Echostar Considers Spin Off

[Mike0616]

Not sure exactly on when. But I know I am hearing AT&T engineers are working to get the HD compression down to the level that would allow it to carry 2HD and 2SD. SD is only about 1.5 Mb per stream as where HD is 6Mb per stream. MPEG4

Until ATT can convince copper to defy the laws of physics, they are so screwed, that is the crux of the problem. Copper to the house is NOT a likely solution which is why FIOS uses fiber, which is capable of carrying a much greater bandwidth.

There are other obstacles, but the laws of physics are the ones that are holding them back more than anything else at this point in time. MPEG-4 is very good at compression and decompression, and its not likely to be replaced soon, as I am thinking what you are implying, at least not by ATT. This is NOT the same ATT of old, the one that had Bell Labs (one of my former employers) full of research scientists to get around problems by inventing new technology (think: transistor, fiber optics, etc.)

 

[broadcasttheworld]

Until ATT can convince copper to defy the laws of physics, they are so screwed, that is the crux of the problem. Copper to the house is NOT a likely solution which is why FIOS uses fiber, which is capable of carrying a much greater bandwidth.

There are other obstacles, but the laws of physics are the ones that are holding them back more than anything else at this point in time. MPEG-4 is very good at compression and decompression, and its not likely to be replaced soon, as I am thinking what you are implying, at least not by ATT. This is NOT the same ATT of old, the one that had Bell Labs (one of my former employers) full of research scientists to get around problems by inventing new technology (think: transistor, fiber optics, etc.)

Could not agree more. However AT&T is not using the copper of old. As a former Bell employee you understand F1 F2. Most of the F1 "older" cable is being passed by fiber optic cable. the only copper in the FTTN platform is the last 3000 feet into the home which is conditioned prior to FTTN turnup. If specs are not met then the F2 is replaced. As I have seen the FTTN turn-up and seen what it can do when properly installed the service is passing the required 30Mb of bandwith needed to provide all services.

remember everything that was invented at bell labs started as a small project to provide new services. waveguide/fiber/copper/ so goes the FTTN platform. And soon it will be replaced by perhaps WIMAX or some form of wireless. Only time will tell.

 

[Mike0616]

I agree, but with what I have read about the latest incarnation, LightYear (IIRC), its not exactly what you or I would call a solid platform that is all that easy to implement either. Bad design is what is being blamed, once again, so it looks like ATT should be looking at hiring some design engineers that can actually design.

Yes, I remember that at the Labs, all projects were kind of thrown at us to cure a problem that was present at ATT or one of the RBOCs, under contract to come up with a design for (think military, industry, et.al.) or just stumbled across while doing some other research.


Anyhow, I would think it would be likely that ATT could cure their missteps in home delivery by buying out E* AND TiVo. Will they do that? Maybe, but then again, have not been all that impressed by the decisions made by them in the recent past.

 

[broadcasttheworld]

I agree, but with what I have read about the latest incarnation, LightYear (IIRC), its not exactly what you or I would call a solid platform that is all that easy to implement either. Bad design is what is being blamed, once again, so it looks like ATT should be looking at hiring some design engineers that can actually design.

Yes, I remember that at the Labs, all projects were kind of thrown at us to cure a problem that was present at ATT or one of the RBOCs, under contract to come up with a design for (think military, industry, et.al.) or just stumbled across while doing some other research.


Anyhow, I would think it would be likely that ATT could cure their missteps in home delivery by buying out E* AND TiVo. Will they do that? Maybe, but then again, have not been all that impressed by the decisions made by them in the recent past.

Design engineers that can actually design? What are those Thats why they have guys like us. We let them design it, let construction build it, then we go make it work. Then come up with a new design. Partly the reason lightspeed did not work well at first. Had to let all the big guys screw up before they came to us on bended knee for help. Don't mess with the process! Most of the technical glitches and design flaws are fixed only small bugs left.

Will AT&T buy dish? I bet we see something before years end. But I will bet it will be even sooner. "GREAT ANOTHER NETWORK INTEGRATION!"

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I don't see it happening for awhile.

 

[broadcasttheworld]

I think AT&T needs to do this soon for programming negotiations, also for the video customers, and to help reach the part of the country they cannot reach with IPTV. Lets face it DSL still isn't everywhere. Even at 7 to 8 thousand installs a month as AT&T are claiming it will take quite a long time to reach every house. Plus if you read the fcc pages you would see that Dish and Direct are not going to meet the fcc deadline for digital off air ready by 09. This would mean millions of customers going dark. With IPTV AT&T already has re transmission agreements and fiber connections to just about every major network affiliate. This would make off air locals for dish a snap. in just this case its a win win. Not to mention all the international assets EchoStar has in uplink and satellite assets.

Do they need EchoStar to survive or even to make good returns on profit? NO do they need them to win the overall war against cable and line loss? YES

They have the best ground base network. Why not add the best in space? AGAIN

 

[Stargazer]

If Dish/Direct locals go dark so will their business. I bet they will lose at least half of their customers if locals go dark. Do you think the FCC would let millions of americans lose their locals?

 

[Mike0616]

I think AT&T needs to do this soon for programming negotiations, also for the video customers, and to help reach the part of the country they cannot reach with IPTV. Lets face it DSL still isn't everywhere. Even at 7 to 8 thousand installs a month as AT&T are claiming it will take quite a long time to reach every house. Plus if you read the fcc pages you would see that Dish and Direct are not going to meet the fcc deadline for digital off air ready by 09. This would mean millions of customers going dark. With IPTV AT&T already has re transmission agreements and fiber connections to just about every major network affiliate. This would make off air locals for dish a snap. in just this case its a win win. Not to mention all the international assets EchoStar has in uplink and satellite assets.

Do they need EchoStar to survive or even to make good returns on profit? NO do they need them to win the overall war against cable and line loss? YES

They have the best ground base network. Why not add the best in space? AGAIN

I live in a major metro area (not on the fringes of one) that is several million and DSL is still a joke here, not a viable product, even though I live less than a half mile from the switching office. BS (aka BellSouth) wanted it that way, they simply had to, otherwise it would not be like this.

Also, BS had a long-term agreement in place with D* as a reseller when they were bought out by SWB (aka ATT) and somehow, I don't see that contract being negated without LOTS OF $$$$ changing hands.

I have to agree with Scott as to when this could happen though. After thinking about it, Chuckie and his lawyers have pissed in the camp fire a few times too many to have any friends at the Federal level. IF ATT decides to go this route, they will see that they will have no ins at the FTC, FCC, the court system, etc. due to ignoring rulings and creative interpretation of the laws. Is the "new ATT" quick enough to figure this out? I have my doubts, but they will look very hard at this, if they are.

D* has aligned themselves with power-grid technology for providing phone and internet and am thinking that E* already a card up their sleeve for another technology. It could well be ATT, but then again, that could have them years from a solution in a fast moving market, so it very well could be something else.

Time will tell on this one, and right now, am not willing to bet either way on this one.

 

[Mike0616]

If Dish/Direct locals go dark so will their business. I bet they will lose at least half of their customers if locals go dark. Do you think the FCC would let millions of americans lose their locals?

This is why I see R* and D* having ATSC tuners in their receivers and adding LILs as quickly as possible.

IF the locals don't make their deadlines, its not the problem of the satellite or cable companies, and some exceptions have been granted, although the FCC claims they are taking a hard line on the date.

Somehow, I don't think the digital conversion is in as bad a shape as the NAB cries that it is. Faced with loss of license, I think that lots of stations will discover that they CAN make the date, after all.

 

[broadcasttheworld]

This is why I see R* and D* having ATSC tuners in their receivers and adding LILs as quickly as possible.

IF the locals don't make their deadlines, its not the problem of the satellite or cable companies, and some exceptions have been granted, although the FCC claims they are taking a hard line on the date.

Somehow, I don't think the digital conversion is in as bad a shape as the NAB cries that it is. Faced with loss of license, I think that lots of stations will discover that they CAN make the date, after all.

I myself live in a similar area and have DSL. However I average about 5.7Mbps and the service never has gone out in the 2 years it has been available. Do I admit that some areas are not great YES. Sorry to hear it though.

As far as E* having friends at the FTC,FCC.... I think ATT has enough for both....

 

[mdwatt]

Plus if you read the fcc pages you would see that Dish and Direct are not going to meet the fcc deadline for digital off air ready by 09. This would mean millions of customers going dark.

Where do you get that? DBS transmisions have always been digital. Both national and local channels. It's the local broadcasters like WSAZ and WTTO that are in the crunch to get upgraded, and a lot are already done.

 

[Jim5506]

Plus if you read the fcc pages you would see that Dish and Direct are not going to meet the fcc deadline for digital off air ready by 09. This would mean millions of customers going dark.

The deadline they will likely not meet is to have enough digital to digital connections in place and working properly to switch all the new digital stations over to map with their uplinks, especially if several hundred stations flash cut at midnight 2/17/2009. It's an almost unsurmountable obstacle.

Both Dish and Direct claim it may take a month to tune and tweak all those stations.

You see and hear all the complaints about the quality of HD locals, well multiply that by 100.

 

[broadcasttheworld]

Where do you get that? DBS transmisions have always been digital. Both national and local channels. It's the local broadcasters like WSAZ and WTTO that are in the crunch to get upgraded, and a lot are already done.

You are correct Dish broadcasts are digital off the bird. However they still receive the signals NTSC off air and convert them to digital for transport. ATSC digital right now is used for HD OTA which dish / E* will have to convert every local off air receiver to ATSC from NTSC... Understand?

Transport and video are 2 different things.

 

[broadcasttheworld]

The deadline they will likely not meet is to have enough digital to digital connections in place and working properly to switch all the new digital stations over to map with their uplinks, especially if several hundred stations flash cut at midnight 2/17/2009. It's an almost unsurmountable obstacle.

Both Dish and Direct claim it may take a month to tune and tweak all those stations.

You see and hear all the complaints about the quality of HD locals, well multiply that by 100.

Yes you are correct this will be quite the task. However most equipment will auto tune to the ATSC OTA. Another option is to use AT&T, Verizon, or Qwest to bring those local signals for you fiber direct from each broadcaster. It would cost a pretty penny but would gaurentee great signals and also ensure signals even after major storm events. This is done today for most of the Direct TV locals.

 

[navychop]

I myself live in a similar area and have DSL. However I average about 5.7Mbps and the service never has gone out in the 2 years it has been available.

5.7? What do you have, fiber? I didn't think DSL went over 3Mbps.

 

[broadcasttheworld]

5.7? What do you have, fiber? I didn't think DSL went over 3Mbps.

I have AT&T DSL service in Ohio. I pay for the 6Meg Elite package. costs 34.99 a month.

 

[kb7oeb]

There are various flavors of DSL but I think ADSL is most common and the max download speed for the technology is 7. I've heard of DSL2 that is much faster but I don't know if its deployed here.