1000+ HD Chanels on D*, any E* rumors

[orcatek]

Saw an ad for D* last night and could hardly believe my ears. They said with their two new sats going up this year they will be able to provide 1300 or 1500 HD channels (can remember which it was). Wow that's alot of stuff, I assume most is locals.

Must be mpeg4 letting them get more stuff per transponder, otherwise these need to be some really big sats to handle that much HD.

My real question is are there any rumors about E* doing something like this, or should I start looking at D* equipment? I've heard the mpeg4 rumors on E*, but never what it will give us.

I've had E* since 96, but this sounds very interesting.

 

[rocatman]

There is some recent discussion of future Echostar HD capabilities in this thread:

http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=48774

 

[korsjs]

you won't get that many extra hd channels. most of 1300 hd channels will be local hd. i applaud direct tv for making a strong effort for more hd. i wish dish would wake up.

 

[orcatek]

There is some recent discussion of future Echostar HD capabilities in this thread:

http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=48774

Thanks for the link - didn't see it because the topic didn't have HD in it.

Still no real answers yet.

 

[rocatman]

you won't get that many extra hd channels. most of 1300 hd channels will be local hd. i applaud direct tv for making a strong effort for more hd. i wish dish would wake up.

Making an announcement and actually following through and providing the programming are two different things. Certainly Dish has been burned in the past by making grandiose announcements about HD and then not following through but DirecTV has also had their problems especially with SD locals a year or so ago. Besides being burned in the past, I believe Dish has been reluctant to announce anything because of the new SHREVA legislation that could have been influenced by any announced plans by Dish. I also believe that Dish has been in negotiations with Voom for several months regarding Rainbow-1 and Dish knows that any announced plans for HD may influence the FCC approval process for license transfer.

I believe Dish has made a lot decisions over the past few years for short term gains that now is limiting what they can do in the future. For example, Dish has International programming on 61.5, 121 and 148, much of it duplicate. If it was all on 121, Dish would have a lot more flexibility. I would hope that Dish is taking a more long term look at HD especially HD locals. I would expect in 4 - 5 years that all the spotbeams at 110 and 119 would be carrying HD locals. The challenge for Dish is how to do that conversion.

 

[tonyp56]

First of all, what DTV is doing isn't rumor, perhaps PR, but not rumor, they are advertising that they will have 1500 HD channels(will they? who knows). Anything about Dish Network is nothing but rumor, because they have not said anything about any HD channels, let alone advertised so!

 

[NightRyder]

First of all, what DTV is doing isn't rumor, perhaps PR, but not rumor, they are advertising that they will have 1500 HD channels(will they? who knows). Anything about Dish Network is nothing but rumor, because they have not said anything about any HD channels, let alone advertised so!

I wish people would get this straight. D* is not saying they will have 1500 HD channels. They are saying they will have the capacity for up to 1500 HD channels.

Besides providing HD-LIL there really isn't much programming available to fill this capacity. Will D* follow the V* lead and roll their own? Not likely. So what we really have here is a great marketing campaign that, outside HD-LIL, will provide minimal short term value for the consumer.

I'm not trying to knock D* plans in any way, but anyone expecting more than a handful of national HD channels by the end if this year, is going to be disappointed.


NightRyder

 

[lee espinoza]

The first two of these satellites, Spaceway 1 and Spaceway 2, will launch in 2005 with programming being offered to consumers by the middle of the year. These satellites will have the capacity for more than 500 local HD channels. With these satellites, DIRECTV will have the ability to bring local HD programming to most of the U.S. population, as well as continuing to expand standard-definition local offerings and other enhancements.
The next two satellites, DIRECTV 10 and DIRECTV 11, will launch in early 2007. These satellites will have the capacity for more than 1,000 additional local HD channels, more than 150 national HD channels, and other new programming offerings. These satellites will provide DIRECTV the capability to bring local and national HD programming and other advanced services to every U.S. household

 

[boy921]

I wish people would get this straight. D* is not saying they will have 1500 HD channels. They are saying they will have the capacity for up to 1500 HD channels.
NightRyder

The commerical I saw stated that there would be 5,000 HD channels. My wife commented on the number when the commerical was aired. This was a OTA local FOX that showed the D* commerical. Pretty big number.

 

[long_time_DNC]

I've only seen the ad that says "about 1,500 HD channels"...5k channels is, um, yeah, a huge number...

 

[rocatman]

The first two of these satellites, Spaceway 1 and Spaceway 2, will launch in 2005 with programming being offered to consumers by the middle of the year. These satellites will have the capacity for more than 500 local HD channels. With these satellites, DIRECTV will have the ability to bring local HD programming to most of the U.S. population, as well as continuing to expand standard-definition local offerings and other enhancements.
The next two satellites, DIRECTV 10 and DIRECTV 11, will launch in early 2007. These satellites will have the capacity for more than 1,000 additional local HD channels, more than 150 national HD channels, and other new programming offerings. These satellites will provide DIRECTV the capability to bring local and national HD programming and other advanced services to every U.S. household

It is funny how when there is a discussion regarding the Spaceway satellites, the launch dates and programming availability is stated as fact when in fact this is only what DirecTV has annouced. I believe either the last satellite or previous satellite launched by DirecTV was delayed several months and local channel availability for some markets was delayed for over a year. Back in September of 2004, DirecTV announced that both Spaceway 1 and 2 were to be launched on Ariane 5 launch vehicles after previously being manifested on sea launched Zenit vehicles. On February 6th of this year Spaceway 1 is now back on a Zenit. I point this out because the schedule for satellites/ launch vehicles can be very fluid. Problems crop up that may take months to resolve. I personally was involved in the launch of a communications satellite on the Shuttle that took four attempts before the Shuttle was actually launched and it was six months between the first attempt and the final launch. On one attempt, the Shuttle main engines were actually started and then shutdown.

In addition, the fact that the Spaceway satellites are using Ka band, the first time for DirecTV, also increases the risk to the announced schedule. So to say satellite A "will be launched" on such a date and programming services "will be available" on such a date is only a scheduled date and to state otherwise is just being deceptive.

 

[chevyN8]

It's still just talk. I'll jump to D* if they offer my locals in HD. I wonder if that ad really does sucker people in....they will have the capacity to offer 1500 channels in HD, no mention of what channels they are adding (obviously mainly locals). Where is the incentive to switch from E* or cable to D*??? E* could make the same statement if they wanted...they have a couple of new birds not used and more on the way. For me, annoucements of plans don't mean much...show me some more HD channels I want and then D* and I will talk .

 

[tonyp56]

I wish people would get this straight. D* is not saying they will have 1500 HD channels. They are saying they will have the capacity for up to 1500 HD channels.


NightRyder

Will have capacity for 1500 channels? What do they plan on doing with that capacity? Perhaps, maybe, adding 1500 channels! Did I say, DTV is going to have 1500 channels, NO, I said that they are advertising 1500 channels, capacity or not, what do they plan on doing with the capacity, if not add 1500 channels? Why would they need capacity for 1500 channels, if they didn't plan on adding 1500 HD channels? So, what I said wasn't wrong! Thats like saying, I will have the capacity to eat two large pizzas, but do nothing with that capacity! If they didn't plan on adding 1500 channels, why would they advertise that they will have the capacity for 1500 HD channels! Imagine a car advertisment that said, "This car will do 500MPH!" Then you go out and buy that car, and find out that "yes, it has the capacity to do 500MPH, but we've decided not to enable it"! Would that be misadvertisment? Directv coming out saying that they will have the capacity for 1500 channels, but decide not to add 1500 HD channels, would be stupid!

As far as LIL, I agree, and I never said anything that said otherwise. All I said, was what DTV is doing isn't rumor, it is coming from the horses mouth, whereas anything about Dish Network right now, is nothing but rumor because they haven't said anything about any HD, let alone ran ads stating their intentions.

 

[NightRyder]

Will have capacity for 1500 channels? What do they plan on doing with that capacity? Perhaps, maybe, adding 1500 channels! Did I say, DTV is going to have 1500 channels, NO, I said that they are advertising 1500 channels, capacity or not, what do they plan on doing with the capacity, if not add 1500 channels? Why would they need capacity for 1500 channels, if they didn't plan on adding 1500 HD channels? So, what I said wasn't wrong! Thats like saying, I will have the capacity to eat two large pizzas, but do nothing with that capacity! If they didn't plan on adding 1500 channels, why would they advertise that they will have the capacity for 1500 HD channels! Imagine a car advertisment that said, "This car will do 500MPH!" Then you go out and buy that car, and find out that "yes, it has the capacity to do 500MPH, but we've decided not to enable it"! Would that be misadvertisment? Directv coming out saying that they will have the capacity for 1500 channels, but decide not to add 1500 HD channels, would be stupid!

As far as LIL, I agree, and I never said anything that said otherwise. All I said, was what DTV is doing isn't rumor, it is coming from the horses mouth, whereas anything about Dish Network right now, is nothing but rumor because they haven't said anything about any HD, let alone ran ads stating their intentions.

Your logic is so scattered that I don't even know where to begin. Let's start with a few facts.

1. These D* advertisements are not binding on them in any way. They are based on forward looking plans which are subject to change. It's great marketing hype and I think they are very effective, but in real world terms the numbers they are throwing around are meaningless.

2. Capacity is good but that doesn't mean it will ever be utilized. Just because I have capacity to eat 2 pizza's at one time or drive my car 140 MPH doesn't mean I will ever do so.


3. Even if all of D* plans become reality, and they wanted to have 1500 channels of HD, the content doesn't exist and probably won't within the lifespan of the Spaceway satellites. D* knows that. Again this isn't stupidity on D* part, it's good marketing.

Finally FYI - DTV = Digital Television. D* = DirecTV.

If your interested in other opinions the subject has been discussed at length here.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=510642


NightRyder

 

[TuxCoder]

And depending on the capabilities of those satellites, capacity for 1500 HD channels can be used for other purposes -- satellite Internet, etc...

So it could end up being used to implement satellite Internet service or something, yet it would still be true that it is also capacity for 1500 HD channels if they wanted to use it that way. Much the same as in broadband Internet services. For example, you could say your cable Internet connection has capacity for you to stream 10 or however many radio stations (at the same time, implied). But until you find 10 you want and would need all at once (if you ever do), you would be more interested in putting that capacity to other use. And so on.

 

[NightRyder]

And depending on the capabilities of those satellites, capacity for 1500 HD channels can be used for other purposes -- satellite Internet, etc...

So it could end up being used to implement satellite Internet service or something, yet it would still be true that it is also capacity for 1500 HD channels if they wanted to use it that way. Much the same as in broadband Internet services. For example, you could say your cable Internet connection has capacity for you to stream 10 or however many radio stations (at the same time, implied). But until you find 10 you want and would need all at once (if you ever do), you would be more interested in putting that capacity to other use. And so on.

Well said. If fact Spaceway 1 and 2 were originally intended by D* to be used primarily for satellite Internet not HD.


NightRyder

 

[Ziploc]

Intersting what if... Voom satellite purchase is approved, now there is a shiny satellite in orbit possibly in the wrong location, what are the possibilities if it gets moved to 110 and echo 10 goes to another location?

 

[bpasker]

ugh, bottom line is that E* hasn't even given any inclination that new HD's are even in their thoughts right now. At least D* is thinking about it.

 

[NightRyder]

ugh, bottom line is that E* hasn't even given any inclination that new HD's are even in their thoughts right now. At least D* is thinking about it.

I can understand E* reluctance. They went down that road before and got burned. I don't expect to hear much out of them until everything's in place and ready to go.


NightRyder.

 

[bpasker]

I can understand teh silence from them about HD I guess, considering they keep promissing and not delivering. Guess it depends on which you'd rather have, empty promises or no news at all.