DirecTV CEO Sees 'Logic' in a Merger with Dish Network

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I would never want to see them merge. I want both companies to grow and provide excellent service for their customers. The more competitive the TV market is, the better it is for all of us.
 
I agree that the competition is a good thing--BUT I love the holding company idea.

Why not switch everything over to a single broadcast standard? Get all the channels uplinked to a set of sats, and it's up to each company to package the programming how they want. Figure out a standard that can be viewed by both companies receivers, and possibly only require a card swap across the board, a firmware upgrade to add the additional slots and dish upgrades as needed (from what I understand DVB and DSS aren't that different--it's mainly the encryption--DVB but using D*'s NDS encryption would be the logical choice since it's the worldwide standard). Then make sure all hardware going forward can see it--probably centered on 99/101/103/110/118/119 with international and other channels at 61.5 and 129 (you probably wouldn't even need 61.5 and 129 at that point, or the Eastern Arc since D*'s core is right in the middle). Both companies could cut a number of their satellites out reducing costs, increase capacity by reducing a TON of duplicate channels, and could go to one single dish with an LNB that can handle all that.

Something similar to how they did it with USSB--or even moreso like how Motorola controlled all the activations for C-Band. Each company can provide their own equipment and channel packages--but the activation is done out of one clearinghouse.

The real pain would be swapping the dishes over--but it could be done in stages by removing channels one-by-one, least popular first, and moving people over as they see the slate. Keep a core set of channels on 101* and 119* in D* and E* native formats until they get the last holdouts and put a core set of channels in the new format at 101* for people who need a single dish for RV's etc.

THEN if it ever is time to merge, everything is in place.
--Nat
 
I've seen this at least once a year the past 4-5 years. I'll believe it when I see it!
 
IF it ever happened....(and I sure as hell hope not) - they'd better stick with the far superior Dish branded receivers (VIP, Hopper etc....)
 
eurosport said:
IF it ever happened....(and I sure as hell hope not) - they'd better stick with the far superior Dish branded receivers (VIP, Hopper etc....)

Really? I've had dish...went through at least 4 receivers! I honestly would still have them had it not been for that. Since my tenure at direct I've had less problems and the same receivers that I started with
 
eurosport said:
IF it ever happened....(and I sure as hell hope not) - they'd better stick with the far superior Dish branded receivers (VIP, Hopper etc....)

You and others may want the hopper but I and others will want the HR34. The same could be said for the respective whole home dvr setups.
 
Yeah, I bet DirecTV CEO would love to get hold of Dish!

None of you here has any clue on what is happening. The point is Dish will “never” merge with a legacy dinosaur like DirecTV. So, dream on!

Why?

This is because Dish is diversifying its business model towards the more lucrative market of FD-LTE broadband terrestrial mobile communication as we speak -- you know, the Iphones and Ipads where potentially close to 100 million subscribers out there. Dish has already applied for an FCC license to build a terrestrial mobile network with the bank of spectrum it currently holds in the 700 mhz (considered beach-front) and the 2GHz which it has acquired from TerreStar Network.

Dish has also reportedly been buying debt from Carl Icahn off the bankrupted Lightsquared presumably for the purpose of pursuing Lightsuared spectrum assets. Charles Ergen is very much focused on building a Dish Mobile Communication network and he is not interested in a dead-end business like a saturated satellite TV market. Besides, both Verizon and AT&T would never allow that to happen.
 
You and others may want the hopper but I and others will want the HR34. The same could be said for the respective whole home dvr setups.
Yea, I only use Hoppers for one thing, and its not watching TV!:D

I use them when I have to take a Joey!:haha
 
There sure is a lot of "fishing" going on in this thread.:)
 
They sure would have a lot of extra space on those satellites. Perhaps they could use it for broadband and bundle it with their current service? Offer more on demand content?
 
I agree that the competition is a good thing--BUT I love the holding company idea.

Why not switch everything over to a single broadcast standard? Get all the channels uplinked to a set of sats, and it's up to each company to package the programming how they want. Figure out a standard that can be viewed by both companies receivers, and possibly only require a card swap across the board, a firmware upgrade to add the additional slots and dish upgrades as needed (from what I understand DVB and DSS aren't that different--it's mainly the encryption--DVB but using D*'s NDS encryption would be the logical choice since it's the worldwide standard). Then make sure all hardware going forward can see it--probably centered on 99/101/103/110/118/119 with international and other channels at 61.5 and 129 (you probably wouldn't even need 61.5 and 129 at that point, or the Eastern Arc since D*'s core is right in the middle). Both companies could cut a number of their satellites out reducing costs, increase capacity by reducing a TON of duplicate channels, and could go to one single dish with an LNB that can handle all that.

Something similar to how they did it with USSB--or even moreso like how Motorola controlled all the activations for C-Band. Each company can provide their own equipment and channel packages--but the activation is done out of one clearinghouse.

The real pain would be swapping the dishes over--but it could be done in stages by removing channels one-by-one, least popular first, and moving people over as they see the slate. Keep a core set of channels on 101* and 119* in D* and E* native formats until they get the last holdouts and put a core set of channels in the new format at 101* for people who need a single dish for RV's etc.

THEN if it ever is time to merge, everything is in place.
--Nat

WHY STOP THERE

make all sat communications go through a single entity for thier sat space
direct, dish, fta, ect, ect

heck let the govermetn run it, that would certainly lower the price................................
 
I wouldn't be surprised if a merge eventually happens. DirecTV name would likely win out. But it would be a chance to consolidate both programming (with Dish Network the standout for foreign-language programming to DirecTV for sports). But I don't think it make subscriptions economically better for consumers; then again, that's not so much the provider but the platform of the system that is the cable-television world.
 
I do not see a merger possible due to governement blocking it unless one were to be in jeopardy of bankruptsy or losing lots of subs.
 
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