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TELE-satellite International — The World‘s Largest Digital TV Trade Magazine
—
09-10/2012
— www.TELE-satellite.com
Dear Readers!
Does PayTV have a
future? If you take a look
around you might not think
so. One PayTV provider
after another seems to be
either going out of business
or merging with another
provider.
I’m actually surprised that
so many of these companies
have lasted as long as they
have. I could never under-
stand why someone should
have to pay to watch TV or,
for that matter, to listen to
the radio, like I enjoy doing.
I wouldn’t pay to listen to
birds sing and a waterfall
in the mountains would run
its course whether or not I
was there to hear it, and I
wouldn’t pay for that either.
My point is this: TV and
radio have naturally evolved
to where it is a normal part
of our lives. I should not
have to pay for this, at least
not directly. Indirectly is
a different story. I have to
buy the satellite equipment
consisting of a receiver and
a dish.
And I would no doubt also
be influenced into buying
products that I happened to
see in TV ads.
When I think about it a
little more, I have deter-
mined that I would only
pay for something that I
can physically hold in my
hands. I have no trouble
paying for a book or for a
magazine like this issue of
TELE-satellite. I would even
spend money on a DVD or
a CD-ROM if these things
weren’t so expensive.
But for TV? Or to access
information in the Inter-
net? No way! This has to be
financed in some other way.
How? I don’t care, that’s not
my problem.
That there are more than
enough freely available TV
and radio programs out
there proves that it is pos-
sible. Of the more than
10,000 programs that Sat-
coDX has in its lists, 6,000
of them are freely receiv-
able (2000 of these are
radio programs). As far as I
am concerned, the remain-
ing 4000 channels that want
my money can simply dis-
appear, I don’t need them.
They don’t see any of my
money anyway.
I suspect that long-run-
ning free TV channels will
ultimately prevail, even in
regions like North America
where PayTV is still suc-
cessful. In a few years one
satellite will start transmit-
ting (like ASTRA and HOT-
BIRD did a few years ago
in Europe) freely available
programs. Not long after
that, those people that are
still paying to watch TV will
start asking themselves
why they are still doing that.
Of course PayTV still has
a reason to exist. Many pro-
grams (such as sporting
events or first run movies)
are only carried via PayTV.
TELE-satellite's Editorial
10 Years Ago
www.TELE- satel l i te.com
08-09
2002
Calling Osama:
<p 12>
ARABSAT Makes
Eavesdropping Easy
Pay TV:
<p 86>
What Are the Hackers Doing?
DXer’s Dream:
<p 30>
Adventures in Satellites
HOTBIRD, TELSTAR, GALAXY
11
Receiver
Tests
Hyundai:
World Class Design
<p 102>
ENG-CD
The World’s Largest Satellite Magazine
How To:
<p 17>
Improved WorldSpace
Reception
Inside!
Global
Satellite Chart
on CD-ROM
TELE-satellite HISTORY
TELE-satellite in 2002
Years Ago