[jlin]

The following was copied and pasted fromt the DISH retailer chat transcript :

http://ccbn.tenkwizard.com/filing.ph...0033&VL=cc0033



J. DeFranco

Charlie, we've had continual questions about where

progress is coming in HD and of course Discovery has

talked about HD. And there are some other new

services or at least there's more programming being

developed, in the development stages in HD and so

constantly we get questions about what's the update

there. As it relates to Discovery, I know that we

have had some discussions with them. Maybe you want

to elaborate on that.


C. Ergen Discovery is planning a summer launch of a high

definition network. Again we're talking with them

about that, obviously capacity is an issue as well

for that. Mark Kuben of course who does high

definition HD Net was at our Team Summit and those of

you who saw him on the panel know that he's got a lot

of things going on and he's got some things that at

the end of this year will be available going forward

and there are lot of other talks in the work. But we

plan on being the leader in HDTV from a national

perspective. We obviously have a great [inaudible]

receiver at 6,000 that's capable of that, that is

capable of terrestrial HDTV as well if you put up an

offer antenna. So we think we have some good products

and we plan on moving them forward.


Our new relation with RCA is going to be helpful

there in terms of making sure that the TV sets

continue to come down in price. But we announce that

again the merger is what allows us to become the

leader in HDTV because of the tremendous bandwidth

that HDTV takes up. Again today we have everything up

there that we can put up there of value and we just

keep working with the programming folks to get more

and we'll haveannouncements when we have annouments.



C. Ergen HDTV, PVR we are working on that. Obviously it's

become a kind of chicken/egg problem because we don't

have enough ... With the merger we think that with

the content that we have and the bandwidth we have,

then we think that becomes a compelling product.

Without the merger that's not a compelling product

because we don't have enough HDTV to warrant it.

 

[mknoebel]

Thanks for posting that. But, who's Mark Kuben?

 

[Leftcoastdave]

Mark Cuban -- Founder, HDNet and Owner, Dallas Mavericks

 

[jacmyoung]

Quote:

Originally posted by Leftcoastdave Mark Cuban -- Founder, HDNet and Owner, Dallas Mavericks

Notice his ?


If Charlie is going to wait after merger to add any new HD channels, that will be a long wait, that is to assume the merger will even go through. By then he would have already lost most of his HD base, to DirecTV or cable.


For that reason, I don't think he can afford to wait. But his comment on HD PVR was a warning to those eagerly waiting for the PVR929, it may never materialize.

 

[pgnewarkboy]

DISH is definitely NOT tha national leader in HDTV. Obviously DirecTV is because they carry HDnet. Ergen wants everybody to push for the merger period. I know he has all kinds of problems with bandwith etc. The only thing he does NOT have a problem with is TAKING OUR MONEY!

 

[tREN]

Im pretty sure I get enough HD content to warrant (want anyway) an HD PVR. But then again, I have DirecTV.

 

[GScott]

Once again Charlie is better at talking about being the HD leader instead of actually being one.

 

[Jerry G]

Quote:

Originally posted by pgnewarkboy DISH is definitely NOT tha national leader in HDTV. Obviously DirecTV is because they carry HDnet. Ergen wants everybody to push for the merger period. I know he has all kinds of problems with bandwith etc. The only thing he does NOT have a problem with is TAKING OUR MONEY!

Come on. Let's not get into that childish debate for the zillionth time, unless your intention is to start another in a long series of flame wars that resolves nothing. It's all relative. I'm more interested in getting the east coast CBS HD feed than HDNet, so for me, Dish is better for HD. DirecTV is better for others who are more interested in sports and other HDNet programming. If Charlie wants to play the childish "leader" game, you don't have to follow him, do you?


Having said that, should DirecTV add Discovery HD and Dish does not, and given that the new modulation scheme Dish will have in the future will prevent me from using the Dish 5000/HDTV modulator and Panasonic STB/DVHS unit for recording, I will drop Dish and move to DirecTV. Not because of anyone being a leader, but because Charlie will have then broken his promise to add new HD channels when they become available.

 

[BarryO]

'sounds like the HDPVR is DOA. 'too bad; I was planning on buying one.

 

[vruiz]

Quote:

Originally posted by BarryO 'sounds like the HDPVR is DOA. 'too bad; I was planning on buying one.

The 921 may be in question, but JVC just announced its own Dish HD-PVR , the TU-9000. So what if Echostar doesn't sell its own PVR, as long as there's a Dish Network-compatible HD-PVR, what's the difference? Who cares who makes the darn thing as long as it works?

 

[Ken H]

Quote:

Originally posted by vruiz The 921 may be in question, but JVC just announced its own Dish HD-PVR[/url], the TU-9000. So what if Echostar doesn't sell its own PVR, as long as there's a Dish Network-compatible HD-PVR, what's the difference? Who cares who makes the darn thing as long as it works?

Yes, Mr. Ergin's comment about this product is confusing. It was announced well before the merger was even a blip on Charley's scope, why now is he saying no dice unless the merger goes through?


And Vic is absolutely right, Echostar will be making the JVC product, which I think is a sure thing because of the public comments from JVC. They have too much invested in DVHS not to have a compatible STB. The only possible alternative is the 921/TU-9000 minus the PVR section.


Something's fishy here.

 

[dagman]

Quote:

Originally posted by jacmyoung If Charlie is going to wait after merger to add any new HD channels, that will be a long wait, that is to assume the merger will even go through. By then he would have already lost most of his HD base, to DirecTV or cable.

Ugh . . . I'm starting to hope the Feds just make *any* decision on this merger soon. This merger has thrown two of the better proponents of HDTV (Dish Network and DirecTV) into a holding pattern.


(Yeah, I know . . . neither Dish Network nor DirecTV has been much of a proponent of HDTV but they both moved faster than cable.)

 

[Ken H]

Quote:

Originally posted by dagman Ugh . . . I'm starting to hope the Feds just make *any* decision on this merger soon. This merger has thrown two of the better proponents of HDTV (Dish Network and DirecTV) into a holding pattern.

Well, DirecTV did just add Showtime HD, I think that counts for something, right?

 

[jerndl]

Quote:

Originally posted by Ken H Echostar will be making the JVC product, which I think is a sure thing because of the public comments from JVC.

You're such an optimist.


Jay

 

[Gerald C]

It's obvious that Charlie is posturing, pure and simple. The merger is the biggest thing on his plate at the moment, and he'll take any and every opportunity to advocate it, even if HD content has to suffer.


Bandwidth is THE issue when it comes to competing with cable in the longterm, and Charlie isn't going let any anti-merger critics challenge him with accusations of "wasting" it on HD. And he also knows that the current regulatory/Congressional environment wants DTV/HD to go forward, and he's clearly expoiting this too!


I think we'll see Discovery and HDNET on Dish sooner rather than later, but if HD takes off and lots of channels (say, dozens) pop up over the next few years, then satellite is really going to be hurting to carry them.


In the real longterm, if HDTV becomes the de-facto expectation from most networks, cable will have the bandwidth. Satellite won't, sadly.


Gerald C

 

[Don Landis]

Sounds to me like Ergan is running scared and desperate. I'm close to Jerry's camp as I have DN for recording HDTV. I don't need CBSHD but have applied for my waiver since out local CBS affil goes dead after July. The PVR from JVC will do if Charlie won't sell his own if the merger dies but since I have both here, I really don;t care what system I watch, my preference will be for the one I can also record. It also will depend who offers what. I anticipate soon we will have recording capability on DirecTV HD so whaen that happens, it will be a whole new ball game for me.

Yes, Charlie needs to do less talk and more walk now that DTV has Showtime HD.

 

[inkahauts]

I am yet to figure out how cable has any decent capacity for HD programing without more upgradeing. There high speed internet is bad and now they'll take more bandwithd for HD. Where's it all coming from. Also, I've heard from several reps that we'll see pvr from several companies that will be HD capable and work with directv (and maybe even dish?), and that they'll be out this fall. And I'm not talking about JVC. Here's hopeing their talk isn't chatter......

 

[Ken H]

Quote:

Originally posted by jerndl You're such an optimist. Jay

Thank you Jay, but I think I'm more of a pragmatist.


Let me share my thinking with you. First, I met Jerry Barbera, one of the JVC fellows mentioned in the recent TVInsite/TWICE article, last fall at CEDIA. I asked him why DVHS, with no way to record HDTV? He assured me there was a IEEE1394 solution in the near future, and it would be compatible with Dish Network.


Second, JVC has a lot on the line with DVHS. They are filling the pipe with product both here & in Japan, with their own brand and OEM'ing for others. They know, as we do, that in order for DHVS to succeed it will need to record HDTV.


Third, they have managed to put together the DTheater program, with the support of four major movie studios. This is a significant step.


So IMHO, JVC will make it happen. They have to.

 

[JKohn]

Quote:

So IMHO, JVC will make it happen. They have to.

I hope and pray they fail. Going back to tape is about the worst thing that could happen for consumers besides extreme draconian copy protection, and it's my understanding that description would apply to DTheater. The JVC DVHS decks are the worst of both worlds.

 

[Ken H]

Quote:

Originally posted by JKohn I hope and pray they fail. Going back to tape is about the worst thing that could happen for consumers besides extreme draconian copy protection, and it's my understanding that description would apply to DTheater. The JVC DVHS decks are the worst of both worlds.

I have to disagree Jeff. Why do you say tape is so bad? I've been using DHVS for over two years now and it works fine.