HBO HD-W Any rumors on DTV adding this?

[Seawaves]

Folks,

As an ever increasing portion of the US (no thanks to lack border security, lol) many of us here on the west coast would like to see HBO's hi-def channel in prime time. This is even more important if you've got rugrats scurrying about like i do. Can't have the kids watching Tony and the boys or David and his gay lover sucking face. Not that there is anything wrong with that, I just don't have an explaination for the kids. (Well it's like this kids, he was raised in a funeral home so it made him like other men.)

So the point is: HBO-HD-W is an important channel for DirecTV to add!

 

[dishrich]

This is even more important if you've got rugrats scurrying about like i do. Can't have the kids watching Tony and the boys or David and his gay lover sucking face.

You DO know that EVERY, single, D* (& E*) receiver made since day 1 has parental control on it? If you have prog such as HBO on your service, I'd think you'd be using it anyway...

So the point is: HBO-HD-W is an important channel for DirecTV to add!

I'm sure that most people here would beg to differ because:
-see reason above - I'm sure most people would rather have MORE & DIFFERENT HD channels, such as Starz & Cinemax HD, over YOU having to utilize PC.
-that's what DVR's are for (yea, I know that D-Tivo's are expensive right now, but they'll be coming down before too long)
-D* (& E*) don't exactly have tons of bandwidth floating around for basically time-shifted HD. (they DON'T even have that much time-shifted SD prog; there is ONLY approx 11 west feeds of SD channels, although obviously there are MANY more W feeds not on DBS) I will admit you guys on the west coast get shafted on this, but - that's DBS.
-If you REALLY, REALLY just gotta have HBO HD W, you'll probably need to switch to VOOM, or your local cable co. (although most cable co. ONLY offer 1 time zone of each HD premium as well)

 

[Seawaves]

You DO know that EVERY, single, D* (& E*) receiver made since day 1 has parental control on it? If you have prog such as HBO on your service, I'd think you'd be using it anyway...



I'm sure that most people here would beg to differ because:
-see reason above - I'm sure most people would rather have MORE & DIFFERENT HD channels, such as Starz & Cinemax HD, over YOU having to utilize PC.
-that's what DVR's are for (yea, I know that D-Tivo's are expensive right now, but they'll be coming down before too long)
-D* (& E*) don't exactly have tons of bandwidth floating around for basically time-shifted HD. (they DON'T even have that much time-shifted SD prog; there is ONLY approx 11 west feeds of SD channels, although obviously there are MANY more W feeds not on DBS) I will admit you guys on the west coast get shafted on this, but - that's DBS.
-If you REALLY, REALLY just gotta have HBO HD W, you'll probably need to switch to VOOM, or your local cable co. (although most cable co. ONLY offer 1 time zone of each HD premium as well)

Spoken just like someone in the eastern half of the US! 1k for an HD Tivo is a rip off but hey, pay it if you want. (end of paragraph, try it sometime)

You must have missed my point. It's not about "PARENTAL CONTROLS" it's about a huge amount of subs in the west (money- just what Fox knows best) who want to watch the prime HBO hi-defs shows when they come on-Sunday night 9-11 p.m.

I don't NEED to switch anywhere, I give DirecTV my hard earned money. A source at DTV did tell me (not a CSR) they will be adding this channel. BTW, I have Voom and once DTV adds this channel- I will cancel.

 

[Darin]

You must have missed my point. It's not about "PARENTAL CONTROLS" it's about a huge amount of subs in the west (money- just what Fox knows best) who want to watch the prime HBO hi-defs shows when they come on-Sunday night 9-11 p.m.

But I think you missed his. While there will be a certain number of people that live on the west coast, who have HD but not an HD PVR, and who are restricted to prime time viewing, there is a much greater number of people who aren't in that group, and would rather see something completely different, like StarzHD. Once their HD offering gets more filled out with the other HD premiums, MAYBE they can go back and add the W feeds. But hopefully by that time the HD PVRs will come down enough that the need will be moot. Even now, if you can buy an HD-TiVo for $899 (which you can), and get a $200-$250 credit from the retention department for activating one (which you MAY be able to, depending on your DirecTV history and your luck), and sell your current HD receiver on ebay for $200-250, the cost of the HD-TiVo is not outrageous for someone who obviously already can afford HD equipment. The advantages go WAY beyond being able to time-shift east coast feeds.

 

[Seawaves]

But I think you missed his. While there will be a certain number of people that live on the west coast, who have HD but not an HD PVR, and who are restricted to prime time viewing, there is a much greater number of people who aren't in that group, and would rather see something completely different, like StarzHD. Once their HD offering gets more filled out with the other HD premiums, MAYBE they can go back and add the W feeds. But hopefully by that time the HD PVRs will come down enough that the need will be moot. Even now, if you can buy an HD-TiVo for $899 (which you can), and get a $200-$250 credit from the retention department for activating one (which you MAY be able to, depending on your DirecTV history and your luck), and sell your current HD receiver on ebay for $200-250, the cost of the HD-TiVo is not outrageous for someone who obviously already can afford HD equipment. The advantages go WAY beyond being able to time-shift east coast feeds.

And you clearly missed mine- lol.. "a certain number", there are as many people living in Los Angeles alone as DTV has subs-about 12 million or more than all of Georgia. Let's just go by viewer numbers..which channel has more viewers, Starz or HBO. It's that simple- HBOHD-W way before Starz!

For those of us who have already shelled out the bucks we should not be forced to pay for more equipment. DTV should accomadate (which they are going to do) us.

 

[Dvlos]

So you guys are convinced that D* has 100,000 HD subscribers, and that 90,000 are owners of HD TiVos?

 

[Seawaves]

Dvlos,

You know- I know better than that. DTV has a long way to go in the HD world of things. The Tivo HD offering is lame at best. I want a great product and will pay good money for it but the HD Tivo is not yet great.

Why should I commit lot's 'o cash until DTV makes a serious commitmnet to HD. When they do- yes they will have 100K HD subs (IMO)

 

[Darin]

there are as many people living in Los Angeles alone as DTV has subs-about 12 million or more than all of Georgia.

What does that have to do with anything? Are you suggesting that DirecTV has 100% market penetration in LA? I didn't think so, so comparing the LA population to DirecTV's subscriber numbers is irrelevant. But if you want to get into a pissing battle about number of people, LA doesn't matter... what matters is the number of people who are in the western and mountain zones. There's simply greater population density on the eastern half of the US than the western half. So if you're suggesting that it's numbers that matter, then you can see why the eastern feeds take precedence.

Let's just go by viewer numbers..which channel has more viewers, Starz or HBO. It's that simple- HBOHD-W way before Starz!

Which may be why HBO-HD DID come before StarzHD. That doesn't mean that Starz is so undesired that TWO HBO feeds, one being a time-delayed feed of the same content, would come before Starz even gets one.

For those of us who have already shelled out the bucks we should not be forced to pay for more equipment. DTV should accomadate (which they are going to do) us.

Then don't. I was merely pointing out that getting an HD-TiVo may not be as costly as you first think it is. If you don't think it's worth it, that's your choice.

 

[Darin]

The Tivo HD offering is lame at best.

That's an opinion that you won't find shared by many. What are you basing this on? What is out there that is better?

 

[slacker9876]

Uh oh! Everyone guard your Wheaties!!!

 

[Dvlos]

I find that hardcore videophiles will have no problem with dropping a grand on an HD TiVo that could break in a year or two, and are the most active on these forums. While the production of HD TiVo boxes was been slow, my point is that you represent the smallest of D*'s subscriber group. So appeasing those that do NOT or WILL not buy an HD Tivo makes sense so that they do not run off to cable (where they can lease an HD DVR for $10) or V* (if the DVR is released what a benefit, if not, hey you have E/W feeds on the premiums).

I would THINK that D* would have went Vooms route and added more premiums, and yes E/W of those premiums than trying to slap on Network feeds E/W. I still think that's a huge waste of bandwidth, but I guess I say that because I live in an area where all the major players come in OTA loud and clear.

 

[Darin]

Yes, the HD-TiVo is expensive (though as I pointed out earlier, can be had for way under $1k). But being expensive doesn't make it "lame, at best". It's a great product, albeit, expensive. And yes, it could break in a year or two, but so could your expensive HDTV.

 

[Seawaves]

I find that hardcore videophiles will have no problem with dropping a grand on an HD TiVo that could break in a year or two, and are the most active on these forums. While the production of HD TiVo boxes was been slow, my point is that you represent the smallest of D*'s subscriber group. So appeasing those that do NOT or WILL not buy an HD Tivo makes sense so that they do not run off to cable (where they can lease an HD DVR for $10) or V* (if the DVR is released what a benefit, if not, hey you have E/W feeds on the premiums).

I would THINK that D* would have went Vooms route and added more premiums, and yes E/W of those premiums than trying to slap on Network feeds E/W. I still think that's a huge waste of bandwidth, but I guess I say that because I live in an area where all the major players come in OTA loud and clear.

Spoken like a true Voom sub who has no DVR and HBOHD-W..lol..

for the record my over-priced plasma has a 5 year warranty and it was worth every penny for as good as it makes DTV look.

 

[Seawaves]

Scott,

What are your people on the inside saying about HBOHD-W?

 

[ScottChez]

If you have a DVR why in the world would you want a second feed that is delay 3 hours? Its a waist of bandwidth.

You could take the bandwidth and get MORE CHANNELS daaaaaaa

 

[Seawaves]

I meant the other Scott, not you...lol...I DO NOT have a HD DVR..

Do you have sales figures on the HD DVR? Do you know how many DTV has sold to thier 12 million subs? Not a ton at 1K a pop.

It's amazing how no one on the west coast is complaining about my asking to verify a rumor.

DTV has plenty of bandwidth for this channel and as many more as Voom has.

 

[Darin]

Do you have sales figures on the HD DVR? Do you know how many DTV has sold to thier 12 million subs? Not a ton at 1K a pop.

I'm not sure what their 12 million subs would want with the HD-TiVo, since only roughly 500k of them have HD. But as to the sales figures, I don't know. But from the numbers I've seen, they've produced over 40,000 of them. They've been selling about as fast as they've been getting produced, so I'd suspect the sales number probably approaches that. Sure, that's probably less than 10% of their HD customers, but the thing's only been in full production for a couple of months. The sales of the HD-TiVo has exceeded what DirecTV expected.