10:54AM PT - We're here at the DISH's press conference. Folks are taking their seats, and it's pretty laid back right now. Expect to hear about new DVRs and plenty of HD goodies!
11:02AM PT - Okay, things are getting underway. Follow us in after the break for the news.
11:04AM PT - Starting things off with Carl Vogel, President and Vice-chairman. He'll be sketching out the roadmap for EchoStar and DISH. It's all about leadership across their markets, in software, hardware and service. Some satellite launch issues in 2007, but they're looking forward to smoother sailing in 2008.
11:05AM PT - 2007 saw DISH grow to the third largest operator. Growing the biz takes capital, so it's a management challenge. Witness the Sling acquisition, a good business decision. Having some troubles with the slides, so we'll hold back a bit.
11:12AM PT - Back on track with the slides now. Talk of DISH and SATS business divisions. Control, quality, value -- those are the key points for DISH. "TV, the way you want it, when you want it" on fixed and portable scenarios.
11:14AM PT - There are no gimmicks with DISH, just simple packaging schemes without promo obfuscation.
11:16AM PT - Targeting the 100 national HD channels, in 100 markets. 62 markets in Q1/Q2 2008. DISH Interactive is a differentiator, and highly valued. Now talking about DISH Decision 2008 Election Portal -- a way to move forward with consumer interaction/entertainment. DISH loves that they've received billing as a "better DVR than TiVo."
11:20AM PT - Now Mark jackson, President takes stage. The EchoStar Holding Corp. gives some welcome flexibility to the business side of the house. But it's not just about selling equipment -- it's also about passing along value to customers.
11:14AM PT - Now talking ViP 722 DVR. MPEG-4, 500GB, two-TV box, external hard drive ready via USB 2.0 and portable media player ready. The lineup stretches down to the ViP 612, aimed at single user situations. Coming soon, the ViP211k -- an entry level model for value conscious customers. New this year will be the DVR conversion for converting your non-DVR to DVR functionality.
11:24AM PT - Don't forget the analog shutoff. DISH will offer the TR-40 converter boxe at $39.99, underneath the coupon value. The TR-50 is a MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 capable DVR that DISH will be rolling out as well. Archos is covering the portable space, and it can be connected to the ViP 722 or ViP622.
11:27AM PT - Blake Kirkorian, CEO, co-founder and chairman of Sling media takes the stage.
11:28AM PT - Watching has moved beyond the living room. Sling's is touting the vision of being display, source, and location independence to the consumer.
11:30AM PT - Guess what - the friend recommendation network is how people really get turned on to new programming to watch.
11:32AM PT - SlingModem -- DOCSIS2.0 cable modem plus SlingBox functionality is getting billing as the "first true triple-play product." And it won't be limited to any one platform or provider.
11:33AM PT - Bringing the watercooler conversation to the web. Clip+Sling lets friends share clips with family and friends via the web. Blake gives kudos to EchoStar for keeping the entrepreneurial spirit alive for Sling.
11:39AM PT - Floor gets opened up for questions. "Big picture" talk here around the convergence theme. Four satellites planned for launch in 2008, two carried over from 2007. They'll be putting up one bird per quarter.
11:43AM PT - Tru2way and console direct download in the living room are brought up. EchoStar will be bringing forth 2-way broadband products, and DISH will do what works best for the satellite platform.
11:49AM PT - We're out, folks!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jonyah @ Jan 7th 2008 2:02PM
sweet. finally. please tell us Dish is going to keep up with/get ahead of DirectTV with the number of HD channels.
chop @ Jan 7th 2008 2:12PM
come onnn service plan drops. really itching to upgrade to dishHD if they lower their prices..80/month for HD service is still too much. although the atsc tuner in my sammy along with the antenna on the roof is doing me just fine right now.
Ryan @ Jan 7th 2008 3:08PM
Why don't you get DirecTV then?
Hawk @ Jan 7th 2008 2:11PM
Ask them when we can watch SciFi HD????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jonyah @ Jan 7th 2008 2:15PM
good question Hawk. that's probably the main channel I'm missing right now with the HD. Chop, my bill is only $60 after taxes with the HD and that's with the hd dvr and locals. can't beat that price with anyone else.
SPARTEN II @ Jan 7th 2008 2:17PM
SciFi HD is great, I get it on Comcast.
Stargate: Atlantis looks amazing on it.
chop @ Jan 7th 2008 2:18PM
jesus how did you get that? we have 4 tv's, 2 hd, i wanted to add one dvr and its something around 60/month with the free 6months of dishHD, but after the 6 months is over the 20 dollar HD fee goes back upto 20 leaving me with something around 80+taxes/fees. way to much
Jonyah @ Jan 7th 2008 2:19PM
hehe, comcast only has like 7 hd channels in my area, mostly locals. what a waste.
Jonyah @ Jan 7th 2008 2:21PM
i avoided multiple boxes. I have the one hd dvr that does the hd to the big screen and sd to all other tvs in the house (3). Yes all 4 will have the same channel on, but there's never a time when more than one of them is used at once.
Kido1986 @ Jan 7th 2008 2:21PM
When I go to my parents place I get DishHD and its great so far. I just REALLY REALLY REALLY hope they announce they will be picking up SpeedHD. I really only watch 3 channels on Dish, Comedy Central, G4 (ONLY for XPlay) and Speed. Please pick up the new SpeedHD!
Jonyah @ Jan 7th 2008 2:26PM
looking at their press releases, they are freezing pricing until feb 2009:
http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUKN0722952420080107?rpc=44
more info on the new hd channels (with new hd packages that don't contain the channels you don't care about, starting at $10):
http://biz.yahoo.com/pz/080107/133867.html
Brent @ Jan 7th 2008 2:32PM
I used to sell DISH... I can't believe the same dull training slides are what they took to CES.
Jamus @ Jan 7th 2008 2:57PM
They are offering converter boxes? I thought that you did not need a converter box if you have a satellite receiver?
Mike Peluso @ Jan 7th 2008 3:09PM
I too used to work at Dish, didn't last too long. Never in my life have I seen an organization grow so large that cared so little for it's product, customers, and it's employees. I've always attributed their success to the fact that they simply only have one competitor, or two if you count the local cable company. By default you get a huge chunk of market share. After I left I found out thatthis type of behavior is exhibited by companies that are growing so fast, they don't place high value on keeping customers or institutional knoledge (employees).
There are many things that Dish could do to grow and have more satasfied customers:
1) offer a more higher end experience at the STB level. DirecTV is atempting this with the Microsoft media center tuner, if that ever sees the light of day.
2) revitalize their relationship with local dealers by offering high end product only through local A/V stores. They also need to stop making the small local dealers 'cosign' on the new accounts through the charge back process.
3) accept all service issues corporately, and possibly shift service locally. The closer you can get customer service to the customer, the better it's going to be. Call centers are just not doing it, cash strapped local dealers aren't doing it either.
The models exist for a truly world class hardware / software / services company. Apple anyone? I think that if Charlie was ever replaced with a true visionary, the company could be one of the greatest in history.
Bill @ Jan 7th 2008 3:17PM
I don't get (or want) the two TV's per box. I want one box per TV. I don't want to be dragging wires from room to room.
Jonyah @ Jan 7th 2008 4:38PM
that's a very common response to the multiple outputs they offer. fortunately, newer homes are built to do this type of thing really well. my house for instance, has three cable jacks in the living room. I use one for the input (split before the reciever, one as an out to the main box that splits to the rest of the house and one to another jack in my attic that has an antennae (for those rare times when three shows are on at the same time that I need to record). It's definitely not something for most people though.
sleeper @ Jan 7th 2008 4:56PM
The "two TV's per box" works great at our house. I have the TV out wired to a central hub. So you can watch one program on the HD big screen, and then another on any other TV in the house. If you never need to watch more than two things at the same time in one house it works great, and you only pay for one reciever. The only downside is the wiring, but my house came pre-wired into a central location, so it wasn't a problem at all...
Nelson @ Jan 8th 2008 9:49AM
There is no need for new room-to-room wiring, since little black boxes called diplexers can be used. These allow one run of coax cable to carry both:
- the high frequency signal from your satellite antenna (or probably the switch that selects which satellites' signals are of interest at the moment) to your set-top-box or DVR, and
- the low frequency signal from your set-top-box or DVR TV2 output to the remainder of the coax runs in the house to the other video devices e.g. SD television sets.
No need for new / additional coax wiring unless the existing cable is not RG-6. (Older RG-59/U coax does not pass the higher frequencies with low enough losses to be usable for transmitting the satellite signals to the set top box / DVR.)
The label on one diplexer (your installer may use a different brand) reads:
IN/OUT - DC PASS - SAT
HOLLAND
ELECTRONICS LLC
STVC
5-2150MHz
VHF/UHF
Add one of these into the signal path near the previously existing wiring closet / junction box on exterior of the house / splitter in the attic and another near the set-top-box or DVR, and no new room
to room coax runs are needed.
uagent @ Jan 7th 2008 4:14PM
So what exactly makes the SlingModem the "first true" triple-play device? (Triple Play in telecom lingo being the combination of phone, data and voice services)
Greg Legowski @ Jan 7th 2008 5:42PM
Bill, the two tuners per box thing is actually quite useful -- record two different shows (or record one while watching another). You COULD do that with two different boxes on two different TVs, but then without running wires around you'd be stuck watching show X on whatever box recorded it anyway...