dumb questrion e* and d*?

[jeff5656]

What is D* and what is E*. Since both direct tv anbd dish start with the letter D, I am now suddenly confused. Plus, i didn't know there was a satelitte service with the letter E, I thought it was just dish network and direct tv.

 

[rad]

E* = Echostar, the corporate parent of Dish network. Yea, it's confusing but easier then having to type our Dish and DirecTV all the time.

 

[JimK2]

E* makes some sense, but how they come up with D*

 

[webbydude]

E* makes some sense, but how they come up with D*

Originally it was Echostar and Primestar. Both got abbreviated E* and P*, respectively. When DirectTV came along and absorbed Primestar, it just seemed to "make sense" and keep with the "*" theme and abbreviate DirectTV with D*.

 

[MikeD-C05]

Abbreviations are for people that don't want to type out the words DISH & Directv.

 

[jeff5656]

It's unfortunate that the abbreviations (used top make things more efficient) both begin with the same letter...wait there's an e because thats the parent company. now I'm more confused! Is "dish" really that much harder to write that "d-shift-asterick"?

 

[rcdallas]

Some people can't function a computer without using a mouse let alone having to peck at the keyboard like a -ChiKeN-

 

[yaz96]

It's unfortunate that the abbreviations (used top make things more efficient) both begin with the same letter...wait there's an e because thats the parent company. now I'm more confused! Is "dish" really that much harder to write that "d-shift-asterick"?

Please feel free to write DISH out loud if you prefer, but now you know that E* means the same thing. :

P.S. Those abbreviations have been around a long time....welcome to SatGuys!

 

[Pepper]

Not to muddy the waters (well maybe a little bit) what abbreviation will we use for Dish if and when it is spun off from Echostar?

 

[TNGTony]

The key is to remember the SOURCE of the abreviation. We use E* for Dish Network because we are talking about Echostar which is the company that controls Dish Network.

E =echo *=star

P = prime * =star

A = alpha * =star

But then come the DirecTV folks who want an abreviation for themseves when the DSS abreviation was removed from DirecTV. For those that don't remember, that was the term "Digital Satellite System" used for USSB and DirecTV's services which were all available with a DSS receiver at 101°. But DirecTV lost the legal right to use that abreviation shortly after they bought USSB when a company with a registered trademark of DSS sued and won.

For the Anti-abreviation folks out there, should I have written out United States Satellite Broadcasting each time?

So what were the poor DirecTV people looking for an abreviation going to do? At first some started using DTV. But this was also the beginning of Digital Television broadcasts so there was some confusion over what DTV people were talking about. Then some one saw all the posts with E*, P* and A* out there and though...hey, how about I use a D*!!! BRILLIANT! "DirectvStar"!

The D* never made any sence to me. The arguments in the old usenet newsgroups that preceded these boards were something to see. But the D* stuck as the DirecTV (Star) abreviation.

But to reiterate E* does NOT mean Dish Network. It means Echostar which owns and controls Dish Network. Charlie Ergen is CEO of E*, not Dish Network!

See ya
Tony

Gallagher or Stephen Wright (I forget which): Why is the word "abreviation" so long?

 

[MikeD-C05]

To all who have DISHNETWORK today and for the last 11 years, Echostar is DISH and vice a versa.

 

[yaz96]

Not to muddy the waters (well maybe a little bit) what abbreviation will we use for Dish if and when it is spun off from Echostar?

 

[Jim5506]

Not to muddy the waters (well maybe a little bit) what abbreviation will we use for Dish if and when it is spun off from Echostar?

D- or E-

 

[MikeD-C05]

Att*

 

[chicagofilms]

It is a brilliant idea, the whole D* and E* thing. It is just saves so much bandwidth and not to mention time.

Dish / E* = That's a 50% savings!
DirecTV / D* = It's FAR more economical...