AMC 14 Satellite Launch Failure - What now for Dish?

[darrencp22]

What does Dish do now? Suggestions here!

Brought up previously:

1. Aggresive transition of all HD MPEG2 receivers to MPEG 4
2. Hold off on LIL initiative
3. Plead for allowance of Distant Locals
4. Find a loophole in Voom contract with Rainbow Media.

 

[dgordo]

No ground spare?

 

[skyviewmark]

Buy DirecTV?

 

[db2]

 

[drdroo]

No ground spare?

I don't think so. They seem to improve the design every time they do this so they don't seem to have a ground spare. I'd be impressed if they did have one though.

 

[Tyralak]

Maybe move some locals off of 129 to another bird, then add a couple of channels?

 

[cforrest]

Take all the space on AMC-21:

SES AMERICOM - AMC-21

SES AMERICOM - AMC-21

 

[skyviewmark]

Wouldn't matter if they did have a ground spare.. Coudn't get it launched for a year or two.. All launch facilities are booked solid and already behind schedule.

 

[drdroo]

Wouldn't matter if they did have a ground spare.. Coudn't get it launched for a year or two.. All launch facilities are booked solid and already behind schedule.

ILS is probably going to be down for a few months to retool and find out how to stop this from happening too, so they'll really be behind then. I'm not so sure they'll feel they owe SES Americom anything, so probably SES will be going to the back of the line.

And sure a ground spare matters. 4 years to build AMC-14... Ground spare would still make the matter months/year instead of 4.

 

[AriesGodofWar]

Just amazing that our governement can launch a NSA satellite from Vandenberg today with no problems whatsoever (at least that they will admit to), but Dish cannot get a satellite into orbit. That astounds me. I sure hope Charlie offers me something to stay, because I sure love my 622, but I need some new national HD asap, and I do not care if they have t shut all the MPEG2 receivers down to do it.

 

[darrencp22]

I dunno... seems to me if you screw up a launch on someone's multi-million dollar bird, you should move right to the front of the line.

 

[AriesGodofWar]

Wouldn't matter if they did have a ground spare.. Coudn't get it launched for a year or two.. All launch facilities are booked solid and already behind schedule.

You think at this rate, Dish will have any customers left in a year or 2? They need to do something and fast........

 

[drdroo]

I dunno... seems to me if you screw up a launch on someone's multi-million dollar bird, you should move right to the front of the line.

You'd think so but the other people had commitments and time slots too.

At best I'd say Dish could use one of their other 2 launches this year to launch a ground spare, if there was one. I don't think there is though, and there probably isn't enough time to re-tool one of the two they have going up.

 

[skyviewmark]

No way they could get anything on the launch schedule for a couple of years even if they had it sitting.. They need to look a different direction. Something I have said from the start. Why do they keep installing Mpeg 2 equipment.. Why not just install all mpeg 4 and convert all existing equipment over. Probably cheaper than a new satellite.. And a lot quicker.. A changeout could be done in months if handled correctly.

 

[drdroo]

Just amazing that our governement can launch a NSA satellite from Vandenberg today with no problems whatsoever (at least that they will admit to), but Dish cannot get a satellite into orbit. That astounds me. I sure hope Charlie offers me something to stay, because I sure love my 622, but I need some new national HD asap, and I do not care if they have t shut all the MPEG2 receivers down to do it.

The private guys don't do things as well as the government. But the government has had problems before too.

It used to be only NASA could send your sat up. The private guys generally do a good job, but last year was a sad moment in private launch history for sure.

 

[darrencp22]

I think they'll lose less HD customers by setting a dropdead date HD MPEG2 receivers than through customers jump ship to D* due to lack of HD content. I mean if you really love your HD havent you gone to an MPEG4 Rec?

 

[yapagaldil]

Here's my suggestion for dish, move all the international channels to 118.7, it's good and working sat.

That should give some space to dish to add national HD both on 61.5 and 148, serve east with 61.5 and west with 148, see how easy it is.

 

[skyviewmark]

I though they pretty much had already moved the international to 118.

 

[drdroo]

No way they could get anything on the launch schedule for a couple of years even if they had it sitting.. They need to look a different direction. Something I have said from the start. Why do they keep installing Mpeg 2 equipment.. Why not just install all mpeg 4 and convert all existing equipment over. Probably cheaper than a new satellite.. And a lot quicker.. A changeout could be done in months if handled correctly.

They could use one of their two upcoming slots to launch it if they had one. Odds are the 61.5 is more important.

Converting 12 million subscribers to MPEG4 sounds expensive. I don't know if that number is subscribed receivers, or accounts. I also don't know how many have MPEG4 compatible receivers already. Even if it was 1/4 of them were MPEG4 hardware, we're talking a couple hundred bucks times 9 million.

 

[drdroo]

I think they'll lose less HD customers by setting a dropdead date HD MPEG2 receivers than through customers jump ship to D* due to lack of HD content. I mean if you really love your HD havent you gone to an MPEG4 Rec?

I do agree with that.. I'm surprised they haven't pushed the final MPEG2 HD customers to MPEG4 hardware. How many more could there be really?