Three bundles? What/How would this work?
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/84104.html?google_editors_picks=true
It's important to pay attention to the innovative leaders in every industry -- the companies with new ideas that are transforming old technologies. It's not so long ago that Blockbuster was the leader in the video rental space. Not that much time has passed since Kodak was the leader in the camera space. Many of us have experienced the shift in music listening media from vinyl records to cassette tapes, CDs, and then downloadable digital files. Things often change very quickly. Pay TV is changing rapidly as well.
Three bundles? What/How would this work?They talked about creating three bundles of services using DirecTV -- for low, medium and heavy users.
Click and go only works if one already has the network and required equipment in place.Now the process is totally automated with DirectTV Now, just click a button and have immediate streaming TV. Try it, we have entered the TV revolution.
Unfortunately DIRECTV Now is not the same material as DIRECTV satellite (or UVerse). SlingTV is not the same material as DISH Network.LOL, yes the pants are the same brand/material and lasting just as long.
So click ... wait for delivery, self install, upgrade Internet to new requirements, configure and go?DirectTV Now will give you a Free Apple TV box..
Sling TV will give you a free Roku Box.
Just plug into HDMI port on the TV and off you go.
So you are absolutely guaranteeing that every piece of content available via DIRECTV satellite is available via DIRECTV Now?My experience streaming movies/TV prove to be the same material as DirectTV/Cable.
Assuming that the content owners are being paid the same for a subscription via streaming as they are being paid for a subscription via satellite (as the WSJ article used for calculation) it is the distributor (AT&T|DIRECTV) who is offering a product at penny profits or a loss. Which works as long as there is a bigger service keeping the company in business.Another pebble to throw into this discussion... Don't make the mistake a lot of people do... don't equate company savings to consumer savings. As James notes, streaming companies are selling low right now because they can and because they want to attract customers. IF that shifts to being the norm, then content creators are going to expect more from those avenues, consumers will have less choice not to use those streaming options, and streaming will cost more to the consumer.
It is a smart move. The content owners are supporting it and being able to leverage 13-24 million subscribers via satellite/cable gives DISH and DIRECTV a better deal than a smaller company. (A primary reason AT&T bought DIRECTV was to raise their customer count to make negotiating for the OTT service easier.)You also have companies like Dish and DirecTV beginning to hedge their bets right now... just in case streaming becomes the thing... making sure they are ready to go with a footprint there.
I doubt it really is once the satelites are already up there. The amount of money it costs to keep a massive network running all around the country isn't cheap. Why do you think Netflix is paying for better access from providers? And how much do you think it's cost to wire fiber to everyone home in say Los Angeles vs launching a satellite that hits the entire country? Backend similar probably...Chiming in randomly, because of checking out things after the forum upgrade...
My take on his cost post was the same as Aridon's... I can't speak to the monetary values... but it has to be LOTS cheaper to transmit via IP than to have to maintain satellites and uplink sites. So while other costs of creating/transmitting programming would be the same... there would be a substantial savings for a company to transmit the same content via streaming vs a satellite service. So I can see that being a thing that might drive development in that direction. I think there are other hurdles, though, not the least of which being lack of availability nationwide of quality/reliable high-speed Internet access within the US that will stall this being an immediate threat to satellite services.