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Dish prepares to add 40 more HD channels

March 22nd, 2010, 8:53 am by
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How easy is it for Dish Network to add more HD channels? “We just launch another satellite,” the company told me when I chatted with them earlier this year.

Well, Dish launched another satellite over the weekend. This is Dish’s 15th satellite, which is targeted 119 degrees West longitude at an altitude of 22,000 miles. Never seen a satellite launch? Watch Dish’s video on the right.

The EchoStar XIV, built by Space Systems/Loral, will be used to offer more high-definition channels but the company won’t offer any specifics.

However, in the press release, Tom Cullen, Dish’s executive vice president of Sales, Marketing and Programming, said this will extend Dish’s “HD line-up to well over 200 channels.” It currently offers 160, plus access to local HD broadcasts in 152 markets.

Another 40 HD channels would definitely make Dish the nation’s king of HD. But according to Broadcasting & Cable, the new satellite also could be used to fulfill a government pledge to offer more local channels in rural markets. Read: “EchoStar Launches 15th Satellite.”

Over at TVPredictions, TV analyst Phillip Swann puts Dish at the top of HD channels. However, some of its 160 HD channels are on-demand and not 24-hour programming. Swann also mentioned that Dish CEO Charlie Ergen promised more HD channels starting next month. Read Swann’s take at “Dish Network Launches New Satellite For HD.”

More on Dish:

Posted in: Video & TV • • • • • • • • | 15 Comments »

Dish added customers, as monthly bills rose in 2009

March 1st, 2010, 8:10 am by

Results are in for Dish Network Corp. (DISH) and just like all other TV providers who aren’t cable companies, it grew.

The company ended 2009 with 422,000 net new subscribers, which brings its grand total to 14.1 million subscribers. During the fourth quarter, which ended Dec. 31, Dish added 249,000 customers. That’s about 15 percent of U.S. consumers who pay for TV service, according to Dish’s regulatory filing.

Financially, the company continued to make money, too. In the fourth quarter, Dish made $179 million in net income on revenues of $2.96 billion. That, however, was not as good as the prior fourth quarter, when Dish’s net income was $217 million. Last year, AT&T ended its partnership with Dish to offer TV service to wireless customers (AT&T switched to DirecTV instead).  That partnership had accounted for 17 percent of Dish’s gross new subscribers in fourth quarter 2008.

For the year, Dish’s net income came in at $636 million, about one-third less then the prior year’s $903 million. Revenues remained steady at $11.62 billion.

But while Dish made less money, the company said that it squeezed a bit more money out of customers. On average, customers paid $70.04 a month for service, up from $69.27 in 2008.  That $0.77-a month was a 1.1 percent increase and was attributed to price increases made in February 2009. In return, customers spent less money on premium movie channels and pay-per-view shows then in prior years.

More TV earnings:

Dish’s “Average Revenue Per Subscriber” was one of the lowest in the paid-TV industry. Keep in mind, however, the average price of other TV competitors can include Internet and telephone service. See links to other TV earnings reports on the right.

As with all TV services, a big reason for higher prices was to pay for TV shows owned by networks that are looking to make more money themselves (remember the Fox vs. Time Warner squabble?). Programming fees jumped 6.4 percent from the prior year and cost Dish an extra $382 million. Dish spent $6.4 billion on such expenses last year.

To view Dish’s annual report filed with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission, go HERE.

Recent TV news:

Posted in: Video & TV • • • • • • • • | 13 Comments »

Showtime, NHL and History free previews coming to DirecTV, Dish

February 11th, 2010, 3:02 pm by

Free previews on TVThree free previews are coming soon for DirecTV viewers.

  • Showtime (ch. 537): Free Trial from March 25 to 28. Regular charge is $12.99 a month for 9 channels, which includes 6 in HD.
  • NHL Center Ice (ch. 769-786): Free Trial from March 2 to 8. Regular charge is $119.80 for the season.
  • BabyFirstTV, (ch. 293): Free Trial from 2/11 – 2/14. Regular charge is $4.99 per month.

Over at Dish Network, February free previews have already begun. These freebies run through most of February:

  • History International – Ch. 121. Free preview through March 3.
  • Biography Channel – Gold HD Ch. 119. Free preview through March 3.
  • Investigation Discovery Channel – Ch. 192 — free preview through Feb. 24.
  • Crime & Investigation HD – Ch. 387. Free preview through March 3.

Posted in: Video & TV • • • • • • • • • • • • • | Comments Off

9 new HD channels coming to Dish Network

February 11th, 2010, 7:48 am by

Dish Network logoDish Network announced today that it will add 9 new HD channels but not everyone can get them. Customers must have an HD programming subscription, which is about $10/month, plus they must order certain TV plans. The new channels are:

  1. Fox Soccer Channel HD – This is a brand new HD channel launching on March 1. For Dish customers, it’s available for those in America’s Top 250 plan. It will be on channel 149.
  2. Sportsman HD – Available in America’s Top 250 on channel 9483.
  3. Hallmark Channel HD – Available in America’s Top 200
  4. IndiePlex HD – Part of the PlatinumHD Package
  5. RetroPlex HD- Part of the PlatinumHD Package
  6. truTV HD - Available in America’s Top 200
  7. E! HD – Available in America’s Top 120
  8. BBC America HD – Available in America’s Top 200
  9. SHOWTIME (West) HD – Part of the Showtime Unlimited Package

Dish puts its HD channel count at 160.

More on the new Dish HD channels: “Dish Adds 9 HD Channels — Sort Of” (TVPredictions.com)

More on Dish:

Posted in: Video & TV • • • • • • • • | 5 Comments »

Coming soon: Dish to let users watch TV online

January 11th, 2010, 12:20 pm by

Dish Network at CES 2010: TV EverywhereUPDATED, 4:09 p.m.: The new box is available to all customers, not just new ones, as I was originally told. However, there will likely be a fee. No announcement yet on how much.
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While a big part of the Consumer Electronics Show focused on 3D television, Dish Network focused on a better way to watch the TV you pay for with the new TV Everywhere service.

No, this isn’t the same TV Everywhere that the cable TV companies are pushing (Dish says it’s pursuing a trademark).

However, the two TV Everywhere’s are similar. The idea behind the separate services is that if you’re a paying TV customer, you should get access to those shows online and on TV.

The big difference? Cable TV’s version may not include every TV channel you pay for in your cable plan. Dish’s does, said Vivek Khemkeh Khemka (corrected 2:56 p.m.), Dish’s vice president of customer technology.

“The key message of TV Everywhere is that you pay once for your TV and you can get it everywhere you want,” Khemka  said.

By everywhere, Khemka  means online, from any computer, from compatible mobile phones and on a second TV in the house that may not have a receiver.

Dish Networks' TV Everywhere ViP722k HD DVR with built-in Slingbox.How does it work? Slingbox. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: iPhone • Video & TV • • • • • • • • • | 9 Comments »

Dish adds 241,000 subscribers, makes less money off customers

November 9th, 2009, 3:00 pm by

Dish Network logoSatellite TV service is on a roll: Number two Dish Network said this morning that it signed up more customers despite the economy.

The company added 241,000 net new subscribers in the three months, ended Sept. 30. That’s much better than last year when Dish lost 10,000 customers.

Satellite rival DirecTV also added customers, while cable providers Time Warner Cable and Comcast both reported losing customers. Cox Cable is privately held and does not report its results. Internet-based TV providers Verizon FiOS and AT&T U-verse both saw increases.

One reason is price. A look at Dish Network’s current “Best Deal” offers first-time customers 100+ channels for $24.99 a month with a 1-year commitment (regular price is $39.99/month). (Time Warner Cable’s standard rate for digital cable’s 200+ channels is $42, though a 2-year commitment can push the price lower.)

Such discounts pushed Dish’s expenses 5.8 percent higher than last year, up $89 million to $1.623 billion, according to the company’s regulatory filing with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission.

TV service 3Q new subscribers
AT&T U-verse 240,000
Comcast -656,000
Cox n/a
DirecTV 136,000
Dish Network 241,000
Time Warner Cable -84,000
Verizon FiOS 191,000

Part of that higher expense also went to higher programming fees, which the TV channels charge on a per-subscriber basis.

All of this ultimately meant that Dish made a little less money per customer than last year. Dish’s average revenue per customer declined to $69.51, compared to $69.82 in third quarter last year.

But if you’re a customer and you feel like you’re paying more, you are. The decline was offset by price increases in Feb. 2009.

Overall, Dish made less money than third quarter last year. The Englewood, Colo. company said it made $81 million on $2.89 billion in revenues, down from last year’s income of $92 million on $2.94 billion.

Dish ended the quarter with 13.851 million subscribers, which is nearly 1 million more than Time Warner Cable.

Recent telecom company earnings reports:

Posted in: Video & TV • • • • • • • | 1 Comment »

Bull riding fan? Better get Dish

October 7th, 2009, 4:01 pm by

Professional Bull Rider Noted: Dish Network announced today that it became the official satellite TV partner of  The Professional Bull Riders, Inc., which is good news for “millions of PBR fans,” said the organization’s chief executive Randy Bernard in  press release.

But this isn’t an announcement for a new Bull Riding TV channel. This is related to the ongoing dispute between two different companies: DirecTV and the sports channel Versus.

DirecTV stopped offering Versus last month. Versus was one of the few channels offering bull riding, hockey and some college football.

Today’s deal indicates that Versus won’t be showing up on DirecTV anytime soon. Dish calls its new partnership with the PBR exclusive, at least for satellite TV and through the end of the year and certain events in 2010.

Outside the “exclusive” satellite TV, Versus is also available to nearly all paying TV customers in Orange County. It’s on channel 267 and 469 on Time Warner Cable;  90 and 590 on Verizon FiOS, 640 and 1640 for AT&T U-verse customers and channel 765 for Cox.
Dish is making the most of the situation,  offering Versus for free to all customers through Nov. 30. Dish Network has Versus on Channel 151.
Cox is also part of the free preview through Nov. 30.

Earlier stories on sports TV news:

Posted in: Video & TV • • • • • • | 1 Comment »

Cable scores lowest in paid TV customer satisfaction survey

October 7th, 2009, 6:00 am by

J.D. Power and AssociatesIn a report out this morning, traditional TV service providers continued to get pounded by consumers. Ratings company J.D. Power and Associates ranked cable companies the lowest out of all available TV services in the company’s 2009 TV Service Satisfaction report.

Here in the West, Time Warner Cable and Cox Communications scored the lowest out of the six TV services available in Orange County. Newer TV alternatives AT&T U-verse and Verizon FiOS took the lead, with satellite TV services  DirecTV and Dish Networks tied for third place.

The annual report said overall scores improved from 2008, indicating that TV providers really are paying attention to their customers, said Frank Perazzini, director of telecommunications at J.D. Power.

Consumers said they didn’t have to wait on hold for as long as last year — falling 13 percent to 9 minutes, 5 seconds. Customers also experienced fewer outages — 11 percent this year, compared to 15 percent last year.

Overall scores were at 632 on a 1,000-point scale, up 23 points from last year. This year’s study was based on 28,118 U.S. households who were surveyed in January, March and July 2009.

Still, 632 out of 1,000 doesn’t sound too hot. Here’s where the local companies landed: Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Video & TV • • • • • • • • • • • • • • | 44 Comments »

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