What do you guys think about Direct HD Expansion

[dslate69]

I'm not going to get in a neverending debate other than to correct the term selfish.

Plenty of channels already on there that I don't watch.Plenty that will be added in the future that I won't watch.


I'm all for anybody speaking out about their own personal desires and tastes.

My point is that (IMO) adding more Premium Movie Channels in HD is a terrible business decision for DirecTV.

I think they see that also. Plenty of evidence of that by them reneging on the promised addittional HD premiums from 18-24 months ago.

I just think there are far too many avenues that the bulk of HBO,Showtime Cinemax, Movie Channel,Starz and Encore programming can be watched by other means.


I think DirecTV has made their priorties clear with their actions.

1.Sports
2.Locals
3.National HD
4.Premiums Movie channels.

I was a Premium Movie Sub for 15 years+.
My wife is a "Movie Junkie"

Netflix is a better option for us. Not advocating them for anyone else just saying it works great for her.

My opposition to adding Premium Movie Channels in HD is based on a belief that it would be a waste of DirecTV resources for the piddling return it would yield.

Nothing personal against the "movie buffs" here.

+1 :up
The 'selfish term' thrown at those of us that would rather see HD resources benefit 95% more users was directed in the wrong direction. Like you said nothing personal, but if we can agree that there are limited resources, D* has to do what makes the most sense.

 

[TomCat4680]

focusing on blackout filled sports packages that no one subscribes to makes no sense to me.

 

[TomCat4680]

You editing monster.... I'm telling your cat you forgot about him or her the first time and edited him or her in as an afterthought.

What is your cat's name? Max, as in Cinemax? haha.... Do you call it the Home Litterbox Office?

No her name's Terra. She has 3 websites:

http://www.catchannel.com/blog/viewbio.aspx?apid=70518

http://www.catster.com/cats/498361

http://www.youpet.com/pet/?petid=17591

 

[dslate69]

Actually expanding the Premium VOD offerings may make more sense until SAT resources expand some. Most of the raving on the Premiums was for the original content. It would be nice to have access to the entire run of Dexter with Showtime's VOD. I have been watching Trailer Park Boys off of The 101 VOD that exact way so I don't have to set the DVR.

 

[TomCat4680]

Actually expanding the Premium VOD offerings may make more sense until SAT resources expand some. Most of the raving on the Premiums was for the original content. It would be nice to have access to the entire run of Dexter with Showtime's VOD. I have been watching Trailer Park Boys off of The 101 VOD that exact way so I don't have to set the DVR.

Dexter seasons 1 and 2 are on DVD and Bluray, no need for Showtime to keep them on VOD.

If there's no room left for HD channels, at least give us HBO On Demand and Max On Demand!

 

[skottey]

+1 :up
The 'selfish term' thrown at those of us that would rather see HD resources benefit 95% more users was directed in the wrong direction. Like you said nothing personal, but if we can agree that there are limited resources, D* has to do what makes the most sense.

If you want to simply satisfy the most viewers, keep in mind that less than 50% of subscribers have HDTVs. Why not add every last SD national that DirecTV does not carry. There are a lot of them out there.

So here is the plan....

1- add every available SD cable channel to satisfy the base
2- add every available HD cable channel in the Choice package, to satisfy that smaller group
3- add every available HD cable channel in the Choice extra package, to satisfy that even smaller group
4- add every available HD premium to satisfy that even smaller group
5- add every available HD foreign language package to satisfy that tiny group

Does any of this make sense? Not for me it doesn't.

How about doing this-
1- fulfill a promise and add the HBO/MAX HD channels
2- add the most popular HD nationals
3- add the less popular HD nationals
4- make sure all HD locals are served in every market, including PBS and independents
5- fill in any sports blanks
6- fill in any foreign language blanks

Adding those 9 HD nationals we talked about earlier is a nice gesture, but it will not gain many subscribers and it will not gain any revenue from existing subscribers.

Adding more HBO/MAX HD channels would encourage existing subscribers to add HBO/MAX to their package, which would gain revenue. It would also gain new subscribers.

Again, I have FIOS and DirecTV. My intention when I get my country home was going to be to take the DirecTV to that home and keep FIOS in the city home. This isn't going to happen for a few years most likely, but if DirecTV doesn't add those HBO/MAX channels in HD, and I cannot get cable out in the boonies, I will switch to Dish Network again, because they have more HBO/MAX HD channels. It is make or break, more so than those 9 basic cable nationals.

But really, there is no reason they cannot do both. They could drop a lot of the HD PPV and fulfill the HBO promise and add those 9 basic cable nationals.

It doesn't have to be one or the other.

 

[skottey]

Dexter seasons 1 and 2 are on DVD and Bluray, no need for Showtime to keep them on VOD.

If there's no room left for HD channels, at least give us HBO On Demand and Max On Demand!

Unfortunately, HBO on Demand has no HD. The wife and I hate watching Cathouse in SD because we never think about recording it and get it On Demand.

 

[dslate69]

Dexter seasons 1 and 2 are on DVD and Bluray, no need for Showtime to keep them on VOD.

If there's no room left for HD channels, at least give us HBO On Demand and Max On Demand!

I hope no one is looking... but... I agree with you.
Honestly I am very pleased with D*'s VOD. Now that is relative to coming from E*, where their VOD is a useless joke. It has been a while since I saw TWC's VOD but for my taste and with my fast internet, D* is working great.

 

[Curtis0620]

focusing on blackout filled sports packages that no one subscribes to makes no sense to me.

Adding additional HBO's that show the same thing makes no sense to me.

We don't need 11 HBO/MAX channels that show the same movies.

 

[skottey]

Adding additional HBO's that show the same thing makes no sense to me.

We don't need 11 HBO/MAX channels that show the same movies.

Read my earlier post. This is not 1991 when HBO 1,2,3 showed the same stuff and Showtime 1 and 2 did the same.

The only thing you will find rehashed on the multichannels are premier movies, which they all air over and over again, and some of the new shows. The multichannels show a lot of stuff you will not find on the flagship station.

Take two minutes to look through the Access Magazine if you get it. Look at the movie section. You'll see a ton of movies that air on the multichannels in any given month that are not aired on the flagship station. This is particularly bad with HBO and its second channel HBO 2 (or is it called plus again?). HBO 2 airs a ton of movies that you will not find that month on HBO. When I had my premiums with DirecTV, I would go through the movie guide and highlight movies I wanted to record and watch and then go schedule the recording and cross them off in the magazine. I found it rather annoying the amount of good stuff on HBO2 that I had to record in SD because DirecTV didn't carry the channel in HD. This holds true for the other multichannels too.

It is downright wrong now in 2009, that the premium multichannels air the same stuff over and over and that you can get everything by having HBO HD only.

People need to stop spreading this myth about the multichannels. It is 2009 now!

 

[TomCat4680]

Hey skottey, tell everyone you know to bombard DirecTV with angry emails, letters and calls about the broken promise of 11 HBO / Max HD channels from 2 years ago. Drop pamphlets from a plane, go on CNN, buy an infomercial, start a website, anything it takes to spread the word about this lie. Maybe if they get enough complaints they'll open their eyes to what customers actually want and finally make good on it.

(Turns on "Testify" by Rage Against the Machine)