[Guest]

What happens if the merger happens when it comes to the slots? Where will the core go? Will the core be at 101 and something or another and the 119 and 110 slot be for extras?

If they swap out receivers they'll have to be new ones won't they? I'm sure they don't have enough refurbished boxes to give every E* sub. Like I said on the other forum, this will turn into a clusterf... and will piss a lot of people off.

Another thing, RCA, Sony, and whomever else makes equipment for DTV will probably go out of that business because E* will make all the new boxes themself?

 

[Guest]

A few weeks back, E* and RCA came to an agreement on making some IRD's, we haven't heard much since then. I haven't heard anything regarding how much RCA will be invoved in making these receivers.

 

[Guest]

E will lkicesnse box manufacturing, because they need the production capacity. Core will likely go to one slot, with some LIL, other slots wwill carry LIL citys only. The transistion is going to be a hugh dance of birds, channels, and LIL citys/ I am looking forward to the new boxes all of which will offer broadband, VOD, selling stuff, and some services not announced yet, ALL designed to make more money!

 

[Guest]

Is Dish going to pay for all the sats to be re-aimed?
This sounds like to me a lot of money will be lost.

 

[Guest]

What do you mean "re-aimed"?

 

[Guest]

For example: If E* decided to use the DTV slots for core programming.

 

[Guest]

so you mean re-aiming the dishes?

they have said that new equipment will be at no charge. I am not sure anyone can truthfully answer your question beyond that.

 

[Guest]

"so you mean re-aiming the dishes?"

Oh, I screwed up. I see now. I should have said dishes instead of sats. Yeah, that's what I mean.

 

[Guest]

Some manufacturers are already making 'hybrid' set top boxes. These boxes will automatically look at the bird for that particular area. I heard[rumor only] and I may have this backwards, that the east will look at 110/101 and the west 119/101.

All the replacing of equipment will be bore by Echo/DTV. The only time that the customer will incur extra charges is if they wish to upgrade their equipment to a box that is 'higher' ended than what they currently have.

It has been suggested that this transition will take up to 4 years to complete.

 

[Guest]

While I believe Charlie and Eddie whne they say the plan hasn't been decided yet, I really think that ALL recievers will eventually be upgraded or replaced in order to take advantage of new services and features. After the merger, most of us will have access to four slots (I have access to three right now). While new LIL markets will eat up some bandwidth, there will be some continnued pressure to add remaining "cable channels" to the DBS lineup. Also new encoding my be employed whcih is neither "fish nor fowl" but a new scheme that will oblete both E* and DirecTV receivers.

 

[Guest]

"I really think that ALL recievers will eventually be upgraded or replaced in order to take advantage of new services and features."

Believe me, Dish subs are excited for this "swap-out" of equipment, but Directv subs are a little nervous about it. I don't think you'll find many UTV or DirecTivo owners who are anxious to go to a Dish PVR.

 

[Guest]

I'm not excited to possibly go to a D* system, but I don't think it will work that way anyway. The only reciever I have seen that I am remotely interested in would be a Sony for integration reasons. If Sony made a PVR, great... but I'm sure as hell not going to pay a subscription for PVR.