The Future of HD for Dish?

[kirkdj]

I am in area code 70448, just north of New Orleans. I hear that Directv will soon have a 150 HD channels by the 3Q of this year. They just started providing HD local channels for my area. Dish has gone up to $122 total for me a mo.

I am so undecided now as who to go with? Stay or go?
What is the HD future plans for Dish? Do customers stand by while Directv offers so much for less?

Does anyone know?

 

[Hall]

I hear that Directv will soon have a 150 HD channels by the 3Q of this year.

Check back after 3Q.... I'll venture to say DirecTV is lucky to have 1/4 of the channels they say. Adding that many channels that quickly is unheard of !

 

[jappleboy]

If you like sports Directv is the way to go. I left dish because no Mlb extra innings. I did not care for voom channels. You may.At this time home and garden and the National Geographic, Food channels in Hd, are the only good hd channels missing . I bet you will see those three by 3Q.

 

[wtb955]

I hear that Directv will soon have a 150 HD channels by the 3Q of this year.

Don't sweat it. As the previous poster alluded to, DirecTV will be lucky to have half that many. In any event, Echostar must keep up with their competitors if they want to stay in business. Finally, from the prices you quoted, both providers are in the same general price range. I have everything they offer plus an international channel and my LILs (but not any adult channels) for $160.00. That's not bad.

 

[socalpanman]

Perspective and reality are everything. Remember that DirecTV has claimed it would soon have 150 HD channels since 2003, pre Voom DBS days. Currently they are still only at 8 nationals, 2 movie channels and some locals with RSNs. So if really having HD TV versus talking about having HD matters to the bottom line, Dish still has the best value.

 

[garys]

Just a note, all the DirectTv commercials say "capacity for 150 HD channels". Great in theory, but can anyone name the 150 HD channels they would be able to have?

 

[Lucky]

I am also switching to DirecTV for MLB Extra Innings. I am looking forward to DirecTV adding lots of HD by the end of the year. As long as the satellites successfully launch DirecTV should add lots of HD. I am willing to wait for now. DirecTV is also promising to do the entire MLB EI in HD next year, so that is something good, too.

 

[Peter Parker]

Theya re advertising the CAPACITY for those channels. They a re not promising to actually deliver them that quickly.

 

[Sammy033]

D* cant promise much because its not up to them who will actually offer such channels and when.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Just a note, all the DirectTv commercials say "capacity for 150 HD channels". Great in theory, but can anyone name the 150 HD channels they would be able to have?

Of course they did say they WOULD have 100 HD channels by the end of the year at the CES press conference.

Personally I dont think they will and at the end of the year Liberty Media will be taking over and put the blame on the delay on management changes.

If your a sports junkie thought DirecTV is the way to go.

 

[Hall]

DirecTV is changing their wording as they go, aren't they ??

 

[Voyager6]

I hear that Directv will soon have a 150 HD channels by the 3Q of this year. They just started providing HD local channels for my area.

Here is the link to the DirecTv HD webpage: http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/global/contentPage.jsp?assetId=900034&CMP=ILC-Q107-Film-HD
Here is a quote: " Soon, we'll have the capacity to offer 150 HD channels*, that's three times more than cable**" Here is the * & ** " *Number of channels subject to available HD programming.
**Based on Bank of America Equity Research report May 2006."
Doesn't seem to me that DirecTv will HAVE 150 HD channels by 3Q 2007.

 

[mdonnelly]

When (and if) DirecTV has dozens more HD channels than E* does, then switch. You don't owe loyalty to anybody that you have to pay.

 

[AT&TDishman]

To counter D*, E* will announce that "coming soon" all channels will be in HD, including locals (but not Indianapolis) and as a bonus you will receive 1,000 music channels free of charge, but you will need all new leased equipment for a one-time fee of $500. E* will also guarantee rates will not go up more that 100%/yr for the next 5 years.

 

[mdonnelly]

To counter D*, E* will announce that "coming soon" all channels will be in HD, including locals (but not Indianapolis) and as a bonus you will receive 1,000 music channels free of charge, but you will need all new leased equipment for a one-time fee of $500. E* will also guarantee rates will not go up more that 100%/yr for the next 5 years.

Or announce that they have an "agreement in principle" to show 10 zillion HD channels.

 

[Poke]

No one will have 150 Channels of HD! There is not even 150 ""National Channels"' of HD out there. Fact is right now is that Dish is the HD Leader and by the end of the year I think will be same. Directs new commercial their saying they will have the capacity to handle 100 channels of HD but everyone has that. Point is no one can carry a HD Channel until that National Network gets their HD version of their channel up. Once they have their HD version of their channel up then any carrier can get it. Overall just do the math look at how many HD Channels you get with Direct when you subscribe and compare what you get with Dish. Right now you get more HD channels with Dish than Direct so its up to you. All I know is that I have several friends that were long time Direct customers and they all said that they wished they made the switch to Dish sooner. Overall by end of the year I think Dish has a better chance of being closer to this Magic Numbers that Direct like to use.

 

[Indiana627]

Once all these national channels have their HD channels up and running, does E* have the capacity to add them? Or will they have to launch a satellite or 2 like D* has to?

 

[Bountykiller]

Echostar has empty space right now on a few birds. 121, 105, some left on 129 and 61.5. 119 and 110 are totally full but they will also likely be switching in the coming years the SD to mpeg4 as well which will free up tons of space and improve quality if they choose to do so. They also own all the reverse polarity slots up there and are working on building or leasing satts for those spots. when it comes to capacity nobody can test dish. I dont care what lies DirecTV cares to say... they are not even close at all. They have been forced into a compromise position which is clear from having to use KA to do much of the hd etc. If they had done some better planning earlier on they would have not had to do so.

-B

 

[rad]

They have been forced into a compromise position which is clear from having to use KA to do much of the hd etc. If they had done some better planning earlier on they would have not had to do so.

-B

So how much different is this from E* having to lease satellite space and use the FSS slots or purchasing Rainbow 1 to gain transponder space?

 

[Finorik]

So how much different is this from E* having to lease satellite space and use the FSS slots or purchasing Rainbow 1 to gain transponder space?

Good points. Both are only trying their bests to stay ahead of the curve, both are failing IMO.