Directv's debut in 1994 turned out to
be an auspicious entry into the satellite
television market. With a variety of options
in programming, some cable subscribers
opted for satellite and now more and more
are doing so, while others are taking
the next technological step by purchasing
Directv's HD receivers as well.
And with the FCC handing down a decision
to convert all television to high definition
format, commonly known as HD, by 2006,
content providers, cable and satellite
companies like Directv are in full swing
with marketing programs to sell their
HD receivers. HD is broadcast digitally
at a higher resolution for better picture
quality. In the past high definition television
used to be a term referred to newer technology
in the 1930s that replaced experimental
television technology at the time.
Currently, a Directv HD receiver can
cost in the five hundred to six hundred
dollar range on the cheap side and well
over a thousand dollars for higher end
receivers. Electronics manufacturers like
Hughes, Samsung and others are all touting
their HD receivers now for their features,
but prices are still a little high, as
well as for HD television sets, which
average in price over one thousand five
hundred dollars
Much has been made of the high definition
issue of late and those with a more pessimistic
mindset toward HD, some refer to them
as hardcore analogue-ers, don't think
a full conversion to HD will be done in
time. Even now, those who may purchase
an HD receiver are limited to those providers,
or television stations or networks that
provide content in HD, which some say
is up to five times sharper than regular
television.
But while Directv has done its part by
offering HD receivers, customers recently
have complained about the exorbitant price
of an HD and Tivo combination receiver,
which rings in at a thousand dollars when
purchasing it from Directv, a hard pill
to swallow for those who may have already
spent five hundred to a thousand dollars
on a Directv HD receiver to begin with.
Tivo allows customers to records hours
of television without needing a VHS tape
or DVD burner. For the time being some
customers are buying a separate Tivo unit
and hooking it into their current Directv
HD receiver, unfortunately sacrificing
some picture quality along the way.
But many customers feel that in time,
as with the prices of plasma screen televisions,
the Tivo and Directv HD receiver combination
will come down in price. So for now, the
best bet for those with their Directv
HD receivers may be to wait. In time,
not only will there be more HD content,
but also more affordable receiver options.
Standard Directv HD Receivers will likely
go down in price as well, along with those
with the added Tivo option.
Sources:
http://archive.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/history/topic/182395-1.html
http://www.pvrblog.com/pvr/2005/04/directvs_hd_pro.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDTV
http://www.chartercom.com/products/hdtv/hdtv.aspx
http://www.kaptainsatellite.com
This article was posted on October
12, 2005
