Anyone know what's up with Orby?

[NYDutch]

Yes, but how many potential subscribers did they never gain due to the lack of Fox News?

Obviously, there's no way to know that. How many did not subscribe because they didn't have sat locals? Because they didn't have the shopping channels? The religious channels? And on and on. I suspect the loss of potential subscribers that wanted FNC was likely not that big a factor...

 

[radio]

I don't think in this extremely divided country you can point to ANY news service or it's absence for causing a (perceived, we don't know yet) problem with a program provider. If any news service has THAT much pull in TV watching, we probably have bigger problems as a nation than Orby's existence or non-existence. I had to change news services on the air at our radio station when CBS' quality of delivery tanked during Covid as they sent their announcers home. I called mutiiple issues to their attention and they let me out of the contract. A week later they sent out apology letters to affiliates for their LACK of quality. We dropped FOX news years ago when their heads got too big... after a two year barter contract when they were brand new, suddenly they wanted BIG BUCKS for us to carry them each month...PLUS barter of their commercials in-newscast. The parallel I'm trying to make to Orby: Has it affected the amount of people tuned in to US? No. Did we receive opinions about changing news services? Yes. But, it has not cost us listeners that we know-of, and peope are usually QUICK to complan and SLOW to compliment. I think any speculation about Orby with regard to lack of a single service at this point only serves to take up internet space without any direct proof that any of us are correct...or are wrong.

 

[pr92]

That's fair. I didn't pose the question looking for a quantitative answer. I can only speak for myself and say I liked what Orby was doing, liked their pricing and business model. I get bulk cable for free so I wouldn't subscribe at my current home but I'm looking to move soon. I probably would have gone with Orby at a new place if they had FNC.

I think it's safe to assume there are others who feel the same way. Would that be the difference maker? Probably not. But FNC was the one channel called out specifically in their FAQ if memory serves. Maybe they listed ESPN as well.

 

[SDA_FL_USA]

I am staying positive hoping Orby tv stays on air. I got unlimited mobile broadband internet but only so many gigs is high speed once I run out of high speed can't stream only brows the web slowly. There is no cable or fiber where I live at this time.Can get rapid systems wifi here but it is over one hundred bucks a month. I had direct before orby but paid close to double for for that service. I'm on a budget like most people with high property taxes I have to save for.

 

[Diesel6.7]

I have loved the orbytv ever since we got it in 2019, bragged about it, bought receivers for people and set up ther systems, I had direct for 11 years before that and I will not go back to that ,or dish. I hope orby stays up if not its antenna only for us.

 

[Diesel6.7]

I am staying positive hoping Orby tv stays on air. I got unlimited mobile broadband internet but only so many gigs is high speed once I run out of high speed can't stream only brows the web slowly. There is no cable or fiber where I live at this time.Can get rapid systems wifi here but it is over one hundred bucks a month. I had direct before orby but paid close to double for for that service. I'm on a budget like most people with high property taxes I have to save for.

 

[N6BY]

Just some speculation on my part:

1) Imagine that you are the CEO of Orby and have run out of funds to meet payroll, but you do have a large enough subscriber base to pay for the Eutelsat bandwidth and the channel providers.
2) So you fire everyone and take down the website because there is no one left to handle activations, new accounts, and tech support
3) You simply keep the satellite broadcasting and collect the revenue from existing subscribers. Kind of like being in 'free coasting mode'.

Or they could be midway through a deal with another company and cannot comment publicly due to ongoing negotiations

Or they could just keep the satellite running for 30 days until everyone's prepaid term is up and then file for bankruptcy.

Again, just some guesses. Only Orby knows what's really happening.

 

[FTA4PA]

Just some speculation on my part:

1) Imagine that you are the CEO of Orby and have run out of funds to meet payroll, but you do have a large enough subscriber base to pay for the Eutelsat bandwidth and the channel providers.
2) So you fire everyone and take down the website because there is no one left to handle activations, new accounts, and tech support
3) You simply keep the satellite broadcasting and collect the revenue from existing subscribers. Kind of like being in 'free coasting mode'.

Or they could be midway through a deal with another company and cannot comment publicly due to ongoing negotiations

Or they could just keep the satellite running for 30 days until everyone's prepaid term is up and then file for bankruptcy.

Again, just some guesses. Only Orby knows what's really happening.

Your last sentence says it all. 'Only Orby knows what's really happening' and they posted a contact email on their website to get in touch with them with any questions about it. To my knowledge, they haven't bothered answering any.

 

[N5XZS]

Would like to see Pluto TV to buy Orby and convert to half FTA and half pay channels!

 

[SDA_FL_USA]

My debit card usually gets billed on the 19th and it comes out of the bank on the 20th. Not billed yet. Not a good sign.

 

[NYDutch]

Would like to see Pluto TV to buy Orby and convert to half FTA and half pay channels!

I doubt that ViaCom/CBS would be interested...

 

[solarvic]

Look at it this way! If Orby is bankrupt and quits collecting funds from your bank account at least we shouldn,t have trouble trying to stop the credit card charges. Guess maybe some of us should start checking our credit card balance and check our old bills history to see what date we were getting charged.

 

[mr_rye89]

They charged me on feb 2nd.......

 

[Magic Static]

I speculate that one of the big players got all offended by Orby's deal and decided there was cause for civil action and the judge has put a gag order on both litigants so nobody is saying anything yet. Maybe?

 

[radio]

This thread is becoming more of a "write the movie of the week" than a "wait and see" which we all as subscribers are currently in. Lawsuit? Only effective if one entity is able to prove "damaged" by another. Competition is not "damage" in my unexpert, un-legal opinion. I'm not versed at all in "legal" but think about it. To sue, you have to have been HURT somehow. Would Orby be disliked by bigger companies for gaining former (other supplier) customers? Sure! Newspaper hates us taking their advertisers to radio, and BIG radio hates it when they can't sell in our town because our rates are better. My point is, unless something is illegal or HARMING another entity, lawsuit is unlikely. For me with regard to Orby, I'm lucky...the family I installed for is ready to just use "Over the Air" (DVR by Channel Master or Tablo) and minimal streaming. Me? I'll have (3) Orby dishes I can unbox and deploy for free to air, but until the signals stop, I'm enjoying the service, and the FTA hobby plus OTA as well. Quite frankly, I bought Orby's service because I liked the concept of their business model, and it was FUN to install...the receiver was a gift, and I had a DTN dish to deploy for the signals. I don't watch enough TV to NEED their service and won't replace it if it goes..but will continue to support if it remains available.

 

[KE4EST]

Very well said Jim!

 

[NYDutch]

I speculate that one of the big players got all offended by Orby's deal and decided there was cause for civil action and the judge has put a gag order on both litigants so nobody is saying anything yet. Maybe?

With the relative handful of subscribers Orby might have pulled away from the big guys compared to their losses to streaming, I doubt the big guys would bother with a lawsuit that would likely fail anyway. Financial trouble is a much more likely scenario...

 

[Tvland1]

With the relative handful of subscribers Orby might have pulled away from the big guys compared to their losses to streaming, I doubt the big guys would bother with a lawsuit that would likely fail anyway. Financial trouble is a much more likely scenario...

Agreed.. It's getting a little out of hand from some of what I've been reading even on fakebook and yotube...Orby simply had a contract with Eutelsat for the satellite and another contract with Globecast for the programming.. They were a small company who unfortunately started up too late in the business.. We've see all of the customer losses to all pay TV providers in recent times due to streaming...
I just checked my credit card and there's been no payment to Orby for this month.. It's auto-pay on the 18th so I'm a day past due date and still have service... Just have to wait and see

 

[Rembo]

lost my service last night still have 10 days left on contract

 

[SDA_FL_USA]

lost my service last night still have 10 days left on contract

Did you get deactivated or no signal issue. No one else has said they got deactivated yet.
Tomorrow will be my due date, waiting to see what happens.