SkyAngel Plans Move to IPTV

[jholland]

I received a snail-mail newsletter from SA today. They talk about "a new era" and MORE channels, promising the new channel lineup will be announced soon. They state that there will be more than twice as many faith/family video channels and five 24-hour music video channels.

Looks like they are going to call their offering "Faith and Family Television." There's no mention at all about radio channels, though I think they listed some on an Inside Sky Angel program about IPTV. Radio is the deciding factor for me -- I have listened to the radio channels much more than I have watched the TV channels.

They call it a "rebirth," but don't actually state that DBS service is ending, and they don't give a timetable.

 

[catkoko]

Faith and Family

Does this mean that they will not be Sky angel? Or is this the Faith and Family package FROM sky angel?

a name change may be an attempt to avoid the potential lawsuits from lifetime members. Did you call them and ask what is happening with DBS?

its almost like they re hedging their bet in case IPTV doesn't work out.

OR is it possible they literally sold out sky angel dbs customers to be continued by DISH?

 

[andrews777]

Why would they need radio channels over IPTV? Most of those (all?) are already on the Internet.

Brad

 

[Stargazer]

They would probably be better off ending SkyAngel DBS and beginning as a new entity.

 

[jholland]

They aren't dropping Sky Angel - just advertising it as "Sky Angel - Faith and Family Television." In another place: "skyangel IPTV - TV for a better you."

Sacred Favorites does not webcast and say they don't have plans to do so. It is a bit cumbersome to listen to some of the radio stations on-line as they use various players and it can take a bunch of clicks to get a stream started. I do subscribe to Live365 for some excellent radio choices.

 

[rcwilcox]

I received a snail-mail newsletter from SA today. They talk about "a new era" and MORE channels, promising the new channel lineup will be announced soon. They state that there will be more than twice as many faith/family video channels and five 24-hour music video channels.

Looks like they are going to call their offering "Faith and Family Television." There's no mention at all about radio channels, though I think they listed some on an Inside Sky Angel program about IPTV. Radio is the deciding factor for me -- I have listened to the radio channels much more than I have watched the TV channels.

They call it a "rebirth," but don't actually state that DBS service is ending, and they don't give a timetable.

I got the snail mail too. As you said it never said DBS was going away. The "cover" letter to the pamphlet said " Important information about your SA subscription " but nowhere di it really address existing subscribers it was just a pamphlet pushing SA IPTV. A reader could get this and say " Oh something new, but I am not interested I will just keep what I have" YUK!!

 

[Stargazer]

I agree with rcwilcox, if it does not state that the satellite service is going away and they just mention that a new IPTV service is available. Most people will not see an advantage to moving to the IPTV service vs the satellite service that they have now. If most do not have internet or have internet that has the capability to broadcast IPTV then SkyAngel is going to be screwed.

 

[catkoko]

IPTV called

I called 18777284788 (IPTV)
I suggest you do the same and take notes! Ask questions. the answers are scripted and if you try to deviate you start getting a lot of I don't know, sky angel hasn't released that info yet.

I was told by ROBIN the "satellite is dying" we pray it last until late pring/earlysummer through the "transition time"

a new transponder would have cost them 160 million dollars which they would need to earn from "monthly/annual subs every 10 years to stay in business"
"At that price the monthly/annual customers would be PRICED OUT" (her words)

she said they hd to make a decision to cease broadcasting or switch formats! she ffurther said the lifetime contracts do not mention a date (2002) to launch the new satellite. when asked if she had actually seen a contract the answer was no, but she was TOLD......

When asked about the lifetime subs she said "we don't make any money from them"!

when asked why the brochure doesn't not clearly state that DBS is being cancelled she said everyone has been informed on their MONTHLY statements since JUNE that DBS was being discontinued. Now I am lifetime and don't get monthly statements although she insists EVERYONE does as that is what she was told! then tried to tell me that my "address must be wrong in the system". when asked why I got the lifetime letter and now the IPTV letter but not monthly bills she had no answer yet again.

Most of what she said was I only knew what I have been told so far. last meeting was 3 weeks ago, first one was in JUNE. NO pricing is available, there is talk of a "possible adjustment for lifetime members BUT lifetime subs end with lifetime"


I asked a few more questions about neulion, the monitoring and reporting of channels watched (true), porn (true) etc.

Now she says they were told the neulion boxes would be disabled to ONLY allow skyangel broadcasting. that video clip from neulion clearly said any box, it didn't matter what label could subscribe to additional channels.

furthermore neulion said that THEY would handle customer service but she said sky angel CS will continue to handle it!

she then told me again how more info wold be on each monthly bill and that lifetimers will continue to get bills showing zero balance each month.

ONly thing she really KNEW was that IPTV would be up and running by the end of december. I find that odd with no prices for equipment, monthly fees etc........

 

[Stargazer]

They don't want to give out much more information than they have to and I think they know what is going to happen when the satellite dies, that they have a good chance of dying right along with them.

 

[catkoko]

they are going to die at the end of december or when the "transiition ends" she said the DBS will continue during the transition to IPTV. In other words they will try and gt as many as they can to switch before they pull the plug on the rest of us

"she noted my account" that we spoke. told her to also note that I was NOT switching to IPTV

 

[jashobeam]

I received a Christian mag in the mail this week and SkyAngel had a big ad in the front for IPTV. It's the first ad I've seen for IPTV other than stuff on SA or their emails.

I don't read my paper statements, but I scanned a few to see anything about DBS going away. I saw NOTHING about DBS going away.

 

[Stargazer]

I think GloryStar is going to grow in demand quite a bit when this happens but Dish Network retailers will not be allowed to sell the product unless they give up their right to sell the Dish Network product.

 

[loves2watch]

I agree Scott. That is a monster statement, basically saying Dish is buying all of SA's frequencies and SA is getting out of the satellite business..

Well at least that will make room for more HD programming on Dish. One positive note.

 

[catkoko]

WHY can't dish retailers also sell glorystar?

 

[Mr Tony]

here is why (Scott summed it up pretty good)

A Plea to Echostar - The Satellite Dish - Blog on Multichannel News

basically because Dish doesn't have a secure system and people can take LEGAL FTA devices and download illegal software into them which allows them to ILLEGALLY get Dish Network Dish pretty much said to retailers "sell FTA, can't sell Dish"

Glorystar is technically FTA...but if you want Glorystar get it through them directly

 

[catkoko]

Pretty sad that dish can't or won't trust buyers of a CHristian FTA satellite. does that go for most installers as well then? If they are authorized for DISH , can they install Glorystar?

 

[Wescopc]

Pretty sad that dish can't or won't trust buyers of a CHristian FTA satellite. does that go for most installers as well then? If they are authorized for DISH , can they install Glorystar?

Here is one response to Scott's column:

In response to: A Plea to Echostar
drjohn14 commented:

"I completely agree also. I am a small independent satellite dealer and the international FTA community is/was about 25% of my monthly income. To accede to Dish Networks demand means I will go broke. To quit selling Dish Network means I will go broke. Its an extremely depressing situation. Please Dish Network, recind your decision. Let us help fight your piracy war."

Most Dish installers will not install a Glorystar sytem with this threat from Charlie.
Bob

 

[Stargazer]

My guess is that if you get caught installing or having anything to do with the FTA hardware as well that they will probably cancel your Dish Network retailership and not pay you the residuals that you have earned all of those years.

I have no problem with not selling Dish Network's product anymore and start selling and installing FTA/GloryStar. Other retailers have already quit selling Dish Network and have started selling DirecTv saying it is easier to install and much fewer service calls.

 

[jholland]

I just watched "Inside Sky Angel." They very clearly stated that they are transitioning to IPTV and will no longer use satellite transmission. They did not give a date or price, but did list channels that are on-board at this point (including several additional TV channels) and stated that they are aggressively working to add more programming.

I received a recorded message on my answering machine today from Dish saying I was five days late paying my bill. What bill? I have never been a Dish subscriber (but I have purchased two receivers, most recently in 2003). I am also a lifetime SA subscriber and do not get statements. I called Dish and was quickly told it was a mistake. I asked if the call had anything to do with what is going on at SA now -- they said there was no connection, it was just a mistake.

 

[jashobeam]

I just watched "Inside Sky Angel." They very clearly stated that they are transitioning to IPTV and will no longer use satellite transmission. They did not give a date or price, but did list channels that are on-board at this point (including several additional TV channels) and stated that they are aggressively working to add more programming.

Interesting. I wonder if this is how they can say they got in touch with all subscribers to let them know of the impending change.

Since 2003 I have received about 3 Dish bills with a $0 balance. I don't know why.