Orby TV Just Installd mine

[Scott Greczkowski]

At this point the service is not aimed at customers like you.

With that said I am told they are in heavy negotiations for many new channels. They are just getting started, so who knows.. in a few years this may be a service which you may want.

 

[comfortably_numb]

in a few years this may be a service which you may want.

Or it might be dead in the water with a boat anchor receiver we can't use for anything else and an undersized dish that can't be used for anything else

Just playing devil's advocate

 

[Corrado]

The service appeals to me because of the simplicity. I don't need or want whole home DVRs or a receiver in every room or some complex networked system. I have a 4K TV simply because that's what is currently available and even SD programming is acceptable to my eyes on it.

I started out with C band in 1988, later 4DTV and when all those services ended, I begrudgingly became a Dish subscriber with a used 311 receiver. Later on, I purchased a like new VIP211K receiver from a regular user here that serviced commercial accounts. I'm liking the ability to pause the service during the times I watch little TV during the nicer weather or when work takes me away from home.

 

[harshness]

So with no receiver leasing option don't know how I'd handle the high upfront equipment cost Orby TV would require coupled with the major loss of available channels compared to DIRECTV Premier.

If you're talking about adding receivers, isn't DIRECTV's lease entry retail price about the same as Orby's outright purchase price? Last I checked, the receivers are $99 and the DVRs are $199 for both providers.

I'd say that DIRECTV is more than getting their pound of flesh by owning the receivers and assessing their monthly fees (or are they charges?) for receivers and DVR service.

If you're look at installation charges, consider that having an OTA system (assuming you can acquire a tuner module for DIRECTV receivers) installed is probably about the same (though Orby made the dubious choice of offering only a single tuner). Orby can't bring you locals without it (and perhaps not even with it) but that's not entirely germane to a hardware cost comparison. Each receiver has its own DTV tuner with Orby that sorta-kinda mitigates the count limitation.

 

[Shook]

If you're talking about adding receivers, isn't DIRECTV's lease entry retail price about the same as Orby's outright purchase price? Last I checked, the receivers are $99 and the DVRs are $199 for both providers.

I'd say that DIRECTV is more than getting their pound of flesh by owning the receivers and assessing their monthly fees (or are they charges?) for receivers and DVR service.

If you're look at installation charges, consider that having an OTA system (assuming you can acquire a tuner module for DIRECTV receivers) installed is probably about the same (though Orby made the dubious choice of offering only a single tuner). Orby can't bring you locals without it (and perhaps not even with it) but that's not entirely germane to a hardware cost comparison. Each receiver has its own DTV tuner with Orby that sorta-kinda mitigates the count limitation.

Each orby receiver is a dual tuner..upon installation I received 41 locals (a couple duplicates) before I even scanned it..guide has both sat and locals...sure sounds like a lot of guys are knocking this service even though it works great!!of course if they come up with a car that runs on water, there will be many complaining they can't find a long enough hose...lol

 

[harshness]

...sure sounds like a lot of guys are knocking this service even though it works great!!

It is a lack of perspective and awareness regarding what their bills look like.

If they looked back to when DIRECTV was the equivalent of today's $40, things were a lot different.

You do have to question the prospects for a service trying years later to appeal to customers with a remarkably similar offering to DIRECTV of 2006.

 

[Radioguy41]

DIRECTV has not adjusted to the modern TV market that wants to downsize and it seems to me this new service is looking to fill that void. Dish's Flex Pack is a similar attempt.

 

[boba]

Does anyone know who actually owns Orby?

 

[comfortably_numb]

Does anyone know who actually owns Orby?

Someone here said it's a couple of former DirecTV executives...

 

[NashGuy]

DIRECTV has not adjusted to the modern TV market that wants to downsize and it seems to me this new service is looking to fill that void. Dish's Flex Pack is a similar attempt.

No, DTV has adjusted, it's just that their offerings for the modern TV market aren't available over satellite; instead, they offer smaller, cheaper channel bundles with DTV Now and, come end of this year, they'll launch an on-demand streaming service from WarnerMedia/HBO to compete against Netflix and Hulu.

I agree that Dish's Flex Pack is a good comparison to Orby TV. I posted the following earlier today on another forum:

Yeah, I'd say Dish's $38 Flex Pack is fairly comparable to Orby's $40 package. Neither include locals or major sports channels. There's a lot of overlap between the two, although Flex Pack contains USA, Hallmark, and FX while Orby has Nick, Investigation Discovery, and Animal Planet. Dish gives you the option to spend extra for lots of different add-on channel packs, including locals, while Orby's upgrade options are much more limited.

With Dish, you have to lease your receiver/DVR ($5 to 10 per TV, I think) and with Orby you have to buy the hardware up front ($100 for a regular receiver or $200 for a DVR, per TV).

With Dish, you typically have to sign up with a 2-year contract (depending on a credit check), during which time your price is usually frozen. But I think you get free or discounted installation. With Orby, there's no contract and no credit check; service is pre-paid (like Netflix), so you can start and stop it any month, although the price could go up at any point too. You pay $150 for the installation, although that includes an OTA antenna which they install alongside the satellite system. (Again, I wonder how many folks who would consider Orby -- mainly rural dwellers, I'd think -- could pick up much OTA TV?)

Main question I'm not sure about is whether Dish offers the Flex Pack to new subscribers or if it's only something that an existing subscriber can switch to, perhaps after their initial contract is fulfilled. Assuming Flex Pack is available for new Dish subscribers, that makes the potential market for Orby that much smaller. Will be interesting to see if they can survive very long.
​

For those who signed up for Orby TV, what about it appealed to you as opposed to Dish's Flex Pack?

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Someone here said it's a couple of former DirecTV executives...

No... Voom executives.


Sent from my iPhone using the SatelliteGuys app!

 

[Radioguy41]

No, DTV has adjusted, it's just that their offerings for the modern TV market aren't available over satellite; instead, they offer smaller, cheaper channel bundles with DTV Now and, come end of this year, they'll launch an on-demand streaming service from WarnerMedia/HBO to compete against Netflix and Hulu.

Launching a different technology isn't really adjusting an existing product. They have, in my opinion, made no effort to make any significant changes to their primary (satellite) product in order to retain customers as Dish has with the Flex Pack.

As for comparing Flex to Orby, the fact that Hallmark (the wife's fav) is not available from Orby is a deal breaker for us as it stands right now. That may change but only time will tell.

 

[boba]

No... Voom executives.


Sent from my iPhone using the SatelliteGuys app!

Are you joking Scott I would have more confidence in former Directv executives. Either ownership would explain how they are so well organized as a start up..

 

[boba]

Or it might be dead in the water with a boat anchor receiver we can't use for anything else and an undersized dish that can't be used for anything else

Just playing devil's advocate

I believe I read that the receiver can be used for OTA without an Orby subscription so it wouldn't be a boat anchor.

 

[HoTat2]

....

As for comparing Flex to Orby, the fact that Hallmark (the wife's fav) is not available from Orby is a deal breaker for us as it stands right now. That may change but only time will tell.

One of problems here too after a brief survey of the family of giving up DIRECTV Premier for Orby's ("very") basic package right now ...

But it's actually compounded by the loss of all three Hallmark channels (including "Hallmark Movies & Mysteries" and "Hallmark Drama" in the Extra Pack we have) which is a total deal-breaker as well for my sister who helps pay on the bill.

Especially loss of her favorite, their annual Christmas marathon around the holidays ...



Sent from my LM-V405 using Tapatalk

 

[harshness]

No... Voom executives.

Someone lost sight of one of the things that made Voom great: all programming was in the latest and greatest format of the day -- high definition.

Maybe we really do make too much of the value of HD...

 

[comfortably_numb]

Someone lost sight of one of the things that made Voom great: all programming was in the latest and greatest format of the day -- high definition.

Maybe we really do make too much of the value of HD...

This product isn't aimed at those who want lots of HD (yet).

 

[harshness]

I believe I read that the receiver can be used for OTA without an Orby subscription so it wouldn't be a boat anchor.

That's something that begs for some authoritative supporting information. Where the guide data for a deactivated receiver comes from should also be considered.

OTA receivers are pretty inexpensive these days and most of them can be converted to DVRs with the addition of a modest USB hard drive.

 

[harshness]

This product isn't aimed at those who want lots of HD (yet).

How do they set themselves apart?

Viewers watch SD on Comcast because they can't figure out where to find the HD version due to an impossibly stupid channel numbering scheme. It isn't because they charge extra for HD because they don't.

 

[comfortably_numb]

How do they set themselves apart?

I've been wondering this myself. The $40/mo price tag is attractive to the budget-seeking consumer, but the hardware cost to entry could be perceived as rather steep. Time will tell if they're able to become profitable.