Bash DirecTV Month?

[Nick]

I regularly scan the trades for news related to HDTV and HD pogramming, but
recently I've noticed a definite uptick in the number of negative headlines in
the HD press about the nation's largest DBS Provider.

Item: DirecTV Overcompressing HD Signal
Item: DirecTV's HR20 a "Kludge"
Item: DirecTV Suit Alleges HD Picture Dilution
Item: DirecTV Drops TNT-HD for NFL ST Game
Item: DirecTV Delays National HD Channels Til 2007

I'm not now, nor have I ever been a D* sub, but I can't imagine that all that bad
stuff is happening at the same time. Is it just a concidence, the media piling on,
or did old Rupie up and go fishing and forget to tell anyone?

:confused:

[Phil T]

Item: DirecTV Overcompressing HD Signal
Item: DirecTV's HR20 a "Kludge"
Item: DirecTV Suit Alleges HD Picture Dilution
Item: DirecTV Drops TNT-HD for NFL ST Game
Item: DirecTV Delays National HD Channels Til 2007

:

1 - Isn't Dish doing the same?
2- HR 20 is late, but anyone remember the 921?
3- Same as #1
4- Yes there is a capacity issue that will be fixed soon. Does Dish have ST?
5- Same as #4 except I really don't seem to be missing much with VOOM.

[harsh]

1 - Isn't Dish doing the same?Yes, but they offer part of the 1080i programming in 1920x1080 and the balance in 1280x1080 while all of the D* 1080i content is 1280x1080.2- HR 20 is late, but anyone remember the 921?IIRC, the 921 was five months late. While the HR20 is available, I think you would agree that it isn't complete.3- Same as #1I haven't seen any mention of a similar class action lawsuit against E*.
4- Yes there is a capacity issue that will be fixed soon."Soon" is not the word that would have chosen for a year from now.Does Dish have ST?No. Should NFLST preempt regular HD programming offerings?5- Same as #4 except I really don't seem to be missing much with VOOM.It is easy not to miss something that you've never had.

D* seems to be bringing a lot of this bad press on themselves:

The are tapped out on grace for late deliveries and the "staged rollout" of the HR20 has been explained by one CSR as a "testing phase".

Where is the "slim" MPEG4 antenna?

Why is the Chairman of the company promising more bandwidth by the end of the year that is scheduled for launch months later?

Why is the Executive Vice President promising 150 HD channels worth of bandwidth some time in Q2 2007 when 100 of the channels is though to be launching in Q3?

Why is there so much confusion about what "deals" are available for the HR20.

The DirecTV forums are littered with opportunities to take whacks at DirecTV for misleading statements and what the TiVo zealots have repeatedly identifed as poor judgement in parting ways with TiVo (these guys are on a par with Macintosh zealots).

Such is not to say that Dish Network's nose doesn't have a few big boogers hiding in there.

My take on the situation:

Now the multichannel delivery companies are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that industry, or any industry so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. They've not learned from Microsoft about releasing products that may never be ready for prime time. They've learned each other's weaknesses and are playing them to the hilt. In the meantime, the cable companies continue to combine their forces in a manner denied to Echostar in their failed attempt to buy out DirecTV.

I won't even get into the hairball that is the unbalanced regulation from the bowels of the FCC.

As I see it, DirecTV has three problems of their own creation that could and should be fixed:

1. They need to come forth with a singular vision of where they are going and make sure that everyone from the level one CSR to the Chairman of the company is on the same page.

2. They need to decide on upgrade programs for equipment with an offer for each level of customer so that each subscriber knows that they are getting the deal that they are entitled to.

3. They need to make sure that when they release something for general availability, it should be substantially working as announced (Cable has been known to bail on projects that didn't work out after months of testing).