DISH to buy T-Mobile in 2014?

[TheKrell]

Actually, Blockbuster was dead. If the other bidder had won, all the inventory and the brand would have been liquidated immediately. Dish TRIED to keep a failing, outdated business model afloat. Sadly, it just wasn't possible.

I have one word for you, and it is Netflix. Are they losing business in the DVDs by mail business? I don't think so; they used the proceeds to start their streaming business! Dish announced big plans when acquiring BBV, at the very time Netflix stumbled, doubled prices, and split the DVDs from the streaming. It sure looked like Dish was going to compete with Netflix. They had the opportunity to buy enough DVDs to keep Dish customers happy, give B&M customers the same deal, and enter streaming in a big way. But they didn't. They even sounded as though they'd use the retail outlets for other purposes, such as selling cell phones and service, or (only heard the thought around here) exchanging dead receivers for Dish customers. Did they do any of these things? No! They did nothing but milk the name and eventually liquidate everything anyhow. A great opportunity was squandered, and I agree with Mike that they finished running it into the ground. IMHO the name alone is not worth $320M.

Nevertheless, getting back on topic, I'm hopeful that they wouldn't do the same thing with T-mobile.

Dish had an opportunity for a streaming on-demand service using the BB brand, and they blew it.

Right on Gary.

 

[GaryPen]

^ how so?

Loss of innovation and lowered quality of customer service.

 

[MikeD-C05]

UGH! Are you going to make this comment every time? You know that Dish didn't run Blockbuster into the ground, it was already there. This has been talked over many times but you keep bringing it up.

AND YOU KEEP TAKING THE BAIT EVERY TIME SCHERRMAN!

 

[Stargazer]

Sprint (Soft Bank) could up the bids to pay Charlie back for what Charlie did to them or just let Charlie get it, run it in the ground too then buy it on the cheap since at that point it would not be much of a fourth competitor which might then get government approval. I don't think Charlie would run it in the ground though. Worst case scenario if he quit offering the cell services that TMobile does then Dish would want to offer wireless video offerings which might be their goal. I think Dish needs to triple play. Get people in on a two year contract, have them pay for satellite and phone and get internet free or pay for satellite and internet and get phone free. Perhaps add some value to AEP somehow with something like this too. Free IPad that has wireless capability with unlimited Sling to stream you video to it.

 

[Scherrman]

Another Dish acquisition that didn't go well for the acquired's customers was Sling.

People seem to overlook that one.

I'm not sure I get this one. Sling seems to be doing just fine, isn't it?

 

[TheKrell]

I'm not sure I get this one. Sling seems to be doing just fine, isn't it?

Well, I don't know what exactly Gary was referring to, but the elimination of the standalone SlingPlayer in favor of the ghastly ponderous network connection for snooping and authentication really caused me not to use my Sling Adapter at all. Ah, there's another malfeasance: separate players for real Slingboxen and the Sling Adapter/HwS/922. That Balkanization SUCKS. There needs to be a standalone player for everything, not beholden to the vagaries of the network or Dish getting their *** **** servers to work right.

 

[riffjim4069]

DISH is not going to buy T-Mobile. Next...

 

[Ronnie-]

Well, I don't know what exactly Gary was referring to, but the elimination of the standalone SlingPlayer in favor of the ghastly ponderous network connection for snooping and authentication really caused me not to use my Sling Adapter at all. Ah, there's another malfeasance: separate players for real Slingboxen and the Sling Adapter/HwS/922. That Balkanization SUCKS. There needs to be a standalone player for everything, not beholden to the vagaries of the network or Dish getting their *** **** servers to work right.

Why can't you use a stand alone sling?

Posted Via The SatelliteGuys Reader App!

 

[mike123abc]

Well, I don't know what exactly Gary was referring to, but the elimination of the standalone SlingPlayer in favor of the ghastly ponderous network connection for snooping and authentication really caused me not to use my Sling Adapter at all. Ah, there's another malfeasance: separate players for real Slingboxen and the Sling Adapter/HwS/922. That Balkanization SUCKS. There needs to be a standalone player for everything, not beholden to the vagaries of the network or Dish getting their *** **** servers to work right.

This change probably brought in a lot more customers and cut customer support down quite a bit. While the average tech savvy person could probably configure their router to pass through a port to a sling box, it is beyond the capabilities of most the population of potential buyers.

 

[TheKrell]

Why can't you use a stand alone sling?

You can. I was talking about a standalone player.

This change probably brought in a lot more customers and cut customer support down quite a bit. While the average tech savvy person could probably configure their router to pass through a port to a sling box, it is beyond the capabilities of most the population of potential buyers.

Well, I never said Dish needed to cut off their damnable web playback option. I'm complaining about it being forced on all of us. Plus, these devices do not need any port forwarding set up in order to work. I believe they "call home" to an external server, and when off your own network, the standalone player queries that external server as to the whereabouts of your Sling device.