D* announcement of testing:
DirecTV - Investor Relations - News Release
Partial failure acknowledged
DirecTV - Investor Relations - News Release
Partial failure acknowledged
While testing of DIRECTV 10's capability continues, it appears that a portion of the anticipated spot-beam capability may not be fully available. The investigation to determine the cause of the reduced capability and potential means to mitigate its effect is on-going. However, we currently believe our planned expansion of HD local programming as previously announced will not be materially affected.
The link worked for me.. Seems that the partial failure only affects the spot beams for local HDs.. That shouldn't cause a delay on the national networks should it?
Well, the release is pretty open-ended. I could be something fairly innocuous such the signal contours of the spot beams drop off at a slightly smaller radius than intended to something a bit more serious like the spot beam pointed at <insert your favorite city> failed.
One of the benefits of the Spaceway sats is that DirecTV can dynamically configure those beams, so I believe them when they say they don't expect this failure to materially impact their HD locals expansion.
BTW When I mentioned the other day that I have heard that the DirecTV 10 satellite might have have some issue, I was quickly jumped on at another site for picking on DirecTV.
I just report what I hear, good and bad.
I don't make anything up, nor am I out to pick on any company. I just report the buzz I hear. If I hear buzz coming from a few different contacts then I am doing a disservice to you and all our other members and readers if I do not report what I am hearing.
Ultimately I am just a geek who enjoys this technology. I want you to get as much out of it as I get out of it. And I always enjoy learing more about this technology. After all, it's Satellite... It's out of this world!
They are starting to eat their crow over there right now.
"I just report what I hear, good and bad."
Same goes for me.
But at the start of this week... statements were made that D10 was having issues.... but left to vague interpretation, that quickly (and most comonly), was with in the discussion of the entire SAT...
Not just one segment of the SAT... that is where the "sky is falling" mentality took over. So those that "knew" about this weeks ago... and left it to that interpretation...
I'll come out and flat out say it: I didn't know "weeks" ago, that D10's spotbeams may have had issues... I just found out 40 minutes ago, like the vast majority of you. So kudos to those that "did" know.