Who is going to Win the HD War?

[Sean Mota]

A lot of good stuff this week.

Dish Networks Carries the HD Torch into Battle
One or two years ago, E* announced its SuperDish solution that will carry 50 HD channels! Everyone was impressed about such a claim. A year later, we found out that E* SuperDish solution was a dream to be continued in the future.

Voom takes away the HD Torch from E* and Carries it
VOOM comes along and states 30+ HD channels now and more up to 150 HD channels with MPEG/WM9 and new 13 TPs at 72 degrees.

DirecTv make a huge proposition into the HD WAR We will give you all LIL HD by 2007 and 150 HD national channels. DirecTv won the battle. But still no carrying the HD Torch. Local Cable still carries the HD torch in lots of part of the country and currently VOOM carries the HD torch in the DBS business. How long?


How is E*, V* or Cable going to counteract D* movement towards LIL HD. E* seems to be quiet but I am sure they won't go down without a good fight. How is V* going to counteract? It seems like V* is the huge underdog in this WAR. Will it partnered with someone else? Will it go down?

Exciting times for all HD enthusiasts since D* is offering a one package solution that should pacify all HDTV owners for quite a while. Yet it remains to be seen if by 2007 all will be done and what compression scheme will be used to maitain a respectable level as OTA HD.

 

[HeavyC]

The first company that offers an AFFORDABLE HD DVR solution and a big lineup of HD sports will make inroads the fastest.

 

[Technut]

with all of its growing pains VOOM F@#&in ROCKS !!!

MR.C
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Free San Antonio Internet Hotspot !!

 

[DarrellP]

The first company that offers an AFFORDABLE HD DVR solution and a big lineup of HD sports will make inroads the fastest.

And delivers a full bitrate picture.

 

[Sean Mota]

Good points guys:

1 - Affordable HD DVRs
2 - Carry the most HD channels. (National or Local or both or a combination of both)
3 - Full Bitrate --- this one has to be one of the biggest one. BEST HD PICTURE QUALITY who can deliver this? What good is to have 150 HD channels where compression ruins the HD experience?

 

[Walter L.]

What good is to have 150 HD channels where compression ruins the HD experience?

Not only compression but less than the full 1920 x 1080i HDTV resolution. Look at this thread to see what resolutions D* is currently using.

 

[riffjim4069]

Who is going to Win the HD War?

The Consumer, of course!

I vividly remember erecting my first rooftop antenna in the cold of November just so I just so I could watch HD on my Cable/OTA ready HDTV. I remember every nonsensical conversation I had with Adelphia CSRs, Managers and County Cable Commissioners when I attempted to get HD service via cable (clue: HGTV is not HDTV and Digital Cable is NOT just as good as HD) I remember the two arms and a leg that D* and E* wanted me to pay for their....what?, 3-4 HD channels? And I remember how me and my wife, Miss Malone, danced wildly whenever the networks would actually broadcast something in HD.

WE WIN!!!

 

[slacker9876]

Good points guys:

1 - Affordable HD DVRs
2 - Carry the most HD channels. (National or Local or both or a combination of both)
3 - Full Bitrate --- this one has to be one of the biggest one. BEST HD PICTURE QUALITY who can deliver this? What good is to have 150 HD channels where compression ruins the HD experience?

Agreed. I think these all factor in an an even 33% each based upon the differences in what consumers want and need. I see a Moxi Unit in D*'s future!

 

[Dvlos]

Not for nothing but basing this off D*'s Monster News, a good counter punch would be if E* and V* combined forces and became Voosh (Vish? Doosh?) or if Voom partnered with marketing giant Microsoft.

Think of it, Echostar wouldn't have to wait to 2007 to offer 50 HD channels. It would have Rainbow 1's 39-55 HD channels under MPEG4/WM9 capable systems. Rainbow Media could keep it's Exclusives and add them to Echostar's lineup. They can continue to pioneer HD by offering Rainbow's other channels (WE/IFC/AMC) in HD only on the new company.

And bang... Voom no longer has to worry about subs necessarily, and Echostar wouldn't have to plan anything other than providing HD locals for people in the near future. As an alternative to that, they will be offering more national HD channels in the PRESENT than D* or Cable. They can also scrap away their DVRs and make use of the good work Voom/Motorola/Ucentric are doing into a home solution...

You know the more I think of this the better it becomes in my mind. Vish could offer killer deals on multiple room systems with non-HD STBs for homes and still use the Moto STB (I really hate E*'s menu system, more than Voom's).

 

[HeavyC]

If D* adopted Moxi as a networked DVR solution......let's just say....."They'd have me at hello".

 

[1080iBeVuMin]

...if E* and V* combined forces and became Voosh (Vish? Doosh?) or if Voom partnered with marketing giant Microsoft.

I love it!!

Great thread. It will be fun to watch what happens, and fun to watch Voom in the meantime.

 

[riffjim4069]

Good points guys:

1 - Affordable HD DVRs

In this case, Cable has a huge advantage over Sat. Why? Because the new sets are coming equipped with 8VSB/QAM tuners, firewire and networking capabilities (Mits, RCA) and the new DVRs will be nothing more than an inexpensive firewire/network enabled box with a hard drive. The fact that the new HDTVs are "Digital Cable Ready" will affect the Sat providers bottom line since they will have to provide tuners.

Cable is in a much better position to win the HD War IMO. D* is taking action to prevent this; E* has been asleep at the wheel. E* would be wise to pay a premium to purchase VOOM DSB.

 

[HeavyC]

That's just it. HD DVR's (at least for the Sat company's) will never become widespread when they cost 1000 dollars a piece. The average person can't understand why the box that sits on top of the TV costs the same price or more than the TV it's sitting on.

 

[Dvlos]

However E* and Cable lease boxes, as will probably V* taking the "huh???" out of it.

 

[Sean Mota]

Good points guys (keep it coming):

1 - Affordable HD DVRs

• (a) Networking capabilities
• (b) Firewire

2 - Carry the most HD channels. (National or Local or both or a combination of both)
3 - Full Bitrate --- this one has to be one of the biggest one. BEST HD PICTURE QUALITY who can deliver this? What good is to have 150 HD channels where compression ruins the HD experience?

 

[Dvlos]

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=444673

 

[riffjim4069]

Voish?

Not for nothing but basing this off D*'s Monster News, a good counter punch would be if E* and V* combined forces and became Voosh (Vish? Doosh?) or if Voom partnered with marketing giant Microsoft.

Think of it, Echostar wouldn't have to wait to 2007 to offer 50 HD channels. It would have Rainbow 1's 39-55 HD channels under MPEG4/WM9 capable systems. Rainbow Media could keep it's Exclusives and add them to Echostar's lineup. They can continue to pioneer HD by offering Rainbow's other channels (WE/IFC/AMC) in HD only on the new company.

And bang... Voom no longer has to worry about subs necessarily, and Echostar wouldn't have to plan anything other than providing HD locals for people in the near future. As an alternative to that, they will be offering more national HD channels in the PRESENT than D* or Cable. They can also scrap away their DVRs and make use of the good work Voom/Motorola/Ucentric are doing into a home solution...

You know the more I think of this the better it becomes in my mind. Vish could offer killer deals on multiple room systems with non-HD STBs for homes and still use the Moto STB (I really hate E*'s menu system, more than Voom's).

Perhaps Charlie and Dolan worked this out long ago...maybe that's why Charlie has been so nonchalant and noncommittal toward HD.

 

[DarrellP]

The Consumer, of course!

I vividly remember erecting my first rooftop antenna in the cold of November just so I just so I could watch HD on my Cable/OTA ready HDTV. WE WIN!!!

We win only if they don't compress the Hell out of the HD.
Hey, I remember erecting something as well when I saw my first HD. :shocked

 

[Jaded13]

DTV still the best choice

There is no question that DTV is and will continue to be the leader
Rupert Murdoc and his billions and far reach will not sit by and watch any competition smoke him.
Lets not forget that cable had a head start for 40 years and are only trying to play catch up w DBS . look at their numbers on churn of customers. they are loosing the battle quickly.
and cable digital is still an analog signal that has reformatted to digital[/FONT]

 

[Sean Mota]

There is no question that DTV is and will continue to be the leader
Rupert Murdoc and his billions and far reach will not sit by and watch any competition smoke him.
Lets not forget that cable had a head start for 40 years and are only trying to play catch up w DBS . look at their numbers on churn of customers. they are loosing the battle quickly.
and cable digital is still an analog signal that has reformatted to digital[/FONT]

We are talking about HD programming. DTV = Digital Television; D* = DirecTv. D* is the SD leader but not the HD leader. They may be the HD leader at some point but currently it is not.