Has anyone received their box yet?

[kevinbct]

Has anyone received their box yet?

Is anyone using the Sky Angel IPTV service on this forum?

How is it going so far?

Thanks

Kev

 

[jlahmeyer]

Nope, it's not out yet. But I have my order in for it as soon as they put it out. I can't wait!

 

[kevinbct]

Nope, it's not out yet. But I have my order in for it as soon as they put it out. I can't wait!

I'm seriously thinking of signing up. I do have to bump up my Internet connection first though. I only have 1.5 mbps DSL. Where I live (Connecticut), i have the option of getting up to 6.0 mbps from the phone company or an option of 6.0 mbps or 8.0 mbps from Comcast the cable company. Some folks in neighboring town can get 16/2 (down/up) cable service. I wish I could do that, then it would make my decision easier.

I think I may go with cable internet as my ticket to receive SA, because in this area AT&T has pretty much said they are locked into 6.0 mbps as their top speed for some time to come. They rolled out their own IPTV service, and are reserving most of their bandwidth for that.

Any thoughts?

Kevin

 

[Bill R]

I think I may go with cable internet as my ticket to receive SA, because in this area AT&T has pretty much said they are locked into 6.0 mbps as their top speed for some time to come. They rolled out their own IPTV service, and are reserving most of their bandwidth for that.

Any thoughts?

Kevin

What everyone needs to consider is that sometime down the road a lot of internet providers are going to start charging by usage (Time Warner is testing this in Texas). IPTV has very high usage and what may cost you $40 a month NOW, may cost $100 a month down the road (based on the rate charts that I've seen).

Quite frankly, I don't think that Sky Angel's IPTV service has a "snowball's chance in ----" to make it, but, even if it does it is going to be a lot more expensive that JUST Sky Angel's charges.

 

[kevinbct]

What everyone needs to consider is that sometime down the road a lot of internet providers are going to start charging by usage (Time Warner is testing this in Texas). IPTV has very high usage and what may cost you $40 a month NOW, may cost $100 a month down the road (based on the rate charts that I've seen).

Quite frankly, I don't think that Sky Angel's IPTV service has a "snowball's chance in ----" to make it, but, even if it does it is going to be a lot more expensive that JUST Sky Angel's charges.

I'm sure it is very high bandwidth Bill...

I wonder if you or someone else could do a calculation about how many MB's or GB's watching 3 hours of IPTV a day is.

Sky Angel claims is uses 900 kbps (that's kilobits), I don't know what the conversion is to kilobytes.... x 60 seconds in a minute, x 180 minutes a day x 30 days = ???

Thanks
Kevin

 

[catkoko]

I think IF sky angel "makes it", that it will be as one more SECULAR TV service. Their channel line up seems to be straying from "faith" or even "family". DISH family appears more family oriented than sky angel IPTV.

Also have to wonder about the delays. We haven't even heard of a BETA tester receiving a box, never mind a subscriber.

 

[kevinbct]

I'm sure it is very high bandwidth Bill...

I wonder if you or someone else could do a calculation about how many MB's or GB's watching 3 hours of IPTV a day is.

Sky Angel claims is uses 900 kbps (that's kilobits), I don't know what the conversion is to kilobytes.... x 60 seconds in a minute, x 180 minutes a day x 30 days = ???

Thanks
Kevin

Bill you can check my math, but 900 kbps is 113 KB/s = 36 GB a month. Wow!!! Maybe I will look into satellite. The Gospel Music Channel (run by Rex Humbard's son) is only available on Cable or Sky Angel. Its not FTA or Even AT&T Uverse or D* or E* . I love that one as an alternative to MTV for my daughter

 

[MellowYBird]

Their channel line up seems to be straying from "faith" or even "family". DISH family appears more family oriented than sky angel IPTV.

I was thinking the same thing.
You'd expect some of the channels & content from a secular family oriented company, but not from a Christian company.
Unfortunately, I think our internet service is way too unreliable for IPTV anyway. Since Time Warner-Road Runner has taken over Adelphia we lose connection continuously. I miss Adelphia!

~MYB~

 

[Scroll]

It dawns on me after time to reflect that Dominion really doesn't too much care what we think, otherwise they wouldn't have kept us so in the dark for so long and until after the deal was done. It would have been more reasonable to solicit comments and suggestions while there were still some other options available.

I've seen many good suggestions & comments here, but you can bet dollars to donuts that it won't change a thing.

About the only thing stopping me from ripping out the equipment today is wondering if Dish indeed may be making some sort of special offer to persuade us to subscribe to their programming. This I feel is unlikely, especially since most would only be interested in the Family Pak and locals.

OTOH, we still represent the largest block of subscribers for the foreseeable future that can be added in one whack to the subscriber base numbers, which is something Dish used to be concerned with to negotiate better contracts with the content providers.

So I'll hold off just a little longer to see, since it costs me nothing to wait. But I did just get a mailing from Verizon for bundled service through them with Direct TV for $99 a month and it is a limited time offer!

As a disclosure I already have Direct TV so I don't think it helps me any.

 

[kevinbct]

So its Jan 23rd.....they were supposed to ship boxes on the 7th.

Did anyone on here receive their box yet?

 

[jlahmeyer]

Nope. I hope it's soon I am tired of waiting. All I know is they said the 7th then I remember getting an email and it said they would let me know when they shipped my box. But I haven't got the email yet. I figured they would ship it a week maybe two weeks from the 7th but it's almost the end of the second week and still no email and no news. I wonder what's going on?

 

[kevinbct]

Nope. I hope it's soon I am tired of waiting. All I know is they said the 7th then I remember getting an email and it said they would let me know when they shipped my box. But I haven't got the email yet. I figured they would ship it a week maybe two weeks from the 7th but it's almost the end of the second week and still no email and no news. I wonder what's going on?

JLA,

Taking this into consideration....I decided earlier that I couldn't wait.

Plus, I calculated that watching 3 hours per day would use approximately 36 GB of data a month in addition to regular usage. I have never hear of AT&T DSL imposing caps on usage, and most cable companies seem to tolerate over 100 GB of usage a month -- but are trending toward cracking down on high usage. Further, I would have to cancel my 1.5 mbps DSL account with a local and very reliable provider (not the phone company).

Therefore, I purchased two used DirecTV receivers from CraigsList (still had the dish on my house) and signed up for the BASIC package - $9.99 / mo. This is not an advertised package, but they will give it over the phone. You have to add one international package as well - so I added the cheapest one. Italian 9.99 / mo. My dish is not even pointed at that satellite, but i don't care. I don't intend to watch it.

With the BASIC package, you get your local broadcast channels. ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, etc. And a decent lineup of Christian stations....
GodTV
World Harvest TV (LeSea)
Daystar
EWTN (Catholic)
The Church Channel
TBN
TCT (Total Christian TV)
NRB TV (national religious broadcasters)

(There is also the Word Network - catered toward African Americans and BYU but I don't watch those). A lot of Christian TV today is "prosperity gospel" or word of faith oriented, but I know how to spot the phonies from the stuff I should be watching. For $20 a month I am happy, I'm going to add 2 more receivers for our other TV's -- and for $30 or $32 a month (whatever it comes out to) -- I can live with this choice for at least a year.

Kevin

 

[catkoko]

If you aren't a beta tester then don't believe they wil ship boxes until those tests are complete, some time next month. who knows what will happen if a problem happens with the beta test...........

they aren't off to a good start so far. I bleive 3abn already has their iptv up and running

 

[Scroll]

kevinbct I don't understand your "deal." Why didn't you just go with their family package? Were some of your desired channels not included?

 

[jegrant]

For that matter, a good rooftop TV antenna plus a GloryStar dish might have provided almost the same service as the "DirecTV Basic" in this example.

Or, perhaps DishFamily with locals added?

 

[jlahmeyer]

I called SA to update my credit card info and I asked them when do they expect to have the IPTV box out and he said should be out in a week or two.

 

[tsrk30]

When someone receives their IPTV box could they please post a detailed review. I would like to know about the set up, the picture quality and the sound of all the channels. I have searched the Internet and it seems no one anywhere has posted a review. This could be the only site on the net that has one posted.

Thanks

Trevor

 

[jlahmeyer]

Yes, please let us know!

 

[kevinbct]

kevinbct I don't understand your "deal." Why didn't you just go with their family package? Were some of your desired channels not included?

I wanted to keep my costs to $20 as opposed to $29.99 for the Family Package, furthermore -- the BASIC + cheapest international option allows you to get 50 XM music channels, Family does not. However, if you need Disney or Nickelodeon, hallmark, ABC family -- then maybe the $10 extra is worth it to you.

however, i really wanted The Message (XM contemporary Christian), some of the jazz stations, audio visions (for sleep), 40's and 50's music. Maybe it isn't a "deal" and I certainly understand if you see it that way. What simplified the decision was that I already had a current model DirecTV dish on the house and I was able to buy 2 used receivers from a local seller from Craigslist for $25 total.

 

[catkoko]

Would direct let you activate "used equipment"? unlike dish they told me (and have posted on web) "NO"

We are still exploring our options, long term glorystar still appears the best option