Comments on: Special Fremont City Council/School Board meeting scheduled Monday

By: charlie C

charlie C — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 04:37:39 +0000

#13…Vinnie, maybe the Dish would have been broadcasting major league sports “live from Fremont” if you and the demonize a developer crowd hadn’t swiftboated the very people you pretend to represent. You and your minions have forever screwed Fremont over!

By: bbox231

bbox231 — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 14:56:29 +0000

#14 – It’s easy to share non-threatening info and opinions. The problem comes when people disagree and dont know how to effectively do so, or, who represent interests that do not WANT to see an effective dialogue occur.

Who wants a boring weighing of a few relevant facts when you can deliver titillating anecdote, unsubstantiated and personalized accusation and opinion? Certainly, not those who the facts do not favor, nor, a venue who relies on a high frequency of repeat eyeballs as a source of revenue.

TCB isn’t alone in its presentation of this kind of nonesense. The other BANG blogs appear to have their fair share of a curiously familiar approach to fanning the flames of dissent.

By: bbox231

bbox231 — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 21:07:15 +0000

DBS is not quite “national” – but, it’s also not nearly as “granular” as Cable service.

DirecTV definately offers “localized” services. So, for example, you get most of the local OTA stations (2,4, 5, 7,9 etc) on your DTV box if you live in the Bay Area. Tell your box that you’re out in the valley (zip code settings) and you’ll pick up the Sacto “locals”. I’m sure that the economics of carrying this “localized” content works for large and high-density areas. There’s no way it works for a community service channel serving only a single municipality.

Cable (again) has the upper hand in delivery of localized services.

By: West

West — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 17:18:47 +0000

Thanks Bbox and Vinnie for the excellent information. Now this is what I invision the “Tri City Beat” to be sharing information,local info…..
This is much better then hurling insults, agreed!!

By: Vinnie Bacon

Vinnie Bacon — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 08:09:53 +0000

I think the issue is that Dish provides a standard package throughout the nation and doesn’t do local networks very well (if at all). In doing TV ads for my campaign, Comcast could offer me advertising in the Tri-City network alone which made it affordable to a local candidate. I don’t believe Dish offers any localized coverage which would prevent them from showing local City Council meetings.

By: bbox231

bbox231 — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 00:49:01 +0000

I think the “basic” cable service is cheaper than “basic” satcom. But, by the time you get them loaded up with services, they become very comparable.

We’ve had both.

That said – DirecTV beats Comcast in their user interface and customer service IMHO. While content is very nearly the same, I do think DTV seems to more frequently win out over Comcast on the packages (NFL, MLB, etc.) front – more often than they lose.

Having said that – long-term the difference is that Cable will ultimately win out over DBS (except in rural areas) as theirs is a packet-switched bi-directional service. (4G wireless aside for the moment)

DBS is circuit switched and doesnt user requested subscription services or VOD . . . without a bit of trickery.

The fact is that if you want VOD services from a DBS provider, you also must have some kind of internet connection. The satelite receiver commmunicates over the internet to obtain your VOD and delivers it over the internet – - not over the satelite.

So – what’s interesting is that any kind of VOD service thru DirecTV or Dish is being transported by one of their competitors. Think about the consequences of that little arrangement for a while and I think you’ll begin to appreciate that the DBS services evetentually get to be more expensive and less feature-rich than cable.

Cable never makes it in the boonies because you dont have the density of subscribers to pay for all the infrastructure (cable, repeaters, etc.) that has to be hung to provide service to one family every 4 miles.

So, while in the ‘burbs we’ll all be lovin’ cable, I suspect Country Joe MacDonald will love his satellite service for a long time to come.

By: West

West — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 22:56:27 +0000

Marty, I did not mean to charge dish customers for a permit. I thought a discussion/negotiation to get channel 27, but it seems that Bbox is right about the Telecommunication act.
What is the difference in cost, not the teaser rates but the std rates?

By: West

West — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 22:52:41 +0000

I guess the bottom line is dish type of cable is not worth having.
My brother lives in the Boondocks in Oregon and His only choice is a dish, even air television is not available, so dish is good where cable is not available.

By: bbox231

bbox231 — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 21:18:52 +0000

It’s a mute point . . . the Telecommunications Act of 1996 prohibits “..restrictions that: (1) unreasonably delay or prevent installation, maintenance or use; (2) unreasonably increase the cost of installation, maintenance or use; or (3) preclude reception of an acceptable quality signal.”

http://www.fcc.gov/guides/over-air-reception-devices-rule

By: Marty

Marty — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 20:17:23 +0000

West, I’m curious if you’ve thought of what the cost to the satellite customer would be if you were to permit a dish install.