[Joe_R]

With the addition of Showtime, DirectTv has told us we must have a basic subscription in addition to HBO and/or Showtime. BS! I'm keeping my $12/month HBO package. I'm not paying for 200 channels I don't want. I want an All-HD package. $15-$20/month for HBO-HD, Showtime-HD, HDNet-HD and Discovery-HD (if/when added).

How can we lobby them to create such a package. As I'm typing, I just remembered Comcast is doing the same thing. They force you to subscribe to Digital Cable, charging you a premium, in order to get any HD channels. I don't like this at all.

 

[avguygeorge]

I guess it depends on your perspective. When I first heard about hdtv a couple of years back,I was elated to find,if you suscribe--it's free.-- So,like all of life--It depends on how you look at it. Geo

 

[jdiehl]

I'm with you Joe. I have the $12/month HBO ala carte and I'm not about to give DirecTV extra money for a base package that I don't want. Like many, I have DirecTV for HBO-HD and HDNET. I still use analog cable for the rest of my channels for a variety of reasons (no equipment, use TV tuners, dual tuner PIP on TV's, ease of use, faster channel surfing, broadband cable sub., no extra charge for watching on 5 other SD televisions, etc etc etc).


If DirecTV presented me with a HD only package, I would jump all over it. Of course, it would have to include more than what I'm getting now in order for me to change my grandfathered HBO ala carte deal. (ie. Sho-HD, Disc-HD, more HDNET channels, maybe regional HD locals?).

 

[DP1]

Interesting poll. Even without looking at the current results I'm thinking it has a legitimate shot to be the only poll ever brought forth that could be a shutout.

 

[dsegelstein]

EHH! Too late! Who's the knucklehead? I thought this was a no brainer.

 

[jbateman]

Not me! But this looks too close to ala carte channel selection. I've wanted that for years, but the DBS providers don't.

 

[Linda Britt]

DirecTV or MSOs are likely not the culprits altogether. From my understanding of how it works, content providers package channels in a bundle. In order to get certain desirable ones, they're forced to take other less desirable ones. In turn, they pass along the cost to us. Anyone out there who can explain exactly how it works?

 

[jacmyoung]

Quote:

Originally posted by DP1 Interesting poll. Even without looking at the current results I'm thinking it has a legitimate shot to be the only poll ever brought forth that could be a shutout.

Better lock it in before Dan try to withdraw his prediction in disgrace


I have every reason to believe DirecTV can offer SHO-HD without insisting on Total Choice and Showtime package, but they choose not to. This is why the merger will not be a good thing, you end up with less choice.

 

[mchurchm]

My dish network contract is expiring very soon, and I am considering switching to DirecTV. The fact that they no longer have the directv limited or hbo a-la-carte packages are making me a little hesitent to switch, since i can't cancel my cable (need it for the internet service)....

 

[fishman]

Funny! Exactly want I presented to one of those empty head reps at Directv today Joe! As I totd her, I knew all along you were going to screw us into buying another package. As most of you subscribers have, Im sure, a total choice HBO package. I pleaded with her to pass along to her superiors that WE NEED A HD PACKAGE. She said out of te 10million subscibers, onle a VERY small % have HD services/when that number grows then MAYBE the will offer such a program package. NOT!!!! As long as we are willing to pay that extra 12bucks, it aint happenning!

 

[Dean Roddey]

I would settle for a base+HD package myself, if that was the closest thing available. I don't want to have to get the Ultra-Mega-Radioactive-Plutonium package at some point just to get all the HD signals, since I basically never watch anything else other than to flip on the weather channel once in a while or the occasional interesting thing on Discovery or TLC.

 

[gpb]

I'd be willing to pay $20/month to get HBO-HD, Showtime-HD, HDNET, and DiscoveryHD. That comes out to about $5 channel. Right now, it would cost $54/month and DiscoveryHD isn't available yet. That is $18 per HD channel, which is more than I'm willing to pay.


If HBO didn't use P&S, and/or Showtime had more HD instead of upconverts, I probably would pay the $54/month though.


Their standard def channels are so compressed that I am not willing to pay any significant amount of money to get them.


I already own a HD-STB that supports DirecTV, but am only using it for OTA right now.

 

[kcmchugh]

I've worked in the cable business about a little over a year now, but more on the On-Demand side of things.


From what I've seen, we are unlikely to get any HD-only type package that would include something like HBO-HD, Showtime-HD, Discover-HD, HDNET.


There are some basic rules I've picked up on (someone else probably knows much more than I'll ever know):


1) HBO-HD is something HBO is most likely doing to increase the subscriber rate on traditional HBO. Same for Showtime. Five bucks is nice, but $12 is better....and we'll all pay the $12!



2) Showtime and HBO aren't necessarily in the business of promoting each others products. "Packaging" multiple premium services works for some subscribers, and it does get some people to buy more... but when you put $12 with another $12 you get a bunch more than $10 they'd have to split.


3) Cable Companies want to keep you from going to Satellite, and Satellite providers want you to drop cable...they do this by offering unique content...but the costs per subscriber (billing, customer support, subsidising the hardware, etc.) are enough that they need to recoup that in large monthly subscription fees.


4) Cable/Satellite is a monthly business. Packaging is an art-form. Mix some high-demand stuff with some low-demand stuff to make it all worth more to the consumer. ESPN with ESPN News, CNN and Bloomberg, MSNBC with CNBC...it works.


4a) HBO and Showtime Monthly packaging is an art form at its best. These guys know how to take a few HOT titles, package it with unique content and bundle it with a lot more lower-demand stuff and get us to pay for it all. We might only pay $5 for just the hot stuff, maybe a buck more for the unique stuff...and we'd likely not want the rest. But they stick it all together and charge us $12. And we gladly pay. Nobody is better at this than HBO. And Showtime is good at it too, but they just don't get the best titles, like HBO.


5) Billing systems are old. Real old. Mainframes with monochrome monitors. Anything that would complicate the billing process isn't high on anybody's list...especially if it doesn't help the bottom line. 'Cause it costs a bunch to make changes.


oh, and 6) There ain't much competition. Cable companies don't compete against one another, so you won't see one offering an ala carte deal when another is getting subscribers to buy the whole cake. Satellite guys get us because they have clearer picture, more channels, and HD! Why would they want to sell you a slice when the whole cake offer is all you can get from their competitors (cable)?


So, in my opinion, an HD package will never happen. And I don't like using the word "never."


Kevin

 

[Dean Roddey]

Hey they should buy Infranet, the billing system that the company I work for makes Then our stock would go up, and some of mine would be worth selling, then I could buy any package that they want to offer!

 

[jacmyoung]

The bottom line is competition. Both DBS companies have newer systems to handle hundreds of different billing combinations. In fact they did so in the early stages.


I still remember having Dishnetwork's $15 "Pick-Your-Ten-Best-Channels" package. And I still have DirecTV's $7.99 Limited package.


When HBOHD and SHOHD came on to the DBS, the stipulation was the DBS would have to provide them to the subs free, or free along with their respective SD packages subscription.


Dishnetwork initially offered both HBOHD and SHOHD to their HD viewers as long as you qualified as a sub. Later they required subscription to HBO and SHO. DirecTV still give (though not officially) HBOHD to HD subs without HBO package.


So it can be done, but I don't think it will happen either simply due to competition. There is nowhere else (except on BUD) you can get those HD channels, so why bother? Throw your HD gears out of the window see if they care.