DirecTV to have 150 High Def Channels within 1 year

Alan Figgatt wrote:

Matthew L. Martin wrote:

Alan Figgatt wrote:

I agree. I think he is using the number of HD locals to pump up the
numbers, not disclosing that almost all of these channels are from
the same big four networks.

OTOH, the rumor is that DirecTV is looking to buy Dish.



Not very likely. The FCC killed a previous attempt before either
Justice of FTC could kill it:

http://www.techlawjournal.com/topstories/2002/20021010.asp

From the above:

"... the FCC declined to approve the transaction, and all but rejected
the idea the the transaction could be revised or restructured".

It's dead, Jim.

Matthew


However, this is a serious rumor. See the following links:

OK, you believe the "serious" rumor. I'll settle for facts on the ground.

http://www.multichannel.com/index.as...leid=CA6354056

http://www.tvpredictions.com/satmerger071706.htm

Murdock may have enough pull to get this deal done with the current
administration.

You mean the same administration that killed the deal in 2002?

But he would have to do this quickly as any long delay
would likely kill the deal.

There is no way they can close a deal without scrutiny and permission
from at least Justiec, FTC and FCC.

With any luck, some Senators and Congressmen
would try to pour cold water on this from the outset.

Why should they get involved? The deal, if there is one in the works,
will be DOA, just as the last one was.

Matthew

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Thomas A. Horsley on alt.tv.tech.hdtv

On Sun, 23 Jul 2006 00:14:35 -0400, Alan Figgatt
wrote:

I agree. I think he is using the number of HD locals to pump up the
numbers, not disclosing that almost all of these channels are from the
same big four networks.

OTOH, the rumor is that DirecTV is looking to buy Dish. Maybe that is
how they will add more HD channels. A merger is a VERY bad idea in my
opinion as it will kill competition for all those rural subscribers who
don't have access to cable.


Isn't Dish owned by SBC? I don't know why they would sell while they
are rolling out Lightguide to the home.
Thumper
From what I have read, we are getting a slow but steady stream of new
HD channels this year and next. MTV-HD, Food channel, National
Geographic HD, with A&E-HD this fall (?) and History channel in HD in
the works for example. The killer is to get the cable systems to add
them, given their bandwidth problems largely due to all the legacy
analog channels they have to support.

Alan F


Smarty wrote:

I bet that Marlin offers the correct explanation, and that 3 or 4 HD
channels in each of maybe 50 major U.S. cities would account for the new 150
channel HD content Murdoch refers to. It answers my original concern about
where all this new HD content would come from. I am still surprised that
they have (or will have) the transponder capacity to add another 150 HD
channels. I guess that this is exactly what satellite has to do in order to
offer a true alternative to cable customers in their local markets.

Smarty

"Thumper" wrote in message
news
On Sun, 23 Jul 2006 00:55:25 GMT, Marlin Singer
wrote:


Smarty wrote:

Rupert Murdoch, the media mogul who owns DirectTV as well as numerous
other
media sources, was interviewed this week on the PBS interview show
hosted by
Charlie Rose. Among his most interesting comments was the fact that he
intends to boost the HD content on DirecTV to 150 HD channels by a year
from
now. I had no idea such a wide variety of content was available, and
that
DirecTV has the transponder capacity to handle it.

It will be interesting to see if his promise is kept.....

Smarty



Actually, they will probably all be local channels, not additional HD
channels for everyone to see.

You mean 3 in each market for instance?
Thumper

On Sat, 22 Jul 2006 23:01:51 -0400, "jolt"
wrote:


"Smarty" wrote in message
...
Rupert Murdoch, the media mogul who owns DirectTV as well as numerous
other media sources, was interviewed this week on the PBS interview show
hosted by Charlie Rose. Among his most interesting comments was the fact
that he intends to boost the HD content on DirecTV to 150 HD channels by a
year from now. I had no idea such a wide variety of content was available,
and that DirecTV has the transponder capacity to handle it.

It will be interesting to see if his promise is kept.....

Smarty
They will continue to slowly roll out HD locals on the new KA band
satellites, so 150 by years end sounds right. The change over needs to be
spread out over a long period because of the cost associated with the
replacement of receivers and Dishes. The KA satellites make adding new
channels awkward until more of the new equipment is in place.


But the number of channels isn't important if there isn't more
content.
Thumper
Anybody remember last summers commercials and wasn't it 1500 HD channels
they were adding? They have been good about saying things in a way to create
interest.

"jolt" wrote:


Anybody remember last summers commercials and wasn't it 1500 HD channels
they were adding? They have been good about saying things in a way to
create interest.

That's not what the commercials said. They said that D* would have the CAPACITY for 1500 channels.

Chip

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Smarty wrote:
Rupert Murdoch, the media mogul who owns DirectTV as well as numerous other
media sources, was interviewed this week on the PBS interview show hosted by
Charlie Rose. Among his most interesting comments was the fact that he
intends to boost the HD content on DirecTV to 150 HD channels by a year from
now. I had no idea such a wide variety of content was available, and that
DirecTV has the transponder capacity to handle it.

It will be interesting to see if his promise is kept.....

Smarty

If they can pull that off, without the crazy cost..I'm switching from
DISH...for the time being, DISH has a better selection...

Keith
http://www.eHDMI.com

"Alan Figgatt" wrote in message
...
Matthew L. Martin wrote:
Alan Figgatt wrote:

I agree. I think he is using the number of HD locals to pump up the
numbers, not disclosing that almost all of these channels are from the
same big four networks.

OTOH, the rumor is that DirecTV is looking to buy Dish.


Not very likely. The FCC killed a previous attempt before either Justice
of FTC could kill it:

http://www.techlawjournal.com/topstories/2002/20021010.asp

From the above:

"... the FCC declined to approve the transaction, and all but rejected
the idea the the transaction could be revised or restructured".

It's dead, Jim.

Matthew

However, this is a serious rumor. See the following links:

http://www.multichannel.com/index.as...leid=CA6354056
http://www.tvpredictions.com/satmerger071706.htm

Murdock may have enough pull to get this deal done with the current
administration. But he would have to do this quickly as any long delay
would likely kill the deal. With any luck, some Senators and Congressmen
would try to pour cold water on this from the outset.

Alan F


How the rumors started are suspect and the idea has a snowballs chance in
hell of happening . Murdoch fought with all his influence in DC and
commissioned a voluminous report against it in 2002. The main thrust of the
opposition was the harm it would have on rural subscribers, something that
hasn't changed.

On Sun, 23 Jul 2006 00:55:25 GMT, Marlin Singer
wrote:

Smarty wrote:
Rupert Murdoch, the media mogul who owns DirectTV as well as numerous other
media sources, was interviewed this week on the PBS interview show hosted by
Charlie Rose. Among his most interesting comments was the fact that he
intends to boost the HD content on DirecTV to 150 HD channels by a year from
now. I had no idea such a wide variety of content was available, and that
DirecTV has the transponder capacity to handle it.

It will be interesting to see if his promise is kept.....

Smarty


Actually, they will probably all be local channels, not additional HD
channels for everyone to see.

Actually, when all the new satellites are launched and ready, they
will have the capacity for 150 national channels. I believe Murdoch's
statement has to do with national channels, not locals, as they will
be rolling out more than 150 local channels before they finish their
local hd rollouts.

Gary wrote:
On Sun, 23 Jul 2006 00:55:25 GMT, Marlin Singer
wrote:

Smarty wrote:
Rupert Murdoch, the media mogul who owns DirectTV as well as numerous other
media sources, was interviewed this week on the PBS interview show hosted by
Charlie Rose. Among his most interesting comments was the fact that he
intends to boost the HD content on DirecTV to 150 HD channels by a year from
now. I had no idea such a wide variety of content was available, and that
DirecTV has the transponder capacity to handle it.

It will be interesting to see if his promise is kept.....

Smarty


Actually, they will probably all be local channels, not additional HD
channels for everyone to see.

Actually, when all the new satellites are launched and ready, they
will have the capacity for 150 national channels. I believe Murdoch's
statement has to do with national channels, not locals, as they will
be rolling out more than 150 local channels before they finish their
local hd rollouts.
I would be very surprised if by 07 there are 150 national channels. DTV
has 142 local markets. Only 36 have HD so far. Of those that they
announced, some don't even have them yet. Supposedly Baltimore was
announced 06/28, but still no HD channels listed on the DirecTV site.
Even if all 36 were available, that still leaves approx 400 channels
they will have to add just to cover the major networks on the remaining
106 markets. That doesn't even include local PBS stations. If we get 150
national channels, I will be elated, but I don't think it will happen.
Not by 07.

Marlin Singer ) wrote in alt.tv.tech.hdtv:
Actually, they will probably all be local channels, not additional HD
channels for everyone to see.

They pretty much have to be local to get a count of 150 by the end of
the year.

Taking *every* non-local HD channel available on Dish, DirecTV, cable,
etc., and throwing out the duplicates gives you about 50 unique channels,
and a bunch of those are HD regional sports networks.

--
Jeff Rife |
| http://www.nabs.net/Cartoons/PaperOrPlastic.gif

Thumper wrote:
How can he? There isn't 150 channels worth of HD content unless he
has a hell of a lot of the channels showing the same 20 programs.

Perhaps we'll see the premium movie-channel networks roll out HD
versions of all ther channels, not just the "core" ones. On my RCN
system I have ten HBO channels (not including the East coast version
of the core HBO channel) but only one HBO HD channel.

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