Phillip Swann: DIRECTV Puts HDTV Owners On Pause

[Walter L.]

source

DIRECTV Puts HDTV Owners On Pause
More than 500,000 high-def satellite receivers could be
obsolete in the near future. But DIRECTV says help is
on the way. By Phillip Swann

Washington, D.C. (January 31) -- Linda recently upgraded her DIRECTV system
with a $999 High-Definition DVR, which combines a DIRECTV satellite receiver with
TiVo's recording service. With her expensive new toy, Linda can not only watch her
favorite HDTV channels, but she can record them.

However, Linda (who asked that her last name not be used) is upset because she
discovered last week that DIRECTV this summer will require all HDTV subscribers
to get a new dish and receiver to get their local stations in high-def. If Linda wants
local HDTV on DIRECTV, it appears that she will have to dump her $999
DIRECTV-TiVo and get a new one.

"That doesn't seem right," she said in an e-mail to TVPredictions.com. "Why would
anyone buy equipment that will be obsolete by summer time?"

Linda is not alone, although most DIRECTV receivers are far less expensive than her
$999 HDTV recorder. The equipment switch will affect any current HDTV owner who
subscribes to DIRECTV, which the company says numbers roughly 500,000. In
addition, any HDTV owner who buys a current DIRECTV receiver model (and dish) in
the next few months will also have to get a new one this summer to get local HD
signals (and, eventually, all HDTV channels.)

The reason for the switch? DIRECTV is launching four new satellites over the next
two years that will enable it to provide local channels in high-def for the first time,
beginning this summer with 12 markets. (The 12 markets are: New York, Los
Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco, Dallas, Washington DC,
Atlanta, Detroit, Houston, and Tampa Bay.) By 2007, the satcaster expects to have
capacity for local HDTV in all major markets -- and up to 150 national HDTV
channels. The new HD services are expected to give DIRECTV a major competitive
advantage in its battle against the cable TV industry and chief satellite rival,
EchoStar's Dish Network.

However, DIRECTV has announced that it will use the new MPEG-4 compression
technology for the local channels (and future national high-def channels). A new receiver and a slightly larger dish will be required to receive the MPEG-4 signals.

DIRECTV spokesman Robert Mercer says the company has not decided when the
new MPEG-4 satellite system will be available for sale, which means any DIRECTV
system sold today would have to be replaced this summer to get local HD signals.

Mercer adds that current receivers and dishes will still be able to display DIRECTV's
existing high-def channels, such as HDNet, HBO and Discovery HD Theater, when
the company starts using MPEG-4 for the local channels this summer. However,
Mercer acknowledges that DIRECTV "will make the transition (to MPEG-4) at some
time for all (HDTV) channels," which means that, eventually, everyone will need a
new dish and receiver to get any channel in high-def.

Mercer did not know when all HDTV channels would be switched to MPEG-4, but he
said that the company would try to ensure that current subscribers are happy with
the transition. He said he could not provide further details on possible offers.

In the past, DIRECTV has provided equipment upgrades for little or no money if the
subscriber will agree to commit to a year-long programming package. (EchoStar,
which plans to switch to MPEG-4 at some point as well, has also previously
provided incentives for customers to upgrade equipment.)

But that may not be enough for Linda. Contacted today by TVPredictions.com, she
said: "We decided to pack everything up and take it back. We'll go back to cable
until things shake out with local HD."

 

[bonscott87]

By Phillip Swann

LOL!

 

[Ncc1701]

Robert at VE and Bob Marsocci of Directv have already informed HD Tivo owners that the cost of upgrading to MPEG 4 will be next to nothing for subs and funded by Directv. Do you honestly think a company that has such a great reputation for cust service is gonna have people buy a $1k piece of equipment and then leave them in the dust a year later? Come on this is not Voom!

 

[slacker9876]

This is all old hat, and I will be LMAO in 13-18 months when my market is converted and I get the brand spanking new DirecTV Home Media Center with software that will undoubtedly be better than the TiVo branded variant. However, in the defense of TiVo ... Open Source is a hack of a road to take. The boyz over at DD.com already have a host of apps for release. Once it is set in stone and completely legal (and moral ) there will be some really cool stuff coming to the TiVo platform.

How long til you come over Walter? Certainly we know E* is not a viable option unless you were suckered into a contract. Are you in a Top 12 DMA for HD LIL this summer?

 

[Walter L.]

How long til you come over Walter?

To answer your question, there are a couple of things that would need to happen to drive me to D*:

1) Stop downrezzing HDNet Movies & Showtime-HD
2) Add more NATIONAL HD channels (at least TNT-HD, STARZ-HD & CINEMAX-HD). HD LIL's mean nothing for me since my OTA works perfectly.
3) Launch the next generation HD-DVR at a competitive price.

In the meantime, Comcast looks like a better option to me.

 

[Walter L.]

Now, going back to the topic. Perhaps, the most important thing being pointed out in the article is that, although a lot of AV enthusiasts (like us) would get excited for the propects of a MPEG4-enabled DVR-upgrade, most of the average people (like Linda) see it as a hassle.

 

[poz235]

Oh, I consider myself to be an AV enthusiast and I see this as a hassle. Forget the day I need to take off work (most likely anyway) to be home so the guy can come out and swap the dish, and forget having to rip out and replace the box in my cabinet, I want to know what new box I am getting stuck with.

One of the things I resent when having to upgrade equipment in this manner is the lack of choice in the unit I receive. I can only speak for myself, but I just don't go out and get the first unit I see. I base my purchase on my needs and likes. I need a certain number of specific types of outputs from my A/V equipment for it to easily hook up into the idiot-proof, wife-friendly system I built in the living room. I like my remote control to feel a certain way and to be able to seamlessly operate other components' functions. I like certain the operation and menu schemes of some boxes, I hate others. If I wanted to be stuck with a one-size-fits-all box with a crappy interface and a remote that I detest, I could call Comcast.

My concern is that when I have to upgrade (and being in Detroit in an area that messes up OTA signals, I will have to upgrade) the equipment which is essentially forced upon me will not be comparable to what I have already. I realize that the unit could be better than what I have and would provide a decent time to upgrade to a HD-DVR, but the lack of choice is disturbing.

 

[ocnier]

The wacky thing in my mind is why doesn't D* simply recall all remaining unsold HD Tivo's from the merchants, it would be cheaper in the long run. This seems more of a hassle to the common novice satellite user (i.e. someone who doesn't read a board like this).

 

[fkostyn]

I wouldn't pull them - reason being - subscription fee's that they recieve. IF I had the $$ I would buy an HD tivo and get my free boxes later!

 

[Barney]

This is all old hat, and I will be LMAO in 13-18 months when my market is converted and I get the brand spanking new DirecTV Home Media Center with software that will undoubtedly be better than the TiVo branded variant. However, in the defense of TiVo ... Open Source is a hack of a road to take. The boyz over at DD.com already have a host of apps for release. Once it is set in stone and completely legal (and moral ) there will be some really cool stuff coming to the TiVo platform.

How long til you come over Walter? Certainly we know E* is not a viable option unless you were suckered into a contract. Are you in a Top 12 DMA for HD LIL this summer?

Slacker, is this what your talking about?:

Tivo

By the way, I bought the Sony HD300 ($599) when it 1st came out a little over a year ago & will gladly pay a small fee to upgrade to D*'s new HMC. I"m not in the 1st group & know a few folks that have the HR10-250 that are waiting for the upgrade (one in Dallas & one in Houston). But if I'm right, the contract with Tivo doesn't expire until sometime in 2007. Things have been known to change (D* was going to use Microsofts compression, but changed their minds to MPEG 4).

 

[mercury]

I've had a problem with my 4 year old Toshiba DSt3100 gradually losing its mind. It has slowly, but surely been unable to pull in all the channels it should. When it started dropping my HD channels I had enough. I called Directv and got them to credit me $200 on a replacement. Cool. So now I have a brand new H10 and it sounds like they will be giving me another one at little or no cost. They must have a rather large budget for equipment upgrades!

 

[MrGneissGuy]

One of the things I resent when having to upgrade equipment in this manner is the lack of choice in the unit I receive. I can only speak for myself, but I just don't go out and get the first unit I see. I base my purchase on my needs and likes. I need a certain number of specific types of outputs from my A/V equipment for it to easily hook up into the idiot-proof, wife-friendly system I built in the living room. I like my remote control to feel a certain way and to be able to seamlessly operate other components' functions. I like certain the operation and menu schemes of some boxes, I hate others. If I wanted to be stuck with a one-size-fits-all box with a crappy interface and a remote that I detest, I could call Comcast.

This is my problem with moving to HD at this point anyway (I thought I was ready to make the plunge, even installed the SAT C kit on my dish). There simply aren't any choices in HD receivers now that D* has taken control of branding. I've been able to find the TS360, HD10, and HD10-250, and I'm not impressed with the reviews I've been reading on those. I've been thinking of going EBay on an older model such as the Sony HD300 or LG LSS3200A. I suppose buying used, and then having D* upgrade me with a new unit wouldn't be too bad, but even used, the Sony is probably more pricey than what the upgrade would be worth. Any opinions on buying used or refurbished?

 

[Oskee I]

Zenith HD520

I got a refurbished Zenith HD520 for $199 and am quite impressed with the unit . I got it from Value Electronics.

 

[Beavis]

Anyone who would pay $999 for a HD-DVR is just asking to be ripped off. That and the fact that this Linda chick didn't do any kind of research it doesn't seem before she bought it is kinda fishy.

 

[DrWho]

Well, I can't wait for a new HD box in a year or 2, MPEG4 and more locals and more HD.

Worth the afternoon off from work.

 

[Trav]

I just bought the HR10-250 from VE for $799 about 2 weeks ago fully knowing about the transition to MPEG4 some time in the near future. Perhaps I'm naive, but I'm not too concerned right now. Why?

1) I'm not in one of the markets that will get HD LIL's any time soon and my OTA setup is working fine. So unless new national HD channels are added any time soon via MPEG4, then I have probably more than a year until I'd need to switch anyway.

2) From everything I've read, we'll be taken care of by D*. Again, it may be naive, but they should know that if I'm paying this much for a HD DVR, there's no way I'd stay with them if they forced me to shell out more $$ for a replacement. I don't mind paying a S&H fee for a replacement that has the same or better functionality than what I have already, but any more than that will be unacceptable.

3) These kind of changes usually take longer than expected anyway. Delays and more delays will probably push this transtion further into the future. But even so, the addition of HD LIL's and more HD nationals channels is a GOOD thing that we shouldn't resist! As long as they take care of their (profitable) HD customers, I'm all for it and don't mind having to swap out my current dish and receiver.

4) There's no better alternative. I just switched from E* to D* solely because of HD. Dish has the 921 that is full of bugs and complaints by owners and doesn't have 2 OTA tuners. The upcoming 942 sounds more promising, but I know from personal experience with the 522 I was using that new receivers from E* take a LONG time before they are actually functional in any acceptable way (my 522 would miss a lot of timers the first few months I used it and even after nearly a year would have a lot of audio/video dropouts, etc). So far, the HR10-250 is a VERY nice unit (despite a faulty HDMI port).

My opinion, of course...

 

[Volsfan]

D* CSR info

For what it is worth, I was told today by a D* csr that all of the HD programming will be provided by the existing HD satelite (110 I think it is).
If this is true, we will not need any additional equipment for HD programming.
This will eliminate D* problem of replenishing equipment.
It would be nice to know the truth as to whatwill happen. I guess only the big wigs @ D* will know.
If I am missing something, please respond.