Sci-Fi HD...when can we watch?
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I just can't figure out what his thinking is ... throw us something.
Can't figure out what is so hard about turning on a channel or two in HD every month. They have the space and the churn is getting worse. What is the problem?
Can't figure out what is so hard about turning on a channel or two in HD every month. They have the space and the churn is getting worse. What is the problem?
Carriage contract negotiation.
What if Dish just wants to carry SciFiHD ONLY? NBC is not going to go for that and they will suggest a whole package of channels at a certain price. Now, Dish has to come back and say no OR yes but to only these channels and so the game is played until an agreement can be made. Some of these studios don't want to change their package and their price.
The locals are another story altogether. The stations want their subchannels carried and other stations IF they even care about rebroadcast on Dish Network. Some of these stations are anti-Echostar and could care less about negotiation.
It is not as simple as throwing a switch. The amount of legal work, engineering, agreements, and paperwork could fill boxes.
Maybe D* is willing to go in the hole in order to try to "win" the HD leader war. Sony did the same thing to "win" the HD disc war. They poured billions into special studio agreements.
There are many things that go into a business strategy and process.
I was actually just looking at the Comcast website, to see if maybe they had a cheap HD only package - single set, no DVR, to get me Sci-Fi HD for a few months (supplementing, not replacing Dish). But no Sci-Fi HD in my town on Comcast. All the surrounding towns have it though.
When I looked at the local line up, it looks like the SD feed is still analog!
I originally switched to Dish from cable (adelphia at the time, now comcast) because they dropped Sci-fi from the digital to analog teir, and PQ went to hell. (actually that was just the straw that broke the camel's back)
Guess they haven't changed, other than their name.
I'd consider D*, but I don't want another dish on my roof and more cables run etc for something temporary.
Cable would have been easy as the live feed for my cable modem is already right behind my TV.
I won't switch providers though, I like the 622 and got tons of stuff in USB storage etc.
So it looks like I'm waiting it out.
I don't expect E* to have Sci-Fi HD until way later this year, probably after the series is done.
I'm guessing it will be on UNI HD soon after the Sci-fi airings, and that it will be on UniHD before E* turns on SciFi HD.
E* has said nothing to lead me to believe it will be available before LATE this year. They seem to be doing locals now, nationals later
It would be a nice exercise, but why waste your time trying to figure it out?
Competition is a wonderful thing: if there is another provider that gives you what you want for about the same price it would seem to be a no brainer to give them your business (assuming there aren't external factors keeping you tethered to E*).
Charlie will find out soon enough whether or not his stance on national HD is good for Dish's bottom line, but in the meantime you'll have what you want.
He already knows. HE said so. Last quarter was bad for Dish and Good for Directv. Why? Charlie blamed lack of National HD.
Paraphrasing and simplifying, of course.
Paraphrasing and simplifying, of course.
I already have what I want ... problem is other do not. It has been months since Sc-Fi and USA were uplinked. The contracts only excuse works for so long. I think he is just saving for a big marketing gala to try to counter Direct TV. I am not switching because I love my 622 ... but Dish keeps losing customers to churn because of waiting til the last minute.
I didn't read the whole thing but I thought Charlie attributed Dish's bottom-line woes mainly to the lack of LIL HDs.
If he really thought more national HD could help it would behoove him to make sure he's got at least one or two contracts in place (if D* can do it, he can, as well, assuming he's got capacity down the road). But Charlie's just stubborn enough to stick to his old ways even as his subscriber numbers shrink.
Believe me, I wasn't admonishing you, sorry if it came off that way.
It's just that Charlie has no reason to change if people who don't like what they're getting continue to make excuses instead of switching (again, if they can, of course). It's sort of like, well, we're enablers.
ALTERNATE THEORY ON ECHOSTAR HD POLICY
(For those who simply refuse to believe it's more than flipping a switch)
The continued lack of new National and LiL HD channels causes stock value to drop. Charlie buys back huge blocks of stock at the depressed valuation level.
A sudden massive launch of National and LiL HD channels drives stock valuation up 500%.
Charlie sells stock purchased earlier, pays off MLB and Tivo, launches new satellite and regains HD Leader status without spending any of his money.
(For those who simply refuse to believe it's more than flipping a switch)
The continued lack of new National and LiL HD channels causes stock value to drop. Charlie buys back huge blocks of stock at the depressed valuation level.
A sudden massive launch of National and LiL HD channels drives stock valuation up 500%.
Charlie sells stock purchased earlier, pays off MLB and Tivo, launches new satellite and regains HD Leader status without spending any of his money.
I upgraded my direct receivers back in early November for Razor... glad I did... Of course I still have dish also...
You are right, over the last two years Charlie dropped from 23rd to 27th on the richest people in America because he only added 3 billion to his networth, no telling where he would be if he had access to you as a personal business advisor. Just to be accurate, his subscriber numbers didn't shrink, the "growth" in subscribers shrank.
Something about this seems too easy. Hold on, maybe I should buy some of their stock while its down right now.
You are right, over the last two years Charlie dropped from 23rd to 27th on the richest people in America because he only added 3 billion to his networth, no telling where he would be if he had access to you as a personal business advisor. Just to be accurate, his subscriber numbers didn't shrink, the "growth" in subscribers shrank.
You may need to measure your own happiness and or worth by the accomplishments of others, I only care if Charlie is selling a product I want to buy.
And, to be absolutely accurate, you are being more precise than I was, not more accurate. I never said I was referring to an absolute number and not deviations from a trend.
No the law is against buying your own stock at low prices then causing something int he business to make the stock rise, like adding lots of HD channels and lowering prices.
Don't know if this is the same as insider trading, but it's close.
If you think about it a bit this kind of thing would be the quintessential insider trade.
