TVIP
Cubit
streaming video) set right. I can fullscreen Netflix video with a far
*better* picture that I get on my SD NTSC Sony TV on the Dish DVR.
I'm using a 3Mbps connection, which is very common in terms of availability.
I see no internet bandwidth barrier to TVIP happening NOW.
The barrier must be somewhere else.
Perhaps there is a problem contracting the channels carried by Dish, Direct,
and cable for the internet.
Also, oddly, apart from the Apple iTV thing, there seems to be a lack of
simple settop boxes for connecting TVIP to old fashioned NTSC SD TVs.
We must be at the cusp. Contracting for more than a few months with any TV
provider makes no sense right now.
Bill R
> I finally got the options on my secondary 5 year old computer (dedicated to
> streaming video) set right. I can fullscreen Netflix video with a far
> *better* picture that I get on my SD NTSC Sony TV on the Dish DVR.
>
> I'm using a 3Mbps connection, which is very common in terms of availability.
>
> I see no internet bandwidth barrier to TVIP happening NOW.
>
> The barrier must be somewhere else.
>
What you are calling TVIP the vendors are calling IPTV and there are
several services up and running. Sky Angel (family and religious
programming) is providing IPTV in Canada and as soon as they get
approval from the FCC it will be up and running in the U.S. They will
be moving their 30+ package of channels from satellite (they use DISH's
61.5 satellite) to Internet ONLY. That means that all subscribers will
need a IPTV receiver (which aren't free).
The other things that are holding up IPTV (besides the cost of the IPTV
box) are the the cost of the high speed connection are security. A
service like Sky Angel doesn't have concerns about someone grabbing
their programs on a PC (and their service will allow that) but services
like HBO and the other program vendors sure do. The security problem
has to be worked out while allowing the subscriber "fair use" of the
material that they are paying for.
Another concern about IPTV is HD. There just isn't the bandwidth needed
to provide IPTV HD service and there likely won't be for years. Both
DISH and DirecTV (and the program providers) are rapidly moving toward
more HD programming and, right now, satellite (and cable) are the most
efficient way to deliver it.
--
Bill R.
Remove nospam_ in e-mail address to reply by e-mail
Mark
picture?
I wonder what the resolution and size of your computer monitor and tv are?
The size and resolution of the picture can have a major impact!
Cubit
realized that they must be in trouble.
I bought a lifetime membership in Fotodate about a year before they stopped
doing business.
Thanks for the info about the move to IPTV.
"Bill R" <nospam...@iglou.com> wrote in message
news:46eb18f0$0$22189$d94e...@news.iglou.com...
Bill R
> A few years ago, when I saw that they were selling lifetime subscriptions, I
> realized that they must be in trouble.
>
> I bought a lifetime membership in Fotodate about a year before they stopped
> doing business.
>
> Thanks for the info about the move to IPTV.
>
Sky Angel has offered lifetime subscriptions since they started service
(they don't offer them now). They are moving to IPTV because it is the
cheapest way to continue to offer their service. They currently have a
deal with Echostar to use some of their transponders at 61.5 in exchange
for the use of their other (6) licenses at 61.5 (which DISH is currently
using). That deal is only for the life of THAT satellite. When DISH
replaces that satellite (which they will have to do within the next 5
years) that deal is dead. Echostar and Sky Angel had not got along for
years and they aren't about to make another deal. Sky Angel's only
other alternative was to launch their own satellite (over $300 million).
They took the cheaper route (IPTV) which they are already offering in
Canada. Dominion (Sky Angel's parent company) has filed with the FCC
for IPTV service in the U.S. and when that happens they will lose those
licenses. Echostar has applied for the transfer of those licenses and
will likely will get them since no one (that I know of) wants them and
no one else has a satellite at 61.5. If DISH gets them (which will
likely happen) Sky Angel will shut down their satellite service (by the
end of the year or sometime early next year) and DISH will use those
transponders for HD channels.
Don S.
regarding Sky Angel moving to IPTV is news to me. My question is, if I plug
a Cat-5 Ethernet cable in the back of my 622 from my home network, will I be
able to view IPTV, or would I need a special box to convert the signal to
something that I can plug into the back of my Denon AVR? Another question
is, what king of broadband connection (speed) is required to view IPTV?
Don
John Lodge
Don,
Sky Angel is indeed moving to IPTV. Sky Angel is NOT honoring Free
equipment and service to current Lifetime subscribers. The reason is
that Lifetime service (under Sky Angel's definition) is the lifetime of
their service's availability from 61.5.
The biggest reason for the move is the strained relationship between
Dish and Dominion. Under the current agreement the use of any of
Echostar's Satellite infrastruture ends when the useful life of Echo3
ends and that is in the near term. Since Dominion does NOT have the
Monetary resources nor the time to launch their own satellite for their
Transponder licenses at 61.5 before they expire from lack of in orbit
hardware to use them, Dominion plans to migrate their current DBS
service to IPTV.
John
Bill R
>
> We have had a lifetime Sky Angel subscription for years. This thread
> regarding Sky Angel moving to IPTV is news to me. My question is, if I plug
> a Cat-5 Ethernet cable in the back of my 622 from my home network, will I be
> able to view IPTV, or would I need a special box to convert the signal to
> something that I can plug into the back of my Denon AVR? Another question
> is, what king of broadband connection (speed) is required to view IPTV?
>
> Don
>
>
Don,
The news about Sky Angel moving to IPTV is news to most of its customer.
Sky Angel is waiting for FCC approval before they send out information
to current customers. There is a place on their web site where you can
request information on IPTV but I did that almost three months ago and
have received nothing. I do know one person that called them and was
told that lifetime subscriptions (which I also have) will NOT be honored
when they move to IPTV. I don't believe that is correct (just another
misinformed CSR) and I have written Sky Angel but haven't received a
reply on that either.
As for how the new service will work this is what I found out: you will
have to buy or lease an IPTV STB to use the new service. Satellite
receivers will NOT work. The IPTV box plugs into your router or switch
and your broadband connection must be 1.5 Mbps or higher. The IPTV STB
has a video/audio out to attach to your TV. I don't know whose IPTV box
they are going to use. They are already offering IPTV service in Canada
but from what I have heard they can not (or will not) use that box in
the U.S.
There ought to be some information available in the next month or so and
if I find out anything I'll post it here because I know that a lot of
DISH customers are Sky Angel customers too.
Bill R
>
> Sky Angel is indeed moving to IPTV. Sky Angel is NOT honoring Free
> equipment and service to current Lifetime subscribers. The reason is
> that Lifetime service (under Sky Angel's definition) is the lifetime of
> their service's availability from 61.5.
>
John,
I wonder if Sky Angel not honoring subscriber's lifetime subscription
when they move to IPTV is legal? I'll have to pull out my Customer
Agreement (from about ten years ago) and see how it reads.
I'm sure when customers find out about this they are going to be upset.
To most people "lifetime" means their lifetime. We may be seeing a
"class action" lawsuit in Sky Angel's future.
Todd Allcock
> I wonder if Sky Angel not honoring subscriber's lifetime
subscription
> when they move to IPTV is legal? I'll have to pull out my Customer
> Agreement (from about ten years ago) and see how it reads.
I suspect that they'll honor the programming aspect, but you'll
likely be on the hook for equipment. I'd be surprised if they didn't
include the appropriate clauses for protecting themselves for the
standard "lifetime" exclusions- satellite failure, business
disruption (i.e. DISH going out of business), loss of license, the
Rapture, etc. ;-)
> I'm sure when customers find out about this they are going to be
> upset. To most people "lifetime" means their lifetime.
Agreed.
> We may be seeing a "class action" lawsuit in Sky Angel's future.
Something about blood from a stone might apply here- I doubt Dominion
has enough money to pay any significant amounts to it's lifetime
subs. A successful class action would probably just bring about
their demise that much sooner.
--
"I don't need my cell phone to play video games or take pictures
or double as a Walkie-Talkie; I just need it to work. Thanks for
all the bells and whistles, but I could communicate better with
ACTUAL bells and whistles." -Bill Maher 9/25/2003
John M. Leggett
"Bill R" <nospam...@iglou.com> wrote:
The clear impression of their promotions through mailings and broadcasts has
been as you say, for the lifetime of the subscriber who purchases a Lifetime
subscription.
There may be some legal 'mumbo jumbo' in a Customer Agreement that enables
Dominion to behave like Jim Baker and his ilk.
Clearly, it is going to be very difficult for Dominion to cease service to
Lifetime subscribers without seriously damaging (or destroying) their
credibility.
Cubit
slingbox, and that needs no license.
"Bill R" <nospam...@iglou.com> wrote in message
news:46ed552e$0$22173$d94e...@news.iglou.com...
Phil...@gmail.com
> On 9/16/07 11:22 AM, in article 46ed5857$0$22183$d94e5...@news.iglou.com,
>
> - Show quoted text -
My agreement from 8 years ago says "The life of the Sky Angel DBS
operating System" or my life. Whatever comes first.
Bill R
That is where they "got" us. When they move to the internet (IPTV) they
are going to discontinue their DBS service so it looks like "legally"
our "lifetime" subscriptions are toast.
Phaedrus
>Lifetime subscribers without seriously damaging (or destroying) their
>credibility
With the extremely poor technical quality of their current service, I
don't see how they have any credibility. I can't imagine them making the
new technology work.
Bill R
There is no question of Sky Angel (Dominion) making the new technology
work. It has been up and running in Canada for years. As John said,
telling the current satellite subscribers that their Lifetime
subscription is not going to be honored is what is going to hurt them
and could destroy them. They are going to have LOTS of problems getting
those customers to pay again and that will also hurt them in getting new
customers.
A lot of their poor technical quality (picture wise) is because they
stuff all their channels onto 2 satellite transponders.
Todd Allcock
> As John said, telling the current satellite subscribers that their
> Lifetime subscription is not going to be honored is what is going to
> hurt them and could destroy them.
Agreed. Frankly, I don't think much of the general public is
interested in SA programming- you guys are the already plucked "low-
hanging fruit." Losing your word-of-mouth advertising will hurt them
dearly.
> They are going to have LOTS of problems getting those customers to
> pay again and that will also hurt them in getting new customers.
If they abandon the "lifetime" model it will hurt less. Sticking the
DBS customers and then trying to hustle lifetime TVIP subs would be
insane, since to the average consumer, TVIP will seem to be a far
shakier prospect to gamble a lifetime fee on than DBS.
> A lot of their poor technical quality (picture wise) is because they
> stuff all their channels onto 2 satellite transponders.
I wouldn't expect much better from TVIP! ;-) Dominion is a low-
budget operation that will be buying as little bandwidth as they can
get away with!