I just saw a comemrcial for Direct and they state specifically they will have 1500 HD channels, not programs, channels! That is a lot. Anyone know something about this? I don't dare ask in the Direct forum or at AVS, lest I be flamed beyond recognition for not having D* to begin with.
DirectTV and 1500 HD channels?
- Thread starter Phaetos
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I personally think the DirecTV ads should be banned.
Its do untrue on a few fronts.
Where they specify that they soon will offer 1500 HD channels, while true there will be customer who will be able to get all 1500 HD channels. In fact when they are all done the adverage DirecTV customer will get about 15 - 20 HD channels.
The second issue I have is the end of the commercial, where after it talks about adding the HD channels it says "Your television is ready... are you?"
I have a feeling a lot of people might now think that their regular TV is ready for HDTV just because DirecTV said their TV is ready.
Its do untrue on a few fronts.
Where they specify that they soon will offer 1500 HD channels, while true there will be customer who will be able to get all 1500 HD channels. In fact when they are all done the adverage DirecTV customer will get about 15 - 20 HD channels.
The second issue I have is the end of the commercial, where after it talks about adding the HD channels it says "Your television is ready... are you?"
I have a feeling a lot of people might now think that their regular TV is ready for HDTV just because DirecTV said their TV is ready.
Before we start the charge with torches in hand, we should realize Voom will probably do the same with regional sports networks, saying they'll add up to "70" HD channels, when a good number being RSNs that no customer (except maybe Chuck himself 
) can actually order all at once.
) can actually order all at once.
I am a D* installer. I only install D*, not E* nor V*. I have V* on my only HD ready set for 2 reasons. #1 I didn't want to pay D* $300+ for a new receiver and off-air antenna. #2 I didn't see the benefit of paying and extra $10 a month for 5 or 6 HDlite channels.
I almost didn't go with V*, and I even cancelled the install order after the first missed installer didn't show, because I couldn't afford to lose the time off from work waiting for someone who wasn't going to show up. But then I injured my ankle in a fall and knowing I was going to be laid up for a while, I put in a new install order. A week or so after it was put in the big sale took place. I heard talk that the V* receiver might or might not be good for OTA's after they went dark, so I got on eBay and picked up a used D* HD receiver just in case (figure I'll hang on to it for picking up OTA's on the other HD set I'm going to get in the next couple of months).
One thing I can say on the good side for D*'s HD, they are a lot less hassle to install than the V* system.
I almost didn't go with V*, and I even cancelled the install order after the first missed installer didn't show, because I couldn't afford to lose the time off from work waiting for someone who wasn't going to show up. But then I injured my ankle in a fall and knowing I was going to be laid up for a while, I put in a new install order. A week or so after it was put in the big sale took place. I heard talk that the V* receiver might or might not be good for OTA's after they went dark, so I got on eBay and picked up a used D* HD receiver just in case (figure I'll hang on to it for picking up OTA's on the other HD set I'm going to get in the next couple of months).
One thing I can say on the good side for D*'s HD, they are a lot less hassle to install than the V* system.
Hey how's the ankle doing? Didn't you just get the cast off last week? If I may ask this. Can you still use the old D receiver for OTA without an access card? Or do you need to get an access card from D even for OTA? I don't plan on doing this but I've always wondered about it.
The ankle is improving. I got the cast off last week and am wearing a brace and taking physical therapy 2 times a week for the next couple of weeks. I figure I'll be back at work in a week or two tops. I know my boss will be happy to hear that. I just wish I had been more mobile than I was then I could have gotten some things done around the house during my time off, but I pretty much spent the time laid up getting fat.
The D* HD receiver I have is the Toshiba DST-3100. It will work as an OTA receiver without an access card (I tested it using the Voom setup). When Voom upgraded my OTA antenna they left me the one they first installed. I figure once the doc say's I'm cleared to climb ladders again, I'll move that it to a different location (so it will get a better signal), put a power supply on it (it's an amp'ed antenna and the installer never tried putting a PS to see if it would boost the signal) and use it with the D* HD receiver for OTA's only.
The D* HD receiver I have is the Toshiba DST-3100. It will work as an OTA receiver without an access card (I tested it using the Voom setup). When Voom upgraded my OTA antenna they left me the one they first installed. I figure once the doc say's I'm cleared to climb ladders again, I'll move that it to a different location (so it will get a better signal), put a power supply on it (it's an amp'ed antenna and the installer never tried putting a PS to see if it would boost the signal) and use it with the D* HD receiver for OTA's only.
ram1220 said:
I have my D* channel guide setup to display only the channels I am interested in watching. Once you weed out all the shopping, religion, cartoons and porn, the guide list is shorter than you'd think.
I have held off setting up the guide for Voom in a similar manner because I was waiting to see if they were going to stick around long enough to make it worth the time to do the setup. Guess I'll do that sometime this week.
I currently get 4 HD locals and one SD only local station. The .2/.3 channels add two more unique feeds plus one SD version of a HD channel and a weather slideshow.Scott Greczkowski said:
One thing to note about D* is that they like "HD Lite". Not that E* isn't going that way, including asking the FCC for permission to downconvert HD to SD for carriage as well as cramming an extra HD on a MPEG2 transponder.
The immediate future of HD via satellite isn't as good as many believe. But that won't stop the marketers from spinning their commercials.
JL
I think you have something there. With the death of the NAB's digital cable must carry fight the cable companies are looking better and with QAM they can fight twice the channels in the same space. If they can convert to mpeg4 you will see everyone going to cable.
I think that one of the big advantages a lot of cable companies have is their broadband/internet offering. For many of us, that TIES us to cable, and then we get the other "luxuries". I can't get DSL, and even if I could, I'm not sure I want to add yet another vendor into my mix here.
And Charter is VERY smart about how they tie the broadband packaging to the TV packaging. "Oh...You have suchnsuch a package, so we can offer you broadband for $29.95/mo" as long as you never change anything
I went through my cable bill, which is currently $115/mo (3mbs internet/HBO/Starz/Max/DVR/HD package) to see what I could chop out now that I can get my HD coverage through VOOM. The answer was, not much. If I drop my movie packages, that saves me a wopping $15/mo...and I'd have to spend quite a bit more than that to upgrade to VaVa. And even then, I'd still be paying $100/mo for digital cable + internet.
So yeah...if they got their act together, they would make it even more difficult for sat providers to compete. The only playing field left for sat services would be niche markets.
Next 5yrs will be very interesting...imo.
Lob
And Charter is VERY smart about how they tie the broadband packaging to the TV packaging. "Oh...You have suchnsuch a package, so we can offer you broadband for $29.95/mo" as long as you never change anything
I went through my cable bill, which is currently $115/mo (3mbs internet/HBO/Starz/Max/DVR/HD package) to see what I could chop out now that I can get my HD coverage through VOOM. The answer was, not much. If I drop my movie packages, that saves me a wopping $15/mo...and I'd have to spend quite a bit more than that to upgrade to VaVa. And even then, I'd still be paying $100/mo for digital cable + internet.
So yeah...if they got their act together, they would make it even more difficult for sat providers to compete. The only playing field left for sat services would be niche markets.
Next 5yrs will be very interesting...imo.
Lob
Hi, Lob,
Comcast does the same thing here in unincorporated King Co. We can't get DSL and they know it. So, they charge us $55.95/mt for broadband. We'd get a "rebate" on that if we signed up for digital cable. However, we've decided it will be a cold day in hell before we'd do that. We can't wait for wide area OTA internet. Then there goes Comcast. At least we have VOOM for our SD and HDTV.
Still enjoying HDTV (after another 38' of music) under mostly clear Seattle skies, Gill
Comcast does the same thing here in unincorporated King Co. We can't get DSL and they know it. So, they charge us $55.95/mt for broadband. We'd get a "rebate" on that if we signed up for digital cable. However, we've decided it will be a cold day in hell before we'd do that. We can't wait for wide area OTA internet. Then there goes Comcast. At least we have VOOM for our SD and HDTV.
Still enjoying HDTV (after another 38' of music) under mostly clear Seattle skies, Gill
