What's the next move??

goaliebob99 said:
D* just lauched mp4 in detroit and e* just got voom. Has the HD war's between companies just started?? Whats your thoughts on what you think the two companies moves are?

Don't know where everyone went Bob. You'd think with this news everyone would be jumping on these threads.

I find it interresting that this (what you mentioned) is happening right as congressional committees are set to start voting on digital transition issues.

If the FCC would now issue some "digital white area" rules / clarifications, we'd really have it all happening at once.
 
I don't think we're quite ready for the start of the war yet, another few weeks for things to start moving/shaking. Nobody's "sitting with their finger on the 'on' button" so to speak, so give them a little time to say "ok, let's roll" and start playing ball with each other...

The war, that we've been waiting for months for, is about to begin. Get all the "DBStalk is teh lamr8ds" and "I <3 tax cutz" crap out of your system now, there won't be time for it soon...
 
E* and D* had better do something drastic before FiOS gets into full swing...and don't forget about Cable doing analog to digital simulcasting and offering low-cost HD DVR rentals. Once people see FiOS (product and pricing) Cable and Satellite are going to have serious competition and will experience lower profit margins. Verizon is coming to my town next year and I would be willing to sign a 2 year programming commitment with E* (my currently provider) if they would add more HD programming, allow me to rent two additional 942/962s, and refund my $250 HD DVR Upgrade fee. Why should any of us purchase a HD DVR or pay an upgrade fee when Cable and Verizon will let us rent as many low-cost HD DVRs as we require.

As it stand right now, my programming commitment will expire the first week of May 2006, which pretty much coincides with:

- D* rolling out MPEG-4/HD LIL in my DMA (Washington DC)
- Verizon rolling out FiOS in my area
- Comcast taking ownership of Adelphia in my area.
- E* doing something with MPEG-4 and HD???

Needless to say, the choices will be plentiful...just need to see how the hands unfold in the coming months. Competition is good!!!
 
I think the consumer will benefit in the end. If D* and E* start an HD war with each other and keep the battle with cable going, prices on equipment and programming may not be too high. When Verizon rolls out FIOS into bigger markets or nationwide, they can possibly bring prices down across the board.
 
Its kinda hard to have a war when the prize your fighting for is smaller than the cost to fight the war. HDTV prices are still out of the reach of the average joe and now that the economy is taking a considerable hit from Katrina and already high gas prices you can expect that you wont see us average joe's running out to by an hdtv anytime soon.
 
IMHO, for the long term I think D*'s HD-LIL move will be good. But for the present they need to get more national HD channels available to compete with cable. The folks out there now most likely have the HD locals via OTA and aren't chopping at the bit for those via DBS. And based on what's been said in the past it doesn't look like D* will be adding new national channels for a while still.

It will be interesting to see what E* says they're going to do with 129, if they dump a bunch of national HD channels up there, plus with the current Voom on 61.5 it might be enough for folks to push them to E*.
 
Fio's is not avablile in my area... (SBC is suposidly doing project lightspeed to compete with fios but they seem to be dragging ass with that) I suspect that the winter months are going to be exciting... and keep us on our toes. I think with the economy getting hit as hard as it is.. the perfect time to buy an hdtv will be right after the superbowl and prices on them will drop dramatically. Thats my thoughts. By then D* and E* should have there war plans layed out... I think one thing that e*'s doing now is what were gonna see coming with the Mpg4 and mpg 2 hd mirrors of the west coast locals.. And all the room that they recently made on 110/119 could go for a few extra hd channels with mirrors in mpg 4.. unless these recivers can do both mpg 2 and 4 then I expect all new chanels to me mpg 4 with the mpg 2 chls to be rolled over to mpg 4 eventually...
 
goaliebob99 said:
And all the room that they recently made on 110/119 could go for a few extra hd channels with mirrors in mpg 4.. unless these recivers can do both mpg 2 and 4 then I expect all new chanels to me mpg 4 with the mpg 2 chls to be rolled over to mpg 4 eventually...

You really think Dish or DirecTV for that matter would come out with a MPEG-4 receiver that can't also do MPEG-2????? Think about it.
 
just bought hd tv and looking to upgrade my system. i have dish 522 with no contract. its really getting confusing and hard to pick out whats best for me. i hate to wait any longer but it looks like i am going to. its hard to choose. look like if i wait for the first part of 06 i well have a better handle on mpeg4, who is offering what, and if and when sbc going to do. its going to be a long winter!
 

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