[Darkman]

Satellite TV's Fall To Earth (DISH)(DTV) (.. hehe - funny headline.. to me anyhow)

Satellite TV has a business model that is too good to be true. Results from Echostar and DirecTV would indicate that they are thriving in both subscriber and revenue growth. But, there are at least three competing businesses that will make the expansion of the satellite TV operators come at a much higher cost....

--- Fiber-to-the-home....

--- Cable....

--- WiMax. Two years ago, WiMax appeared to be a technology developed by schizophrenics. But...

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Satellite TV's downfall eventually may be that it is uni-directional. It sends a signal down to the home, but does not take a signal back. The satellite people have set up a system where you can send data to them over a phone line, but it is, at best, a wacky contraption that customers would rather do without. The same people who may do without satellite TV all together.

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( The entire article is at the following source: http://247wallst.blogspot.com/2006/11/satellite-tvs-fall-to-earth.html )

 

[kb7oeb]

Satellite TV's downfall eventually may be that it is uni-directional. It sends a signal down to the home, but does not take a signal back. The satellite people have set up a system where you can send data to them over a phone line, but it is, at best, a wacky contraption that customers would rather do without. The same people who may do without satellite TV all together.

With the new boxes having ethernet they are solving that but I'm not sure why having a faster/better uplink would matter that much.

 

[Jolard]

I agree on the ethernet, although that of course requires users to have broadband internet. It is more common now, but there are still people without it.

This will be a challenge for Dish, and it is seen today in the VOD offerings. Compare Dish with Cable, and it is a joke. Until they activate the ViP part of my ViP622, they will never get even close to what Cable can offer in VOD.

 

[robert koerner]

Fiber to the home?

Maybe in Singapore, Japan, South Korea, etc, but not the USA.

Bob

 

[dartonviper]

Fiber to the Home is starting to get really big in the midwest
The bundled prices are very hard to beat

 

[compubit]

Although not available in my area, a buddy of mine in Virginia has it in the house he just moved into. He still complains about the quality of the SD channels, but loves the HD stuff.

Me personally, now that DSL is available in my area, I'm looking into dropping Time Warner once and for all.... (I have dish, but am stuck with Road Runner....)

Jim

 

[DishSubLA]

Let's not forget the real deciding factor for most households: PRICE. And satellite, especially Dish have the advantage there. It suprises me how many satellite dishes I see in very modest or even poor neighborhood. Then I remember inexpensive Charlie's low level packages are.

 

[James Long]

Fiber to the home?

Maybe in Singapore, Japan, South Korea, etc, but not the USA.

Yes Bob, in Indiana. That's in the USA the last time I checked.

 

[Amherst]

We have fiber to the home available to the home in New Jersey-U.S.A.
Have a neighbor with a new verizon install just last week. Only providing phone and 6mb broadband. The service will be offering TV after the first of the year. I understand that direct is going to provide the service to verizon. I feel that's ashame because of directs limited HD offerings.

 

[stanggt03]

AT&T should have it (FTTP) in almost all service areas within 3 years. There are a few trials in many states, including my home state of Illinois

 

[robert koerner]

May be we'll catch up to them in 10-20 years.

Bob

 

[Paul Secic]

Let's not forget the real deciding factor for most households: PRICE. And satellite, especially Dish have the advantage there. It suprises me how many satellite dishes I see in very modest or even poor neighborhood. Then I remember inexpensive Charlie's low level packages are.

I see all kinds of dishs on apartments, houses in East Oakland which is the poorest area, when I go to my dentist. He has Directv receivers in about 6 dental work stations for patients.

 

[kb7oeb]

Bill Moyers recently did an interesting show on PBS that was abount net neutrality but also talked a lot about how the telecoms made promises about 45Mbps internet and fiber to the house in exchange for the 1996 telecom bill. http://www.pbs.org/moyers/moyersonamerica/net/index.html