[Mike123abc]

When commenting on the boxes being replaced by end of 2005, it got me to thinking what a new box may look like.

It seems to me that they could make a single box with expansion slots to service ALL customers. I could see these standard features on a box:

8PSK, 16QAM (not for immediate use, but in the future, but since in the broadcom chip-set already, a freebie), an empty disk drive bay.

Then see expansion slots for things such as:

1. OTA tuner (analog/8VSB)... maybe more than one for PIP

2. PVR

3. Second sat tuner for PIP or multi room, maybe even ability for 3 or 4th tuners. This would allow them to possibly cut down on the number of boxes needed per house if you could run 4 TVs off a single box.

Dish could specify the box and have the other companies that make set top boxes help manufacture the new ones. The vast scale of 20 million boxes would allow them to put in a lot of features cheaply.

 

[Jacob S]

This is something they should have done in the first place, by making their receivers expandable and upgradable in many aspects so they would not have to go and make new receivers all of the time. All the customer would have to do is replace a board (just like the old cypher c/ku band receivers) and it would be an upgrade. The serial ports could have hard drives added onto them or extra tuners added on. So many possibilities. These are already like computers, why not make these upgradable just like computers are?

 

[MarkA]

What I think was crazy, if it's true, was to release the 721 without 8PSK support. I've heard rumours both ways... Does anybody know if it has 8PSK? Also, do we have any predictions on what the new system will be? Personally I'm guessing MPEG-2 DVB using 8PSK coding, and a new access control system made by NagraVision

 

[Jacob S]

Can you even imagine a DirecTv receiver using NagraVision or a Dish receiver using NewsCorp technology?

 

[MarkA]

DirecTV using NagraVision - yep. DISH using NDS (News Corp.) - NO WAY! That's why I suspect it will be NagraVision security, or else a whole new company. MPEG2 DVB makes the most logical sense for datastream format - especially with the fact it's what DISH already uses. Hopefully, they'll be able to up the resolution to 720x480 with the extra bandwidth. Especially if they go with 8PSK - which with all the receivers they have to replace, would make a LOT of sense. I predict it to go something like this (I have no inside info, this is just wild, somewhat educated guessing):

- New 8PSK receivers will be created for places necessary. Since the format is the same (MPEG2 DVB) these will also handle the current DISH QPSK system
- All DISH smart cards will be swapped
- All current DirecTV receivers will be swapped out with new receivers
- DISH HD subs will get 8PSK module free
- DISH Premium subs will get receiver swaps
- DISH Locals subs will get free receiver swaps
- Internationals, then AT150, AT100, finally AT50 will be swapped.
- PPVs will finally changed to 8PSK with everybody except SA subs having them. SA subs (who have just SA) will likely not be changed, and SA will remain QPSK unless SA decides to pay.

Again, this is barely educated guessing. This is not what "will" happen. Please don't start a rumor on this or tell it to others as fact. It isn't fact. It's what I predict. And that has little meaning, except being some fun trying to guess what's going on in the mind of Charlie!

 

[Jacob S]

And they could use all the old directv receivers to pick up special channels maybe from a certain satellite or if some companies would do it they could start using those same frequencies to allow them to be used.

What are the possibilities for all of those DirecTv receivers after the merger is over with?

 

[MarkA]

Hmmm... well, if they replace everything, DISH receivers would need something done with them also. I wonder. They could take out the useful materials and recycle the rest. I don't really know. That is interesting. What will they do with (quite literally) TONS of useless receivers?

 

[Mike123abc]

I guess the big question is how much flexibility can they get for the approximately $150 base price they want to pay for new boxes.

If they make multiroom boxes that could save lots of money. I personally would not mind one box that could drive 4 TVs. With a UHF remote you could have each TV act like it has its own box. They would save money by reducing boxes in the house, and subscribers would save money by eliminating the $5 extra/month fee.

 

[MarkA]

Mike, the problem with a multiroom box is carrying SVideo that far (and there's NO way I or many others would be willing to go back to composite) without it losing sync. Does anybody know of a solution they could use to make the extra rooms have SVideo?

 

[Chris Freeland]

Originally posted by Zac
Mike, the problem with a multiroom box is carrying SVideo that far (and there's NO way I or many others would be willing to go back to composite) without it losing sync. Does anybody know of a solution they could use to make the extra rooms have SVideo?

Yes but I suspect many people could make do with RF for 3 TV's and would only need S-Video for their main set. I have 3 TV's and only my 27" Toshiba in my main room has a S-Video connection, the 25" Sharp in my BDR is RF only and my daughters TV is only a 13" mono TV with just one set of RCA A/V jacks for Video and a single Audio, I could not even use S-Video on all TV,s.

 

[Chris Freeland]

Charley has already said that the first post-merger boxes will be duel-speak and will handle both formats. I believe that for the first few years that both CAS systems will be used, from what I understand it would not take a whole lot of extra bandwidth to send out a data stream for both CAS systems at the same time. Ultimately I believe that the single standard will be MPEG2 DSS with a NagraVision CAS system. The reason for DSS is simple, less boxes to replace, it seams that newer E* boxes already can be upgraded to DSS with a software change so with DSS none of the D* boxes and many of the E* boxes would not need replacing.

 

[MarkA]

"Ultimately I believe that the single standard will be MPEG2 DSS with a NagraVision CAS system. The reason for DSS is simple, less boxes to replace, it seams that newer E* boxes already can be upgraded to DSS with a software change so with DSS none of the D* boxes and many of the E* boxes would not need replacing."

That's a great point also. Both ways would have their advantages. The advantage to DVB is of course that it's an international standard and therefore more DVB components are available for integration into future receivers. As you point out, the advantage to the DSS system is less boxes to swap out at first. The next few years will certainly be VERY interesting for DBS, to say the least!

 

[Mike123abc]

I for one would be happy to have RF output for extra rooms. Kind of a mini cable system.

Do the kid's room really need Svideo for their small screens?

Right now I use a two channel RF modulator (really nice one does MTS stereo on any two cable channels 14-125 or uhf 14-69) to pipe E* out over my old cable (combined with the OTA signals).

I currently have 2 boxes serving 6 tvs. With OTA it is possible to get by most of the time, but it sure would be nice to be able to add a box to serve a few TVs at once. I would definitely buy a box that would service 4 TVs.

Also, you have to factor in the VCR factor. Fortunately most of the shows I like to record come over the air. But, one of my E* boxes handles the recordings, so if more than one person wants to watch different shows, it is a problem. Again the multibox would serve this.

The five dollar a month charge really adds up over time.

 

[MarkA]

"Do the kid's room really need Svideo for their small screens?"

Even on a 17" computer monitor or a 20" flat TV the difference between SVideo and Composite (lets forget RF for now) is night and day! No matter what size, if a TV has SVideo it is far better to use it. That said, most people are perfectly happy with a mono RF modulator driving their brand new 36" TV because they don't know better, so there is definately a market for this kinda setup

 

[Jacob S]

I think they should have extra tuner(s) in each receiver and have a wireless signal sent to each television so that wires would not have to be ran to each television. Each receiver could come with one remote or with several. Dish may choose to charge for each additional remote like they charged for each addition receiver in the past. What they could do is charge the extra 4.99 or a little higher fee per tuner that is turned on, just like they charge for personal tv services, and make extra money off of this just as they do with other applications they have added to the receivers to make extra income.

 

[Richard King]

Re CAS: DirecTv has already informed News Datacom that they are about to be fired. They are developing their own CAS system to be used in the near future. I suspect that if this new system remains secure that it will be the one to survive the merger. Just think, security and no royalties all in one system.

 

[Jacob S]

Remaining secure is the question. It could be secure for a while then after the merger and after it is used it be hacked after that. With all of these customers under one platform there would be a LOT more people at work on the same platform.