Satellite TV is Dead, Direct TV just lost 267,000 customers

I guess I thought that satellites and their RF signals could be used to transfer any kind of information if needed.

I fail to understand the technical reasons why DISH couldn't add Internet access into their TV entertainment satellite services, and why HughesNET couldn't add TV entertainment access into their Internet satellite services ... ruling out government regulations, legal/contractural issues, internal expertise issues, and stockholder issues.

pnichols wrote:

Bill.Satellite wrote:
Satellite TV and Satellite Internet have nothing to do with each other. DirecTV and DISH do not provide satellite internet from their satellites and never have. ....snip

Hmmm .... then how do you explain this?: https://www.dish.com/internet/3rd-party/
?

Dish is not offering internet thru the satellite, its a bundle where they get another company to get internet to your house thru cable or phone line.

Bill.Satellite wrote:
Satellite TV and Satellite Internet have nothing to do with each other. DirecTV and DISH do not provide satellite internet from their satellites and never have. ....snip

Hmmm .... then how do you explain this?: https://www.dish.com/internet/3rd-party/

Per the above link if I contact my satellite TV provider that I've had for years - DISH - the above webpage sure sounds like they could also provide my Internet access via their satellites.

I guess that DISH finally realized that "satellite RF" is a delivery method that they're experts at ... so why not offer all communication into customers homes or RVs usng that method?

I assume that if I set up a portable satellite DISH at a campsite ... I could watch regular DISH TV programming, or watch regular ROKU-type Internet streaming stuff, or surf the Internet - right from my campsite anywhere and cut the RF-cord to cell towers.

Couldn't I even make smartphone regular or emergency phone calls from my RV in remote campsites with no cell tower access? If so - isn't DISH making possible "poor man's satellite phone service"?

Satellite TV and Satellite Internet have nothing to do with each other. DirecTV and DISH do not provide satellite internet from their satellites and never have. They are not sitting on their hands, it's not their business.
I am amused by the folks that say DTV satellite TV is dead and then post that DISH will be the only satellite TV service left. Kind of silly to think one will have plenty of subscribers but the other is dead in the water.
Rural cellular internet has ZERO chance of having unlimited 4G service at a reasonable price in 2 years. There is even less chance (yes, less than zero) that they will have 5G that is just now beginning to roll out. Without that level of service they would lose the capabilities to watch what they want when they want and not be spoon fed the limited information that would be available to users of highly limited internet services. Campers who enjoy time away from the big cities would be completely out of luck as no service would be available at all if timmac's fantasy were to come to fruition.
We will all still be here doing what we are doing, much the same as we are doing it today.......2 years from now.

pnichols wrote:
What I would like to see most of all for entertainment is "satellite TV" becoming just like having a Roku unit with all it's choices available - but just delivered via satellite instead of the Internet.

That kind of system would allow identical service when out and about in an RV that one might have at home via whichever delivery they're using at home - cable Internet or satellite.

Cellular tower system Internet access is just too hit-or-miss for us when RV'ing ... plus the data and speed restrictions are either too disappointing or expensive to overcome.

If they could do something like that and just charge a flat small fee per month than they could keep their doors open, but I am not sure they could pull it off with their current equipment and satellite, Roku, Apple box and etc requires to get the feed thru the internet and I don't know how they could get it to work.

What I would like to see is a better satellite that could send down a fast internet and they offer a unlimited plan at a reasonable cost, than I would sign back up and buy a satellite for my RV but I don't see them even going down that road..

Satellite company CEO's have sat to long on their hands and done nothing but collect fat paychecks now the chickens are coming home to roost and they don't have a clue of what to do expect sit back and watch the company go broke..

2 years and counting..

pnichols wrote:
What I would like to see most of all for entertainment is "satellite TV" becoming just like having a Roku unit with all its choices available - but just delivered via satellite instead of the Internet.

Yes.. it's too early to count DTV out on doing this.

What I would like to see most of all for entertainment is "satellite TV" becoming just like having a Roku unit with all it's choices available - but just delivered via satellite instead of the Internet.

That kind of system would allow identical service when out and about in an RV that one might have at home via whichever delivery they're using at home - cable Internet or satellite.

Cellular tower system Internet access is just too hit-or-miss for us when RV'ing ... plus the data and speed restrictions are either too disappointing or expensive to overcome.

FULLTIMEWANABE wrote:


FWIW, we too are rural and had absolute garbage internet for years. A couple years ago they brought in a "Hub", which so far has been awesome, and costs us less than half what we paid for Satellite alone, so we are saving a good couple hundred a month since cutting the cord so to speak. Daughter added Roku and now we have way more than enough to meet our couch potato needs ;)

Yea that's what most don't understand internet service is growing fast in areas where there was no internet while satellite TV is shrinking..

Cord cutting is growing faster by the day and its only a matter of time when satellite TV companies will throw in the towel, they wont wait till a few million customers are left, they will bail before that and take large bonuses when going out the door and let the company go bankrupt.

It happens all the time, just take a look at Sears, Kmart, JC Penny, Toys are Us, etc etc..

Just like Amazon and other online stores have killed thousands of store front business, Internet will kill satellite/cable TV..

2 years and counting...

Cut the cord/satellite 3 years ago this June. Should have done it years earlier, but got suckered in to the grandfathered plan we could take on the road with us. Was spending over C$2000 a year to watch repeat after repeat after repeat and shows rehashed like Quincy MD, Murder She Wrote etc etc. Only kept it for the extortionate add on Sports and Wildlife channels for hubby.

Now he goes watch live on big screen TV his Hockey locally. Gets snippets of his football, and watches all the wildlife programs his little heart desires on his iPad.

FWIW, we too are rural and had absolute garbage internet for years. A couple years ago they brought in a "Hub", which so far has been awesome, and costs us less than half what we paid for Satellite alone, so we are saving a good couple hundred a month since cutting the cord so to speak. Daughter added Roku and now we have way more than enough to meet our couch potato needs ;)

SD

PS: We too trade markets and used to watch BNN live on TV, now get it all on line for what we need just had to learn to adjust and get used to different programmes for the same end of the day results.

babock wrote:
There is no such thing as a digital antenna. However antennas do receive analog signals that have digital content embedded in the analog waveform. Your cell phone and satellite dish are perfect examples of this.

I also believe there will be the eventual demise of satellite television. It just won't be able to compete eventually with 5G. They won't be around to service the few customers in rural areas anymore. Not sure how long that may be. May be 5 years.

Back in the 50s wasn't it predicted that electric power would be so cheap due to nuclear power generation that we wouldn't have electric meters anymore....