Local HD Directv vs. Dish

[kirkdj]

Well I haven't been here in a while, and I was shocked to learn Directv is offering local HD channels in so many markets by years end! Which includes New Orleans for me

What is Dish doing to compete? Supplying people with free OTA antennas?

Please tell me I will get local HD soon with Dish? What is Dishes plan to compete...or do they have one?

 

[HDTVFanAtic]

Well I haven't been here in a while, and I was shocked to learn Directv is offering local HD channels in so many markets by years end! Which includes New Orleans for me

What is Dish doing to compete? Supplying people with free OTA antennas?

Please tell me I will get local HD soon with Dish? What is Dishes plan to compete...or do they have one?

Hobble together leftover pieces of space junk when they can find them.

 

[Poke]

Yes Dish should have more locals up in HD 1st part of next year sometime. But as far as HD Direct is way behind with just their 9 channels of HD to 30 channels of HD with Dish. So overall Dish is the HD leader by far. I know several friends that made the switch from Direct to Dish and they all say that they wished they had done it sooner.

 

[TalonDancer]

E* WAS the HD leader!

Rupert's strategy has worked a charm...
Beat Charlie at his own game -- hard ball litigation -- forcing E* into 6+ months of damage control w.r.t. the loss of distant networks. Which bought D* time to erode/eliminate E*'s strategic advantage -- HD. Since D* didn't have access to the ZOOM channels, it focused on providing HD locals, which argueably are a bigger deal for many subscribers than national HD channel count.

Meanwhile E* is still rearranging the SD deck chairs (e.g. the recent Atlanta spot beam changes, etc) and offering discounts on HD OTA antennas even though many E* subscribers can't get their locals OTA due to distance and/or topography

Talon Dancer

 

[kirkdj]

Once Again

Once again I have selected what seems to be the loser.......how can executives running such a Mega $$$ co. have such limited vision of the future when it comes to HD.....people like them must have been in mind when they said "when you snooze....you loose".
Only problem is I must have went to sleep with them

What does it take to get out of the contract?

 

[scooby2]

Once again I have selected what seems to be the loser.......how can executives running such a Mega $$$ co. have such limited vision of the future when it comes to HD.....people like them must have been in mind when they said "when you snooze....you loose".
Only problem is I must have went to sleep with them

What does it take to get out of the contract?

Something like ~ $14 times the number of months left on your contract. DirecTV is looking to have a killer 2007. I'd be willing to bet most DirecTV customers that jumped to Dish will be jumping back.

 

[MikeD-C05]

THat all depends on what John Malone has in mind for Directv. Who knows what he will do with all their hd plans.

 

[mdonnelly]

It'll always be a game of leapfrog between E* and D*. I'm shocked that E* has had the lead in national HD for so long now. Of course, since I do get good OTA HD, that's a non-issue for me.

 

[gbfdcapt4b]

After a year with Dish HD, I find I have 30 channels of content I rarely watch. I can only get 2 networks in HD via OTA antenna, but my HD hours are from them. Would I get an HD pack after my 18 month contract is done? Probably not. I'll take the locals in HD first.

 

[TulsaCoker]

Yes Dish should have more locals up in HD 1st part of next year sometime. But as far as HD Direct is way behind with just their 9 channels of HD to 30 channels of HD with Dish. So overall Dish is the HD leader by far. I know several friends that made the switch from Direct to Dish and they all say that they wished they had done it sooner.

It's more then 9 if your in one of the 55+ local markets served by LiL and RSNs. And Dish "should" have more locals 1st part of next year sounds like a broken record. Wasn't that said this year? and RSN? Yes Dish has the Voom channels to take the HD lead but the majority of Dish subs think they are worthless so the advantage is nill. Many (including you) have been stringed along by Dish on LiL and so far Dish have been way behind D* and will stay that way.

 

[mdonnelly]

... Yes Dish has the Voom channels to take the HD lead but the majority of Dish subs think they are worthless so the advantage is nill. Many (including you) have been stringed along by Dish on LiL and so far Dish have been way behind D* and will stay that way.

One vote for NOT worthless. I love Equator, Monsters, Film Fest. And I don't give a cr*p about 4 channels of HD LIL (I get a good 10 OTA digital channels, including PBS).

 

[MikeD-C05]

They are behind on HD locals but way ahead on Sd locals compared to Directv. Dish has 174 locals in sd out of 210 dmas. I don't know what the long range goal is on hd locals with DISH . I often wonder how they will keep adding both hd and sd on the same satellites unless they are planning on launching more spotbeam satellites. IF they did this on the replacement sat for the 129 location , which is to be launced in 2007, they could use all those spotbeams to do more hd locals. Same if they would use the 61.5 sat in spotbeam mode instead of conus mode.

 

[TulsaCoker]

One vote for NOT worthless. I love Equator, Monsters, Film Fest. And I don't give a cr*p about 4 channels of HD LIL (I get a good 10 OTA digital channels, including PBS).

Ok you love 3 out of 13 Voom channels. So it's 77% worthless to you.

 

[mdonnelly]

Ok you love 3 out of 13 Voom channels. So it's 77% worthless to you.

It's a package deal. How much of your package do you love? How much do you ignore? The answer is different for everyone. I can't even answer for my wife, she might like 2 or 3 different VOOM channels.

 

[TulsaCoker]

That's my point on the Voom channels, everyone (like E*) likes to claim that E*has more National HD then anyone (which they do) but the majority of subs don't like the majority of the channels so it's a mute point. The Voom channels are the only reason E* has the lead on number of HD channels. The advantage of HD LiL is getitng the regional RSN's.

 

[whatchel1]

Same as SD

It' is the same for SD channels. There are certain ones that aome like but others don't so why is this even a big deal. Not everyone likes the same thing. If everyone like all the same channels then there would be no need for the "500" channel universe.

 

[TulsaCoker]

They are behind on HD locals but way ahead on Sd locals compared to Directv. Dish has 174 locals in sd out of 210 dmas. I don't know what the long range goal is on hd locals with DISH . I often wonder how they will keep adding both hd and sd on the same satellites unless they are planning on launching more spotbeam satellites. IF they did this on the replacement sat for the 129 location , which is to be launced in 2007, they could use all those spotbeams to do more hd locals. Same if they would use the 61.5 sat in spotbeam mode instead of conus mode.

Ok Mike, Dish offers SD Local Channels to 95% of the viewers and DirecTv has 93% and you call that way ahead. On HD LiL Dish offers 50% where as DirecTV offers it to 74% of the TV market and you state Dish is behind. Interesting choice of words.

 

[mdonnelly]

Ok Mike, Dish offers SD Local Channels to 95% of the viewers and DirecTv has 93% and you call that way ahead. On HD LiL Dish offers 50% where as DirecTV offers it to 74% of the TV market and you state Dish is behind. Interesting choice of words.

Ok, you've got your reasons to be on Direct. How do those Tulsa HD locals look from D* now?

Edit: Oh I just noticed, D* pushed Tulsa out to sometime in 2007. Sorry.

 

[TulsaCoker]

Don't know, I get mine OTA. I still have a Mpeg2 receiver.

 

[digiblur]

Well I haven't been here in a while, and I was shocked to learn Directv is offering local HD channels in so many markets by years end! Which includes New Orleans for me

What is Dish doing to compete? Supplying people with free OTA antennas?

Please tell me I will get local HD soon with Dish? What is Dishes plan to compete...or do they have one?

I heard 2Q or 3Q for New Orleans D* HD locals.

There are options to get your HD networks anywhere in the US today.