Will DirecTV really ever be the leader

[timmac]

Hello, I've been waiting for 2 years for this roll out. Seems like it is all about to happen and I always thought that D* would always be the market leader. It just seemed that way with all their advertisement. Now I hear Dish is going to have HD capacity by the end of the year and get this, I'm on vacation in NY and Cablevision is advertising over 100 HD capacity by the end of the year. Who knew! Doesn't look like D* ever had an edge, they're rolling out with everyone else. Just a thought from a 10 year D* guy, never moved.

Peace,

 

[Brewer4]

Heres the great part about trying to become the leader. We all win! I really dont care about who has more as long as its the right combination of support, PQ, cost, DVR, HD, and channel selection. Each trying to leap frog each other is great for the consumer.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

If it were not for DirecTV making promises on all these HD channels then none of the other companies would be working as hard to expand their HD lineups.

That in my book along makes them stand out and a leader, as now everyone is trying to play follow the leader.

Whats funny is that DirecTV is behind on HD rollout, yet because of their actions they have forced everyone else to be better.

Of course now they need to pony up themselves.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

If it were not for DirecTV making promises on all these HD channels then none of the other companies would be working as hard to expand their HD lineups.

That in my book along makes them stand out and a leader, as now everyone is trying to play follow the leader.

Whats funny is that DirecTV is behind on HD rollout, yet because of their actions they have forced everyone else to be better.

Of course now they need to pony up themselves.

I agree. I see things starting to take shape with other provders with their HD.Directv is so far still messing around. I give them to December then I'm done.

 

[ebockelman]

Really? Which other provider has put up 50+ HD channels?

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Fios, Cablevision, AT&T Uverse...

Why do you think they are rushing to get HD up?

 

[Hemi 6.1]

Really? Which other provider has put up 50+ HD channels?

NOT DIRECTV !!

 

[rad]

If it were not for DirecTV making promises on all these HD channels then none of the other companies would be working as hard to expand their HD lineups.

That in my book along makes them stand out and a leader, as now everyone is trying to play follow the leader.

Whats funny is that DirecTV is behind on HD rollout, yet because of their actions they have forced everyone else to be better.

Of course now they need to pony up themselves.

I totally agree with this. The vast majority of the news/press releases that I've seen announcing new HD channels also says that DirecTV will carry it at launch, no mention of other systems. If it wasn't for D* pushing to get these new offerings going we'd probably still be asking when will there be new channels.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

If it wasn't for D* pushing to get these new offerings going we'd probably still be asking when will there be new channels.

I'm still asking that question. All this talk of channels we don't have is getting old. Lets get these channels Directv.

 

[Indiana627]

I agree. I see things starting to take shape with other provders with their HD.Directv is so far still messing around. I give them to December then I'm done.

New satellite is scheduled for launch this weekend. Once it's up and operational (late August/early September), we should start seeing D* HD promises come true.

 

[rad]

I'm still asking that question. All this talk of channels we don't have is getting old. Lets get these channels Directv.

It's the old chicken and the egg problem. Content providers aren't going to spend the $'s to launch a HD channel if nobody's going to commit to carrying it. System operators aren't going to spend the $'s to upgrade their systems to carry non-existant HD channels. D* decided that HD was going to be a major product and decided to build the infrastructure before anyone signed on to provide programming. Now you can't blame D* for putting out press releases saying that once D10 goes up they're going to be carrying such and such channels, they want to keep customers from leaving to go to cable/ telco or E*. Hopefully only 2 1/2 more months and this will all be a moot point and we can sti back and watch the E* and cable folks asking when they'll have such and such channel.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

It's the old chicken and the egg problem. Content providers aren't going to spend the $'s to launch a HD channel if nobody's going to commit to carrying it. System operators aren't going to spend the $'s to upgrade their systems to carry non-existant HD channels. D* decided that HD was going to be a major product and decided to build the infrastructure before anyone signed on to provide programming. Now you can't blame D* for putting out press releases saying that once D10 goes up they're going to be carrying such and such channels, they want to keep customers from leaving to go to cable/ telco or E*. Hopefully only 2 1/2 more months and this will all be a moot point and we can sti back and watch the E* and cable folks asking when they'll have such and such channel.

Believe me !! I'm hoping your right!!

 

[ScoBuck]

Not understainding why this type of question gets asked over and over again.

What makes a HD leader? Is it the most overall channels? Is it PQ? Is it quality of the channel itself?

This can truly be answered in so many ways, and it is - as you can read throughout these forums.

If it is based on most channels, DISH wilns (for now at least)

If it is based on PQ, FiOS wins (problemn is - not avaialable in most places)

If it is based on most sports offered, DirecTV wins (and future promises)

Get the one that fits YOUR needs.

The real question is - what is most important to YOU!

 

[Hemi 6.1]

Most important to me is "Most Channels" Best Picture,and Price.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

I agree. I see things starting to take shape with other provders with their HD.Directv is so far still messing around. I give them to December then I'm done.

Forget December ,When October 1 st gets here and no HD BYE BYE !!

 

[garn9173]

By the end of this week, DirecTV 10 will be in orbit and by early fall, you'll be seeing DirecTV add to it's HD lineup.

 

[ScoBuck]

Forget December ,When October 1 st gets here and no HD BYE BYE !!

The truth is - as long as the sat goes up and deploys without issue, its a done deal.

To each their own. That's what makes all of this so great.

 

[bonscott87]

I agree. I see things starting to take shape with other provders with their HD.Directv is so far still messing around. I give them to December then I'm done.

So are you ignoring the fact of the new sat launch in 4 days?

Seem like DirecTV's plans have been taking shape just fine the past 4 years from their first announcement (which targeted end of 2007 for everything to be complete), launch of the Spaceways, announcements of national channels to be carried an now the launch of D10 in just a few short days.

They are *right on time* with the plan they set forth 3-4 years ago. The only wrench in the works was the Sea Launch delay which now pushes D11 until early next year.

So I'm not sure why the venom toward DirecTV here? I've known for the past 3 years that no new HD (or not much anyway) would be available until these launches. If you didn't have the patience for that you could have left long ago.

Anyway, no matter what your provider, it's all good for us.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

Well guys ,Just wanted to say sorry but I took the plunge and Dish made a deal I couldn't refuse. July 4 I will be a New Dishnetwork customer.Good luck guys I hope you do get all the channels they claim. Directv couldn't beat them with price,or HD.Maybe if I didn't have such trouble with getting them to stop trying to charge me for the NFL package every month, I would still wait. But talk to you guys soon. I'll keep checking in to see how Directv made out.

 

[harshness]

Note: The following is not intended as as indictment of DIRECTV but rather as a recognition of the misinformation that seems to have been fabricated by various DIRECTV apologists and fanboys:

Seem like DirecTV's plans have been taking shape just fine the past 4 years from their first announcement (which targeted end of 2007 for everything to be complete), launch of the Spaceways, announcements of national channels to be carried an now the launch of D10 in just a few short days.

I would like to point out the errors in fact with the above statement.

1. DirecTV's plans were announced less than three years ago.

2. As for the timeliness of the execution of their plans, the have been running months late since the first step. Spaceway F1 was slated to be operational by the middle of 2005 (this means on or before June 30th). Spaceway F1 went live in October 2005. Spaceway F2 launched November 16, 2005 went live in April 19, 2006. DirecTV 10 is currently scheduled to launch five to six months late and DirecTV 11 appears to be up to a year late.

3. The end of 2007 was never mentioned in the original announcement nor any subsequent announcements. The completion of the MPEG4 constellation should have been complete with the successful "early 2007" launches and subsequent handovers of D10 and D11 which would be more along the lines of Q2 2007. More recent announcements have pinned the completion of the plan to June 30, 2008. In neither case is the grand plan expected to come to fruition at the end of 2007.

They are *right on time* with the plan they set forth 3-4 years ago. The only wrench in the works was the Sea Launch delay which now pushes D11 until early next year.

Staying with Sea Launch was a decision that was made. They have/had an option to launch D11 with ILS that they choose/chose not to take. The plan isn't complete until it is fully executed and that won't be for "up to" one more year according to the latest information.

So I'm not sure why the venom toward DirecTV here?

I want to reiterate that this particular post isn't pointed at DIRECTV. This post is pointed at those who offer up their own personal interpretations of reality as historical fact. The problem with this alternate reality is that it gives subscribers, both existing and prospective, a distorted view of what is really happening (or not happening).