Thank you!
Sag.
--- In [email protected], MegaZone <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Once upon a time sagrilarus shaped the electrons to say...
> > Not sure I would use the word "astronomical" as that is a bit of
> > an overstatement. Two of my monthly bills would likely cover it. All
>
> DirecTV has over 13 million subscribers. If they dropped MPEG2
> completely and went to MPEG4, every single receiver would have to be
> changed. And some of those subscribers have multiple receivers. Each
> receiver, even non-DVR, costs DTV a couple hundred bucks at minimum to
> get into ghe field. DVR boxes cost several hundred more.
>
> It would be a massive outlay if they tried to do it.
>
> > the cable companies are making that rollover now and seem to be able
>
> What cable companies? Cable companies aren't making a big change.
> Current digital cable systems are MPEG2 and there are no plans to
> change that in the near future. CableCard isn't a big deal for them,
> they don't have to make any wholesale changes to their infrastructure
> to support it and they don't have to replace cable boxes in the field
> now, they continue to work - with perhaps a firmware update.
>
> Cable companies fought, and won, the requirement to switch to
> CableCard *only* by July 2006, now it is July 2007 - and they'll
> probably fight that. They're trying to delay the forced change to
> CableCard only networks because of the cost to them. Even if they can
> keep boxes in the field as-is, there is a cost to buying new stock and
> validating new designs.
>
> > decision. What you're describing seems reasonable if they have
> > sufficient spectrum to handle the current lineup.
>
> The new satellites are Ka band, the old ones are Ku, IIRC. So it is a
> new infrastructure. New channels will be going on the new birds. And
> as the old channels switch to HD, etc, they'll move to MPEG4 and the
> new birds. So there really isn't any pressure on the old birds, they
> can continue indefinitely with the existing lineup and there is still
> room to grow on the transponders in orbit. So there is little
> incentive for them to replace what is working today. MPEG4 and the
> new birds is an investment in growth, with the expectation of being
> able to provide spot beams of local HD content across their full
> coverage area.
>
> > MegaZone, what is your source please? Is this official word from
> > DTV, or word on the street? I know there's interest in getting onto
>
> I've read a lot of articles in the technical mags, etc, about TiVo,
> DTV, DVRs, etc. I've also spoken to DirecTV reps at CES2004 and
> CES2005 about their plans. There have been interviews with DTV
> executives about their plans, and they've stuck to the plans for new
> HD content in MPEG4 on the new birds, and existing content remaining
> in MPEG2 to avoid disrupting their existing customers.
>
> I won't be surprised if, eventually, they migrate to MPEG4 for
> everything - but that's years away. It will give them time for users
> to attrition over naturally - people replace an old receiver, upgrade
> to a DVR, etc, and they'll get a unit that does MPEG2 & 4, and Ka &
> Ku. In the end it'll mean less users they have to force an upgrade
> on.
>
> > the new card-tuner-driven boxes as well and I'm curious about whether
> > that means I will be getting a new Tivo-like box or sticking with my
> > current one for the foreseeable future.
>
> CableCard is cable only. DirecTV gives every indication of dropping
> TiVo completely. They're already said that all marketing efforts will
> focus on their new NDS DVR. DirecTiVos will be available on request,
> but they will not be promoted in any way. People will need to know
> enough to ask for one if they want one. The license expires in early
> 2007, unless they renew - and it looks unlikely that they will - they
> cannot sell new units after it expires. DTV can continue to support
> existing users indefinitely, so they're not getting turned off or
> anything.
>
> On the cable front, it looks like both the Comcast TiVo software and
> TiVo's standalone CableCard unit are still targetted for mid-2006.
>
> -MZ
> --
> <URL:mailto:megazoneatmegazone.org> Gweep, Discordian, Author,
Engineer, me.
> "A little nonsense now and then, is relished by the wisest men"
508-852-2171
> <URL:http://www.megazone.org/>
<URL:http://www.eyrie-productions.com/> Eris
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