Charlie Chat Recap -- March 10th

[Scott Greczkowski]

I haven't given my thoughts on last nights chat...

Until now.

Fluff and Stuff - The Satellite Dish - Blog on Multichannel News

More to come!

 

[Tyralak]

According to Randal in another thread , he explained that a normal splitter , would do the job of splitting one coax into two with a single line from a 61.5 sat dish. So if you have two lines leading to your house from the 61.5 sat dish and you have two dual tuner dvrs , you could easily put a cheap sat splitter that you can find here to do the job. One on each single coax leading to your dual tuner dvrs will do the job like the dish pro seperator does now .

www.techtoolsupply.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID+784

Yes. With this caveat. It needs to be a high frequency splitter, 1 port power pass and 1 port DC blocked. Power pass goes into port 1 on the dual tuner receiver.

 

[RandallA]

Tyralak,

"1 port power pass and 1 port DC blocked."

Could you explain why that's needed? What happens if you use power pass on both legs? That's been my only question regarding the splitter.

Thanks.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

gee,as i said in another forum,it would be terrible if it blew up on the launch pad,o' my what would we do then? hello directv....

That would not really be too much of an issue as 61.5 has two satellites there already. So if it blew up Dish would just use what they got instead of moving Echostar 3 as an in orbit spare. Echostar 3 while old still has some life in it. Probably enough life in it to give enough time to get another satelite up there if there was a failure.

 

[dennispap]

I was unable to watch the chat last night, so can someone tell me if Charlie mentioned the New Orleans HD locals, and if he did, when did he indicate they would be available, and please don't say SOON!!!!!

New Orleans was not mentioned but it looks like you will be able to "move" to Jackson MS soon for some locals in HD.

New orleans wasnt mentioned but it did get a blue dot, which means it will be one of the last to go hd in 2008. Probably around aug/sept if i had to guess. As for jackson, i have relatives up there and half the time the hd shows are still shown in sd, as the stations forget to "flip the switch"
Plus, if you are not already showing at 61.5, you might want to "move" to chicago for hd locals.

 

[darrencp22]

I'd still like to know how Buffalo locals will be added this year when Buffalo is not covered by a spotbeam. Aside fromt that, i'm looking forward to the future in HD from Dish. I just hope we also get MSG and MSG Plus (FSN NY) in HD before next hockey season.

 

[scott78945]

Too bad, I was so hoping for FX in HD. Maybe next time...for now its Dirt and Nip/Tuck in standard def...

 

[ripnbigc]

Too bad, I was so hoping for FX in HD. Maybe next time...for now its Dirt and Nip/Tuck in standard def...

+1

 

[varaonaid]

Did anyone see the part about the DVR Advantage price freeze? I'm thinking of signing with Dish and going with a version of this package and was curious about the price freeze.

 

[gjh3260]

"coming soon" reminds me of a politician saying, " I won't raise taxes"...

will believe it when I see it, otherwise its all meaningless babble, meant to keep people from jumping ship...

Charlie and his "coming soon" BS. All that HD sounds promising but you can only cry wolf so many times and then people stop believing. When I can punch in those channel numbers on my remote and see them on TV then I will believe it.

 

[Tahoerob]

I haven't given my thoughts on last nights chat...

Until now.

Fluff and Stuff - The Satellite Dish - Blog on Multichannel News

More to come!

You are so right. ALL previous CC or TC were reluctant to mention ANY new HD channels unless being launched that week. We usually find out by an insider leak to Satguys the week or same week.

I have never seen in the last few years sucn a BIG channel commitment/announcement by Dish. Very different pattern. Maybe it is a ploy to reduce Directv changeovers. I have even thought about switching.

However, the D* receivers do not have the features that I really like that the 622/722 has. Especially, the new D* receivers DO NOT have a OTA input with guide integration. They used to in the past. Bad move on D* part I think. OTA is how I get PBS HD, and was a savior last week during a snow storm to capture Sarah Conner Chronicles finale.

Anyway, by the end of this year it will not matter which DBS we have. Both will have all the better HD channels & good HD locals coverage. If it comes down to receivers, then the Dish 622/722 trumps the hand toward Dish. Hopefully by then Dish will also improve the DishOnline functions & TV OnDemand offerings.

 

[rad]

Especially, the new D* receivers DO NOT have a OTA input with guide integration. They used to in the past. Bad move on D* part I think. OTA is how I get PBS HD, and was a savior last week during a snow storm to capture Sarah Conner Chronicles finale.

True, but D* has announced the AM21 add on dual ATSC tuner for the HR21 that adds OTA back in for folks that need it, SolidSignal has started taking preorders for this. D*'s also announced an agreement with PBS to start adding their HD channels to the local-into-local markets.

 

[Tahoerob]

True, but D* has announced the AM21 add on dual ATSC tuner for the HR21 that adds OTA back in for folks that need it, SolidSignal has started taking preorders for this. D*'s also announced an agreement with PBS to start adding their HD channels to the local-into-local markets.

Good to know. Now I am conflicted!!!!!

 

[charlesrshell]

True, but D* has announced the AM21 add on dual ATSC tuner for the HR21 that adds OTA back in for folks that need it, SolidSignal has started taking preorders for this. D*'s also announced an agreement with PBS to start adding their HD channels to the local-into-local markets.

rad, is it for sure you can't record three channels at the same time with the OTA tuner add on?

 

[rad]

rad, is it for sure you can't record three channels at the same time with the OTA tuner add on?

Yes, that is correct, still limited to only two channels being recorded at a time from everything I've seen/heard about the AM21.

 

[PopcornNMore]

Excellent news!!! I knew Charlie would come through for us.

Speed HD? I don't even watch anything now on Speed SD.

 

[charlesrshell]

Yes, that is correct, still limited to only two channels being recorded at a time from everything I've seen/heard about the AM21.

OK, thanks. Can you let me know if you hear different? Thanks again

 

[Raymie]

I knew there was a Superstation WGN HD feed somewhere, but this Charlie Chat answered my question. (The cable op here won't get it until 2010 at this rate...they're just adding Food Network HD next week!)

 

[Tyralak]

Tyralak,

"1 port power pass and 1 port DC blocked."

Could you explain why that's needed? What happens if you use power pass on both legs? That's been my only question regarding the splitter.

Thanks.

You can, it just causes more stress on the equipment. If both ports are passing power, given that you are using the same port, it can confuse the LNBF. If you look closely at a DPP Seperator, port 2 is DC blocked for that very reason.

 

[Jim S.]

So what happened to Mojo? Wasn't it actually sighted on one of Dish's satellites a while ago?