DirecTV HD Rumor

[CPanther95]

I completely agree. But can D* gain more subs from the HD-LIL's than they would lose from a poor national lineup? D* would almost have to double the number of HD subs in the 40's to offset a 5% loss of total HD subs.

I still can't understand D*'s push for HD-LIL's in the lower markets ahead of nationals. Based on what Longhorn says, If D* has the ability to do the top 25 markets with over 60+% of the households, and probably a higher percentage of affluent ones than in the other 40%, and the ability to dominate HD national channels, why they would go a different direction is beyond me. Again, with the whole marketing thing sort of fuzzy in my mind, (I hated marketing and helped the girls pass finance in exchange for them doing my marketing projects. )

I agree with you, once you have the top 30 or 40 markets, a better national lineup has to have a greater impact.

I think we'll find out that D* agrees also, the question is, do they have national capability with the MPEG4 sats. If it isn't practical, they may as well add additional markets. However, if we see D* add even 1 national MPEG4 channel - and they don't add 10 more national HD channels before adding markets in the 40s...they have their head up their ass.

 

[herdfan]

I think we'll find out that D* agrees also, the question is, do they have national capability with the MPEG4 sats.

That is the 800K sub question.

Along the lines of what Longhorn has posted, my guess would be that while they are able to get CONUS coverage from the Spaceways, it is using more spots than they would like. For example, if D* thought they could get by with using 4 spots for each half of the country, but if it is requiring 8 spots for each side, then that is 8 HD-LIL markets they can't light up. (4 on each side)

The issues would be that maybe using 4 spots that some areas are getting poor coverage which would be unacceptable and understandably so. So it is now a tradeoff between some more local markets and HD LIL's.

In the end, I have to give big kudos to E* for forcing the issue with their new HD channels. They could have dealt a knockdown had they gone with 5 V* channels and 10 truly national channels, but they got a good uppercut in anyway.

 

[DVRaholic]

I directv is indeed going to add some national Hd very soon Hopefully this will also get cablevision NYC moving to add more Hd. Last week after Much frustration about Directv dropping the ball at CES I put my Directv account on a 6 month suspension and had cablevision HD SA-8300 HD-DVR installed. I now get all my local RSN's in HD, but the severely lack HD in other areas. They currently offer... Starz-HD, HBO-HD, Showtime-HD, Universal-HD, All My locals (Except UPN) INHD-1 (NOT 2) and ESPN-HD 1 (NOT 2). They have been rumoring adding more in the last year, but now with the ball rolling with Dish & Directv maybe they will finally start moving as well. If directv does add more National HD this should benefit Everyone (including cable) who wants more HD!!!

 

[herdfan]

I now get all my local RSN's in HD,

Which brings up a very good point. Why is D* not rolling out local RSN's in HD when available? D* was built in part on being the "sports" DBS. I understand that the RSN's will need to be on CONUS eventually, but why not give them to the local areas now?

 

[mcaldero]

Which brings up a very good point. Why is D* not rolling out local RSN's in HD when available? D* was built in part on being the "sports" DBS. I understand that the RSN's will need to be on CONUS eventually, but why not give them to the local areas now?

I couldn't agree more. RSNs in HD should be right up there with the Big Four networks when it comes to offering HD-LIL. To me, they're even more important than the OTA locals, but it looks like we're going to have to wait a long time before D* will add these RSNs in HD. Your point about how D* was built as THE sports DBS is right on. Why they're putting off adding HD RSNs now is beyond me.

 

[charper1]

Its mostly because of contractual agreements; sometimes they are specifically precluded from the retransmission RSN HD feeds. Once again it has to be said that just because a signal is "up there" doesn't mean that just anyone and everyone can flip a switch or have approval to add it.

 

[urnote96]

Something is up at DirecTV, this morning I got a call from one of my inside contacts telling them they will soon be releasing a fax to all dealers telling them as of February 5th all new HD installs require the installation of the new AT9 5 LNB Dish (and it does not matter where the customer is and it also it does not matter if HD locals are available to the customer or not)

My guess is soon they will announce some new national HD however it will only be available via the AT9 Dish.

Scott thats what we were told at our last tech meeting last week. All new installs and upgrades of HD need the AT9 dish including the small markets...I am in market 119 on the dmas, and i have 4 of the new dishes in my truck.....they are the new style with COAX jumpres from the 110/119 lnb to the main lnb.

Cant wait to start installing these....lol...they want most of the new installs to go on poles...kinda hard with 20inches of snow on the ground...

oh well

 

[jpn]

Its mostly because of contractual agreements; sometimes they are specifically precluded from the retransmission RSN HD feeds. Once again it has to be said that just because a signal is "up there" doesn't mean that just anyone and everyone can flip a switch or have approval to add it.

The other issue, is that some of the local RSN's in HD don't carry much HD content; or limit their broadcasting to HD events (and are otherwise dark). Let's face it, ESPN2-HD is not all that interesting when it doesn't have a live HD event, and has a lot of 4x3 programming. 98% of the time it might as well be an SD feed.

 

[mcaldero]

Its mostly because of contractual agreements; sometimes they are specifically precluded from the retransmission RSN HD feeds. Once again it has to be said that just because a signal is "up there" doesn't mean that just anyone and everyone can flip a switch or have approval to add it.

That may be true in a lot of markets. The frustrating thing for me (living in Chicago), is that any time someone has asked Comcast SportsNet Chicago why their HD feed is not available on D*, they have said that it is because D* isn't making it available. Three times I've e-mailed or called, and three times I've gotten the same answer: "D* has the contractual right to carry us in SD & HD, but they have not exercised the right to carry our HD feed." I've seen others post here (or at AVSforum or Tivocommunity) that they've been given the same message from Comcast.

 

[jpn]

That may be true in a lot of markets. The frustrating thing for me (living in Chicago), is that any time someone has asked Comcast SportsNet Chicago why their HD feed is not available on D*, they have said that it is because D* isn't making it available. Three times I've e-mailed or called, and three times I've gotten the same answer: "D* has the contractual right to carry us in SD & HD, but they have not exercised the right to carry our HD feed." I've seen others post here (or at AVSforum or Tivocommunity) that they've been given the same message from Comcast.

Big surprise, Comcast wants D* to look like the villain.

I bet they avoided any specifics... like whether there's a premium attached to the HD feed, and whether D* has contested that premium. And unlike E* (which always screams poverty -- Lifetime anyone?), D* never makes public statements about its negotiations with broadcasters.

More than likely, Comcast is holding its HD content for ransome. They're hoping you'll dump D* for cable just so you'll see your HD sports.

It's the same with the INHD channels... and the reason why D* filed unfair business practice complaints against Comcast... and the reason why D* and E* have hotly contested the Adelphia deal.

 

[Hytops]

Comcast the user, Sporting teams the villans

I read some place that if a Station never broadcast over the air waves they do not have to share ( sell ) the rights to their broad cast. If this is really the law of the land, than Comcast is just marketing their strength. Why congress ever passed such a law
is baffling, but i will bet some poll cat got his pockets lined. I guess the ones we should be addressing are the professional teams in Chicago and NY.

 

[aeneas3]

It will - the H20. Later the H20-250 DVR will be the same - AT9 only. I never did understand why they didn't insist on the AT9 for all H20 installs in the first place.

when i got my install in november i was told the local dealers here in buffalo actually didnt have them. of course it is 4 months later....
i am waiting for my free dish swap out...

 

[LonghornXP]

I read some place that if a Station never broadcast over the air waves they do not have to share ( sell ) the rights to their broad cast. If this is really the law of the land, than Comcast is just marketing their strength. Why congress ever passed such a law
is baffling, but i will bet some poll cat got his pockets lined. I guess the ones we should be addressing are the professional teams in Chicago and NY.

Actually that law is called the terrestrial loophole and it isn't what you said it is. I'm not bashing you by the way just correcting you. This loophole simply states that if a channel is kept off of satellites it can be withheld from any company that must use a satellite to offer it to their customers. This was a big payoff for the cable companies in the early days of DBS. Now I must explain this whole satellite issue just to make sure you all understand it.

Right now their is a big difference between a channel be hosted on a satellite and a channel being offered on a satellite. This terrestrial loophole says it cannot touch a satellite at any point from the company to the customers homes and that is very specific.

Right now nearly all SD and HD channels are hosted on a satellite and all premium channels for example are hosted on a satellite and therefore don't quality under that loophole. Also the two InHD channels are also indeed hosted on a satellite and as such they don't quality for the loophole and as such cannot be withheld from any cable and/or satellite company that wants them. Now the problem that both Voom, Dish Network, DirecTV and even Verizon are having is pricing which I'll explain below.

Right now InDemand is charging the various cable companies a certain price per digital customer and notice the key word digital customer. Now the problem is that Verizon, Dish Network and DirecTV have all their customers as digital customers. So DirecTV is having to pay this fee per customer times almost 15 million customers while TWC and others only have to pay per customer charges for their digital customers only which means that per sub cost can exclude every analog cable customer. This makes it much more expensive for other companies like DirecTV to offer these channels. Now even as Comcast and BHN areas offer an all digital lineup for digital customers this won't change the numbers as those customers have always been digital customers and this change doesn't have any changes for analog only customers.

This is more complex than most think but this is what it comes down too which is unfair pricing tactics. Also if you remembered seeing all those only on cable logos and such that is very clever marketing on their parts as it wasn't false by saying only on cable as it was only on cable. They weren't saying it can't be offered on satellite but only that its only on cable. This can be viewed in two seperate ways.

It can be viewed as its only on cable companies or it can be viewed as it will never be on satellite as its only on cable. Very tricky don't you think.

Now the RSNs that aren't hosted on a satellite such as Comcast SportsNet Philly is a whole different beast. This channel doesn't touch a satellite at any point from Comcast to the customer as its all staying on Comcasts closed cable network. Because of this they can withhold this channel from satellite as DirecTV must put it on a satellite to offer it to their customers and as such that loophole states that it must not be on a satellite at any point from Comcast to the customer.

Now Verizon is another different story as their fiber network has the ability to take in a Comcast Sports Net HD feed locally and they can send it down their own network to their Central Offices and into the homes of customers without it touching a satellite which means that Verizon if they do this is exempt from this loophole and as such Comcast cannot withhold this channel from Verizon like they can with satellite companies. Why do you think these cable companies don't want another provider serving their areas. They know a hard-wired connection can really hurt their business as they can have capacity, speeds, VOD, internet, phone service and they cannot be withheld those RSNs either. This makes Verizon for example able to compete with Comcast in the way that satellite companies can never dream about.

I hope we all see just how important all of this is and just how important Verizon is in what it allows us customers to have that we will never get on satellite.

 

[jim tressler]

It would be nice if all of us could get verizon

 

[scotsmanron]

Heck, I would be happy if our local gov't would let in more than one phone company and one cable company!!!!!

 

[CPanther95]

Same here, worse yet they are both the same company.

 

[lou_do]

Does FOIS offer local RSN's, national RSN sports packages and other sports packages like MLB, NHL, NBA, etc? Being a sports junkie, that is my major concern.

 

[LonghornXP]

Does FOIS offer local RSN's, national RSN sports packages and other sports packages like MLB, NHL, NBA, etc? Being a sports junkie, that is my major concern.

They do offer many of the RSNs but some of the Comcast Sports Net ones such as Philly might take more time but they can get access to them. Also those sports packages aren't currently on FIOS TV but you can read more in this thread below for the details about why and what is being done.

http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=53999

This line will take you to a thread on Satelliteguys. This thread will link to a DSLReports thread which covers all of this and the posts on DSLReports from LonghornXP are from me okay.

 

[Juan]

Actually that law is called the terrestrial loophole and it isn't what you said it is. I'm not bashing you by the way just correcting you. This loophole simply states that if a channel is kept off of satellites it can be withheld from any company that must use a satellite to offer it to their customers. This was a big payoff for the cable companies in the early days of DBS. Now I must explain this whole satellite issue just to make sure you all understand it.

Right now their is a big difference between a channel be hosted on a satellite and a channel being offered on a satellite. This terrestrial loophole says it cannot touch a satellite at any point from the company to the customers homes and that is very specific.

Right now nearly all SD and HD channels are hosted on a satellite and all premium channels for example are hosted on a satellite and therefore don't quality under that loophole. Also the two InHD channels are also indeed hosted on a satellite and as such they don't quality for the loophole and as such cannot be withheld from any cable and/or satellite company that wants them. Now the problem that both Voom, Dish Network, DirecTV and even Verizon are having is pricing which I'll explain below.

Right now InDemand is charging the various cable companies a certain price per digital customer and notice the key word digital customer. Now the problem is that Verizon, Dish Network and DirecTV have all their customers as digital customers. So DirecTV is having to pay this fee per customer times almost 15 million customers while TWC and others only have to pay per customer charges for their digital customers only which means that per sub cost can exclude every analog cable customer. This makes it much more expensive for other companies like DirecTV to offer these channels. Now even as Comcast and BHN areas offer an all digital lineup for digital customers this won't change the numbers as those customers have always been digital customers and this change doesn't have any changes for analog only customers.

This is more complex than most think but this is what it comes down too which is unfair pricing tactics. Also if you remembered seeing all those only on cable logos and such that is very clever marketing on their parts as it wasn't false by saying only on cable as it was only on cable. They weren't saying it can't be offered on satellite but only that its only on cable. This can be viewed in two seperate ways.

It can be viewed as its only on cable companies or it can be viewed as it will never be on satellite as its only on cable. Very tricky don't you think.

Now the RSNs that aren't hosted on a satellite such as Comcast SportsNet Philly is a whole different beast. This channel doesn't touch a satellite at any point from Comcast to the customer as its all staying on Comcasts closed cable network. Because of this they can withhold this channel from satellite as DirecTV must put it on a satellite to offer it to their customers and as such that loophole states that it must not be on a satellite at any point from Comcast to the customer.

Now Verizon is another different story as their fiber network has the ability to take in a Comcast Sports Net HD feed locally and they can send it down their own network to their Central Offices and into the homes of customers without it touching a satellite which means that Verizon if they do this is exempt from this loophole and as such Comcast cannot withhold this channel from Verizon like they can with satellite companies. Why do you think these cable companies don't want another provider serving their areas. They know a hard-wired connection can really hurt their business as they can have capacity, speeds, VOD, internet, phone service and they cannot be withheld those RSNs either. This makes Verizon for example able to compete with Comcast in the way that satellite companies can never dream about.

I hope we all see just how important all of this is and just how important Verizon is in what it allows us customers to have that we will never get on satellite.

also Comcast own the 76'ers and flyers

 

[RIRWIN1983]

The Dish Bashing has allready started here where i live, i've seen 2 billboards within 5 minutes from me advertising local cable company Insight Communications saying: " If you think its ugly now, just wait till it rains" Showing a dish looking alot like the old 1 lnb d* dish on a roof, if i get the time to I'll take a photo for all you to see. I personly flick off that billboard every time i pass by it, its 100% untrue, i had more outages for "maintence" when i had their servce than i have had because of weather with both dish or direct. And just the outher day my neghbor made the swtch to D*, now making 4/5 houses on my lil block having d* and one still holding out with cable because he hardly watches it. i would however mention that my neighbor that just switched his brother is an installer for that same cable company thats now bashing satellite. makes you wonder....