10/28/2009 3:15pm - Uplink Activity Report - 119 changes

[aklarvanto]

But still listed as na.

Maybe one step closer though.

Overnight updates and no 5612 on my guide yet.

 

[HDRoberts]

This because Charlie is a penny pinching fool that will not give the funds for these RSN to go live 24/7. bandwith should not be an issue, but here we go again we are dealing with Charlie!!!!!!!!!!!

Bandwidth is most definitely an issue. There are a crazy number of RSNs (25+ I think). Dish currently devotes 2 TPs on either arc to them. At 8 each, that is space for 16. They would at least need 2 more TPs for RSNs (Plus, I imagine, they could add YES and the NSG channels, as full time HD is a sticking point) Where do you see Dish having 2 free TPs, particularly with hamstringing them for future non-RSN adds?

 

[mike123abc]

This because Charlie is a penny pinching fool that will not give the funds for these RSN to go live 24/7. bandwith should not be an issue, but here we go again we are dealing with Charlie!!!!!!!!!!!

It is definitely bandwidth. It would help a lot if they gave the RSNs with the most population in them 24/7 HD. Then the remaining ones would probably be able to show all the HD events on the TPs they share.

 

[M Sparks]

This because Charlie is a penny pinching fool that will not give the funds for these RSN to go live 24/7. bandwith should not be an issue, but here we go again we are dealing with Charlie!!!!!!!!!!!

This is the most backward thing I've read in a while. Bandwidth is the #1 problem, and money has virtually nothing to do with it...at least not directly. In fact, with ANY HD simulcast channel that is already carried in SD, the carriage negotiations are almost all about bandwidth cost/benefit analysis.

When digital cable and DBS hit, the channel providers rushed to fill that new bandwidth with niche channels. This is why we now have such bloated basic packages. These channels have very little demand individually...the providers count on selling them as a package.

Now, as people move to HD, the non HD channels are losing their tiny audiences even more. So, for example, Discovery is rushing to get an HD feed for Investigation Discovery out there. They will offer very good terms to keep it alive. At the minimum, this HD feed is probably free to DISH as long as they are paying for the SD feed. But it's possible that carrying it could actually save them money...Discovery could offer to lock in their subscriber rates for an extra 5 years rather than demand an increase. (This is hypothetical, but very possible.)

So at this point, DISH could (hypothetically!) save money by carrying ID-HD. So now, it's a bandwidth cost analysis. Carrying ID-HD now could mean that they won't have room to carry one of FOX's HD channels launching next year. And maybe FOX is offering even better terms...or maybe they are tougher than Discovery and could threaten to pull their channels if the HD feeds aren't carried.

In the case of Premiums, it's a case of diminishing returns. Adding all the available Starz HD feeds probably increased subscribers...but when the last two are available next year, will it make a difference? Or could those two slots be used to attract a different type of customer. This is true for all channels...Fox Soccer HD will probably attract/keep more loyal customers than Investigation Discovery HD.

Full time RSNs across the board is probably not a bandwidth priority. They are going to have to figure out the best way to balance it.

I personally think a good compromise is to split them...put the RSNs for Eastern Arc cities on EA only, and WA RSNs on WA only. When an east coast team plays a west coast team, the game SHOULD be carried on both sides, just on different channels. You can still use the existing PT/shared channels to carry games that are only airing on the opposite arc. (Which would effectively increase that space, as EA and WA would have different games on the part time transponders.)

 

[redsalmon]

Overnight updates and no 5612 on my guide yet.

That's what the na means. Not Available.
If you go back to June of 07 channel 2 was uplinked and listed as na and it is still there. It was also uplinked to 129 as na and is still there.

 

[db2]

Full time RSNs across the board is probably not a bandwidth priority. They are going to have to figure out the best way to balance it.

The impending problem for Dish is that more RSN games are being broadcast in HD with each passing season. By next baseball season most, if not all, RSN games will be produced in HD. Dish will be forced to either dedicate more TP space to HD RSN feeds or show a lesser precentage of games in HD.

I personally think a good compromise is to split them...put the RSNs for Eastern Arc cities on EA only, and WA RSNs on WA only. When an east coast team plays a west coast team, the game SHOULD be carried on both sides, just on different channels. You can still use the existing PT/shared channels to carry games that are only airing on the opposite arc. (Which would effectively increase that space, as EA and WA would have different games on the part time transponders.)

The problem with this suggestion is that it doesn't work for NHL CI and NBA LP. CI and LP subscribers expect to see HD versions of all games because that is what they're paying for.

I personally could care less if my RSN goes full time HD, I just want all RSN events produced in HD to be shown in HD on dish.