Charlie Chat Caps and Bytes 12-10-07

[JEFFinINDY]

I agree it looks like Terre Haute; not Indy, but who knows? It's only been since May 2006 when all the stations were uplinked and then taken down in November 2006. Something smells and it's not Terre Haute this time. BTW, I have an OTA antenna, but am having problems with channels 13 and 20 now.

LOL - "this time"...

I get occasional dropouts on 20 (signal strength 72 today), and 13's signal is much lower than usual (78 today). Channel 4 is a rockin' 67. Maybe it's the weather.

It will be insane if Dish adds Terre Haute's HD locals before Indianapolis!

 

[Darrell S]

Was it just me or Charlie didn't show any interest in last night's chat? He looked tired and disinterested.

I think he was distracted trying to win a prize in the Sat Guys chat. I think his eyes were tired from watching 500 people type at once.

 

[catnap1972]

Yes, that is what I saw as well... $29 to BUY a 510. Where? When? How??

I've got an even better question--can I buy *my* 510 (the one I'm currently leasing)?

 

[dishcomm]

It sure looks like either the dot was wrong; or freaking Terre Haute is getting HD before us. And don't give me that OTA crap I didn't get a satellite dish so I can install some huge antenna.

how far are you from the transmitters? Obstructions? There are many other options besides "huge antennas" out there.
I can get HD via satellite. But I prefer it via antenna. Here's why. Non compressed signal. All channels except the limit to just the 4 networks. I use a "sqaureshooter". Small, indescrete. I live 14 to 25 miles from the transmitters which are annoyingly scattered all over the area. I still get very good reception.

 

[Jim5506]

I think I could pick out Lubbock or possibly Odessa/ Midland and Amarillo...others not sure about...

YES!!

 

[RedSavina]

Texas ... maybe Midland / Odessa and Lubbock from the looks of it...add my guess's

You are correct about the south TX dot - although the DMA is technically called "Harlingen-Weslaco-Brownsville-McAllen, TX" rather than Brownsville. I believe it is currently number 88 on the DMA list.

 

[harshness]

I have no idea what the green dots for Texas represent let alone the yellow ones.

I'm guessing that they are a random coloring of dots; I count only 33 green dots. In Oregon, the dot colors all mixed up:

The top yellow dot is Portland and it is live.
The green dot is Bend and it is not uplinked.
The bottom yellow dot is Medford and it is not uplinked.

 

[Hall]

Ha ha. Yeah I guess I don't understand how you can have standard def locals, and can't come to a carriage agreement for HD locals.

Many cablecos have the same problem and in some markets, Dish (and probably DirecTV) doesn't carry *all* of the big-4 channels in HD but do carry them in analog.

 

[mntwister]

Just so everyone knows, the picture up on page 1 of the upcoming HD locals was not complete, it was taken before the map was completed (dots kept being added). My market is Duluth Minnesota and that was added near the end of their showing of the map, so if you aren't in there, there's a chance you might have been. Just fyi.

 

[bmann]

I called in to charlie chat

Talked to this guy that said that there are more HD channels on the way he said look for them around mid Janurary 08 this will include SCI-FI-HD, USA-HD also said that they should have there new bird up i beleave this will be located at 148 this will give Dish more bandwith and so the hd should not be has compress as its been :clap@party

 

[MikeD-C05]

I know of no new bird going up at 148 in the plans at all. I do know that the existing sat at 148 is not being used for much and they could use it for hd locals for the west coast and some western cities. But I have heard that the mid January time frame for more hd national channels is right.

 

[kaman]

Just so everyone knows, the picture up on page 1 of the upcoming HD locals was not complete, it was taken before the map was completed (dots kept being added). My market is Duluth Minnesota and that was added near the end of their showing of the map, so if you aren't in there, there's a chance you might have been. Just fyi.

Surely someone must still have the CC DVR'd. Can you pause it at the end of the wack-a-dot map scene and take another pic and post?

 

[dfergie]

I tried, I think I got the last view, but will check when I get off work tomarrow morning...

 

[Jim5506]

Last frame before Charlie starts fading in.

 

[drummerguy]

Talked to this guy that said that there are more HD channels on the way he said look for them around mid Janurary 08 this will include SCI-FI-HD, USA-HD also said that they should have there new bird up i beleave this will be located at 148 this will give Dish more bandwith and so the hd should not be has compress as its been :clap@party

Adding a new bird at 148 wouldn't make much sense (not for national hd, anyway) since it doesn't serve the whole country. I guess they would shift some west coast locals over there to free up some bandwidth on the other sats, but putting up a new sat at 148 seems like a waste.

 

[drummerguy]

Last frame before Charlie starts fading in.

When I watched this, it seemed to me they cut away from the map before the animation was done. Maybe we didn't get to see all the cities that were to be added.

 

[harshness]

Adding a new bird at 148 wouldn't make much sense (not for national hd, anyway) since it doesn't serve the whole country.

The same could be argued for having two satellites at 61.5.

 

[harshness]

Last frame before Charlie starts fading in.

As I pointed out earlier the moment that the map showed a green dot on Bend, Oregon, it was wrong.

 

[BoisePaul]

The same could be argued for having two satellites at 61.5.

True, but E* hasn't added anything at 61.5, nor have we heard any plans to do so. E3 has been there for ages, and E12/R1 was there when E* acquired the assets of Rainbow DBS. Since 129 isn't truly CONUS, and space was available at 61.5 that could server those who can't see 129, why not use it. After all, R1 was designed for that slot, and unless it has steerable spots it has to stay where it is. E3 is so old, there's no good reason to move it, assuming it would survive the move.

Using what's already in place at the wing slots makes sense. Adding something new doesn't.

 

[dfergie]

Last frame before Charlie starts fading in.

Thanks Jim!