... yet DIRECTV is no longer using 110 like they were... that would be the first place I would convert making channels available to both platforms.

 

[mike123abc]

The receivers do not pick up Ku or Ka, those bands are converted to L band by the LNBs. The satellites could use any frequencies with the receivers as long as the LNB did the conversion (which is why for example 118 uses a different LNB).

 

[Teehar]

Oh the charlie chat memories,I will never forget when they were coming out with the dish 500.Charlie and Jim sitting there and they cut to a video of a concept dish 500.One of the lnbs was clearly a dtv lnb. I can't recall Charlie's exact words but it was hilarious.

 

[harshness]

Tim, once again you are wrong.

You can use a standard DVB card and with a program like progressiveDVB and the correct plug in you could use that standard DVB card to play the XM channels that use to be on DIRECTV,

The DVB used by DIRECTV is a modifed version of the DVB standard, but its still a version of DVB. If you check around there is a lot of programs out there which can tune DIRECTV transponders on a DVB card. (Or at least there were.)

You seem to be playing awfully fast and loose with what used to be able to be done. Most of what you speak of was prior to DVB S2 and the Ka/RDBS constellation. It surely isn't prudent to make assumptions based on technologies that are no longer the state of the art when so many new technologies have been introduced in the interim.

It may come down to something as simple as decryption that prohibits a software-only solution; something your line of reasoning doesn't contemplate.

 

[harshness]

You do have a point there, the main difference is with DIRECTV SWM because it needs to support and convert the KA band. I dont think the DISH receivers can be modified to pick up the KA band.

It all comes down to whether the stack plan is sufficiently flexible. As Mike points out, the LNB tunes the satellite and the receivers tune IF. If they can adapt to the stack plan, they can certainly tune the IF. Then it comes down to being able to handle the encoding and encryption.

 

[inazsully]

My problem could be with the way "E" handles EHD's compared to the way "D" handles them. "E"'s way is great and "D"'s way makes no sense at all.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

You seem to be playing awfully fast and loose with what used to be able to be done.

I deal with people from both companies every day and they still say it is possible to be done. How? I don't know I am not the engineers that they are so I got to trust them.

 

[Hall]

Why do so many people seem to think that THE DAY a merger is done, all systems have to be automagically blended into one, unified system ? IF they decided to do anything of the sort, it would be YEARS before implemented.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Another thing is for the majority of channels broadcast by Directv are still the same format they were were when Directv started.

Still not hard to switch over. The biggest issue I see are the HD channels which use DVB S2 format.

Sent from my iPhone using SatelliteGuys

 

[PTVC]

Competition is what keeps prices in check. We don't need a merger, we need a third player.

There's more competition, its just not satellite.

 

[PTVC]

Given that there is no real subscriber growth in tradition pay TV.

They are getting to the end of the road, aren't they?

 

[PTVC]

Some of us who disagree on other things with each other agree on this point. In the end one satellite company is not good. This has nothing to do with not liking Direct TV or Dish, in fact it's because they are both better than Cable and offer different things that they have to remain as two companies. There are certain things both have to compete with Cable for, but there are things they compete against each other, and that needs to remain.

It could be cheaper, at least at first, because having over 30 million subscribers would keep costs down.

 

[coinmaster32]

Both are cheap because of competition. If Dish and Directv merged, they could charge as much as they want because Sat TV is the only option for a few million people not serviced by Cable TV.

 

[SQUEEZON]

Every bar and restaurant is running sports, which DTV has. Right? Why not have Dish run it? Better yet elect a board of both and run in incorporated into a new biz

 

[PTVC]

Why do so many people seem to think that THE DAY a merger is done, all systems have to be automagically blended into one, unified system ? IF they decided to do anything of the sort, it would be YEARS before implemented.

Couldn't agree more. At the onset, it would be nothing more than a name change.

 

[coinmaster32]

Here is another question. If one person owed one company money, if they merged, it might force them to pay one before doing anything.

 

[PTVC]

Both are cheap because of competition. If Dish and Directv merged, they could charge as much as they want because Sat TV is the only option for a few million people not serviced by Cable TV.

That's assuming that they would not agree to rate reductions/freezes for people in rural areas. I live in a rural area and have two choices for pay TV, one I prefer and the other I don't (and is more expensive). A merger could actually benefit rural areas if Dish offered rate reductions/freezes and broadband Internet service as part of the package (to the areas that still have no broadband Internet).

 

[Gobucks]

I don't believe for a second prices would ever go down. They would still do the every year increase. That is after the FCC mandated price freeze. I bet it will be just like Sirus/XM they would freeze the prices and jack up the fees.

Sirius/XM did just that. They took away the free Internet listening and jacked up the fees. In the end we would all pay more. Those people that live far out with no cable companies would be screwed.

I was smart enough to get 2 lifetimed radios when Stern joined Sirius.

Look how many years later and Sirius/XM still haven't merged their billing systems or their satellite services. One big reason is they would lose out on the extra $$ people pay for Best of XM package with a Sirius radio and best of Sirius with a xm radio. It's all about extra $$$$ for them.

 

[navychop]

Slowing or not. The fact of the matter is one gains subs each quarter and the other has more quarters of losses than gains over the last couple of years. There is a reason for this. This along with other things I mentioned is a sign that one company is doing better than the other. If two companies will merge I would prefer the merger be run by the one that has been more successful. There is a reason for their success.

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It wasn't that long ago that Dish was the one making money, and DirecTV losing money, year after year. Success can be defined many ways, and change over the years.

That was reportedly the impetus for allowing the Sirius-XM merger and we all know how that went in terms of coming up with a single radio for both systems.

I believe such radios are now being sold for "ver 2." More of both systems merging into something new, with new radios. Certainly the consolidation has taken way longer than many of us expected, esp for their back rooms. They're keeping their plans concealed - very successfully.

If they were to merge, channels going dark because of contract renewal disputes would almost be a thing of the past.

And I didn't think you smoked that stuff!

....A la carte? It is an oasis.

Oasis? Or mirage?

Why do so many people seem to think that THE DAY a merger is done, all systems have to be automagically blended into one, unified system ? IF they decided to do anything of the sort, it would be YEARS before implemented.

Certainly true. And the extra sat slots would not go to waste. Many more "channels" could be added, including 3D and Ultra-TV versions. And many more locals. And have room for yet to be invented services.


IF such a merger took place, and I think it years away, if ever, I'm sure we'd all look closely at the result. If the Not Invented Here attitude took hold, and the D* approach to EHDs and certain other things became the standard, I for one would move to Fios. And many others would move, too, to alternate providers. And the Internet will only grow larger as a service provider- both legally & illegally. The combined satco can't assume they'll keep their market share. In fact, they might run it as two separate companies, with shared transponders for locals and most programming, and one of the "companies" offering more sports at a corresponding higher price. Heck, they may try to do that without a merger.

 

[mike123abc]

Even if it is technically possible to have a receiver work on both systems I doubt they would do it with existing equipment. I would speculate that they will come out with a new box that goes in new installations or upgrades. Why work to get the old boxes updated when you would have to have a new dish/switch/lnb setup to even begin to use the "other" system. So, while they are out working on the roof, they will probably do the inside at the same time.

I also do not think that prices would go down. I think that satellite TV profits will go up though. I do not see how this would be in the public interest. It is not like sirrius/XM where both companies were probably going to go out of business since the market was not large enough.

It seems to be a pattern to boost Dish stock price... A merger or a takeover right around the corner... ATT rumor must be getting cold again...