[ripster]

HD Magazine reports that Stacey Campbell, programming guru at D*, stated no more HDTV for the "near" future, including the launch of the Discovery Channel.


They supposedly lost $150 million in the first quarter, so the $3 million needed to block the space on the transponder is not available. No word on the long term decision, probably falls in the Showtime category....sometime in the next two years, maybe!


It looks like a quiet summer for new HDTV. Where did I put my 9 iron???

 

[trbarry]

Summer is always quiet for me on HDTV. My tall trees grow leaves, the stations maybe lower power during the summer rerun season, and there is less to watch anyway. This year I again lost UPN digital the moment the trees became green and the other stations are not far behind.


But last year all my stations came back in the fall season so I'm still hoping.


- Tom

 

[Tony Chick]

Quote:

Originally posted by ripster . They supposedly lost $150 million in the first quarter, so the $3 million needed to block the space on the transponder is not available.

But they have 2 transponders on 110 just sitting there!. They were duplicating HDNet on channel 198 until 2 weeks ago, so unless they are going to give those transponders up they already have the capacity for 2 more HD channels.


Tony

 

[Linda Britt]

That's interesting, Tom. My OTA reception improves in the spring, when the trees regain their leaves. Late September or early October is when my reception falls off. Sorry for the bad pun. We have several stations due to go live with their digital signal this summer. We're all holding our breath to see.


DirecTV can be very dicey during the summer. Lots of thunderstorms when the temperature climbs past 90 here. Since I have better reception on the 110 bird, I was hoping for HD to move to those transponders, Discovery HD in particular. Oh well.

 

[kelliot]

And I was just getting ready to move to DirecTV.


To keep the FCC, they should have a goal of 5 stations by January along with the cable companies.

 

[DP1]

Quote:

Originally posted by Tony Chick But they have 2 transponders on 110 just sitting there!. They were duplicating HDNet on channel 198 until 2 weeks ago, so unless they are going to give those transponders up they already have the capacity for 2 more HD channels.

Bear in mind too that Cuban has already been talking about an HDNet 2, 3, and 4. And even gone so far as to speculate that maybe it'd be a 3 for $10 type deal. Regardless, point being that that would take 3 more transponders right there (given the current 1 HD channel per) which would already be cutting more into 119 even in using 110, and they dont have alot of room at 119 considering they're to be adding a number of new local cities' channels there over the rest of the year.


Not to say anything is set in stone though. And besides, I guess they could always tell Mark "thanks but no thanks" on one or 2 of his upcoming channels.

 

[Linda Britt]

Just thought about HDNet needing additional transponders, Dan. Ouch. Those locals keep multiplying faster than rabbits. Plus, the other content providers continue to spin-off more and more niche channels. Seems every week I'm reading about another channel debuting. Haven't they sliced that pie into enough slivers, yet? Niche channels debut. Nobody or few watch. What a waster of bandwidth. Just another excuse to sell deflated commercial time.

 

[Ken Ross]

Well, if this is true, consider it reneging on a promise. D* has always maintained they would provide this channel when and if it ever came to fruition. Well, that day is here but D* is not. Too bad, since this could be the killer app for HD.

 

[wezar]

Its kind of interesting given the new bird at 119 may provide more HDTV.


Here is some information I found on DirecTV 5.


The launch of the DirecTV 5 satellite is part of plans by Hughes

Electronics [GMH] unit DirecTV Inc. to offer expanded entertainment programming and broadband

services throughout the United States. DirecTV 5 is expected to begin offering

services in July.


The launch of DirecTV 5 is an "important first step" in achieving further

in-orbit redundancy and expanding services at the 119-degree West orbital slot, said Roxanne Austin, DirecTV's president and chief operating officer.


Sean Badding, a satellite broadcasting and media analyst with The Carmel

Group, said DirecTV's new satellite provides the company with the ability to offer

more local and HDTV channels.


"The name of the game at this point is bandwidth. DirecTV knows that if

it's going to remain competitive, it needs to increase its channel capacity," Badding said.


The DirecTV 5 is the former Tempo 1 that DirecTV obtained when it

acquired medium-powered satellite TV services provider Primestar in 1999. DirecTV

5 will be collocated with DirecTV 6, the original Tempo 2.


When DirecTV 5 becomes operational, the company will have 25 percent more

capacity over the continental U.S.

 

[Steve Mehs]

Too bad for DirecTV folks, I was hoping to see a good race between Dish and DiercTV for HD offerings.

 

[kcmchugh]

I have seriously been looking for a reason to give Dish a try and if they carry Discovery HD while D* doesn't...I guess I'll be picking up a new HD receiver.


I've been growing increasingly frustrated with DirecTV's customer service--the latest frustration was with a new HD reciever I added to my system. DirecTV told me that I was required to keep it in service for 12 months or they'd charge me some fee! This was a box I bought! Ridiculous! I canceled Starz, Showtime, and all the Sports programming and told the guy to write down the reason was that they required this 12 month commitment.. And I like Starz and Showtime!


Kevin

 

[Dean Roddey]

And don't they have a DirecTV 7 bird in the nest now and ready to fly soon? A guy who lives here in the apartments works for Loral, who I guess work on the DirecTV satellites and I was thinking that he said that they had a #7 ready to go soon. Is that too just to be local channel stuff?

 

[Andrew Sabin]

Tom and Linda,


I guess everyone has a different reception story. I also experience reception problems in the spring and summer. With the tall trees surrounding my house, I experience intermittent dropouts, especially when wind blows the leafs. With little or no wind, my reception is usually fine in the spring/summer. However, during adverse weather, the dropouts are frustrating. This doesn't occur during bad weather in the fall and winter.


Andrew

 

[Corey140]

Quote:

Originally posted by Dean Roddey And don't they have a DirecTV 7 bird in the nest now and ready to fly soon? A guy who lives here in the apartments works for Loral, who I guess work on the DirecTV satellites and I was thinking that he said that they had a #7 ready to go soon. Is that too just to be local channel stuff?

Thats the spotbeam satellite and isn't scheduled to launch until 2003......

 

[DrDon]

Tom..


If I were you, I'd check my antenna or connections. If you're in Southfield, you're less than five miles from ALL of Detroit's TV towers. Given how Detroit is flat and there's nothing taller than the Traveler's Tower between you and 9 1/2 mile and Coolidge, you should be able to get UPN, PBS and everybody else with a six-penny nail and some speaker wire, I'd think.


You might even have too much antenna and need to rotate it. WXYZ is due south of you, WJBK and PBS are SSE, WWJ and WKBD are SE and WDIV is ESE. I'd forgo the roof and try rabbit ears. Leaves shouldn't mess you up much from Southfield unless you have a lead tree in your yard .


Dr Don

 

[jfischer]

Quote:

Originally posted by kcmchugh DirecTV told me that I was required to keep it in service for 12 months or they'd charge me some fee! This was a box I bought! Ridiculous! Kevin

Unless you got a discount for agreeing to a 1-year subscription to a particular service level or something. If you just wanted "regular" pricing, then there's no reason to require the 12-month commitment.

 

[Compromise]

I just purchased my third receiver (I have one HDSTB and now two regular ones). The new one is one of those cheap $49 jobs from CC.


My point is that Pegasus said that the don't care about the contract for 12 mo. so I signed it at CC. I will probably DTV for 12 months anyway. CC (Circuit City) made me sign the contract. I tried buying on over the net and they wanted me to sign one.


So this is my question -- Has anyone actually done this and then terminated the service? Does the long arm of the law come after you for the extra $100. Or do they automatically charge your credit card. The trick then would be to change your credit card number to save the $100 (ha ha - now we got 'em).


But to me the anoying part is the $4.99/month extra.

 

[Headtalk]

Don't forget the merger could play into the announcements they release both E* and D* say they don't have enough bandwidth. There should be a decision sometime in Aug/Sep time frame for the merger.


The attorney general may only let them merge locals only .... who knows...... I'm going fishing

 

[sts3001]

Quote:

Originally posted by Compromise So this is my question -- Has anyone actually done this and then terminated the service? Does the long arm of the law come after you for the extra $100. Or do they automatically charge your credit card. The trick then would be to change your credit card number to save the $100 (ha ha - now we got 'em).

That's why Dish Network now requires your social security number because of this......You wouldn't be the first to do it....The dealer, specially the little guys, looses out too(chargeback).....

 

[MikeKO]

Quote:

Originally posted by Linda Britt Just thought about HDNet needing additional transponders, Dan. Ouch. Those locals keep multiplying faster than rabbits. Plus, the other content providers continue to spin-off more and more niche channels. Seems every week I'm reading about another channel debuting. Haven't they sliced that pie into enough slivers, yet? Niche channels debut. Nobody or few watch. What a waster of bandwidth. Just another excuse to sell deflated commercial time.

The "niche" thing has me a bit curious. From DTV's perspective, we are a niche rigtht? A very rapidly growing niche at that. That being the case, why does a new version of the "History channel" have a priority over HD? My theory is that the mangagment of these networks is so tied in with the cable folks that they given up original thought. The cable companies did the new channel thing to bring in new revenue. With the new channels they could tell the requlatory bodies that they had to increase price because they were adding more programming. For them it was a good idea, but I am baffled why the DBS folks do the same. If they want to increase revenue, we are the source, not more "micro sliced" SD channels. Apparently Cuban is the only one bright enough to figure this out. Lets hope that he gets good growth from his upcoming pay services. DBS management might be vision challenged, but they still respond to the scent of money in the water.


$.02

Mike