EchoStar plunged into the flat panel display business, pairing 40...
EchoStar plunged into the flat panel display business, pairing 40W and 30W LCD monitors with its Dish811 ATSC tuner/satellite receiver in packages priced at $3,999 and $1,999, respectively. The Dish811 retails separately at $399. Specs and sources of the…
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panels weren’t available, but Samsung is the largest purveyor of 40W and also builds 30W. Despite the introduction of LCD monitors, EchoStar will continue to sell the Dish811 in packages with 34W direct-view and 40” rear projection TVs at an opening price point of $999, a spokesman said. The packaged approach has helped retain subscribers, spokesman said. “If someone invests money with you up front they're going to stay with you a lot longer,” he said. EchoStar also is continuing to test delivery of data services from a satellite at 121 degrees W., but has no immediate plans to launch a broadband service. It maintains a small investment in WildBlue, which is expected to start testing a satellite-based Internet access service this fall. An EchoStar spokesman declined to comment on remarks by a Qwest executive at a recent investor conference that the telco was going to choose between EchoStar and DirecTV bundling satellite and phone services. Qwest markets services with both companies. “A lot of this depends on what deal comes along and what the timing is because this doesn’t include an investment,” in EchoStar the spokesman said. Similar deals with SBC Communications and CenturyTel have included their investing in EchoStar.