# Where is DirecTV' CES content?



## cypherx (Aug 27, 2010)

Dish had an event at CES that showcased a 4k Joey, new music apps, the sling TV service, new carbon UI, etc. Those all great things, but as a DirecTV subscriber I am more interested in upcoming products, features and future development on our side of the fence. I imagine a 4k genie should make an appearance at some point. I would also like to see some more apps like VEVO, Spotify, last.fm, etc. 

I know CES is a few days long so maybe there hasn't been any developments yet, but if there is please show me to the discussion! 


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## Araxen (Dec 18, 2005)

I was just going to post the same thing. The DISH Internet TV thing is pretty cool.


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## raott (Nov 23, 2005)

cypherx said:


> Dish had an event at CES that showcased a 4k Joey, new music apps, the sling TV service, new carbon UI, etc. Those all great things, but as a DirecTV subscriber I am more interested in upcoming products, features and future development on our side of the fence. I imagine a 4k genie should make an appearance at some point. I would also like to see some more apps like VEVO, Spotify, last.fm, etc.
> 
> I know CES is a few days long so maybe there hasn't been any developments yet, but if there is please show me to the discussion!
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using DBSTalk


Honestly, the only discussion you are likely to get here is a few posters writing how they were invited to private showing by Directv, and how great the Directv new tech is but that they can't tell you about.

That's the way its been the past couple of years.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

raott said:


> Honestly, the only discussion you are likely to get here is a few posters writing how they were invited to private showing by Directv, and how great the Directv new tech is but that they can't tell you about.


So it isn't the Consumer Electronics SHOW but more of a hide for DirecTV?


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## raott (Nov 23, 2005)

James Long said:


> So it isn't the Consumer Electronics SHOW but more of a hide for DirecTV?


Apparently (see post 4 below). 
http://www.dbstalk.com/topic/215033-international-ces-jan-6-9-2015/


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## Drucifer (Feb 12, 2009)

Everything at this year's CES is IoT Smart this and Smart that. DirecTV seems to have ignored this wave of the future.

But there was a tweet on RVU. . .

__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/552582105192865792
As you can see, actually tweets can't be posted here.


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## cypherx (Aug 27, 2010)

It a little disappointing that they hold back. Well Dish had a good presentation so at least DIRECTV can see what the competition is up to and retaliate appropriately.

On the cable side Broadcom has their new DOCSIS 3.1 chipset that will make 1Gbps Internet packages possible over today's HFC networks.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

Drucifer said:


> Everything at this year's CES is IoT Smart this and Smart that. DirecTV seems to have ignored this wave of the future.
> 
> But there was a tweet on RVU. . .
> 
> ...


IoT actually scares me a lot. It's pretty bad when lightbulbs are a network security vulnerability.


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## Drucifer (Feb 12, 2009)

People who don't lock their doors or change the default security password, should not be surprised when they are robbed.


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## cypherx (Aug 27, 2010)

dpeters11 said:


> IoT actually scares me a lot. It's pretty bad when lightbulbs are a network security vulnerability.


I don't understand this response. The tweet was about DirecTV receiving an award for RVU implementation for 4K VOD. Nothing about light bulbs.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

Those fortunate enough to attend CES are frequently asked to keep proprietary information confidential, and these requests are honored by people entrusted with the information. That is not a new practice, nor exclusive to DirecTV.

Having spent time in the Dish booth...it's fair to say they do the very same thing...there's public info and private/confidential info.

DirecTV has chosen for several years NOT to have an exhibit hall booth. They do have people onsite at other locations.

It's a competitive industry, and so information isn't freely distributed in all cases. It's unfortunate that some people don't understand that. Rest assured...despite a lack of public noise plenty of things are happening.

There is plenty to see this year at CES across many topics, and those folks onsite often use personal time and pay their own travel expenses to attend - so there is no obligation for them to be "reporters" any more than they choose. 

For those who have something to share and choose to do so...thank you.


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## lparsons21 (Mar 4, 2006)

From my perspective, it is very easy to see why Dish has a public presence at CES and DirecTV doesn't. And it all has to do with how things are done at the respective companies with their tech.

Dish is more aggressive in making big changes, changes that might only affect a couple models of equipment. IOW, the Hopper/Joey UI was and is a huge change but one not suitable across the line. The naming and the ads that followed along cranked up the buzz about Dish.

DirecTV OTOH, is more mundane about these things. Essentially the UI has changed little over the years and is the same one across all the hardware lines. It is very hard to generate any public excitement about something that isn't exciting at all.

Please note that I'm not saying one is the right way to do things and the other isn't. Just a different approach, one with glitz and glitter, the other not. At a convention like CES, the glitter and glitz gets the press the mundane is pretty much ignored.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

lparsons21 said:


> From my perspective, it is very easy to see why Dish has a public presence at CES and DirecTV doesn't. And it all has to do with how things are done at the respective companies with their tech.
> 
> Dish is more aggressive in making big changes, changes that might only affect a couple models of equipment. IOW, the Hopper/Joey UI was and is a huge change but one not suitable across the line. The naming and the ads that followed along cranked up the buzz about Dish.
> 
> ...


Simplistically...you correctly captured the fact that those two companies take different approaches.

It's useful to know that public noise doesn't mean real substance (plenty of things seen at CES never get executed)...much like limited quiet doesn't mean things aren't happening. CES is a look into the planned or proposed future, not guaranteed future.

It comes down to who wants to share what, when, and how. Many successful companies avoid fanfare while aggressively doing many things "behind the scenes".

Which approach works best depends on who you ask. Both approaches have proven to work with varying degrees of success.


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## lparsons21 (Mar 4, 2006)

I was really speaking in the context of this huge convention. I've attended COMDEX, the computer world's version of CES, in the past. There is so much going on in the big venues and plenty in the smaller ones too, that getting lost on the showroom floor is a big issue as your senses wander with the vast amount of all sorts of presentations is going on. The cost to go to one is pretty high for the attendees, but huge to the companies presenting.

For that big cost, there has to be a huge return on that investment. And that doesn't happen for products/services that are less glitzy. In order to get attention you have to have a product that is 'presentation friendly' to a potentially big audience. The more mundane products just don't have that, no matter how good they might actually be. There is real marketing science that goes into choosing to present at these things.

Not to pick on DirecTV, but they really haven't had any product changes over the years that can generate the buzz at one of these things. Frankly I think that D* is making the right move by being there but not presenting to the general attendees, instead having some private presentations to those that would get the most from it.

When I went to COMDEX, I'd spend all of the 1st day looking for those things specific to my market place and make contacts with the right people for followup. 2nd day would be more of the same, but on the lower end of the product lines we were looking for. The 3rd day was to enjoy the splashy stuff more and maybe find a jewel hiding in plain sight that we hadn't considered.


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## 456521 (Jul 6, 2007)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> Rest assured...despite a lack of public noise plenty of things are happening.


LOL. Yeah, ok. If things are happening they'll want people to know. If it's in such an early stage of development that they can't share any info then there's a high probability it won't make it to market or it's years away from market. Typical marketing noise.


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## lparsons21 (Mar 4, 2006)

pdxBeav said:


> LOL. Yeah, ok. If things are happening they'll want people to know. If it's in such an early stage of development that they can't share any info then there's a high probability it won't make it to market or it's years away from market. Typical marketing noise.


Most likely true! 

Reminds me of all the buzz here about the 'fantastic, new' HD GUI a bit back. And then everyone got to see it and found out it was the same old UI gussied up a little with the side benefit of slowing things down in way too many cases!!


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## cypherx (Aug 27, 2010)

I guess I can understand that logic. It would be a great expense to rent space on the floor, construct your booth, get a live feed to it to show off your services, etc... I don't think too many cable operators are there either. But they have the cable show each year and also sometimes they attend the NAB shows as well. Charter was there with Cisco showing the new IP based worldboxes with built in 16x8 DOCSIS modems and they were explaining how they will go to a cloud based UI. Older boxes will get it too as the UI will be streamed to them in MPEG2 from servers in "the cloud". Each box will basically be running on its own VOD. All tuning will be moved to the headends so the last mile bandwidth will be freed up for these individualized streams per node. 

Then you have the DOCSIS 3.1 reference design from Broadcom that theoretically can do 10gbps down by 2gbps up on traditional 1Ghz HFC networks. I'm sure Broadcom has other 4k ARM based reference designs that may or may not makes its way into DirecTV technology. Surely it will be available for manufacturers of other Cable and Satellite TV set tops.

4K big TV's seem to be a big item at CES. Looking forward to that one day becoming mainstream. Maybe with all the smart tv nonsense, providers can just put access to the content in Smart Apps. Extend DirecTV RVU to more devices so there are no set top boxes except for the gateway (Genie in this case).

Dish of course, showing a big presence and conference with Joe Clayton front and center. But if Dish is working on the 4k stuff, new UI's etc... I'm sure DirecTV isn't going to just stand there and watch, exclaiming "that's nice". Heck we have a new bird to look forward to, and another one after that in the not too distant future.


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## woj027 (Sep 3, 2007)

But hasn't it been this way for the past few years? When was the last "big" thing openly presented at CES by Directv?

Dish has a presence - showing their new stuff for all to see. 
Directv has a private room and invites select people who are not allowed to share what they learn/see

Different processes I know, but from an "Joe Sixpack" perspective I (personally) think Dish is on the cutting edge of technology. 
Directv. I don't know what they are doing. So with out real information I will fill in the blanks with "nothing new to share" so therefore behind the curve. 




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## slice1900 (Feb 14, 2013)

Most people don't follow CES and might only hear a few big things out of it that make the news they read/watch. They won't hear anything about Dish's announcements at CES and wouldn't hear anything about Directv's if they made any. Its for that reason that some companies, even major ones like Apple, totally ignore CES. Just because some people at forums like this one and avsforum wait for CES with baited breath or even attend it, doesn't mean the average person cares about it or even knows it is going on this week.

Better for Directv to announce stuff when it is ready instead of pre-announcing something at CES that won't be available for months just to get the imagined publicity if it somehow rises above the massive noise surrounding CES.


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## KyL416 (Nov 11, 2005)

slice1900 said:


> Better for Directv to announce stuff when it is ready instead of pre-announcing something at CES that won't be available for months just to get the imagined publicity if it somehow rises above the massive noise surrounding CES.


Or showcasing things that end up never coming out like that Windows Media Center satellite tuner for DirecTV from a few years ago.

Plus you got to deal with people who poorly cover what you did announce. Just look at Dish's 4K Joey that they announced, several sites left Engagdget left out a key detail like needing HDMI 2.0 and HDCP 2.2 and ran the headline "Dish Network will have 4K this summer for every UHD TV" giving the impression that it will support every 4K TV on the market.


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## cypherx (Aug 27, 2010)

Can a 4k TV get a firmware update for that HDMI/HDCP or did they build themselves into a corner with asic's hardwired on silicon instead of running software drivers?


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## KyL416 (Nov 11, 2005)

cypherx said:


> Can a 4k TV get a firmware update for that HDMI/HDCP or did they build themselves into a corner with asic's hardwired on silicon instead of running software drivers?


Some TVs came with upgradable HDMI modules, but that requires the manufacturer actually following through and providing the upgrade and how much extra they would charge you to purchase the upgraded module.


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## RAD (Aug 5, 2002)

Hope they don't charge what Mitsubishi wanted for the Promise module for their early HD RPTV's. IIRC they wanted $900 for that upgrade,


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## slice1900 (Feb 14, 2013)

Samsung is charging $400 for the upgrade module on their TVs. Fine for a huge TV like 85", but no way is it worth it on a 50" where you can buy brand new 4K TVs for not much more. Such upgrades are hardly ever a good deal. It seems like a good idea at the time measured by the price you pay as an early adopter, but by the time you really _have_ to upgrade it, prices have come way down on TVs with the capability built in and it is usually a terrible deal.


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

woj027 said:


> But hasn't it been this way for the past few years? When was the last "big" thing openly presented at CES by Directv?
> 
> Dish has a presence - showing their new stuff for all to see.
> Directv has a private room and invites select people who are not allowed to share what they learn/see
> ...


Dish needs to go "above and beyond" to get more customers. That means bigger presence at CES to create more "oohs" and "ahhhs". DirecTV doesn't really need to worry about that type of thing therefore less hoopla.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

woj027 said:


> But hasn't it been this way for the past few years? When was the last "big" thing openly presented at CES by Directv?
> 
> Dish has a presence - showing their new stuff for all to see.
> Directv has a private room and invites select people who are not allowed to share what they learn/see
> ...


Many companies don't tell you about anything until it's actually ready to hit. Like apple. Does that make any company that doesn't tell you what they may or may not be working in behind the curve?

And I personally think DIRECTV has lived and learned in this regard. They announced and showed two things at ces many many years ago that took way longer for them to hit and realized that it did them no good to have that happen. Whole Home Service for one. Literally what, five years or more before it finally was able to show up? And don't get me started in the first directv boxes that had inter grated the local over the air guide with the main guide, and then the first Hi Definition directvio. All things that where a year late.... And it did not make people, happy.

So why not wait till something is actually hitting? Besides, CES isn't really for us anyway. It's for manufactures to connect and create business relationships, they just let people like you and me sneak in and see what people are working on too...


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## woj027 (Sep 3, 2007)

inkahauts said:


> Many companies don't tell you about anything until it's actually ready to hit. Like apple. Does that make any company that doesn't tell you what they may or may not be working in behind the curve?
> 
> And I personally think DIRECTV has lived and learned in this regard. They announced and showed two things at ces many many years ago that took way longer for them to hit and realized that it did them no good to have that happen. Whole Home Service for one. Literally what, five years or more before it finally was able to show up? And don't get me started in the first directv boxes that had inter grated the local over the air guide with the main guide, and then the first Hi Definition directvio. All things that where a year late.... And it did not make people, happy.
> 
> So why not wait till something is actually hitting? Besides, CES isn't really for us anyway. It's for manufactures to connect and create business relationships, they just let people like you and me sneak in and see what people are working on too...


But, Apple does have it's own show and tell and and the whole world stops at 10am Pacific to see what Apple has to say.

DirecTV announces things like how you tell your wife you spent $100 bucks at the bar last night, very quietly and hopefully so she doesn't even hear it.


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## patmurphey (Dec 21, 2006)

slice1900 said:


> Samsung is charging $400 for the upgrade module on their TVs. Fine for a huge TV like 85", but no way is it worth it on a 50" where you can buy brand new 4K TVs for not much more. Such upgrades are hardly ever a good deal. It seems like a good idea at the time measured by the price you pay as an early adopter, but by the time you really _have_ to upgrade it, prices have come way down on TVs with the capability built in and it is usually a terrible deal.


The $400 Black Friday instant rebate on my TV went along way toward paying for that, if necessary. (It does have one HDMI 2.0 port now.) Meanwhile I'm enjoying 4k from Netflix, Amazon Prime and Youtube, And my 1080i normal viewing is sharper than ever.


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## Steve (Aug 22, 2006)

raott said:


> Honestly, the only discussion you are likely to get here is a few posters writing how they were invited to private showing by Directv, and how great the Directv new tech is but that they can't tell you about.


Ya, unfortunately, some individuals have an inflated view of their self importance, and they love the opportunity to show everyone how "special" they think they are. If I'm ever told something in confidence, I keep my mouth shut. Period. Posting you know something but can't talk about it is just bragging, IMHO.


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## slice1900 (Feb 14, 2013)

patmurphey said:


> The $400 Black Friday instant rebate on my TV went along way toward paying for that, if necessary. (It does have one HDMI 2.0 port now.) Meanwhile I'm enjoying 4k from Netflix, Amazon Prime and Youtube, And my 1080i normal viewing is sharper than ever.


Whether or not you got a rebate, you still paid an EXTRA $400 for this module that you don't even need yet, since AFAIK neither Netflix, Amazon or Youtube is offering 60 fps 4K video. HDMI 1.4 works fine for 24/30 fps 4K.

What are the prices on 4K TVs going to be like when 60 fps 4K video is available and you really do need HDMI 2.0? If you can get one for $600, having saved that $400 would allow you to buy it for an effective cost of only $200.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

woj027 said:


> But, Apple does have it's own show and tell and and the whole world stops at 10am Pacific to see what Apple has to say.
> 
> DirecTV announces things like how you tell your wife you spent $100 bucks at the bar last night, very quietly and hopefully so she doesn't even hear it.


Well, DIRECTV and apple both announce stuff basically when it hits. Apple has only really advanced shown one thing in the last five years, the Apple watch.... That's the connection to be made, but....

Apple has things that need more showy fan fare displays, as they are trying to get people to upgrade and to come to their stuff and expand. DIRECTV is in a much more finite business, where their new stuff isn't going to expand their growth by all that much. It's not like the hopper is the reason dish has had record increases in subscriptions is it? Dish try's the fanfare way but it hasn't gotten them anything over all their other competitors. If anything they may try things like this because they usually come to market after others have something already similar so they can try and not get the response of, oh you finally have that too?

Dish is behind (if you can really call it that) announcing and having 4k available to a few competitors so they want to announce it coming to the world. Excellent for them. Doesn't mean they are ahead of anyone.. Their solution will keep their product every bit as limited as dtvs already implemented one is for likely all of 2015. But they where being left out of the discussion and now they won't be. That's all they where after imho in terms of announcing right now six months or more before it hits.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

Perhaps the show is overrated ... but a company does not win best whatever at the show if they don't show their product. There is no award for best in hiding. Perhaps awards are overrated ... but they sure look nice on advertising copy for the next how ever many years until the next product replaces the award winner.

The bottom line is actually releasing products and making money on them ... whenever that occurs. Shows like CES allow participating companies to wet the appetite of consumers and gain some press. Now and for future ad copy.

One negative aspect of the show is companies holding back so they can make a CES announcement. DISH usually makes several announcements each year that COULD have been made in December or before ... but they wait for the big CES announcement. I wonder what the tradeoff is between waiting for CES attention and losing the months prior?


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> It's useful to know that public noise doesn't mean real substance (plenty of things seen at CES never get executed)...much like limited quiet doesn't mean things aren't happening. CES is a look into the planned or proposed future, not guaranteed future.


DIRECTV used to be all about splashy CES announcements when they actively participated. Remember DIRECTV2Go? The DIRECTV Pro receiver (what was roughly approximated by the HR21Pro)? The Windows Media Platform and ViiV initiatives? The DIRECTV Gaming League? The DIRECTV Date dating service? 100 National HD channels in 2007? The line of DIRECTV branded flat screen TVs? The HDPC-20 computer tuner?

Here's the list from the 2006 CES:

http://www.directvpresscenter.com/press/?p=b807c226-b043-4c86-84db-d20b8d27bebf

In the interest of completeness, the HMC was NOT announced at CES and the SatGo (announced during 2007 CES) was delivered in vanishingly small quantities.

It is notable that as I looked around for press releases from bygone CES events, I found a few (including the 100 National HD channels one) that have been "left out" of the DIRECTV press release index for their respective year.


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## Scott Kocourek (Jun 13, 2009)

You never miss an opportunity do you. I often wonder what your position is at DISH.


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## SledgeHammer (Dec 28, 2007)

patmurphey said:


> The $400 Black Friday instant rebate on my TV went along way toward paying for that, if necessary. (It does have one HDMI 2.0 port now.) Meanwhile I'm enjoying 4k from Netflix, Amazon Prime and Youtube, And my 1080i normal viewing is sharper than ever.


It's not a "real" HDMI 2.0 port is what we're saying.


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## SledgeHammer (Dec 28, 2007)

slice1900 said:


> Whether or not you got a rebate, you still paid an EXTRA $400 for this module that you don't even need yet, since AFAIK neither Netflix, Amazon or Youtube is offering 60 fps 4K video. HDMI 1.4 works fine for 24/30 fps 4K.
> 
> What are the prices on 4K TVs going to be like when 60 fps 4K video is available and you really do need HDMI 2.0? If you can get one for $600, having saved that $400 would allow you to buy it for an effective cost of only $200.


I figure selling your current TV and just buying a new one makes more sense then doing one of those silly upgrades and with a TV, all the new tech is obviously in the screen. You can't upgrade that. If Samsung does figure out how to add quantum dots and HDR to your TV for $400, I'll become a believer .


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## WestDC (Feb 9, 2008)

The real Story - Consumer Electronics Show is going on. It displays new technology that makes you already hate the TV you bought two weeks ago for Christmas.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

WestDC said:


> The real Story - Consumer Electronics Show is going on. It displays new technology that makes you already hate the TV you bought two weeks ago for Christmas.[/size]


 :righton: :rolling:


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

harsh said:


> It is notable that as I looked around for press releases from bygone CES events, I found a few (including the 100 National HD channels one) that have been "left out" of the DIRECTV press release index for their respective year.


What is actually most notable is that most of the interesting/useful information from CES pertaining to DirecTV will NOT be found in press releases.

It's one of the advantages of attending CES. Often, the information is confidentially shared in private meetings for competitive reasons, which is a smart move. Most people can see past the "shiny things" that are announced in Press releases and know that that many vendors announce things that don't end up ever seeing the light of day. It's wise to announce what is "real" as opposed to what "is planned".

The record attendance at the 2015 International CES (170,000 reported) demonstrates the industry is active and health - Las Vegas was indeed busy everywhere, and the crowds have grown substantially over the past several years.

There was plenty of information publicly released, and plenty shared in private venues. That's the way CES works, especially since it is not open to the general public anyway.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

It is hard to call something with 170k attendees exclusive. 

I have seen better TV coverage of CES in the past. The news stations have been a little busy with "are we all going to die" stories to carve out time for "look what is new at CES" stories. And Tech TV coverage is long gone.

CES is what it is ... a showcase. As you have stated, some companies decide to show things in different ways.


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## slice1900 (Feb 14, 2013)

I think there would have been more news coverage of CES if there was anything interesting coming from it. More 4K TVs and goofy stuff like belt that adjusts to the wearer are hardly comparable to some of the big stuff that came out in previous years.


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## cypherx (Aug 27, 2010)

I see dish won best in show again. Good for them.


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## fireponcoal (Sep 26, 2009)

It's interesting that so much is being announced at CES that I notice the other site is covering but DBS isn't. It's almost as if since D* isn't announcing anything no one over on this side is allowed to discuss the other happenings at CES.. It's curious is all. The bias is deafening..


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## slice1900 (Feb 14, 2013)

You're in a Directv forum here, dbstalk also has Dish forums. I imagine they are probably discussing the 4K Joey and the pre-CES announcement of Sling TV. There wasn't anything at CES that really makes any difference for Directv customers, which is why there isn't much being discussed in the DIRECTV General Discussion forum


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> What is actually most notable is that most of the interesting/useful information from CES pertaining to DirecTV will NOT be found in press releases.


I was speaking more to the idea that DIRECTV doesn't appear to be particularly proud of what they've announced if they've neglected to include the releases in their index.

I've noticed that some of the CES announcement threads here at DBSTalk seem to have lost their content as well.


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## raott (Nov 23, 2005)

Hopefully, in these private sessions, keybounce, channels I get and VOD audio dropouts have all been shown to be solved and us commoners will be able to see the results sometime this year.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

harsh said:


> I was speaking more to the idea that DIRECTV doesn't appear to be particularly proud of what they've announced if they've neglected to include the releases in their index.
> 
> I've noticed that some of the CES announcement threads here at DBSTalk seem to have lost their content as well.


!rolling

Thanks I need a good laugh. That one is rich! And I think a lot of stuff got lost in the conversion here. But that DIRECTV comment. God where do you come up with this stuff? Do you know Chris Rock or someone like him?

!rolling

!rolling


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

raott said:


> Hopefully, in these private sessions, keybounce, channels I get and VOD audio dropouts have all been shown to be solved and us commoners will be able to see the results sometime this year.


That would be something to watch the CE program for, not CES.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

slice1900 said:


> I think there would have been more news coverage of CES if there was anything interesting coming from it. More 4K TVs and goofy stuff like belt that adjusts to the wearer are hardly comparable to some of the big stuff that came out in previous years.


Hmmmm....there have been 3 record years in a row for 154,000 attendees reported in 2013, 160,000 in 2014, and now 170,000 in 2015.

That's a lot of people spending a great deal of their time and money on just "goofy stuff".

As for reporting - this seems to depend upon one's location and source of "news" - because the hundreds of Press releases published, thousands of onsite Tweets, countless hours of daily TV news coverage in the local TV market (one station here had 3 onsite reports each day), C/Net onsite coverage, national TV reports, as well as millions of blog posts worldwide regarding CES.

Despite all that information, nothing trumps being there and seeing things firsthand, asking questions, and learning what is actually happening in that industry. Private meetings have been a common part of CES for years too (often featuring proprietary content), and those actually provide even more depth of information - unfortunately that information can't be in a Press release. Being there allows a person the opportunity to sift through and separate "goofy things" (and there were some) from things of greater substance (which makes up most of CES).


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## Drucifer (Feb 12, 2009)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> Hmmmm....there have been 3 record years in a row for 154,000 attendees reported in 2013, 160,000 in 2014, and now 170,000 in 2015.
> 
> [SNIP]


Well with PC Expo & Comdex being no more, they're the only big electronic show left.


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## lparsons21 (Mar 4, 2006)

Drucifer said:


> Well with PC Expo & Comdex being no more, they're the only big electronic show left.


I didn't know that Comdex was no more.  When I was working I went every year and it was wonderful. Downside was that it was expensive to attend as hotel prices were at the highest that week, and for presenters it was a very big expense.

I used to enjoy seeing all the new doo-dads and always came back from the show with at least 3 new products to add to our product mix. It was also nice to put faces with the names of the sales people I dealt with on the phone all the time.

We were a networking VAR dealing primarily with schools and also attended Network World which I suppose is gone too.

Haven't been to Vegas in many years. I like the craps tables too much to go!!


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## slice1900 (Feb 14, 2013)

Most of those big expos are no more. Things are too fast paced in competitive markets to wait for a yearly show to reveal big products, and the biggest players like Apple, Amazon and Google don't do any trade shows. I bet CES doesn't last another decade - there is no reason why it should be immune to the issues that took down the others, even though it has benefited from their demise.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

slice1900 said:


> Most of those big expos are no more. Things are too fast paced in competitive markets to wait for a yearly show to reveal big products, and the biggest players like Apple, Amazon and Google don't do any trade shows. I bet CES doesn't last another decade - there is no reason why it should be immune to the issues that took down the others, even though it has benefited from their demise.


Yet the attendance the most recent 3 years are 154,000....160,000....and this year 170,000.

Reports of its demise would seem to be premature.


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## slice1900 (Feb 14, 2013)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> Yet the attendance the most recent 3 years are 154,000....160,000....and this year 170,000.
> 
> Reports of its demise would seem to be premature.


The point is, how much of that is because of all the other industry events that are no more? Some of the people who used to attend COMDEX probably go to CES now, similarly for other defunct conferences. A lot of it is just industry boondoggles, people will be budgeted to attend one conference a year, so they pick the one that's in Vegas rather than the one that's in Atlanta for obvious reasons...

I went for a day in 2010 when my girlfriend lived in Vegas and I was staying with her. She worked for a magazine that covered Vegas hotels and nightlife and was able to snag me a one day pass. It reminded me of some of the conferences I'd attended in the past except on a much larger and louder scale


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> Hmmmm....there have been 3 record years in a row for 154,000 attendees reported in 2013, 160,000 in 2014, and now 170,000 in 2015.


Yet as the show becomes more and more popular, DIRECTV's presence remains a members only insiders club.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

slice1900 said:


> Some of the people who used to attend COMDEX probably go to CES now, similarly for other defunct conferences.


I suspect that COMDEX is dead because computers and peripherals aren't fascinating anymore. Most of the dealers that used to go there have been replaced by factory direct web sales or online consultancies like CDW.


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## inkahauts (Nov 13, 2006)

harsh said:


> Yet as the show becomes more and more popular, DIRECTV's presence remains a members only insiders club.


Who cares?


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## sigma1914 (Sep 5, 2006)

inkahauts said:


> Who cares?


Dish subs who troll DirecTV forums.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

harsh said:


> Yet as the show becomes more and more popular, DIRECTV's presence remains a members only insiders club.


In reality, there are numerous companies taking this very same approach at CES - to control intellectual property and confidential strategic plans.

Things changed several years ago. There were many, many "private" and offsite "invitation only" meetings there for select invitees to share confidential information.

They actually have a section in each one of the Convention Center Halls specifically for those meetings. Others are held offsite. Conventional wisdom to share competitive information on the CES show floor has migrated to private meetings. The stuff you see in booths you can usually find on the Internet. Some (not all) of what is shown in booths at CES is pure sizzle without substance behind it, and nearly all attendees know that.

It's fair to estimate that 10% of all attendees participate in at least one "insiders club" meeting for one vendor or another - it's simply not at all uncommon.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

inkahauts said:


> Who cares?


Those who are weighing their excitement about where DIRECTV is heading against the price increases for the privilege of having a chance at enjoying them.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

harsh said:


> Those who are weighing their excitement about where DIRECTV is heading against the price increases for the privilege of having a chance at enjoying them.


It has been pretty clear (for several years now) that folks with that kind detailed interest won't get it at CES (in public). That's been the case since before 2010.

Harping on it won't change anything or make something magically appear. Information desired for distribution gets distributed.


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## lparsons21 (Mar 4, 2006)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> Some (not all) of what is shown in booths at CES is pure sizzle without substance behind it, and nearly all attendees know that.


And to be fair, DirecTV doesn't and hasn't had anything with sizzle and pop for years. Or at least not something that would catch the eye and interest. Because of that, I think that D* is making the right decision about how they attend the show. Don't get me wrong, D* has done some very nice stuff, just not of the 'sizzle' type!


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

lparsons21 said:


> And to be fair, DirecTV doesn't and hasn't had anything with sizzle and pop for years. Or at least not something that would catch the eye and interest. Because of that, I think that D* is making the right decision about how they attend the show. Don't get me wrong, D* has done some very nice stuff, just not of the 'sizzle' type!


I'd respectfully disagree with that first statement. Genie was enough sizzle to get competitors to work hard to copy it, as was the Whole Home DVR service...just to name a few items. Wireless clients and GenieGo would be other examples that are being replicated elsewhere now. Sizzle is in the eyes of the beholder of course.

But rather than debate that point, the bottom line is that companies choose how they want to provide information, as well as how they want to provide it. One size doesn't fit all in the industry.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

harsh said:


> I suspect that COMDEX is dead because computers and peripherals aren't fascinating anymore. Most of the dealers that used to go there have been replaced by factory direct web sales or online consultancies like CDW.


All the big ones are overseas, CeBIT and Computex Taipei.


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## lparsons21 (Mar 4, 2006)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> I'd respectfully disagree with that first statement. Genie was enough sizzle to get competitors to work hard to copy it, as was the Whole Home DVR service...just to name a few items. Sizzle is in the eyes of the beholder of course.
> 
> But rather than debate that point, the bottom line is that companies choose how they want to provide information, as well as how they want to provide it. One size doesn't fit all in the industry.


Then I probably didn't present it well!! 

The Genie was a big step up from a performance and operational perspective. But since the box looked the same as previous HRs, the GUI looked the same too, it didn't have anything to show 'sizzle'! Sizzle is getting the eyeball to want to look at it, and that wasn't anything to look at that didn't look just like what was already there from D*.

So instead of trying to buy a very expensive booth that wouldn't get much traffic, D* chose the private meetings route. For a product like the Genie, that was to me the proper route.

In E*'s case, not only did they bring a whole home solution to market, they gave it a complete makeover. Different looking box, hugely different UI! Now there's something to sizzle!

Personally I'd rather D* was a bit more forthcoming with at least their subscribers. The hidden cutting edge and 'first looks' that are done here are interesting, but in most cases, and solely my opinion, they are too much fan boi driven and not enough meat with the potatoes.


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## RAD (Aug 5, 2002)

hdtvfan0001 said:


> I'd respectfully disagree with that first statement. Genie was enough sizzle to get competitors to work hard to copy it, as were Whole Home DVR service...just to name a few items. Sizzle is in the eyes of the beholder of course.
> 
> But rather than debate that point, the bottom line is that companies choose how they want to provide information, as well as how they want to provide it. One size doesn't fit all in the industry.


IIRC, Dish came out with the Hopper before DIRECTV came out with the Genie. WHDVR, that was something Replay had out long before DIRECTV did.

Yes, DIRECTV does come out with some nice things, maybe their biggest one was SWiM, but as far as the normal consumer goes that doesn't have any sizzle. I've said it before that DIRECTV does come up with some goodies before others but for some reason they just let them die on the vine. MediaShare could have been a good add on feature if they ever put the resources into it to make it work well. The original idea of TVApps was another good one, but they decided to go from the open concept, which it looks like Dish has gone, and made it a closed system.

Hey, I like DIRECTV, but I've got to go in the camp that there is no sizzle with their products as of late.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

RAD said:


> IIRC, Dish came out with the Hopper before DIRECTV came out with the Genie. WHDVR, that was something Replay had out long before DIRECTV did.


I wasn't referring to Dish, which is why they were not named for that example.


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## slice1900 (Feb 14, 2013)

dpeters11 said:


> All the big ones are overseas, CeBIT and Computex Taipei.


There are a lot fewer people able to get their boss to pay for them to travel internationally for a conference, so not everyone who used to attend COMDEX can go to one of those.


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## Curtis0620 (Apr 22, 2002)

You can have the best looking UI, but if you lose your favorite channels for weeks at a time what good is it?


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

slice1900 said:


> There are a lot fewer people able to get their boss to pay for them to travel internationally for a conference, so not everyone who used to attend COMDEX can go to one of those.


And of course those others are nearly-exclusive-to-computer conferences, in contrast to a wider range of Consumer products presented at CES.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

harsh said:


> Those who are weighing their excitement about where DIRECTV is heading against the price increases for the privilege of having a chance at enjoying them.


do you really need CES to announce a half baked streaming service along with a half baked 4K joey? I don't think so. There is nothing sizzling there......

Sent from my iPhone 6 using Tapatalk


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

Curtis0620 said:


> You can have the best looking UI, but if you lose your favorite channels for weeks at a time what good is it?


very good point, one that can't be dismissed.

Sent from my iPhone 6 using Tapatalk


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

Observation - it appears that most of the points have been made from all sides/angles of this topic...or at least the thread topic and OP questions seem to have been answered. On that note...enjoy any continued conversation.


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## dpeters11 (May 30, 2007)

slice1900 said:


> There are a lot fewer people able to get their boss to pay for them to travel internationally for a conference, so not everyone who used to attend COMDEX can go to one of those.


Sure, but my point was that CeBIT is huge. I don't know about 2014, but the 2013 attendance was something like 300,000.


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## slice1900 (Feb 14, 2013)

peds48 said:


> do you really need CES to announce a half baked streaming service along with a half baked 4K joey? I don't think so. There is nothing sizzling there......


The 4K Joey thing is a big yawn, there will be plenty of announcements of 4K equipment for cable/satellite providers in the next year but it is meaningless until you can watch something more than a handful of movies in 4K.

However, the Sling TV thing was a pretty major announcement, not sure why you think it is "half baked". Not sure how successful it will be since it doesn't break any ground in packaging (they didn't get Disney without ESPN or CNN without TNT, so half the package price is still sports tax) but it is still the first time anyone has succeeding in creating a streaming only package that includes ESPN.

The problem Dish must overcome is that while a price of $20/month is attractive for people who just watch a few channels but can't give up ESPN, it still can't compete with the price of $0/month many potential customers were already paying by using a friend's WatchESPN login  It also doesn't include locals, so people who can't pick them up OTA are still missing out on a lot of sports...and with the Aereo ruling that doesn't look to change anytime soon.


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## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

lparsons21 said:


> Then I probably didn't present it well!!
> 
> The Genie was a big step up from a performance and operational perspective. But since the box looked the same as previous HRs, the GUI looked the same too, it didn't have anything to show 'sizzle'! Sizzle is getting the eyeball to want to look at it, and that wasn't anything to look at that didn't look just like what was already there from D*.
> 
> ...


Depends on how one defines "sizzle". I've been a DIRECTV customer for twenty years. There had to be enough meat with the potatoes for me to stay with them that long. I subscribe to Premier, HD Extra Pack, NFL Sunday Ticket, and MLB Extra Innings. I have a HR44-200 and a HR24-500. Plenty of meat with all of that. I also get great customer service. Whenever a issue appeared it was always resolved to my satisfaction. Can't say that with some of my other service providers. I get offers from Cable and DISH to switch several times a month. For me looking at what they have to offer doesn't add up to a fizzle let alone sizzle.


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## lparsons21 (Mar 4, 2006)

MysteryMan said:


> Depends on how one defines "sizzle". I've been a DIRECTV customer for twenty years. There had to be enough meat with the potatoes for me to stay with them that long. I subscribe to Premier, HD Extra Pack, NFL Sunday Ticket, and MLB Extra Innings. I have a HR44-200 and a HR24-500. Plenty of meat with all of that. I also get great customer service. Whenever a issue appeared it was always resolved to my satisfaction. Can't say that with some of my other service providers. I get offers from Cable and DISH to switch several times a month. For me looking at what they have to offer doesn't add up to a fizzle let alone sizzle.


I've been with both services over the years and the differences in service and support are a yawner. Both give mediocre support, but they are consistent at it.

But this conversation isn't about who is the best or worst, it is why D* doesn't do CES in any meaningful way other than to some insiders. Hell, they don't need to be there at all since they already talk to them now. My point is that there is no sizzle because of the way D* does things. Not that the products are good or bad.


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## lparsons21 (Mar 4, 2006)

peds48 said:


> do you really need CES to announce a half baked streaming service along with a half baked 4K joey? I don't think so. There is nothing sizzling there......
> 
> Sent from my iPhone 6 using Tapatalk


Nice try! 

Dish did well enough with their presentations to take 3 awards away, including best of show. I'd say that shows there was plenty of 'sizzle' and then some. Dish is noted there because of their visibility! But they also do insider stuff while there too.

D* OTOH, is noticed by their relative absence.


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## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

lparsons21 said:


> I've been with both services over the years and the differences in service and support are a yawner. Both give mediocre support, but they are consistent at it.
> 
> But this conversation isn't about who is the best or worst, it is why D* doesn't do CES in any meaningful way other than to some insiders. Hell, they don't need to be there at all since they already talk to them now. My point is that there is no sizzle because of the way D* does things. Not that the products are good or bad.


Now I get it. People like you need Pomp and Circumstance while others prefer the quiet approach.


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## lparsons21 (Mar 4, 2006)

MysteryMan said:


> Now I get it. People like you need Pomp and Circumstance while others prefer the quiet approach.


You guys aren't very good at this!! 

At a convention you need pop and sizzle to get the eyeballs. Not so much those that already are in your camp, but to attract more there. It is also where the company presenting gets to look you over to decide how far 'inside' they want to take you. And that takes getting each other's attention. It is obvious you've never been to one of these huge conventions.

D*'s approach doesn't allow for that, they are only speaking to insiders. The advantage to that is that you have a very interested audience. The bigger disadvantage is no one new will know anything at all about it since they never saw you at all. Another big disadvantage is they are talking to the choir that has already bought in so they get to hear a lot of 'positive' feedback and probably little in the way of negative feedback when that might be better.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

slice1900 said:


> However, the Sling TV thing was a pretty major announcement, *not sure why you think it is "half baked"*.
> 
> *You answered you own question see below*
> 
> *Not sure how successful it will be since it doesn't break any ground in packaging (they didn't get Disney without ESPN or CNN without TNT, so half the package price is still sports tax) but it is still the first time anyone has succeeding in creating a streaming only package that includes ESPN.*


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## MysteryMan (May 17, 2010)

lparsons21 said:


> You guys aren't very good at this!!
> 
> At a convention you need pop and sizzle to get the eyeballs. Not so much those that already are in your camp, but to attract more there. It is also where the company presenting gets to look you over to decide how far 'inside' they want to take you. And that takes getting each other's attention. It is obvious you've never been to one of these huge conventions.
> 
> D*'s approach doesn't allow for that, they are only speaking to insiders. The advantage to that is that you have a very interested audience. The bigger disadvantage is no one new will know anything at all about it since they never saw you at all. Another big disadvantage is they are talking to the choir that has already bought in so they get to hear a lot of 'positive' feedback and probably little in the way of negative feedback when that might be better.


Remarks made by Stuart Sweet (a man I have a great deal of respect for) on the Solid Signal Blog covering the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show ......"This years Consumer Electronics Show was kind of like a bad pizza"......"It really wasn't that exciting of a show"......Next year's CES will learn from the mistakes of this one so hopefully there will be more buzzworthy product there at CES 2016". Given those remarks it appears there wasn't a lot of meat or potatoes from most of the vendors. Guess they not very good at it either. :sure:


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

I'm confused. I'd consider "meat and potatoes" to be solid food ... not sizzle. Looking for "meet and potatoes" for me is looking for SUBSTANCE and not flash.

Some of the excitement comes from surprises ... and perhaps the constant feed of information has taken the surprise out of CES. It is a nice place where one can see the newest tech in person before it shows up in a showroom ... plus tech that will never be in a showroom (you'll have to buy it to see it outside of CES or another show). It is a place where a company can put up a display that doesn't exist outside of the show.

Whether the target audience is the general attendee or a select group of invited friends of the company it is a place to show off.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

James Long said:


> I'm confused. I'd consider "meat and potatoes" to be solid food ... not sizzle. Looking for "meet and potatoes" for me is looking for SUBSTANCE and not flash.
> 
> *Some of the excitement comes from surprises* ... and perhaps the constant feed of information has taken the surprise out of CES. It is a nice place where one can see the newest tech in person before it shows up in a showroom ... plus tech that will never be in a showroom (you'll have to buy it to see it outside of CES or another show). It is a place where a company can put up a display that doesn't exist outside of the show.
> 
> Whether the target audience is the general attendee or a select group of invited friends of the company it is a place to show off.


You are right. The same thing is happening to Apple. Even tho I upgrade my iPhone on a yearly basis, I am not as surprised as before since I have already since the leaks which turn out to be spot on.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

peds48 said:


> You are right. The same thing is happening to Apple. Even tho I upgrade my iPhone on a yearly basis, I am not as surprised as before since I have already since the leaks which turn out to be spot on.


I am still waiting for Apple to innovate a removable battery. 
One of my friends was so impressed with the iPhone 6 that he bought an HTC.
(And he is one of those "life long" iProduct junkies.)

A lot of tech has hit a plateau. A little bit bigger ... a little bit sharper ... a little bit more color range ... a little higher resolution. There has not been a huge leap in a while. The next baby step forward is less exciting.


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## Drucifer (Feb 12, 2009)

lparsons21 said:


> And to be fair, *DirecTV doesn't and hasn't had anything with sizzle and pop for years*. Or at least not something that would catch the eye and interest. Because of that, I think that D* is making the right decision about how they attend the show. Don't get me wrong, D* has done some very nice stuff, just not of the 'sizzle' type!


Well the whole cable/sat industry seems to be sitting on the sidelines as all the other industries that deal with the home are jumping into the IoT. I'm thinking they have no ideal how.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

Drucifer said:


> Well the whole cable/sat industry seems to be sitting on the sidelines as all the other industries that deal with the home are jumping into the IoT. I'm thinking they have no ideal how.


DIRECTV® receivers are already IoT by definition. they are connected to the internet. Not sure how can DIRECTV® interact with other devices in you home. Perhaps change the channel when you open the door? Or when your Nest turns on play your favorite movie?....


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## Drucifer (Feb 12, 2009)

peds48 said:


> DIRECTV® receivers are already IoT by definition. they are connected to the internet. Not sure how can DIRECTV® interact with other devices in you home. Perhaps change the channel when you open the door? Or when your Nest turns on play your favorite movie?....


The TV screens in the home should be the monitor for a smart home. It must be done speedily. So it must interact with whatever DirecTV is doing instead of requiring DirecTV to stop in order to see on the screen what the IoT is reporting.


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## slice1900 (Feb 14, 2013)

IoT is the perfect example of CES hype with no substance. Everyone is rushing hell bent into trying to connect everything in the home to the net without worrying about whether it is useful to have individually addressable light bulbs or a washing machine that can connect to the internet.


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## Drucifer (Feb 12, 2009)

Don't know about washing machines, but how this IoT scenario -- you see a neat recipe on your TV that you like to try. You have your TV ask your pantry/fridge if you have all the ingredients. It reports back on the TV the ingredients you have and don't have. You then approve the needed ingredients be sent to your shopping list.


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## sangs (Apr 2, 2008)

Drucifer said:


> Don't know about washing machines, but how this IoT scenario -- you see a neat recipe on your TV that you like to try. You have your TV ask your pantry/fridge if you have all the ingredients. It reports back on the TV the ingredients you have and don't have. You then approve the needed ingredients be sent to your shopping list.


That's some serious Jetsons s*** right there.


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## hdtvfan0001 (Jul 28, 2004)

Sticking with the thread topic...both the Samsung and LG booths at CES had information about DirecTV. LG issued a Press Release on their information.

http://lgusblog.com/product-news/lg-announces-expanding-lineup-smart-tv-content-providers-ces-2015/

Neither had fancy glitz about DirecTV, but both locations had interesting information available.

One of the benefits of attending CES in person is the opportunity to see and hear things about various topics, including those not publicly available. Some of the information is confidential in nature, and honored as such. Several years ago, much more was shared in public by exhibitors, but competitive forces seem to have curbed that practice.

More and more exhibitors operate in this manner each year, with both public and private information available onsite. In a number of cases, the private information trumps the glitz.


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## damondlt (Feb 27, 2006)

RAD said:


> IIRC, Dish came out with the Hopper before DIRECTV came out with the Genie. WHDVR, that was something Replay had out long before DIRECTV did.


Scientific Atlanta, and Motorola also had Whole home DVRS long before Genie was available or even thought of.


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## RunnerFL (Jan 5, 2006)

harsh said:


> Yet as the show becomes more and more popular, DIRECTV's presence remains a members only insiders club.


Why do you care?


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## slice1900 (Feb 14, 2013)

Drucifer said:


> Don't know about washing machines, but how this IoT scenario -- you see a neat recipe on your TV that you like to try. You have your TV ask your pantry/fridge if you have all the ingredients. It reports back on the TV the ingredients you have and don't have. You then approve the needed ingredients be sent to your shopping list.


So how are your pantry and fridge going to know what you have? Do you have to scan in every item? Does every item you buy from the store include an RFID tag (driving up the price for everyone else) so this tracking can be automatic every time you put something in or take it out? How does it know if you have a full container of something, versus it being almost gone? What if you transfer say flour or sugar to a proper container rather than leaving an opened bag in your pantry?

The "smart refrigerator gives me my shopping list" idea has so many holes in it. It will NEVER happen. We'll have a robot butler that does this stuff for us (using machine vision, not RFID tags and scanners) before a smart fridge is useful for making a shopping list.


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## 456521 (Jul 6, 2007)

damondlt said:


> Scientific Atlanta, and Motorola also had Whole home DVRS long before Genie was available or even thought of.


Along with Microsoft's Window's Media Center. I cancelled DirecTV and went to a WMC/Ceton setup several years ago because they were so far behind in this area. Finally moved back to DirecTV once they had modern technology.

Also, the information that DirecTV shares in "private" CES meetings is not really confidential. If it was confidential they wouldn't share it with these people either. It's really information that in between confidential and public.


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## slice1900 (Feb 14, 2013)

pdxBeav said:


> Also, the information that DirecTV shares in "private" CES meetings is not really confidential. If it was confidential they wouldn't share it with these people either. It's really information that in between confidential and public.


If they ask you not to say anything and you do they can't sue you like they could for violating a NDA, but they might not invite you to their private meeting next year. The most interesting information would only be revealed to a very limited audience, and be covered by a NDA.


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## Drucifer (Feb 12, 2009)

sangs said:


> That's some serious Jetsons s*** right there.


That DirecTV is or is not in on.

BTW, the fridge part is already here.


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## dennisj00 (Sep 27, 2007)

Drucifer said:


> That DirecTV is or is not in on.
> 
> BTW, the fridge part is already here.


I really don't need my TV to know anything about my refrig. Even if I had the 'Fridge part'. Directv has enough to worry about providing TV content to my devices.

And even if I had the 'Fridge part', that's only about 30% of the food that we buy. There's nothing like a 30% solution to take off in the marketplace!


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## Drucifer (Feb 12, 2009)

dennisj00 said:


> *I really don't need my TV to know anything* about my refrig. Even if I had the 'Fridge part'. Directv has enough to worry about providing TV content to my devices.
> 
> And even if I had the 'Fridge part', that's only about 30% of the food that we buy. There's nothing like a 30% solution to take off in the marketplace!


And I knew people who where happy with B&W televisions.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

Drucifer said:


> The TV screens in the home should be the monitor for a smart home. It must be done speedily. So it must interact with whatever DirecTV is doing instead of requiring DirecTV to stop in order to see on the screen what the IoT is reporting.


Why it has to interact with DIRECTV®? Let the TV overlay what ever you have on the screen.... A la XBOX One


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## Drucifer (Feb 12, 2009)

peds48 said:


> Why it has to interact with DIRECTV®? Let the TV overlay what ever you have on the screen.... A la XBOX One


My video gaming days ended with Coleco. I have no idea how XBOX One works.


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## slice1900 (Feb 14, 2013)

Drucifer said:


> My video gaming days ended with Coleco. I have no idea how XBOX One works.


It overlays its menus, same way that if you pop up your TV's menu it overlays whatever the Directv box is displaying. What is wrong with IoT doing the same? If you want to see IoT succeed, you don't want to see it slowed down having to corral Directv, Dish, Comcast, TWC, Cox, FIOS and so on so everyone's boxes all integrate with it. Trying to get that group to agree on anything would pretty much be a death sentence for any new technology.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

Drucifer said:


> My video gaming days ended with Coleco. I have no idea how XBOX One works.


Like Google TV (now Android TV) products, the Xbox One can overlay graphics and video over a conventional HDMI stream.

DISH incorporated Google TV very effectively to add search functionality and Harmony remote control functionality to their standard offering as an extra cost service.

With Android TV you can run Android apps and have them overlay or display around a PIP box that houses your regularly scheduled programming.


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## 456521 (Jul 6, 2007)

slice1900 said:


> If they ask you not to say anything and you do they can't sue you like they could for violating a NDA, but they might not invite you to their private meeting next year. The most interesting information would only be revealed to a very limited audience, and be covered by a NDA.


Exactly. And they're not going to share anything under NDA unless they have a good reason. It'll have to be under some sort of business arrangement where DirecTV gets something in return.


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