A few questions regarding new lease program for current subscribers

[dragon002]

digital,

existing subs who own their eq still pay the mirroring fee. they don't pay the lease fee. nothing has changed for them.

 

[vurbano]

verbano- Full purchase cost. Standard IRD- $149, DVR or HD - around $379 (sorry it's been a while since I looked at this figure it may be $349 ), HD-DVR- $749.

So if I purchased a new, in the box, unopened HDDVR off ebay for $400 bucks I wouldnt own it? If thats the case then all of the ebay HR10-250's seem like a case of false advertising.
http://cgi.ebay.com/HR10-250-DIRECTV-HD-HDTV-HI-DEF-RECEIVER_W0QQitemZ9704298394QQcategoryZ67889QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
I pity those that buy there and think they own something.
Ive never known "ownership" to be dictated by how much your purchase was for any item. Ownership is yours immediately after you purchase any item no matter the price.

 

[PATONENOW]

DIRECTTVREP:
Thanks for answering some questions. WHAT I think STILL needs to be clear and concise is IF a dealer or reseller tells a customer it is FULL cost and not subsidized .HOW do we really know?? They can say one thing and D* could say another!UNTIL that is a clear cut policy I would think D* would have many problems with a dealer saying one thing and D* saying another.COULD you please clarify that? And I would assume the same as from e-bay or a private party unless you expand the explanation further?

 

[digitaldvdrs]

Dragon is that factually known?

Everything I've been reading has tended to indicate that the mirroring fee was going away.

While it's true I haven't read any one specifically address this one yet, I would have thought this would have been brought up by now. Actually I have read on several sites and forums that the mirroring fee was going away period.

It makes sense that it wouldn't change for owners, I think this is just the first time I've heard someone say that it wouldn't actually change so I'm curious if that's confirmed. I believe I've read in other topics that you're an installer, right? I would tend to think that should mean you would know one way or another, but I guess I'm curious if new bills have started going out since the change, which bear this out.

Vurbano,

Yes a lot of ebayers are going to be burned by this.

I recently tried to activate an old receiver and couldn't do so without the requirement for a year commitment despite the fact it was a new account with SAC of darn near zero considering it was a self install with owned equipment.

 

[dragon002]

digital,

for right now nothing is going to change for the "owning group"

EVENTUALLY as the boxes get converted to mpeg4 around 2009, the mirror fee will go bye bye.


for now, if you own and arent upgrading etc, dont sweat it.

 

[cal87]

digital,

for right now nothing is going to change for the "owning group"

EVENTUALLY as the boxes get converted to mpeg4 around 2009, the mirror fee will go bye bye.


for now, if you own and arent upgrading etc, dont sweat it.

Dragon,
Do you think this 2009 date is when my HR10-250 will be defunct? I'm ok with OTA HD locals. I have been considering one of the modifications to the Tivo, but don't want to do this if I'm going to need MPEG-4 for Sunday Ticket or other HD stations in 2007 or so. 2009 is a different story.

 

[dragon002]

IMHO, by 2009 directv will be all mpeg4

 

[cal87]

IMHO, by 2009 directv will be all mpeg4

Dragon, could you be more specific?
I know it's all conjecture at this point, but when do you think that we will be FORCED to switch to MPEG-4 as far as HD is concerned? 2007? 2008? Or will HD be broadcast in MPEG-2 either alone or in additon to MPEG-4 until 2009?
The HD LIL we know we need MPEG-4 now.
I have 2 H20s which I know will be fine. I'm just curious how long the HD Tivo will last.

 

[vurbano]

IMHO, by 2009 directv will be all mpeg4

Certainly not mpeg4 for SD too. that would mean changing boxes for what? 15 million households x say 4 boxes? 60 million boxes?

 

[digitaldvdrs]

vurbano,

You're right that would be cost prohibitive for them.

Reviewing the directv news pdf posted in another topic, it looks like they're projecting 50+% take up of HD/DVR by year '08.

Interestingly, in an off topic sort of way, they're also projecting around a 3 percent annual price hike.

On a quick review of the document, and while I agree with you in general, I do think they will be pushing subscription upgrades via HD and DVR receivers simply because the revenue margin is greater for subs with those services than those without.

I believe I read that a small percentage of subs generate over 30, around 33 percent, if I recall correctly, of their revenue.

That gives those small number of subs an incredible amount of leverage. They start downgrading their subs, or cancelling en mass and D looses a substantial portion of their revenue. One third is nothing to sneeze at.

Looking at their current level of revenue, year on year hardware outlay, and their HD take-up projections, I'd say D is going to keep the up front "lease privilege fee" on HD equipment and DVRs if it has any hope of making the inroads it's projecting by '08.

I hate to say it but looking at their numbers, and their customer's understandable reticence to pay such large up front cost for the privilege of leasing and returning the equipment, unless they change something they're very likely not to meet their projections.

They're being overly optimistic I think. In fact I'd call their take-up projections closer to fantasy than realistic.

They're adding somewhere in the neighborhood of 1.2 - 1.7 million new subscribers so I'm guessing offering deep discounts on initial account creation "leasing privilege fees" isn't going to be enough to get them to the 50+% mark by 08. Personally I think they'll be lucky to get a fraction of new accounts to sign up for HD or DVR equipment with the steep upfront cost involved.

 

[dragon002]

Certainly not mpeg4 for SD too. that would mean changing boxes for what? 15 million households x say 4 boxes? 60 million boxes?

IMHO...yes vurbano, by 2009 it will all be mpeg 4, after 2009 sd will be no more., that is my call.

 

[vurbano]

IMHO...yes vurbano, by 2009 it will all be mpeg 4, after 2009 sd will be no more., that is my call.

Holy sh*t now I see why they want a 500 dollar lease deposit for the HD DVR. Its to help fund the 60 million boxes they have to upgrade. Not sure I want any part of this scam.

 

[stevesmall]

if you own the equipmment it is not a lease fee it is a mirror fee. my bill still reads mirror fee

 

[Satmeister]

Holy sh*t now I see why they want a 500 dollar lease deposit for the HD DVR. Its to help fund the 60 million boxes they have to upgrade. Not sure I want any part of this scam.

I guess I now have to recind my "At least V--- doesn't use vulgarity" claim from last week...

 

[vurbano]

I guess I now have to recind my "At least V--- doesn't use vulgarity" claim from last week...

Theres a huge difference between using that word to express surprise at something versus using it to insult someone. If what I said offends you I apologize but I would also advise you to never leave the house.

 

[dragon002]

are you guys arguing about the word.."sh*t""????

come on....chase carey called voom .."crap""

there is Bullsh!t, cow patties,dung, guano, manure, fertilizer, waste,
buffalo pies and chickenshit.

what word should he have used? and which are you two fighting about??!!

LOL