Camelot One
Premium,MVM
join:2001-11-21
Sarasota, FL
clubs: | Just when I thought DTV couldn't sink any further.......
Maybe they should just merge with Time Warner instead. Then they could bill us per viewing, and per gigabyte. |
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robl27
Premium
join:2008-07-16
Mary Esther, FL
 ·Cox HSI
 ·Vonage
| no more satellite radio competition, why not tv?
xm and sirius are now one company, why can't dish and direct.
it's all about pushing the little folks (us) wallet's even shorter and shorter.
the service fades out in the rain due to the fact the dishes are too small and, their is nothing on tv worth watching anymore.
if i want satellite, i'd get a free to air system that covers both the c and ku spectrum.. over 500 channels there and FREE
-Rob
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»www.cband.info come join our IRC chat room and meet some new friends and listen to some good radio. We don't bite unless it's a piece of steak! |
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MrMoody
Carbon Based Lifeform
join:2002-09-03
Smithfield, NC
 ·Embarq
·Skype
·magicjack.com
| Strong opposition in 2001
That was then, this is now. Monopolies are encouraged.
Really though, satellite TV is no more a monopoly than satellite radio.
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Electile Dysfunction: the inability to become aroused over the choice for President put forth by either party. |
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netwire
Premium
join:2001-04-27
Mooresboro, NC
·RoadRunner Cable
 ·Millenicom
·Sprint Mobile Broa..
·Vonage
| I agree, if satellite radio can merge then why not satellite television - honestly it's all about the dollar anyway - the merge most likely was shot down because the people in certain seats where not going to get as big of a share as they wanted.
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Visit my homepage »thinkequality.net |
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Dogfather
Premium
join:2007-12-26
Laguna Hills, CA
1 edit | reply to robl27
Re: no more satellite radio competition, why not tv?
Because neither satellite radio company was profitable, not even close.
Both Dish Network and DirecTV are profitable and despite the subscriber losses, profit for Dish Network is up in the 2Q as was DirecTV. |
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Fox McCloud
Crazy like a fox.
join:2006-07-23 |  HA! Funny that I mentioned this exact idea....
In the discussion on Dish losing customers.
Either way, if these two companies want to do this, then I say go ahead...hopefully, if this happens, then it'll be a speedy merger, and not a drug out one like Sirius+XM. |
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Dogfather
Premium
join:2007-12-26
Laguna Hills, CA
·Cox HSI
 ·Verizon FIOS
·Cox VOIP
·ViaTalk
·RoadRunner Cable
·MegaPath
·Verizon west (ex G..
·Time Warner VOIP
| reply to MrMoody
Re: Strong opposition in 2001
Neither satellite radio provider was profitable and both could have gone under. Meanwhile satellite radio has audio competitors out the ass in every market they serve. Not so for television service.
Meanwhile despite the subscriber losses, Dish Network's profits were up 50%.
There is no comparison between satellite radio and DBS other than birds in the sky. |
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Dogfather
Premium
join:2007-12-26
Laguna Hills, CA
·Cox HSI
·Verizon FIOS
·Cox VOIP
·ViaTalk
·RoadRunner Cable
·MegaPath
·Verizon west (ex G..
·Time Warner VOIP
2 edits | TOTALLY different than Satellite Radio
In the issue of satellite radio you had 2 companies that were bleeding cash and both could have gone under leaving customers with nothing. Meanwhile satellite radio had intense competition from other mobile audio providers whether it was portable music players or OTA radio.
DBS only has cable and each other as competitors in any market and in some rare instances telco and both DBS companies are doing very well. Despite subscriber losses and a sagging economy, Dish Network profits are up 50%. DirecTV's profits are up as well.
--
"Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders...All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked,
and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger." -Hermann Goering 4/18/46 |
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elray
join:2000-12-16
Santa Monica, CA
·SONIC.NET
·RoadRunner Cable
·Verizon Online DSL
| Oh Great
Another opportunity to claim they'll "offer better and competitive service", then raise their rates after approval claiming "costs of merger" followed by "increased programming costs".
They'll claim that they compete with Cable, Fios, and U-Verse, while they wink at each other and raise rates, "because they haven't been raised recently".
Lets hope the FCC and the Justice department hold firm.
Of course, if they offered true ala-carte programming again (yes, again, remember DishPix?), I probably wouldn't mind. |
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plat2on1
join:2002-08-21
Hopewell Junction, NY
clubs: | i don't see the point
their systems are so different and incompatible i don't see why this makes sense. |
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openbox9
join:2004-01-26
Alexandria, VA
·AT&T Southeast
| reply to MrMoody
Re: Strong opposition in 2001
said by MrMoody  :Really though, satellite TV is no more a monopoly than satellite radio. And neither are monopolies. Sirius/XM isn't a monopoly given traditional radio broadcasters and the availability of internet-based radio stations. As long as CATV exists, telcos continue to enter the TV market, and the fact that OTA broadcasting is still alive and well, sat TV won't be a monopoly. |
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Dogfather
Premium
join:2007-12-26
Laguna Hills, CA
2 edits | Cable TV isn't a universally deployed service, especially in rural areas where satellite is the ONLY provider of television services. |
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openbox9
join:2004-01-26
Alexandria, VA | reply to plat2on1
Re: i don't see the point
No different that XM and Sirius. The benefit is the bargaining power with content providers....who are the real extortionists. |
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openbox9
join:2004-01-26
Alexandria, VA | reply to Dogfather
Re: Strong opposition in 2001
OTA broadcasts still work wonderful with a decent antenna. People in the middle of nowhere were watching TV long before DirecTV or Dish came along. |
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Dogfather
Premium
join:2007-12-26
Laguna Hills, CA
·Cox HSI
·Verizon FIOS
·Cox VOIP
·ViaTalk
·RoadRunner Cable
·MegaPath
·Verizon west (ex G..
·Time Warner VOIP
4 edits | The gov't didn't consider 3-4 fuzzy OTA channels to be a competitor of DBS. BOTH the FCC (unanimously) and DOJ rejected the merger stating the new entity would be a monopoly power in many markets. What was true then is true now, made worse by increased profits for both companies and both companies leading the video industry in new HD content, customer service ratings and often price.
said by FCC Chair Michael Powell :
The case against approving the (deal) is particularly compelling with respect to residents of rural America who are not served by any cable operator. Those Americans would be left with only one choice for their subscription video service, now and in the foreseeable future.
said by Charles A. James, assistant attorney general in charge of the Antitrust Division :
This merger would give Echostar control of the skies for the provision of video programming by satellite, leaving customers to suffer from the resulting reduction in competition. This merger would create a monopoly in those areas where cable television is not available, thereby eliminating the only competitive choice for millions of households. It would leave tens of millions of households -- for whom DirecTV, DISH Network, and cable now compete to provide multichannel video programming distribution service -- with a reduction from three to two competitive choices.
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Ammler
Premium
join:2005-04-19
Pittsburgh, PA | reply to Dogfather
Re: no more satellite radio competition, why not tv?
I'm not buying that. I believe the same argument Sirius and XM used to merge (competition from terrestrial radio, CDs, MP3s, etc.), can be applied here as well (competition from cable, terrestrial tv, internet, iTunes, dvd, blue-ray, etc.). |
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Camelot One
Premium,MVM
join:2001-11-21
Sarasota, FL
clubs:
| reply to robl27
said by robl27 :the service fades out in the rain due to the fact the dishes are too small and, their is nothing on tv worth watching anymore. I have to disagree with the first part. I've been with DirecTV for almost 7 years now. I have no shortage of complaints about various things, but as long as the dish is PROPERLY lined up, you won't get rain fade. I had mine working during 2 hurricanes back in Florida, and only lost the signal for about 30 minutes in each. I've had 0 problems here in Austin. Mind you I said when the dish is PROPERLY lined up, and most of the DTV sub-contractors don't bother to make sure it actually is. They shoot for a signal of any kind on a clear sunny day, and call it a day.
I will agree however that there is little worth watching these days, certainly little worth paying the price for.
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Intel Q6600 @3400Mhz/GA-EP35-DS3P/2x 2048Mb G.Skill/Seagate 750.10/EVGA 8800GT's SLI/Silverstone 850W/Custom water cooler |
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Corehhi
join:2002-01-28
Bluffton, SC | I second that. I rarely lose Directv. The only times I can remember were a hurricane and a couple of bad electrical storms. For that matter my power goes off about every month or two so directv is more reliable than my power company. |
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DaveNJ
No Fear
join:1999-09-01
New Jersey
·Comcast
·Patriot Media
| reply to Dogfather
said by Dogfather :Because neither satellite radio company was profitable, not even close. Both Dish Network and DirecTV are profitable and despite the subscriber losses, profit for Dish Network is up in the 2Q as was DirecTV. If Dish and Direct are profitable and sustainable they shouldnt be allowed to merge. Satellite radio wasnt and it needed to merge to survive. Why doesn't Dish buy Sirius XM ?
--
“Say no to fear. Don’t let anxiety crush your life. Live life free and unfettered.”
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Dogfather
Premium
join:2007-12-26
Laguna Hills, CA
·Cox HSI
·Verizon FIOS
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·ViaTalk
·RoadRunner Cable
·MegaPath
·Verizon west (ex G..
·Time Warner VOIP
1 edit | reply to Ammler
Satellite radio has much more competition from far more independent sources that DBS has. And unlike satellite radio, DBS is highly profitable and leads their industry in content, price and service.
As far as mobile competition, they again can't be compared because of the cost of movies and the listening/watching patterns of people.
In general, you will listen to the same song over and over and over again while there are few if any individual movies you will watch that many times. So for the $1 you may pay for a song, you get far more value and it's far more competitive than an $8-$15 DVD you may watch a few times. |
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