NEW DirecTV HD Packages Coming?

[charper1]

Actually wasn't his statement about no new price increase simply relating to the end of the year 2007? He NEVER said nothing new sometime in the new year. He NEVER said NEVER EVER; and making it seem like that is what he said or what he meant is ridiculous. I mean come on now.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Title changed.

 

[atp1313]

Actually wasn't his statement about no new price increase simply relating to the end of the year 2007? He NEVER said nothing new sometime in the new year. He NEVER said NEVER EVER; and making it seem like that is what he said or what he meant is ridiculous. I mean come on now.

It's been pretty covered that D* does their price changes (read: increases) in or around March each year. So we have all been expecting that to remain the same. Will all this new HD cost me more in the near future? Probably, but I am willing to pay more for better television.

For the same reason that at one time, I had all three sat co's (D,E,&V) running on my system. If I want something that is worth having, damn it, I am going to get it. The WAF takes a hit every now and again, but if I am paying for it out of my personal bank account, and not touching the "house" account, then that is my choice! I'm the Man of the House, dogonit! Hear me roar!

 

[charper1]

Exactly! So I am not sure why all the "but he said never" as far a price increases go. As of 2008 its a whole new year.

 

[raoul5788]

He asked a simple question Rou-ool, you don't hafta be rude do you?

IMHO, his "question" was to troll. I don't think there is ANY doubt about it. He is an E* sub (are you, too?). Why should he care ANYTHING about D*'s prices, policies, programming, etc. if he is an E* sub unless he is trolling?

 

[atp1313]

I try to stay away from the troll-calling, but maybe he is interested in switching over to the dark side. Not everyone over there drinks the Kool-Aid.

 

[Brewer4]

Lets keep it more civil if we can.

 

[Voyager6]

The article had some other glaring errors.

Now, with television technology undergoing a major overhaul, DirecTV is again looking to gain the competitive advantage: Last month, it launched the first of two new satellites into space that will allow it to offer 100 new high-definition channels -- far more than cable can currently provide -- by year's end.

D* will not be adding 100 new HD channels but finally adding HD channels already available (but new to D*) along with the new startup HD channels.

That's not counting the $199 customers pay for the set top box necessary to get that service, since DirecTV sells that equipment to its customers, rather than leasing it for a monthly fee, as cable companies do.

Doesn't D* lease all of it's equipment now?

DirecTV beams its signal from satellites directly to subscribers' homes. With no wires to worry about, it skirts the bandwidth issue.

Bandwidth is definitely an issue for satellite.

"Consumers are going to learn over time that the top HD channels are going to be available on satellite or cable. The fact that Direct at the moment is going to promote that they have the most HD channels, I don't know is relevant, but it's a good marketing scheme," said Stephen R. Effros, a cable industry consultant.

Ahh, some truth finally.

However, it is unlikely that any of the networks whose high-definition feeds DirecTV will carry won't also eventually appear on cable systems.

Or other satellite systems.

The spokesman, Robert Mercer, said current prices for HD service won't change with the new channels, though DirecTV is in the process of finalizing some new high-definition packages.

As Scott noted previously, D* will probably copy the E* policy of putting certain HD channels in the higher price tiers.

Come on D*. Light 'em up so that we can see what you got.

 

[ArtWIS]

IMHO, his "question" was to troll. I don't think there is ANY doubt about it. He is an E* sub (are you, too?). Why should he care ANYTHING about D*'s prices, policies, programming, etc. if he is an E* sub unless he is trolling?

Well if he is a troll he should be worrying about his E* HD acess maybe having a price increase next spring to $25-$30 dollars a month! As I'm a D* sub I could care less about E*'s prices and sure as heck don't post on the E* forum to stir people up.

 

[atp1313]

It would make sense to only offer Showtime HD to those who subscribe to the Showtime package. Same goes for any upper-tier channel that will now (soon) have an HD equivalent. So the higher the package(s) you subscribe to, the more HD you will see. Simple enough...

In a perfect world, what I would love to see is an HD-Only package, maybe minus the Premium Channels (HBO/Showtime,etc). I don't watch a lot of the channels that I do get and probably wouldn't watch them in HD if available. But it would be neat to have an option for HD-Only...

 

[joedekock]

The article had some other glaring errors.


Bandwidth is definitely an issue for satellite.

Bandwidth will no longer be an issue for D*, hence the reason they can add a pile of HD content this year.

Compared to cable, bandwidth for any sat caster is less of an issue. If they need more, they throw a new satellite into space. The cost is the same as AT&T or Comcast has into laying new Fiber. The difference is satellites can reach more people more quickly than it takes for crews of thousands of men to lay fiber optics. This is where cable is getting left in the dust.

I have not heard if E* is launching more satellites or not, but if they do they won't be far behind D*.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Bandwidth will no longer be an issue for D*, hence the reason they can add a pile of HD content this year.

Sure it will be an issue. This year they will fill it up but in a year or two they will need even more space. (And when that happens I expect them to start converting EVERYTHING to MPEG4 including SD channels)

 

[ScoBuck]

I thought that in 2 years - ALL the signals will be conveted, and they won't need SD anymore. If so, that would provide much additional bandwidth - wouldn't it?

 

[JAG72]

Now, with television technology undergoing a major overhaul, DirecTV is again looking to gain the competitive advantage: Last month, it launched the first of two new satellites into space that will allow it to offer 100 new high-definition channels -- far more than cable can currently provide -- by year's end.

D* will not be adding 100 new HD channels but finally adding HD channels already available (but new to D*) along with the new startup HD channels.

Nice word spin. Nobody really thought that there would be 100 new channels that no other provider carried. These channels will be new to D*.

 

[vurbano]

read the article They are repackageing HD Current HD package will not increase but u will have to "upgrade" to get new channels

But I am already upgraded.

 

[raoul5788]

I try to stay away from the troll-calling, but maybe he is interested in switching over to the dark side. Not everyone over there drinks the Kool-Aid.

I try to, too, but some people are asking for it. His previous posts tell me he isn't interested in switching, just in stirring the pot. JMHO, of course.

 

[atp1313]

I try to, too, but some people are asking for it. His previous posts tell me he isn't interested in switching, just in stirring the pot. JMHO, of course.

I hear you and I accept that you have your opinion. Just saying, not everyone who "stirs the pot" is actually stirring the pot. I would hate to walk into a forum asking honest questions and get slammed for trolling. If you have read the OP's other posts and feel that way, then go for it.

 

[atp1313]

I have not heard if E* is launching more satellites or not, but if they do they won't be far behind D*.

E* does have a bird going up either right before or right after D11.

 

[Ramy]

I thought that in 2 years - ALL the signals will be conveted, and they won't need SD anymore. If so, that would provide much additional bandwidth - wouldn't it?

Yeah I figure sometime in the future, maybe not 2 years, that they won't broadcast SD channels at all.

 

[Voyager6]

Yeah I figure sometime in the future, maybe not 2 years, that they won't broadcast SD channels at all.

No, they will still broadcast SD but in mpeg4 not mpeg2. All broadcast channels go digital in 2009 but not all will be HD.