DIRECTV Could Team With EchoStar On HDTV

[MikeD-C05]

I suggested that the two companies do what they are attempting to do now, back last year . I was told no it will never work. But I said all along you could get the benefits of a merger without merging , by doing limited partnerships.

They should partner to do HD and HD/Sd locals and if they were smart they would also work together to do the national channel platform so they can eliminate the redundant replication.

This would give:
1. more bandwith by eliminating duplication.
2. Better picture quality on ALL channels .
3. MORE HD for everyone.

THen if they two companies want to merge down the line it will be a snap , since they are already doing partnerships and are aligned. The only thing is they need the same kind of mpeg4 /mpeg2 platform so you could see either service with the latest receivers. At one time back during the attempted merger , the new receivers then - like the 721 , had a chip inside to do so . They only needed software download to work with either service. So this is not a stretch to think about it.

 

[navychop]

The 721 doesn't even support 8PSK.

 

[Smith P.]

Misconception with the chip pitch.

721, 921, 942, 962 [622] use SAME common chip, ie main engine from Broadcom as HR20-700. All other parts and _software_ is different. Biggest difference is in using encryption, ie smart cards and security chip for DirecTV, not by Dish.
The two HW platforms does not compatible, like new Mac.

Oh, yeah - DirecTV hew HR20 support DVB-S2 when no one STB from Dish have it.

 

[navychop]

To the best of my knowledge, DVB-S2 is not used in this country and is unlikely to ever be.


On edit: Retracted. D* Spaceway 1 & 2 do, in fact use DVB-S2.

 

[Smith P.]

Take your time and research DirecTV Ka 99/103 satellites, then retract your post.

 

[navychop]

I'd like to say my words are yummy, but they are not.

Smith, P. is correct. I was misinformed (wrong). The Spaceway 1 & 2 satellites do use DVB-S2. My post is retracted.

 

[Smith P.]

NP, Nchopper . I'm worried about other ppl here who will read after us.

 

[MikeD-C05]

Misconception with the chip pitch.

721, 921, 942, 962 [622] use SAME common chip, ie main engine from Broadcom as HR20-700. All other parts and _software_ is different. Biggest difference is in using encryption, ie smart cards and security chip for DirecTV, not by Dish.
The two HW platforms does not compatible, like new Mac.

Oh, yeah - DirecTV hew HR20 support DVB-S2 when no one STB from Dish have it.

During the entire merger mania back in 2002 , I clearly remember that they said the all the new DISH receivers had a chip in it that could be used with either DISH or DIRECTV and it only needed to be activated by software down load. THe newest receivers back in 2002 were the 721 and the 500 series of dvrs. I believe they talked about it during the Charlie and Tech chats during that year. I don't know which way they were going to go , whether to Driectv's platform or to make Directvs go to Dishs platform, but I do remember this was sold as a big plus to calm people during the merger , who thought that there receivers would become useless, if the merger went through. THere was also a dish that was going to allow both services to see all the main satellites at 101/110/119.

 

[Stargazer]

Has Dish Network and Directv still continued to put chips in all new receivers which would allow them to receive signals from either service?

 

[Smith P.]

I did fix a few 501+ PVRs, practically know its schematics - no such security chip used as in DTV's STB.

 

[MikeD-C05]

Has Dish Network and Directv still continued to put chips in all new receivers which would allow them to receive signals from either service?

That I do not know. I would think that after the failed merger in 2003 they stopped doing this.

 

[Smith P.]

That was PA, not real deal - if you could provide real schematics, then we could do real discussion.

 

[MikeD-C05]

I don't need to discuss it Smith. I am only saying that at one time it was suggested that the newest receivers were supposed to support the chip so they could work with either sat provider to cut down on cost of the merger and the potential swap out of receivers. IF you would like to go back to the archives during the 2002-2003 merger on this website you might find references to it . I was using this as an example why both sat companies could do a merger without merging if they wanted to , by doing limited partnerships in Hd national channels, Hd locals, sd locals and National sd channels if they wanted to by using the same mpeg 4 standards etc. But as usual someone fixates on a minor point and skews everything else away from the origional point I was making.

 

[Smith P.]

Back to the topic - I'm totally disagree with you about common HW platform.
Not past models, nor newest have the chip. Period.
There is no such sweet deal if merge or sharing will happen.
I could go deep into HW and totally depended on it SW details, you'll be unplease to hear all those dissimilarities.
Forget the argument, please.

 

[Stargazer]

I also remember that discussion and news about those new chips that were in certain receivers in which Dish and Directv would both work with each other's service. It was not really discussed since then until now because of the talks about merging bandwidth together. If a receiver could receive the other's signal then wouldn't that mean that they could receive the other's encryption as well?

 

[Smith P.]

Well, main chip ( integrated device with CPU, MPEG decoder, etc ) by STM or Broadcom or Conexant do support both types of stream (plus DVD) and could decrypt it if appropriate smart card used.
But, whole STB is more then one chip ...

 

[cybertrip]

I wish these companies would stick to a single standard and allow me to use 3rd party hardware that is compatible with both services using one standard encryption and enocding. Kind of like most of the cell phone providers use SIM Cards and I can unlock my cell phone and use it on a different service. Exclusiveness sucks! It may be good for the service provider but on the consumer end it's lame. I wish it could be like the old C-Band days when you could pick and choose what programming you wanted from any provider you wanted it from.

 

[Smith P.]

I told many times - look at Europe and rest of the World. They used Common Interface [CI] slots (PCMCIA type] to accept proprietary smart cards;
receivers works for any provider with appropriate smart card.