The Satellite War is ON!

[Scott Greczkowski]

Who said anything about all these new things going on the 101 satellite?

 

[Curtis0620]

My bet will be HD only on 110w, Internationals and HD on 119w.
101w will have all basic programming and some HD.

 

[Greg Bimson]

I'd like to know how DirecTV plans to fit HD, INTL, LOCALS, and AMERICAN programming basically all on the 101 satellite. I understand they have slots at 110 and 119 but they are like maybe 5 transponders at most.

Not quite.

DirecTV has 32 transponders at 101; 3 at 110; and 11 at 119.

Echostar has more local markets, more HD, more INTL and have about twice the transponders and orbital real estate that DirecTV has. How is DirecTV gonna fit all of this onto limited transponders????

DirecTV has all 32 transponders at 101. There are currently approxmiately 5 transponders of space taken up by local channels that will be moving to a spot-beam satellite, soon. So, there are 5 transponders that will be free on the main satellite at 101 once the local channels are moved.

DirecTV has 3 transponders at 110. Nothing going on here.

DirecTV has 11 transponders at 119. This is where the new spot-beam satellite, DirecTV 7S, will reside. It will only use 4 transponders, leaving seven for CONUS availability. DirecTV currently transmits via a CONUS beam 89 channels for local markets, or approximately 7 transponders of material. Once these local channels are moved to the spot-beam satellite, which should occur tommorrow morning (4 June, 2004), then DirecTV will have another three transponders of space freed on the 119 slot.

Therefore, once the shifting around of local channels is completed, DirecTV will have freed up 8 transponders from their main broadcasting points.

Is that 75 degree satellite supposed to carry all these new channels. Then what about the SHVIA and the two dish issue now that Echostar is battling with.

The 72.5 satellite is supposed to carry only local markets, approximately 24 of them. Only 19 markets have been announced so far. This will not be a problem within the confines of the new SHVERA (the extension, reauthorization, and improvement of the SHVIA). Since all local channels will come from the same satellite, they will all be available on one dish. These local markets will not be available on DirecTV's main satellite dish. Howver, since these local markets will be available on a single dish pointed to 72.5, it satisifies the one dish requirement for the new SHVERA.

You have to admit that DirecTV's transponder management is excellent. With two spot-beam satellites and four satellites broadcasting 46 CONUS transponders, DirecTV will have 106 markets online over two DBS slots, and room for another eight transponders worth of CONUS material. And that doesn't even take into account DirecTV's lease of the 72.5 transponder slot from Telesat Canada to broadcast another 24 markets, to take the total to 130 markets by year's end.

Meanwhile, Dish Network requires dishes for locals over four DBS slots and two FSS slots, with many more transponders, and have 128 markets, and counting.

 

[bcshields]

Didn't they launch a new bird 2 or 3 months ago? Should be done testing soon. I suspect that's where all the action is going to take place. it'll have a part to do with it at least.

Dish is already setting up to counter attack. They're going to try to minimize churn by offering 522's to existing customers to keep them in contract. Upgrade offers, DVr upgrades, maybe even legacy to Dishpro upgrades (all speculation except the 522) They'll also be more aggressive with locals until the new bird launches.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

The next shot has been fired by DirecTV.

After a weak shot by Dish Network by them offering a BBC Series on PPV which was previously available on BBC America for free.

DirecTV fired another shot in the Satellite War by announcing today that tommorow morning there will be a dozen new local markets available on DirecTV.

Read more about it in our DirecTV forum

 

[wwilson]

Today the first shots of the Satellite War have been fired, I am sure we will be seeing lots more, and no matter which comapny wins comes out on top, ultimately this war will be good for the consumer.

That's only one possibility, sometimes in business war, competition get's eliminated or marginalized and that's not good for the consumer. An all out war could lead to a monopoly, and in the current regulatory climate where all sorts of unintended consequences are happening, don't hope for the fed's to prevent it, even if they say they will.

 

[Bulldog]

Two ways "E" can add value to subs with minimum costs and heat up the war:

1. Add HBO HD and Showtime HD to the HD package without having to subscribe
to them.

2. Add the HD pack at no cost to the America's everything package.

 

[Rick P]

Direc TV can add the internationals to combat DISH.
They can stack up the HD to outdo DISH..

BUT THEY STILL CAN'T GET THE FRIGGING SUPERSTATIONS ON??? There are SOME places that don't have OTA WB/UPN and the cable companies and DISH are making hay with it...

misplaced priorities...

 

[Burt]

I'll bet Dish wishes 7s blew up on the launchpad. DirecTV will be adding HD (quickly negating Dish's brief TNT lead), more locals (Dish's big strength), and now Dish's whole raison d'etre...Internationals.

Ouch. That's gotta smart a little. (Imagine if they added Supers?)

To "wish" such misfortunes upon your competion is tabo in the satellite industry. EchoStar wishes no harm to DirecTv satellites.

 

[GaryPen]

To "wish" such misfortunes upon your competion is tabo in the satellite industry. EchoStar wishes no harm to DirecTv satellites.

To actually wish such things in ANY industry is probably not too nice, either. To JOKE about it an inanimate, inorganic, non-living MACHINE is probably OK, though, especially from outside the industry.

BTW, is having a sense of humor taboo in the satellite industry, as well?

 

[rocatman]

War Just Starting?

Obviously competition is good for us subscribers but the best situation for subscribers is if all competitors stay relatively on equal footing instead of having a winner or a loser. I look at DirectTV's upcoming activities with 7S as narrowing the gap with Dish on locals and internationals. It's funny though how Scott has protrayed DirectTV's upcoming activities. Hasn't this "war" been going on for years or does one only take notice when one competitor make a major move. Weren't all the recent internationals and locals added by Dish, shots fired by Dish or don't these count because DirectTV has lagged behind in these areas. Since Charlie announced the SuperDish last fall, how many local markets and international channels has Dish added and how many has DirectTV added? Someone should have specific numbers and it undoubtly would be strongly in Dish's favor and probably will still be in Dish's favor after DirectTV fully implements their 7S satellite. Certainly Charlie's annoucement last fall of 100 internationals was extremely premature and optimistic but adding this type of programming takes time. How long did many DirectTV folks wait for their locals that DirectTV promised, six months, a year or more? In fairness to DirectTV, let's see where the numbers are one year after SuperDish was initiated for comparison.

As an 811 owner, like many others on this forum, I have been disappointed by the lack of HD content on Dish but currently DirectTV is slightly behind with the TNT HD addition. I guess this is another ignored shot fired by Dish. Hopefully DirectTV adds some HD channels and Dish will respond with additional channels.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Yes the "war" has been going on for a long time, however these are the first real steps (or shots as I call them) that DirecTV has made since being taken over by Rupert Murdock.

You might want to check out our DirecTV area, I have been talking a lot to my DirecTV contacts, if what they tell me is true it is going to be interesting to see how Dish fights back.

 

[Alan Gordon]

Yes the "war" has been going on for a long time, however these are the first real steps (or shots as I call them) that DirecTV has made since being taken over by DirecTV.

You might want to check out our DirecTV area, I have been talking a lot to my DirecTV contacts, if what they tell me is true it is going to be interesting to see how Dish fights back.

DirecTV took over DirecTV?! Is that anything like dog eat dog?! Seriously though, I read the title, I understood it and moved on. Though I'm happy to hear of DirecTV taking steps to make it a more viable opponent, including what I hope to be the "death" of Pegasus, Dish Network customers should be happy to hear of DirecTV taking steps to either set themselves on equal footing or higher, because all that will do is light a fire under Charlie's butt to try and trump DirecTV. He will, and then DirecTV will try and chump Charlie, and so forth! Good news for both sides!


~Alan<~~~~~~~~~~~Who will be happy to sing a little tune to Pegasus, something that goes a little like "Bye, Bye, Bye!!"....

 

[Unthinkable]

Two ways "E" can add value to subs with minimum costs and heat up the war:

1. Add HBO HD and Showtime HD to the HD package without having to subscribe
to them.

2. Add the HD pack at no cost to the America's everything package.

In all seriousness, we stand a much better chance of having the events depicted in "The Day After Tomorrow" happen then 1 or 2 listed above coming to fruition in this lifetime.

 

[snathanb]

Well... that may be a bit of an exageration. I could see #2 happening in the very distant future. After all, we will look back and laugh at the days when we had to pay extra to view channels in HD.

 

[dlsnyder]

Well... that may be a bit of an exageration. I could see #2 happening in the very distant future. After all, we will look back and laugh at the days when we had to pay extra to view channels in HD.

I agree we will look back on the days when we paid extra to watch HD but I don't think we will laugh. By then HD channels will outnumber SD channels, overall PQ will have improved as a result, and our bills will all be at least $10 higher. Everyone with Dish Network wanting locals (outside of the Big 2 cities LA and NY) will need a 2nd dish, but they will be in HD!

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Fixed my posted about, I meant to say since DirecTV was taken over by Rupert / News Corp, no since DirecTV was taken over to DirecTV. (Whoops)

 

[snathanb]

I agree we will look back on the days when we paid extra to watch HD but I don't think we will laugh. By then HD channels will outnumber SD channels, overall PQ will have improved as a result, and our bills will all be at least $10 higher. Everyone with Dish Network wanting locals (outside of the Big 2 cities LA and NY) will need a 2nd dish, but they will be in HD!

And Dish will be charging $10 a month for their exclusive "SD Pak"

 

[long_time_DNC]

I guess my main concern with all the "competition" talk and "satellite war" stuff is that, yes, in the end, the consumer may win, but how many changes will the consumer have to make from one company to the other, buy different receivers and/or antennas and switches before a "winner" is declared?

I don't know about everyone else here, but my funds are not limitless and my desire to switch to and fro to get the channels I want in HD is not boundless either.

6-7 years ago, I went with Dish (and got rid of cable) because they had the programming I wanted. I haven't always been completely content with Dish, but for the most part, I have been.

I suppose my point is this: changing satellite providers isn't a simple task. It's not like changing your long-distance or cell phone provider.

So, yes, while I agree that competition is good and the consumer benefits at some point, in the end, my concern is what we will have to endure before we get to a comfortable place again.

Joe

 

[bdemz]

Pick one

That's why you need to pick one and stick with em. Most of the channels will eventually appear on each other's systems. The only diff in my mind between the two is that Directv has NFL and TIVO and Dish has superstations and sirius.

I now have E* and am waiting to see how the summer shakes out before I switch or not.

Also I did price comparisons on e-bay and you can basically sell all of your stuff from say DISH and get the exact same setup from Directv. Demand for used equipment from both providers is good.