RiseStar
January 28th, 2008, 08:42 PM
Echostar has announced plans to step up to the plate and begin offering set top digital television converters to the public in anticipation of the coming digital television transition which will eliminate analog off the air signals by February 2009. After the transition, consumers with older analog televisions will no longer be able to receive off the air broadcasts without a set top digital receiver or digital to analog converter.
The U.S. federal government has previously announced a $40 rebate coupon would be available to consumers to help subsidize the cost of digital converter, however previous costs for digital set top boxes were far in excess to that.
The Echostar Model TR-40, which will carry a $39.95 suggested retail, is expected to be eligible for the National Telecommunications and Information Association (NTIA) converter-box coupon program, which will make up to two $40 coupons available to households that qualify.
The TR-40 will include all of the basic features outlined in the NTIA guidelines, plus a seven-day electronic programming guide, program search, parental locks and VCR auto-tune timers.
EchoStar expects to have the TR-40 available in limited quantities in March.
A second model, the TR-50, will also be available, which will include a built in digital video recorder and will support Dish Network’s IPTV interactive service. This model will not be eligible for the $40 rebate coupon.
Echostar Holding Corp. will be manufacturing the DTV converters and selling them at a loss, in the hopes that consumers will turn to Dish Network in the future.
Meanwhile, Echostar’s new Dish Network Corp. will be expanding their high definition offerings throughout 2008 to over 100 national channels and to 100 local HD channels in 2008.
To facilitate the expansion, the company plans to launch four satellites (one per quarter) in 2008, three of which will be used for U.S. service. The company will be transitioning over to all MPEG-4 technology through the launches.
The U.S. federal government has previously announced a $40 rebate coupon would be available to consumers to help subsidize the cost of digital converter, however previous costs for digital set top boxes were far in excess to that.
The Echostar Model TR-40, which will carry a $39.95 suggested retail, is expected to be eligible for the National Telecommunications and Information Association (NTIA) converter-box coupon program, which will make up to two $40 coupons available to households that qualify.
The TR-40 will include all of the basic features outlined in the NTIA guidelines, plus a seven-day electronic programming guide, program search, parental locks and VCR auto-tune timers.
EchoStar expects to have the TR-40 available in limited quantities in March.
A second model, the TR-50, will also be available, which will include a built in digital video recorder and will support Dish Network’s IPTV interactive service. This model will not be eligible for the $40 rebate coupon.
Echostar Holding Corp. will be manufacturing the DTV converters and selling them at a loss, in the hopes that consumers will turn to Dish Network in the future.
Meanwhile, Echostar’s new Dish Network Corp. will be expanding their high definition offerings throughout 2008 to over 100 national channels and to 100 local HD channels in 2008.
To facilitate the expansion, the company plans to launch four satellites (one per quarter) in 2008, three of which will be used for U.S. service. The company will be transitioning over to all MPEG-4 technology through the launches.