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
