It's Too Quiet!
I am supposed to write 3 columns a week here at MultiChannel but sometimes it’s very hard to find anything to write about newsworthy in the satellite industry, and this is one of those times.
Over the past few weeks something has happened to the industry and it’s like someone sucked all of the oxygen out of it.
DirecTV fans have been waiting for the new DirecTV 11 satellite to come online since March for DirecTV 11 to come online so that they could get even more national HD channels. Well DirecTV is online and the only new HD to been seen was a few more HD regional sports networks and a bunch of HD pay-per-view channels. DirecTV customers seem to be waiting for channels such as the complete HBO HD suite and for up and coming HD channels such as Travel Channel HD and Outdoor Channel HD. However there appears to be no new national HD coming on the near horizon.
But DirecTV isn’t the only company to disappoint as of late many customers are also disappointed with Dish Network. On last month’s Dish Network earnings call Charlie Ergen mentioned that more HD would be coming once Echostar 11 lit up. Well Echostar 11 is lit up but no new HD yet, and on last week’s “Charlie Chat” Charlie said that more HD is coming but didn’t say when and he also seemed to downplay the 150 channel number Dish has been advertising by not mentioning the number, instead he just said more HD would be coming by the end of the year.
And it’s not just the HD (or lack of HD) that has taken the winds out of the sails of the satellite industry, it seems like someone hit a big pause button on the industry. All the great things and excitement that the industry had are gone. Even for installers and retailers they are also wondering what’s going on in the industry. Many retailers are reporting having trouble obtaining equipment to install new customers and because of shortages are turning away new customers. Turning away customers is not a good thing at all.
Both companies have been quiet for the past few weeks, with the last really exciting thing announced was DirecTV announcing they were working on a new DVR with TIVO technology. Since then the news has been slim to none.
Its quiet… too quiet. I don’t like quiet.
Reaper commented:
If you want an idea for an article Scott how about one similar to your "If I ran Dish Network" article but about DIRECTV? Or are you just a Dish homeboy?
RAD commented:
Scott, remember that D11 also allowed for the mirroring of the old MPEG2 HD channels in MPEG4 which has provided improved picture quality on those channels. So more has been added to D11 then you've indicated.
TinMan commented:
I am waiting for the dish 722s to finaly drop. I hope the silence means they are about to release the sucker. You mention the lack of equipment, Maybe they are clearing out inventory. At least that is what i'm hoping for. :)