Maybe "Monopoly" was too strong a word, but the fact that they use the fact that they own the #1 rated Channel (CBS) to force Dish Network into not only swallowing annual rate hikes that are far above the rate of inflation, but also force them to carry channels that they have no desire to carry. They're a virtual monopoly by the fact that they dominate the industry so much, owning not only 2 networks (CBS and UPN), but also most of the highest rated cable stations (MTV, VH-1, Comedy Central etc.).
Sure Charlie Ergen (Dish owner) is not whiter than white, but what he's trying to do is keep his costs low and in the end that passes down to the customers. This is why the rates on Dish are generally lower than Cable, and have less frequent rate hikes.
Having those messages visible on all cable TV will certainly have negative effect on Dish in that people considering switching to Dish will be put off due to the lack of Viacom channels, which is I'm sure why they did it this way.
I have Dish and am willing to do without Viacom , if it means making stand against a media monopoly's bullying tactics.
All you need is a misinformed comment and a Star Wars quote to get modded up to 5 on Slashdot these days then. OK then, my comment on the speculation on whether this will be based on SF or LA:
"The dark side clouds everything. Impossible to see the future is."
I remember a long time ago, when Amigas and Atari ST computers came out in the UK, a couple of businesses opened up near me that had 20 of these computers installed and you could pay by the hour to play on them. Brilliant for people like me who could never afford one of these. Guess what - they went out of business because everyone eventually got computers like these at home.
Same with Internet cafes. What a great idea - but doomed to failure or at least a niche market, as eventually everyone had the internet at home, and soon will have it on them wirelessly whereever they go.
Guess what? Pretty much everyone these days have a CD Burner. Why the hell would anyone want to go down to a shop to buy and burn a CD when using iTunes (or whatever) they can do exactly the same thing in the comfort of their own homes.
The fact is that these kind of service stores, which provide information effectively will go the way of the dinosaur. A similar tyhing will happen to video stores too.
I've had Dish Network for about 7 months now, after to moving to a part of the world where the local cable company doesn't carry Fox Sports World (which is essential for my fix of English Premiership Football). Before then I had Cox Cable, with a Digital box.
One advantage is surely the fact that all channels are digital. This is a trade off given that a good analogue signal is better, but my cable company could never feed me a decent analogue signal, it was always snowy on at least a few channels.
I have never noticed any signal reception problems, even in rain. I'm not saying rain fade isn't real - but I think in these days of digital signals its less of an issue. One caveat is that I live somewhere where the weather is fairly nice (California).
The dish network PVR "does the job", but is nowhere near as good as Tivo. The one I have (508) has absolutely no conflict management for example, and can only record shows based on timeslot, not name. However it's still revolutionised the way I watch TV.
One down side to satellite is that alot of the cable stations are East coast only, like Comedy Central for example.
I went with Dish BTW because the place I rent already had a Dish Network dish on the roof when I moved in.
people in the UK seem to more aware of subtle humour and irony than many people in the US.
I'm always surprised that the Americans on Slashdot are happy to let this kind of stereotyping pass. This is simply not true - and I speak as a Brit who's lived in the US for 5 years. I mean - have you actually seen shows like Larry Sanders or Arrested Development - these are very definitions of shows relying on subtle humour, rather than big punchline slapstick.
The fact is that the only difference in levels of humour or irony is in the minds of TV network execs, who's dogged chase of Neilson ratings will make sure every TV show is as bland as possible. That and anything that isn't an instant hit in 2 episodes is cancelled here on any of the big 4 networks, so nothing ever gets a chance to build a following.
Is that because of X itself, or because of your distro's installer? I'm running LFS and have had to edit my X config file by hand or through xconfig to have the proper refresh rate; when I ran Mandrake however, it was detected for me. It seems to me that yes, the ability is there, but X itself does not take advantage of it.
X itself. Works on Gentoo for example which is about as hands on as it gets.
A monitor at 60Hz vertical gives me a headache; I can't stand it for more than five minutes, but that's the default for lots of systems. Changing the refresh rate is invaluable to me, especially in a multi-user environment like a computer lab.
Again - thats a configuration issue. If its set up correctly theres no need to change it.
There are problems with mouse consistency (Mozilla and emacs are the two worst offenders in my experience; I have never gotten emacs to recognize my scroll wheel, I've had to get some kind soul to set up a.emacs file on every machine I've worked at), but that's an application problem, not an X problem.
Those are app issues, not X ones. X handles scroll wheels fine.
Laptops run at 60Hz by default as TFT's have long enough persistance that higher refresh rates arn't neccesary, the same as projectors - so when is this ever an issue?
Yeah - I went a little overboard on this comment - it was early for me:)
I meant in a Desktop "work" environment its useless. Most video players will change resolution on the fly when you go to full screen mode anyway - I know my (linux) one does. Games also have their own resolution controls.
Why in gods name do I need to specify my monitor's vertical and horizontal sync rates? Monitors have been plug n play for years now, why does X not use this info?
You don't, XFree86 has handled "plug and play" (DDC capable) monitors for a while, certainly on PCs I've not had to worry about Horizontal and Vertical refresh rates for a long time.
Why, to change the refresh rate, do I have to run xconfig instead of just being able to change it through X like windows? If you think this isn't a problem try using X when you have a fixed-freq monitor.
Why do you want to change the refresh rate anyway - because it was set wrong in the first place? Thats just a configuration issue. I can't seriously think of any reason why you'd actually want to switch back and forth between refresh rates in normal PC usage. That said it most likely can be done using the RnR extension, which allows you to change resolution on the fly (another pointless Windows concept).
Why are there so many problems with different mice/smooth scrolling?
Oh well. Don't underestimate the power of good software. After using iTunes for a bit I'd be hard pressed to use any other music software. I don't have an MP3 player yet, but I'm considering and an iPod is currently the only choice for me. Steve Jobs knows what he's doing:)
Actually the definition of Occams Razor you gave there more accurately portrays how I feel about these theories of non-black holes. I.e. might as well go with the simplest answer until something better comes along. I don't think it has yet.
Let me just say that every 4 months or so somebody writes a paper that tries to explain black holes as something other than black holes. Some of these papers are good, and some are not, but the fact remains that there are people out there who just don't like the idea of black holes and try to come up with other explainations.
Usually these explanations are far more complex physically than a black hole, so until I see a compelling, scientifically verifiably alternative to the theory of black holes I'll apply the principal of Occams Razor. I.e. The simplest answer is most likely the correct one. Theories that are 30 times more complex than black holes but are not measurably different I'll continue to ignore.
RDS is widely available in the US. I have it and I didn't even know it until my Bose started displaying song titles broadcast by local stations. It probably implements TP/TA for all I know. I've never bothered to look.
It may be widely available but the receivers are not common at all. I've rented alot of cars in Europe and the US, all of the cars in Europe had RDS. I only ever drove one with RDS in the US (I'm talking double figures here). In Europe it would be unthinkable for any car to come without an RDS radio these days, yet I just bought a brand new top of the radio car in the US which doesn't come with an RDS radio.
Oh yes. My school got a big 1x writer. I even remember burning my CD on it (60 minutes later - yawn!). Considering I graduated in 1992 that probably dates it sometime between 90-92.
Not true. Actually it's already started, you can get wifi access in Cerritos (as well as a great deal on a new car at the Cerritos Auto Centre - thanks Super Dave) in some spots for free. When they've completed it it's going to cost $30 a month apparently to access, so this is not a free WiFi installation.
"Taste's great" or "delicious" is subjective though, it doesn't have to be proven, unless it tastes like dog shit in which the ITC might have rights to stop them saying it. What the ITC don't like is unproven things stated as fact. So "The Ultimate Driving Machine" is OK for BMW, but if they said "World's fastest car" it isn't.
OK - so they're not making money now. But wait a few years. Apple has put themselves in a good position to dominate the market with iTMS. In 5 years time when we're down to the few remaining successful iTMS type places, and the RIAA/Record companies have become hooked on the revenue stream from these sources, Apple et al. will be in an excellent position to renegotiate with the RIAA for a bigger piece of the pie/profits.
Not to mention that the AACs that iTunes rips are not DRM'd or copyprotected. I ripped a bunch of CDs over the weekend on my shiny new Powerbook as AACs and played them under Linux just fine with mplayer.
Moderators: Please mod the parent of this up. I'm tired of seeing the same old argument on Slashdot that the Do Not Call List is good for telemarketers, which is clearly not true
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Maybe "Monopoly" was too strong a word, but the fact that they use the fact that they own the #1 rated Channel (CBS) to force Dish Network into not only swallowing annual rate hikes that are far above the rate of inflation, but also force them to carry channels that they have no desire to carry. They're a virtual monopoly by the fact that they dominate the industry so much, owning not only 2 networks (CBS and UPN), but also most of the highest rated cable stations (MTV, VH-1, Comedy Central etc.).
Sure Charlie Ergen (Dish owner) is not whiter than white, but what he's trying to do is keep his costs low and in the end that passes down to the customers. This is why the rates on Dish are generally lower than Cable, and have less frequent rate hikes.
True - in which case I guess it's just a nice side-effect for Viacom.
Having those messages visible on all cable TV will certainly have negative effect on Dish in that people considering switching to Dish will be put off due to the lack of Viacom channels, which is I'm sure why they did it this way.
I have Dish and am willing to do without Viacom , if it means making stand against a media monopoly's bullying tactics.
All you need is a misinformed comment and a Star Wars quote to get modded up to 5 on Slashdot these days then. OK then, my comment on the speculation on whether this will be based on SF or LA:
"The dark side clouds everything. Impossible to see the future is."
I remember a long time ago, when Amigas and Atari ST computers came out in the UK, a couple of businesses opened up near me that had 20 of these computers installed and you could pay by the hour to play on them. Brilliant for people like me who could never afford one of these. Guess what - they went out of business because everyone eventually got computers like these at home.
Same with Internet cafes. What a great idea - but doomed to failure or at least a niche market, as eventually everyone had the internet at home, and soon will have it on them wirelessly whereever they go.
Guess what? Pretty much everyone these days have a CD Burner. Why the hell would anyone want to go down to a shop to buy and burn a CD when using iTunes (or whatever) they can do exactly the same thing in the comfort of their own homes.
The fact is that these kind of service stores, which provide information effectively will go the way of the dinosaur. A similar tyhing will happen to video stores too.
I've had Dish Network for about 7 months now, after to moving to a part of the world where the local cable company doesn't carry Fox Sports World (which is essential for my fix of English Premiership Football). Before then I had Cox Cable, with a Digital box.
One advantage is surely the fact that all channels are digital. This is a trade off given that a good analogue signal is better, but my cable company could never feed me a decent analogue signal, it was always snowy on at least a few channels.
I have never noticed any signal reception problems, even in rain. I'm not saying rain fade isn't real - but I think in these days of digital signals its less of an issue. One caveat is that I live somewhere where the weather is fairly nice (California).
The dish network PVR "does the job", but is nowhere near as good as Tivo. The one I have (508) has absolutely no conflict management for example, and can only record shows based on timeslot, not name. However it's still revolutionised the way I watch TV.
One down side to satellite is that alot of the cable stations are East coast only, like Comedy Central for example.
I went with Dish BTW because the place I rent already had a Dish Network dish on the roof when I moved in.
people in the UK seem to more aware of subtle humour and irony than many people in the US.
I'm always surprised that the Americans on Slashdot are happy to let this kind of stereotyping pass. This is simply not true - and I speak as a Brit who's lived in the US for 5 years. I mean - have you actually seen shows like Larry Sanders or Arrested Development - these are very definitions of shows relying on subtle humour, rather than big punchline slapstick.
The fact is that the only difference in levels of humour or irony is in the minds of TV network execs, who's dogged chase of Neilson ratings will make sure every TV show is as bland as possible. That and anything that isn't an instant hit in 2 episodes is cancelled here on any of the big 4 networks, so nothing ever gets a chance to build a following.
Is that because of X itself, or because of your distro's installer? I'm running LFS and have had to edit my X config file by hand or through xconfig to have the proper refresh rate; when I ran Mandrake however, it was detected for me. It seems to me that yes, the ability is there, but X itself does not take advantage of it.
.emacs file on every machine I've worked at), but that's an application problem, not an X problem.
X itself. Works on Gentoo for example which is about as hands on as it gets.
A monitor at 60Hz vertical gives me a headache; I can't stand it for more than five minutes, but that's the default for lots of systems. Changing the refresh rate is invaluable to me, especially in a multi-user environment like a computer lab.
Again - thats a configuration issue. If its set up correctly theres no need to change it.
There are problems with mouse consistency (Mozilla and emacs are the two worst offenders in my experience; I have never gotten emacs to recognize my scroll wheel, I've had to get some kind soul to set up a
Those are app issues, not X ones. X handles scroll wheels fine.
Laptops run at 60Hz by default as TFT's have long enough persistance that higher refresh rates arn't neccesary, the same as projectors - so when is this ever an issue?
Yeah - I went a little overboard on this comment - it was early for me :)
I meant in a Desktop "work" environment its useless. Most video players will change resolution on the fly when you go to full screen mode anyway - I know my (linux) one does. Games also have their own resolution controls.
Why in gods name do I need to specify my monitor's vertical and horizontal sync rates? Monitors have been plug n play for years now, why does X not use this info?
You don't, XFree86 has handled "plug and play" (DDC capable) monitors for a while, certainly on PCs I've not had to worry about Horizontal and Vertical refresh rates for a long time.
Why, to change the refresh rate, do I have to run xconfig instead of just being able to change it through X like windows? If you think this isn't a problem try using X when you have a fixed-freq monitor.
Why do you want to change the refresh rate anyway - because it was set wrong in the first place? Thats just a configuration issue. I can't seriously think of any reason why you'd actually want to switch back and forth between refresh rates in normal PC usage. That said it most likely can be done using the RnR extension, which allows you to change resolution on the fly (another pointless Windows concept).
Why are there so many problems with different mice/smooth scrolling?
There are? Name a few.
Works with iTunes and iTMS? NO.
:)
Oh well. Don't underestimate the power of good software. After using iTunes for a bit I'd be hard pressed to use any other music software. I don't have an MP3 player yet, but I'm considering and an iPod is currently the only choice for me. Steve Jobs knows what he's doing
You have a window!?!?!
Yes - Star Wars Episodes 7,8 and 9 would be a great idea. However only if George Lucas moves into an "Executive Producer" role only.
The new Star Wars could then be made by the next generation of up and coming directors and script writers, and might actually not suck.
I see a British flag but no English one. Am I missing something?
Actually the definition of Occams Razor you gave there more accurately portrays how I feel about these theories of non-black holes. I.e. might as well go with the simplest answer until something better comes along. I don't think it has yet.
Let me just say that every 4 months or so somebody writes a paper that tries to explain black holes as something other than black holes. Some of these papers are good, and some are not, but the fact remains that there are people out there who just don't like the idea of black holes and try to come up with other explainations.
Usually these explanations are far more complex physically than a black hole, so until I see a compelling, scientifically verifiably alternative to the theory of black holes I'll apply the principal of Occams Razor. I.e. The simplest answer is most likely the correct one. Theories that are 30 times more complex than black holes but are not measurably different I'll continue to ignore.
RDS is widely available in the US. I have it and I didn't even know it until my Bose started displaying song titles broadcast by local stations. It probably implements TP/TA for all I know. I've never bothered to look.
It may be widely available but the receivers are not common at all. I've rented alot of cars in Europe and the US, all of the cars in Europe had RDS. I only ever drove one with RDS in the US (I'm talking double figures here). In Europe it would be unthinkable for any car to come without an RDS radio these days, yet I just bought a brand new top of the radio car in the US which doesn't come with an RDS radio.
Oh yes. My school got a big 1x writer. I even remember burning my CD on it (60 minutes later - yawn!). Considering I graduated in 1992 that probably dates it sometime between 90-92.
Not true. Actually it's already started, you can get wifi access in Cerritos (as well as a great deal on a new car at the Cerritos Auto Centre - thanks Super Dave) in some spots for free. When they've completed it it's going to cost $30 a month apparently to access, so this is not a free WiFi installation.
Overheads and contractor rates means that with $100K you'll be lucky to be able to hire one decent contractor for that little money.
"Taste's great" or "delicious" is subjective though, it doesn't have to be proven, unless it tastes like dog shit in which the ITC might have rights to stop them saying it. What the ITC don't like is unproven things stated as fact. So "The Ultimate Driving Machine" is OK for BMW, but if they said "World's fastest car" it isn't.
OK - so they're not making money now. But wait a few years. Apple has put themselves in a good position to dominate the market with iTMS. In 5 years time when we're down to the few remaining successful iTMS type places, and the RIAA/Record companies have become hooked on the revenue stream from these sources, Apple et al. will be in an excellent position to renegotiate with the RIAA for a bigger piece of the pie/profits.
Not to mention that the AACs that iTunes rips are not DRM'd or copyprotected. I ripped a bunch of CDs over the weekend on my shiny new Powerbook as AACs and played them under Linux just fine with mplayer.
Moderators: Please mod the parent of this up. I'm tired of seeing the same old argument on Slashdot that the Do Not Call List is good for telemarketers, which is clearly not true