SatGuys Exclusive: Dish Network answers some VOOM questions

[Neutron]

I sent you a PM on this.

My comments earlier weren't directed at you though. They were directed at HD921 who kept on saying SkyChat broke this news first when they clearly didn't.

My second comment was also not directed at you. It was directed at the guy who told you to nevermind me, most of us are usually nice to everyone.

I want to publicly apologize. This isn't like me at all and I just let things get out of hand.

Jim, welcome to Satelliteguys!

I hope you stick around.

 

[NightRyder]

Thats the way it is NOW, however I have a feeling that will change over time. Give them time folks this was as much of a surprise to them as it was to us.

I'll have to humbly disagree Scott, just as I did when you stated for months that E* wasn't interested in V*. There was no surprise in this for anyone involved. Just as this deal was already in place awaiting the board vote, so to are plans for these assets pending FCC approval. V* will join the other poorly thought out business ventures on the scrapheap of history. I guess the surprise for some may be, there will be no surprise. IMHO.


NightRyder

 

[jeslevine]

charlie is not dumb

Oh yeah, Charlie is dumb alright. $200M, with no risk, bought him a satellite that's already operating, a slew of frequencies and spot beams, and a brand new groundlink station, and D* is left with their satellites on the drawing board.

Everybody that said E* was lagging behind in capacity is now saying "What just happened?" I think Charlie suckered D* into committing to the new launches, forcing a D* rate increase. We may find a D* customer backlash flocking to E*, which is likely to have expanded content much sooner.

Everyone that dropped E* for D* promises of future capacity might want to rethink their decision. This really has been an interesting couple of days.

but he has screwed people who bought the 921. He has already made that receiver obsolete, and will not support mpeg4 from it, and the 941 is probably going the same way.

I have both Voom and Dish, and whoever gets the most HD with the best quality will be who I will go with, whether it is dish, direct, or even satellite

 

[jeslevine]

no way

Am I the only one that thinks E* really may not have a plan for Voom's assets? Seems to me they just killed a competitor, at a bargain price for that. Even if they don't have plans for the equipment, they still win. One less sat provider = smiling Charlie.

Just my 2 cents.

main objective was to get a new satellite at a good price

 

[rocatman]

They can move the bird. But the one thing folks have asked me that I'm not sure about is wether the spot beam is only configured to work at 61.5 or can the spot beams be reconfigured?

I do not believe that the spotbeams can be reconfigured unless Rainbow-1 utilized some new design. Now a spotbeam satellite could be moved a certain number of degrees and the spotbeams may still be useable but a 48.5 degree move from 61.5 W to 110 W is probably too big a move.

 

[Jaded13]

Oh yeah, Charlie is dumb alright. $200M, with no risk, bought him a satellite that's already operating, a slew of frequencies and spot beams, and a brand new groundlink station, and D* is left with their satellites on the drawing board.

Everybody that said E* was lagging behind in capacity is now saying "What just happened?" I think Charlie suckered D* into committing to the new launches, forcing a D* rate increase. We may find a D* customer backlash flocking to E*, which is likely to have expanded content much sooner.

Everyone that dropped E* for D* promises of future capacity might want to rethink their decision. This really has been an interesting couple of days.

D* spaceway bird is not on "the drawing board " its being readied for launch
The day Charlie could ever sucker anyone except his sub will be a long time coming ... Rate increase is for the cost to aquire programming uh lets see Dish is raising their prices when ?? oh ya FEB 05
Voom was using MPEG 2 tech for hd/ Standard is going to be MPEG 4... Great deal you e sub paid for !!!

 

[Stargazer]

For 200 million they saw this as a bargain no matter what they was going to use it for. This will cost them less than $20 per subscriber average which comes out to be about $1.50 a month over a year's time per subscriber, in three years about 50 cents a month per subscriber average cost. Pretty cheap if you ask me if they can have some big uses for the satellite and uplink center. The money to be made off of the last price increase alone will have them make up for it over this upcoming year.

 

[seandudley]

Scott,

I am in the finantial business and almost all the analysts involved with Echostar are saying that the top priority in using VOOM's assets will be the availability of HD LOCAL CHANNELS. According to comments in Wall Street, Dish now wants to be the first satellite co to offer HD local channels (ahead of Directv). Most likely they will use the resources to do something cable can now offer and they can't.
Don't expect improve on PQ (less compression), new hd movie channels or anything else that WE want.

Sergio

Yea, this was my guess as to what they would probably be doing with it. I couldn't care less about HD local in local myself, though, since I get perfect OTA reception with my antenna.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

but he has screwed people who bought the 921. He has already made that receiver obsolete, and will not support mpeg4 from it, and the 941 is probably going the same way.

Actually is Charlie is SMART, he will not move to MPEG4 since now he will have room for over 24 HD channels on 61.5.

If I were Charlie I would let DirecTV be the MPEG4 Gunnea pig and wait on MPEG4 until the second generation of MPEG4 decoders hit the street.

Not only would this help Dish Network release a more stable MPEG4 receiver, but it would soothe over many customers who have Dish 6000's 811's 921's and soon 942's worried that their equipment will not become obsolete.

 

[tobwco]

Your right,

I left E* for D* for more promised HD, all I ended up with is a HD Tivo that works better than the 921, but has a super slow guide. No extra HD content.

My contract is up in March, Im looking hard at E* again.

Hmmmm, Yea I only had FOXHD, ABCHD added boy it's a bummer they have not added any new HD content

 

[mdonnelly]

Actually is Charlie is SMART, he will not move to MPEG4 since now he will have room for over 24 HD channels on 61.5.

If I were Charlie I would let DirecTV be the MPEG4 Gunnea pig and wait on MPEG4 until the second generation of MPEG4 decoders hit the street.

Not only would this help Dish Network release a more stable MPEG4 receiver, but it would soothe over many customers who have Dish 6000's 811's 921's and soon 942's worried that their equipment will not become obsolete.

Scott, you took the words out of my mouth. That's exactly what I expect E* to do. Charlie isn't a trailblazer, he's an opportunist. That's not necessarily a bad thing. You remember how they identify a pioneer? He's the one with the arrows sticking out of him. I'm putting my money on Charlie for the long run. Will he ever run D* out of business? No, but he'll keep them on their toes.

 

[Barney]

Scott, you took the words out of my mouth. That's exactly what I expect E* to do. Charlie isn't a trailblazer, he's an opportunist. That's not necessarily a bad thing. You remember how they identify a pioneer? He's the one with the arrows sticking out of him. I'm putting my money on Charlie for the long run. Will he ever run D* out of business? No, but he'll keep them on their toes.

I'm also sure D* will keep E* on its toes as well. Competition is good.

 

[JoeSp]

Mpeg 4 is going to be used for future HD viewing and we will see it this fall. The main reason is LIL HDs. You have to either increase your bandwith considerably (more sats) or you must improve your bandwith compression.

E* will probably use this sat to do HD LILs before D*. He could easily cover the top 6 or 8 markets excluding the west coast. He could then use 148 to cover the top 4 or 5 markets on the west coast. And he could do this shortly after FCC approval.

As for making current boxes obsolete, MPEG4 is a much better compression than MPEG2. Less loss and much better PQ and Sound. Those 811's, 941's and 942's will not go to the dump, they can still be used for SD. Newer product perhaps with less bugs and better interfaces will be available and those of us with the above products will get some kind of deal to lease or purchase them.

 

[ocnier]

Hmmmm, Yea I only had FOXHD, ABCHD added boy it's a bummer they have not added any new HD content

Too also add to the insult in agreement:
Hmmm, let's see
E*= CBS HD (now)
D*= CBS HD, FOX HD, NBC HD, oh and ABC HD (now)

So let's do the math now: D*score: 4, E*score: 1. The winner: D* 4 to 1. The point: Right now D* is kickin E*'s ass in network HD. YOU DO THE MATH. I'm not even gonna get in to equipment stability studies (we all know who wins that one, lol).

 

[RBBrittain]

Let's not forget that V*'s STBs already have MPEG4 capability (even though V* only uses MPEG2 now), so surely the Rainbow 1 assets can be configured for MPEG4. I think it'll be used as "one-dish" relocation room now, then HD LIL once that's done.

Also note that over on the V* forum, it's been noted that RDBS still has access to one satellite already in the air (AMC-6) plus five more preparing for launch. Though it'll be tough for V* to continue, it IS possible; V* would have to spend more $$$ reaiming all its dishes, but that's a drop in the bucket compared to D* or E*. V* is NOT dead YET, though its vital signs ARE deteriorating rapidly. (Though personally, I doubt anyone other than Charlie would be willing to buy any other part of V*.)

 

[nuts4scuba]

Too also add to the insult in agreement:
Hmmm, let's see
E*= CBS HD (now)
D*= CBS HD, FOX HD, NBC HD, oh and ABC HD (now)

So let's do the math now: D*score: 4, E*score: 1. The winner: D* 4 to 1. The point: Right now D* is kickin E*'s ass in network HD. YOU DO THE MATH. I'm not even gonna get in to equipment stability studies (we all know who wins that one, lol).

Well, seeing how none of my local stations are O&O and I don't qualify for Distants I give a score of 0 to 0. Give me ESPN2HD (live not agreement), STARZHD, TMCHD, CINIMAXHD, and some of the other HD channels(INhd for example) then your talking HD content.

 

[DWS44]

Makes sense. Just like delievering SD locals to middle America was a priority, so should delivering HD locals. You and I both know I can get my HD locals OTA with an antenna. But do you think my wife wants to get up and turn the rotor when Survivor ends and Apprentice begins? Nope.

This post kinda highlights a curiosity of mine. I certainly feel for those folks who can't get thier locals via OTA, or that have locals not broadcasting HD yet. BUT...for those of us that do have OTA setups and lucky enough to get their local HD, how many would actually dump their OTA setups for what would likely be highly-compressed HD LIL's via satellite?

 

[goaliebob99]

Those 811's, 941's and 942's will not go to the dump, they can still be used for SD.

who ever bought these recivers shurly had SD ON THERE MIND..... NOT!!!!! I know I did not pay 549 for a damm dvr.. I bought it because of its HD DVR Capabilities. not is SD capabilities.. if i waned that I would have gone with a 522

 

[SimpleSimon]

As I've posted elsewhere, the smartest HD move might be to go after the largest DMAs with geographic challenges (eg. the mountain DMAs). This will get AND KEEP HD subscribers.

History generally repeats itself - this whole satellite TV thing started precisely because of a lack of OTA - and no one ever solved that problem - SD, HD, analog, digital, it just doesn't matter, the OTA problem will NEVER be solved.

 

[vurbano]

What about Dolans leases on AMC6, did E* buy them as well. That was a large amount of bandwidth too.