Whats happening in April

[urnote96]

I heard from a guy that Something is big happening with DirecTV in April..


anyone know anything about this....

 

[DTV TiVo Dealer]

DIRECTV is launching two SPACEWAY satellites to deliver HD LIL to most DMAs across the US.

-Robert

 

[Alan Gordon]

DIRECTV is launching two SPACEWAY satellites to deliver HD LIL to most DMAs across the US.

I was re-reading DirecTV's press release about the SpaceWay satellites after being disappointed with their lack of mentioning whether or not they plan to uplink any more local channels in 2005 (besides the previously announced DMAs), and I happened to notice something I forgot about:

The first two of these satellites, Spaceway 1 and Spaceway 2, will launch in 2005 with programming being offered to consumers by the middle of the year. These satellites will have the capacity for more than 500 local HD channels. With these satellites, DIRECTV will have the ability to bring local HD programming to most of the U.S. population, as well as continuing to expand standard-definition local offerings and other enhancements.

Just thought that needed to be pointed out again as that last part seems to be forgotten when talking about the SpaceWay satellites.

~Alan

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

We should know more next week at CES.

SatelliteGuys will be there covering CES from the floor!

Our thanks to ValueElectronics.COM for helping to make this coverage possible.

 

[mcsj]

Well all I can think of is, E* is going to have price increase in Feburary/March, and the BIG THING happening with D* in April will be yet another price increase to keep D* "competitive" with E*

I am curious... if Uncle Sam worried about monopoly after the (now dead) merge of D* and E*, how come the government doesn't care much about Oligopoly?

 

[cbearnm]

how come the government doesn't care much about Oligopoly?

Because they can't pronounce it.
(BTW; one of my favorite words from Economics class, well done.)

 

[DTV TiVo Dealer]

Great word (theory) that I have not thought of before.

I would assume the Government would be involved if a serious consumer group started legal action requesting relief.

Very intellectual and interesting legal question. However, I believe the far larger cable market size would overrule any oligopoly claims.

-Robert

 

[Neutron]

I wish the government here would take a look at the monopoly the local cable company here has over the area.

Thank goodness I have Directv as an option. I wish I had an option on broadband Internet (sorry, but for what I do with online gaming and our VOIP phone company satellite internet isn't an option for me). If we were in Louisville I could choose DSL, but then I would have the local phone company to mess with. As far as cable internet the local cable co has complete control over that. They will not share their network for competition. Because of this the service can get lousy and just because I don't have digital cable and one digital pak I have to pay $10 more a month for the service.

 

[mcsj]

Well somehow in my area, the cable company (Mediacom) provides a similar channel lineup (compare with TC or AT120) for only $29.99/mo with 1-year contract. Plus local tax and stuff the total cost per month will be just $38. That's less than D* or E*'s current rate already!

 

[charper1]

I wish the government here would take a look at the monopoly the local cable company here has over the area.

I 100% agree, but would rather they look into ending the illegal monopoly of the stone age affiliates. If they would just have east & west network feeds beamed to cable and DBS providers, we could just do away with the out of touch affiliates and allow local news, weather and sport to naturally go back to radio and paper where they belong. If someone wants to provide a public OTA version of local news, let them do it on their own dime and without network backing. Then maybe the entire country could get the programming they so desire without all the red tape and double talk we have now thanks to the NAB and their fight at any cost to protect local ad revenue.

 

[Alan Gordon]

Well somehow in my area, the cable company (Mediacom) provides a similar channel lineup (compare with TC or AT120) for only $29.99/mo with 1-year contract. Plus local tax and stuff the total cost per month will be just $38. That's less than D* or E*'s current rate already!

Here, Mediacom charges $40+ dollars for Family Cable. I had the actual pricing list that a friend copied for me listing Mediacom's channel lineup and pricing list, but I can't find it at the moment. I also remember that Broadcast Basic costs somewhere in the $14.95-$17.99 price range, and includes 5 local channels, and four "Significantly Viewed" channels along with a "Cable-Only" WB! network, a few news channels, a few shopping channels, a few public access channels, along with The Weather Channel, USA, BET and ABC Family.

While I don't know the price that has to be paid to receive them, my local Mediacom only offers five HD channels, ESPN-HD, Universal-HD, HDNet, HDNet Movies and Showtime-HD. That's it! No Discovery-HD Theater, no HBO-HD, no local HD, nothing!!

~Alan

 

[Barney]

We should know more next week at CES.

SatelliteGuys will be there covering CES from the floor!

Our thanks to ValueElectronics.COM for helping to make this coverage possible.

Scott and/or Robert. Thanks & looking foward to the report.
I'm wondering (gets me in trouble sometimes), starting sometime next Spring/early summer, there should be new "channels" up & going. Do venders already know what new dish set-up we will need to upgrade? Do venders already have them ordered & be ready for the "flood" of orders/installs? I don't think that come (May?) that all of a sudden I need to upgrade my 18" oval dish w/3LNB's to say a 35" oval w/5LNB's or is it still "unknown"?
Sorry, I'm getting excited.........Thanks

Barney