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Technology Stocks : Echostar Comm. -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Frank Byers who wrote (550)	1/5/1998 1:45:00 AM
From: Frank Byers	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 1394

If you go to the echostar website, all the details are explained regarding how to receive Echostar III programming. Basically they sell you a kit for $99 (single receiver) or $149 (dual receiver) that contains a switch and a second dish. The receiver apparently does have some sort of output signal that can control the switch so that the correct dish is connected to the Rx for the desired channel. Don't know how popular it will be for people to install the second dish. Maybe it will have "vanity value" or a conspicuous consumption factor that will outweigh the aesthetic concerns. I personally would not mind installing anothe dish if that's what it takes to get more programming. FB p.s. I still don't think it's practical to have a motorized pointing system, althought someone will probably design one that works with the signal coming out of the back of the DISH receiver. I think the time taken to move the dish would be annoying, and you might have alignment problems creep up from time to time. If it works, then more power to them. Lets take a straw poll, which method of receiving the E* III signal would you prefer? Assume that the motorized method results in a 5 second delay when moving from E* I/II to E* III. And, assume it costs $50 more than the kit prices I mentioned above. The other thing to consider with the motorized dish (and I don't know the answer right now) is that the programming guide may only be available on E* I/II, so that if you were receiving a program on E* III and you wanted to look at the guide the dish would have to be moved back to the other position. This would make it extremely undesirable to go with the motorized approach since the guide is accessed a lot by channel surfers. With the switch/2nd dish approach there would be no delay of course.

To: Frank Byers who wrote (550)	1/5/1998 7:09:00 PM
From: Jeffrey B	Respond to of 1394

Good point about multiple receivers. Using a moving dish puts us back into the C-band (big dish)category, with regard to accessibilty to channels from multiple receivers, hence the multiple dish option. This is the only answer to their situation, provided that they continue to use these orbital slots. Personally, I can't see how DISH can feel comfortable with asking their customers to mount an addtional dish on their homes. Professional, I can see them providing a solution to use all of their available bandwidth, and expanding programming services to cater to many needs. - Jeff