OT: DirecTV buying out Dish

Maroon Eagle

Well-known member
May 24, 2006
16,470
5,411
102
Not a big surprise. Charlie Ergen’s been in control of Dish and EchoStar since he founded them. And Dish and DirecTV have been losing satellite customers.

Looks like EchoStar will be concentrating on Boost now…
 

ETK99

Well-known member
Jul 30, 2019
5,027
6,714
112
Why is DTV not just going full online service? Those 100 people without high speed internet these days can get better service somewhere else anyway.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Paulie

Maroon13

Well-known member
Sep 29, 2022
1,769
1,773
113
Call me old but.... I prefer satellite over streaming any day. Streaming is just to slow and choppy. I have issues in my home with the slow navigation between aps. I've seen slow service at other houses.

I can switch channels on the DTV and navigate quickly at home. I can put a dish tailgater up at the tailgate and get uninterrupted service.

Saturday at this big UofTexas tailgate ... they tried streaming games on YouTube tv. Constantly buffering and kicking out for "reaching memory limit" Just to many issues.
 

ETK99

Well-known member
Jul 30, 2019
5,027
6,714
112
High speed internet access is about to be available to pretty much everyone the next couple years. It's so much better than satellite going dark when it rains and is a fraction of the cost.
 

JackShephard

Active member
Sep 27, 2011
1,155
176
63
This does suck for me. I have Dish with the SECN, ESPN+, and all the good live sports options right now, and I pay less than I was paying for streaming services. I am not a fan of youtubeTV, especially with the price increases over the last few years. Direct has always had ridiculous pricing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CDawg08

DawgsGoneWild

Well-known member
Sep 25, 2012
479
537
93
There's probably more folks than we realize who live in areas with no wifi/cable access and don't want to deal with streaming via a Starlink connection.
I am one of these people. I can’t get high speed internet except for Starlink, and it’s not offered in my area yet. So i have dish. And i like it. Before i bought land in the country, i had Hulu, Fubo, and YouTube TV. I prefer dish to be honest.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Wesson Bulldog

aTotal360

Well-known member
Nov 12, 2009
18,741
7,512
113
From my cold, dead hands...

The giant satellite dish. I can still hear it squeaking as it turned. G5  had some good stuff! : r/nostalgia
 

Dawgbite

Well-known member
Nov 1, 2011
6,232
4,646
113
I just got internet last year where I live. Now have YTTV but honestly preferred Direct TV. I just couldn't justify the price difference.
 

Bulldog Bruce

Well-known member
Nov 1, 2007
3,495
2,474
113
No doubt that cable and satellite were better at the interface with humans. I used to have picture in picture and switch between them. Funny how that is now just being advertised again or available on the Red Zone. I finally have a TV screen large enough for it to actually work, but I don't have it.

I used to have a button I could hit and it would immediately go back to the previous channel I was watching. I finally almost have it with Google TV.

I used to be able to enter 5 and immediately go to channel 5. I now have to navigate through a bunch of screens to change a channel.

I used to be able to have my TV magically switch to a channel at 7pm to make sure I didn't miss the beginning of my show. (Yes I know I have an option to watch from the beginning)

DISH had the Hopper and I could skip commercials with one button press. Now I get commercials on Amazon Prime.
 

IBleedMaroonDawg

Well-known member
Nov 12, 2007
23,136
7,150
113
It might only help them get more streaming viewers on the DIRECTV streaming platform. I would have changed from YouTube TV to Hulu Plus, but the interface sucks on Hulu. I decided to wait and see what the next big thing is. I'm expecting something to rear its ugly head within the next year.
 

Bulldog Bruce

Well-known member
Nov 1, 2007
3,495
2,474
113
It might only help them get more streaming viewers on the DIRECTV streaming platform. I would have changed from YouTube TV to Hulu Plus, but the interface sucks on Hulu. I decided to wait and see what the next big thing is. I'm expecting something to rear its ugly head within the next year.
Agree Hulu plus was horrible. I lasted 1 days on it.
 

DesotoCountyDawg

Well-known member
Nov 16, 2005
22,118
9,492
113
It might only help them get more streaming viewers on the DIRECTV streaming platform. I would have changed from YouTube TV to Hulu Plus, but the interface sucks on Hulu. I decided to wait and see what the next big thing is. I'm expecting something to rear its ugly head within the next year.
Directv’s streaming interface is very similar to YoutubeTV now.
 

ZombieKissinger

Well-known member
May 29, 2013
3,248
4,000
113
I can remember when I was in high school my dad came home one day and asked my brother and I which we would rather have satellite tv or an inground pool. We chose the TV. At that time they were about the same price.
In the summer, we just turned the dish sideways and filled it up with water
 
  • Haha
Reactions: WilCoDawg

DesotoCountyDawg

Well-known member
Nov 16, 2005
22,118
9,492
113
I swear this happened years ago. Didnt one buy the other already?
They tried to merge in the early 2000s but the FCC blocked it. Echostar owns Dish. DirecTV absorbed Primestar in the 2000s then they were bought by ATT a few years ago.

The merger hasn’t been approved yet so I guess we will wait and see. The merger would make them the owner of 99 percent of all satellite subscriptions.
 
  • Like
Reactions: onewoof

WilCoDawg

Well-known member
Sep 6, 2012
4,301
2,258
113
Why is DTV not just going full online service? Those 100 people without high speed internet these days can get better service somewhere else anyway.
I think you overestimate how easily it is for people to get good internet. There’s places even in one of the most affluent counties in TN where the über-rich can’t get internet. It’s all limited to satellite internet or the cellular network. That’s just outside Nashville. There’s podunk areas of MS that have better internet options than celebrities up here. It’s really eye-opening and surprising but true.
 

WilCoDawg

Well-known member
Sep 6, 2012
4,301
2,258
113
I was laughing the other day at a house that had 3 small dishes. Two on the house and one in the yard. I’m sure one was a DTV, one Dish, and the other for internet.
 

mstateglfr

Well-known member
Feb 24, 2008
13,468
3,379
113
They tried to merge in the early 2000s but the FCC blocked it. Echostar owns Dish. DirecTV absorbed Primestar in the 2000s then they were bought by ATT a few years ago.

The merger hasn’t been approved yet so I guess we will wait and see. The merger would make them the owner of 99 percent of all satellite subscriptions.
Thanks- was too lazy to ready up on what happened.
Owning 99% of satellite subscriptions sounds like a bad idea.
...but if you view competition from a wider perspective and just say Sat is simply one way to deliver programming, I guess it isnt monopolistic since they are competing against cable companies, streaming companies, etc. Its just one other option to deliver content, even if one company owns 99% of the market.
 

DesotoCountyDawg

Well-known member
Nov 16, 2005
22,118
9,492
113
Thanks- was too lazy to ready up on what happened.
Owning 99% of satellite subscriptions sounds like a bad idea.
...but if you view competition from a wider perspective and just say Sat is simply one way to deliver programming, I guess it isnt monopolistic since they are competing against cable companies, streaming companies, etc. Its just one other option to deliver content, even if one company owns 99% of the market.
The whole landscape is obviously very different from 2002 and now with streaming services so maybe that changes the perspective a bit with regards to a merger.
 

theoriginalSALTYdog

Well-known member
Jul 10, 2021
899
1,105
93
No doubt that cable and satellite were better at the interface with humans. I used to have picture in picture and switch between them. Funny how that is now just being advertised again or available on the Red Zone. I finally have a TV screen large enough for it to actually work, but I don't have it.

I used to have a button I could hit and it would immediately go back to the previous channel I was watching. I finally almost have it with Google TV.

I used to be able to enter 5 and immediately go to channel 5. I now have to navigate through a bunch of screens to change a channel.

I used to be able to have my TV magically switch to a channel at 7pm to make sure I didn't miss the beginning of my show. (Yes I know I have an option to watch from the beginning)

DISH had the Hopper and I could skip commercials with one button press. Now I get commercials on Amazon Prime.

I hate DirecTV but I cut the cord and initially went with youtube and hulu. I had the same issues you experienced because I'm a channel surfer. I recently switched to Diretv stream and got the gemini air device. I now can channel surf just like with satellite. It's more expensive than most streaming services but it's $65/month cheaper than what I was paying for DTV satellite. I suggest getting the 5 day free trial and seeing if you like it before you splurge. That's what I did but you just won't have the gemini air but you'll get a good idea of what you're getting.
 
Last edited:

DesotoCountyDawg

Well-known member
Nov 16, 2005
22,118
9,492
113
I hate DirecTV but I cut the cord and initially went with youtube and hulu. I had the same issues you experienced because I'm a channel surfer. I recently switched to Diretv stream and got the gemini air device. I now can channel surf just like with satellite. It's more expensive than most streaming services but it's $65/month cheaper than what I was paying for DTV satellite.
I think this is the route we are going to go. Do you like the Gemini box?
 

theoriginalSALTYdog

Well-known member
Jul 10, 2021
899
1,105
93
I think this is the route we are going to go. Do you like the Gemini box?
From my understanding if you're on contract DTV will send you the box, remote, etc. However, if you don't go with the contract and go month to month like I am you can buy the gemini air on the secondary market and you won't need a box, just the receiver that hooks into a HDMI port. Here's exactly what I bought on ebay........

DIRECTV Gemini Air Streaming Device - 4K | eBay
 

johnson86-1

Well-known member
Aug 22, 2012
12,234
2,463
113
Thanks- was too lazy to ready up on what happened.
Owning 99% of satellite subscriptions sounds like a bad idea.
...but if you view competition from a wider perspective and just say Sat is simply one way to deliver programming, I guess it isnt monopolistic since they are competing against cable companies, streaming companies, etc. Its just one other option to deliver content, even if one company owns 99% of the market.
Yea, I think that was a legit concern about market consolidation and would have screwed lots of people out in the boonies. I think with starlink and also some cellular options, hard to say that Direct TV will have too much market power.

Hell, the fact that DirectTV isn't doing anything but assuming a portion of Dish's debt and the consolidation is contingent on bond holders taking a haircut is probably indicative of the businesses still not being that great together. I think Dish's bonds were trading at something like 85 cents on the dollar.
 

DoomSlayer

Member
Jan 13, 2018
809
102
43
For all the jokes DirectTV was still 3rd in subscriptions from traditional cable/sat providers at around 8 million. They have another 2 million subs on top of that for streaming. Not too shabby.
 
Get unlimited access today.

Pick the right plan for you.

Already a member? Login