Is AT&T gutting DIRECTV?

[comp9]

Logo's are a RAM hog it seems. My DVR's seem faster and more responsive since the logo's disappeared...

There has also been about 20 firmware versions since then to speed things up and it has been over a year There is nothing to say logos now would not cause any ram issues not cause any responsive issues

to add also the Original TiVo mini has about the same hardware specs as the genie client. It has no speed issues with logos

 

[Inclined Orbit]

You don't seem to know facts or have not experienced what you are stating, so I see no point in responding any further.

Cds cut the frequencies off you cant hear...part of the analog to digital conversion process...cd's are much clearer with a lot less noise but a true audiofile who spent their life listening to reel to reel and old fashioned can sense it

Sent from my SM-G950U using the SatelliteGuys app!

 

[Claude Greiner]

Only people over 60

Sent from my SM-G950U using the SatelliteGuys app!

I’m 40. I feel this way. I don’t need all the aps

 

[Claude Greiner]

What extra fees?

It’s about $22, by the time you add the broadcast Tv fee, regional sports, taxes and franchise fees.

This is true for Comcast and spectrum

 

[Juan]

There is only so much memory available on a cd...so music has to be compressed... look at it yhis way...if you have a satellite where one encoder can give you 5 HD channels per transponder while another type can give you 10...but type number 2 has less resoloution than type 1 thus less quality...most companies will go with option 2

You don't seem to know facts or have not experienced what you are stating, so I see no point in responding any further.

Sent from my SM-G950U using the SatelliteGuys app!

 

[CycloneSat]

Why should DIRECTV add apps? That’ll only make their customers more likely to realize they can save a lot of money and ditch the service.

 

[Bruce]

Why should DIRECTV add apps? That’ll only make their customers more likely to realize they can save a lot of money and ditch the service.

When Comcast, Dish, etc added the Netflix app it did seem like the cord cutting accelerated after that.


Sent from my iPad using SatelliteGuys

 

[Inclined Orbit]

I wasn't going to respond, but I will say I've spent countless hours in recording studios where music has been recorded and mastered for vinyl and CD. I know the whole process, I've watched and heard the lathe cut the lacquer master, I've A/B compared vinyl and CD from the same recording, etc. I've played the raw master lacquer masters on my home turntable. I'm more tuned in to the recording business than you could possibly imagine so you don't need to "fill me in" on the subject. I've also set up a playback room with my personal stereo equipment for DirecTV to A/B different audio compression settings on the uplink transport, which resulted in the best compromise for sound and data rates.

There is only so much memory available on a cd...so music has to be compressed... look at it yhis way...if you have a satellite where one encoder can give you 5 HD channels per transponder while another type can give you 10...but type number 2 has less resoloution than type 1 thus less quality...most companies will go with option 2

Sent from my SM-G950U using the SatelliteGuys app!

 

[NashGuy]

Most people use a streaming box or smart TV for apps, not their cable/satellite box. Anyway, that's a software issue - they don't need new hardware to change the software. The "Genie UI looks tired" is the stupidest criticism ever. Some people think you need to keep changing a UI to make it "fresh" I guess. Everyone whined about how Directv's HD GUI was outdated, so they introduced a new UI on the HR44/HR54/HS17 and everyone had to suffer through a year or two of them screwing around trying to make it work while features were changed/removed, and now that it has finally stabilized it is "tired" again so you want to change it and go through all that another time? Do you watch TV for the programming or the UI?

I don't subscribe to cable TV from any provider because I find on-demand streaming services to be better in just about every way for my tastes. That said, I do find UIs to be important and enjoy using some apps more than others due to the UI.

As for "most people" using a different device from apps vs. cable TV, I bet that's not true if their cable box actually offers apps, like Comcast's X1. The average cable TV consumer, I'm sure, would much prefer not having to switch inputs and remote controls to watch Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video, etc. And as a growing percentage of viewing shifts to OTT streaming -- particularly in the era of Disney+, Apple TV+, HBO Max, Peacock, etc. -- cable TV operators that want to stay in the game will need to offer their customers an aggregated platform for accessing all the content they want. As the video landscape fractures, the "value-add" that successful MVPDs will bring to the table for consumers is the ability to integrate it all in a way that's easy to understand and use. The DirecTV Genie is a world away from that.

 

[slice1900]

There is only so much memory available on a cd...so music has to be compressed... look at it yhis way...if you have a satellite where one encoder can give you 5 HD channels per transponder while another type can give you 10...but type number 2 has less resoloution than type 1 thus less quality...most companies will go with option 2

Music on CDs is sampled at 44 KHz 16 bit, and stored on the CD without compression.

 

[NashGuy]

When Comcast, Dish, etc added the Netflix app it did seem like the cord cutting accelerated after that.

I think MVPDs realize at this point that there's no stopping the rising tide of streaming services. Consumers want them and are buying them. So they may as well make it easy for their cable TV customers to supplement their own service with the streaming apps they want, and hopefully get a cut of those app's subscription revenues too. If an MVPD forces customers to switch inputs to a Roku/Apple TV/Fire TV to watch Netflix, etc., they just risk the consumer using their own cable box less and less, which is NOT a good thing. If they incorporate streaming services into their own box, they can control the overall UI/UX, gather user data, and encourage consumption of their own TV service.

 

[NashGuy]

A majority of the people don’t care about the aps.

All they care is if their channel comes in and of the guide is fast

I was saying, streaming is killing traditional Tv, and my business.

So people don't care about streaming apps yet somehow streaming is killing traditional TV. Got it.

 

[EarDemon]

It’s about $22, by the time you add the broadcast Tv fee, regional sports, taxes and franchise fees.

This is true for Comcast and spectrum

Partially. As you know, there is no Regional Sports Fee on Charter, and cable is the one thing in NY State that is not taxed. Comcast I believe has one, along with a Broadcast fee, but the total of the two is probably what Charter charges for their Broadcast fee now as Its quite high now. Franchises fees are a percentage of the TV portion of the TV, since I have a fairly expensive TV package, my franchise fee is around $8.

 

[comp9]

Partially. As you know, there is no Regional Sports Fee on Charter, and cable is the one thing in NY State that is not taxed. Comcast I believe has one, along with a Broadcast fee, but the total of the two is probably what Charter charges for their Broadcast fee now as Its quite high now. Franchises fees are a percentage of the TV portion of the TV, since I have a fairly expensive TV package, my franchise fee is around $8.

Most cable companies don’t show a RSN fee separate but it is baked into the overall cost So the fee is there just not itemized

 

[EarDemon]

Most cable companies don’t show a RSN fee separate but it is baked into the overall cost So the fee is there just not itemized

All channel carriage fees are baked into the overall cost. The point is about below the line fees, Charter could just as well raise their TV tiers by $13 and not have a Broadcast surcharge.

Even after Charter's recent price increases, after it's all said and done, they are still over $20 cheaper than DirecTV for equal offerings.

 

[raoul5788]

All channel carriage fees are baked into the overall cost. The point is about below the line fees, Charter could just as well raise their TV tiers by $13 and not have a Broadcast surcharge.

Even after Charter's recent price increases, after it's all said and done, they are still over $20 cheaper than DirecTV for equal offerings.

Equal offerings? I doubt their lineup compares to Directvs for the same price, especially figuring in dvr fees.

 

[EarDemon]

Equal offerings? I doubt their lineup compares to Directvs for the same price, especially figuring in dvr fees.

You can doubt all you want. Attached is a screen shot of my DirecTV bill and the TV portion of my Spectrum bill showing the difference. For the service levels, the only difference between the two services of the Whole House DVR on DirecTV. If DVR Fees are your sticking point, I'll counter that with programming. DirecTV essentially charges $172 (Premier + Extra) what Charter (Gold + Cinemax) charges $123 for.

Charter
TV Gold - $112.49
Cinemax - $9.99 (including it even though I have it free for a year)
Two Receivers - $15.98
DVR Fee - $19.99
Broadcast TV Surcharge - $13.50
FCC Fee - $0.06
Franchise Fee - $8.37
TOTAL = $180.38

DirecTV
Premier - $166.99
Movies Extra Pack - $4.99
Additional Receiver - $7.00
DVR Fee - $10.00
Whole House DVR Fee - $3.00
Regional Sports Surcharge - $8.49
County Tax - $0.95
State Tax - $0.80
TOTAL = $202.22

Difference of $ 21.84 in favor of Charter.

(Intentionally not including Epix since I don't have it on DirecTV, and all providers charge $6 for it, so it would cancel out)

 

[raoul5788]

You can doubt all you want. Attached is a screen shot of my DirecTV bill and the TV portion of my Spectrum bill showing the difference. For the service levels, the only difference between the two services of the Whole House DVR on DirecTV. If DVR Fees are your sticking point, I'll counter that with programming. DirecTV essentially charges $172 (Premier + Extra) what Charter (Gold + Cinemax) charges $123 for.

Charter
TV Gold - $112.49
Cinemax - $9.99 (including it even though I have it free for a year)
Two Receivers - $15.98
DVR Fee - $19.99
Broadcast TV Surcharge - $13.50
FCC Fee - $0.06
Franchise Fee - $8.37
TOTAL = $180.38

DirecTV
Premier - $166.99
Movies Extra Pack - $4.99
Additional Receiver - $7.00
DVR Fee - $10.00
Whole House DVR Fee - $3.00
Regional Sports Surcharge - $8.49
County Tax - $0.95
State Tax - $0.80
TOTAL = $202.22

Difference of $ 21.84 in favor of Charter.

(Intentionally not including Epix since I don't have it on DirecTV, and all providers charge $6 for it, so it would cancel out)

That's $19.99 for each dvr, yes? And what about content? Are the lineups exactly the same?

 

[EarDemon]

That's $19.99 for each dvr, yes? And what about content? Are the lineups exactly the same?

No it's not. As I said above Charter charges $13 DVR for 1 DVR, or $20 for up to 4. I have two DVRs with each service. A HR44 and HR24 with DirecTV and a 201-T and 210-T with Charter.

TV Gold is all normal digital cable channels plus HBO, Showtime, TMC, Starz, StarzEncore and Plex. Up until this past Spring it also included Cinemax and Epix. About 300 channel total, close to 200 of which are HD. It's the equivalent to DirecTV's Premier. No the line ups aren't exactly the same, why would you expect them to be? They share probably 95% of the same channels, including the premiums. Sure Charter doesn't carry gems like the Scientology Channel, but they have all of the PAC12 Networks

 

[comp9]

That's $19.99 for each dvr, yes? And what about content? Are the lineups exactly the same?

There seems to be a good amount of channels missing from charter that are on Directv. That isn’t counting if the HD lineups are the same