Somebody PLEASE start a new Satellite Company!!!

[bookwalk]

Last year at this time, I was with VOOM and, unfortunately, due to a lot of circumstances (that could have been prevented), we had MORE HD than anyone, good SD and decent CSR. We learned that we don't have to put up with this unbelievable customer absue inflicted by either D* or E*.

I don't think the Dolans can come and save this sorry scenario, but why isn't there room for a 3rd Satellite Company--they could easily pull subs from Dish based on this type of treatment.

 

[kluken]

Last year at this time, I was with VOOM and, unfortunately, due to a lot of circumstances (that could have been prevented), we had MORE HD than anyone, good SD and decent CSR. We learned that we don't have to put up with this unbelievable customer absue inflicted by either D* or E*.
I don't think the Dolans can come and save this sorry scenario, but why isn't there room for a 3rd Satellite Company--they could easily pull subs from Dish based on this type of treatment.

AMEN! I agree! D* lack of Hd content and E* constantly lying and false promises and now the HD shaft! I wish there was a third better alternative, Comcast in my area is still trying to figure out how to spell HD

 

[boba]

Last year at this time, I was with VOOM and, unfortunately, due to a lot of circumstances (that could have been prevented), we had MORE HD than anyone, good SD and decent CSR. We learned that we don't have to put up with this unbelievable customer absue inflicted by either D* or E*.
I don't think the Dolans can come and save this sorry scenario, but why isn't there room for a 3rd Satellite Company--they could easily pull subs from Dish based on this type of treatment.

How many Billion dollars do you have or could you get by selling stock. The Dolans lost millions on VOOM and never got to a 100,000 customers. DISH has 12,000,000 and Directv is over 14,000,000 subscribers.

 

[NightRyder]

This is a dead issue. No investor in their right mind would go near this. Eventually more competition will arrive, but it won't be from a third satellite provider. IMO.


NightRyder

 

[Stargazer]

When ANY provider gets large enough the same or similar things would happen again as they are with Dish Network, DirecTv, and cable. With IPTV on the horizon that is the wave of the future. This will be wireless to the home eventually and everywhere you go as wireless internet will become ever so popular. They will work hand in hand. Everything from phone, internet, and television (IPTV/VOD) will be done through the high speed wireless internet eventually and may already have started in some areas.

 

[navychop]

A third one- like Sky Angel?

To keep some folks happy, they'd have to give away equipment and programming for free, and live off good will.

But yes, Fios and similar, maybe local microwave or things we haven't heard of yet, may produce better alternatives. I'm in Fairfax County, VA, which is being "massively" installed now, and my projected availability is 3-7 years. Alternatives will be slow in coming.

I personally doubt that IPTV will be able to scale up with today's infrastructure and IPv4. All appliances, computers, cars, even homes eventually wear out and need replacing, sometimes just due to technological advances. Can't complain too much there. Gone back to Dell to complain that your PC from 2 years ago doesn't handle an internet video feed very well? The ones I feel for are those that bought in the last few months. Surely E* will be more generous with people that bought in the last year or 2.

 

[Krapola]

Keep your eye on Verizon....just a litte thought...

 

[dragon002]

How many Billion dollars do you have or could you get by selling stock. The Dolans lost millions on VOOM and never got to a 100,000 customers. DISH has 12,000,000 and Directv is over 14,000,000 subscribers.

directv is well over FIFTEEN million subs

 

[charper1]

Keep your eye on Verizon....just a litte thought...

although these services are very good, they will never come close to national availability. they will be great local/regional competition when and where they pop up.

 

[wallypa]

How many Billion dollars do you have or could you get by selling stock. The Dolans lost millions on VOOM and never got to a 100,000 customers. DISH has 12,000,000 and Directv is over 14,000,000 subscribers.

Hello, ex-voomer here. So, what is wrong with this picture? e* has 12m and D* has 15m subs? This equates to mega $$$, right? So why can't they provide decent HD programming like voom did? What gives? I smell collusion here, can't you? I think they are waiting for their subs to revolt, before they really improve their HD programming.

 

[charper1]

oh no, conspiracy theories are back.

 

[BobMurdoch]

After Voom lost a few Billion, don't look for anyone to jump into the market... especially with Verizon coming with Fios that may kill the entire industry with a massive bandwidth advantage.

 

[wallypa]

oh no, conspiracy theories are back.

Ya, I know. Just upset that given their revenue stream, and I am sure they are making tons money, there are no dramatic improvements for years in terms of HD programming, especially D*. With regards to voom, when they folded late winter of last year, they only had roughtly 100,000 subs, right? Imagine if they hit at least 1 mil subs, do you think they would have folded?

 

[charper1]

VOOM: Yes, I think even at 1mil subs they still would have folded. Remember companies are legally allowed to earn money, and earning money leads to the improvements we see coming. Some people can't see that it takes TIME, but yes, in the mean time they are allow to gripe, complain and move to another service if they wish.

Also, for the 1000th time although FiOS is a GREAT product it will NEVER be nationally available, it is VERY area specific, thus will NEVER become a cable or DBS killer. It WILL be a nice cable competitor in the markets where is does pop up, AND feel very lucky and privileged if you do have it.

Considering the very thin list of decent HD offerings available to add right now, 3 or 4 decent national additions would be plenty, the Voom pack being counted as just 1.

Also discount those from this list that we already have, AND the ones that are protected fiber loop channels offered only to specific cable companies that DBS can't get, AND now you have very little of quality to choose from.

Current List of US HDTV Offerings
Cinemax HD
Comcast SportsNet
Discovery HD Theater
ESPN HD
ESPN2 HD
Food Network HD
Fox HD
HGTV HD
HBO HDTV
HDNet
HDNet Movies
INHD1/INHD2
The Movie Channel HD
MSG Network
National Geographic Channel HD
NBA HD
NFL HD
OLN HD
Showtime HDTV
Starz HD
TNT-HD
Universal HD
Voom HD package
WealthTV HD

 

[socalpanman]

Is
Wealth HD still out there and besides Canada is anyone getting WGN HD?

 

[charper1]

TY, adding WealthTV to the list even with their weak content, but not sure if it is a cable only deal or even still on because they don't make much news. I didn't add WGN because I think it is a local Chicago WB aka super-station; I think they also have separate broadcast vs satellite schedule. If corrected I will add it. I also left off RSNs because of the same reason.

 

[Stargazer]

SkyAngel is already offering a small family package but I do not think they would want to offer some of the other channels offered by Dish, Direct, and cable. If different content was offered from Dish Network than what SkyAngel offers in their family package then you could order both packages for $35 without locals, $40 with locals and have all the content on the same receivers.

This would be great news in a sense though as they would have no problem denying the content from some providers and it would keep their prices down. All SkyAngel has to do is make more deals with other channel providers and offer the channels because they have everything in place. The bad news is the satellite is failing from what I read in another thread and Dish Network's deal with them ends when the satellite is dead.

 

[NightRyder]

Ya, I know. Just upset that given their revenue stream, and I am sure they are making tons money, there are no dramatic improvements for years in terms of HD programming, especially D*. With regards to voom, when they folded late winter of last year, they only had roughtly 100,000 subs, right? Imagine if they hit at least 1 mil subs, do you think they would have folded?

E* has been generally profitable over the last couple of years, D* had its first quarter of profitability last year. The DBS business is an extremely expensive proposition. Voom DBS was never viable from a business perspective, nor would it have become so in any reasonable amount of time, that's why it's gone. IMHO.


NightRyder

 

[navychop]

I think Fios IS a cable killer. Wherever it goes, it will be a much more attractive and comprehensive service than cable. And maintenance costs will likely be less (very little "balancing the system" needed with fiber, and less degradation). No, when Fios moves in, it's likely only a matter of time before the coax company there goes away.

And by skimming the cream of the customer crop, they can hurt satellite.
But, not to worry. Expansion will be very very slow. Let's revisit this topic in ten years.

 

[Stargazer]

VoOm can probably make a nice profit just by offering the channels as they do now. If they would offer enough channels they could probably make just as much if not more than what their satellite service could make without the risk.

I think everything will be wireless eventually anyways. It will be the cheapest way to offer everyone service and the cheapest way to ugprade consumers by doing it only at the headend. Whatever happened to the statellite hot air baloon that was going to provide services? What about all of those frequencies that were auctioned off that was going to use the DBS satellites?