Digital locals: Why can cable do it but not Satellite???

[Fgsilva]

So, I just found out that my local cable company, comcast, will be carrying the digital signal for 4 of my local channels (ABC, NBC, PBS, UPN). They used to have only 2 up to last week. They also have (added?) Cinemax and Starz HD. Now, if the cable company can do it, why can't satellite? Does anybody know the reasons??? It's so frustrating to have a nice 65 inch HDTV and not much High Def to watch . Now, on the bright side. I heard through the grapevine (this guy who owes a Mitsubishi store and went to some convention...) that by the end of the year Dish will be adding a bunch more of HD channels. One odd thing that is happening right now is that I'm seeing a duplication of both showtime and HBO HD channels. they both show the same thing (East coast's schedule). Could it be because I have 2 dishes pointed at 2 different satellites? But that didn't happen in the first 2 week I had it installed. Anybody else seeing the same?

Later,

Fgsilva

 

[NightRyder]

So, I just found out that my local cable company, comcast, will be carrying the digital signal for 4 of my local channels (ABC, NBC, PBS, UPN). They used to have only 2 up to last week. They also have (added?) Cinemax and Starz HD. Now, if the cable company can do it, why can't satellite? Does anybody know the reasons???

It's spelled B*A*N*D*W*I*D*T*H

Also the current SHVIA doesn't cover the rebroadcast of digital channels.


NightRyder

 

[Mr Tony]

easy...bandwidth

each TP (transponder) can carry up to 12 SD channels or 2 HD (they are trying to do 3)..since satellite is nationwide, due to capacity they can't add much more HD

 

[NightRyder]

One odd thing that is happening right now is that I'm seeing a duplication of both showtime and HBO HD channels. they both show the same thing (East coast's schedule). Could it be because I have 2 dishes pointed at 2 different satellites? But that didn't happen in the first 2 week I had it installed. Anybody else seeing the same?

Dish mirrors HBO-HD and Showtime-HD at the 148 satellite location. So yes it is because you have 2 different dishes pointing at 2 different satellites.


NightRyder

 

[Fgsilva]

It's spelled B*A*N*D*W*I*D*T*H

Also the current SHVIA doesn't cover the rebroadcast of digital channels.


NightRyder

Thanks for the spelling lesson, though didn't mean much to me till I read Iceberg's post. And what's SHVIA?

Thanks.

Fgsilva

 

[NightRyder]

Thanks for the spelling lesson, though didn't mean much to me till I read Iceberg's post. And what's SHVIA?

Thanks.

Fgsilva

http://www.fcc.gov/mb/shva/shviafac.html


NightRyder

 

[Mr Tony]

SHVIA is the Satellite Home Viewer Improvement Act

It allows satellite carriers to carry locals to an area (SHVA didn't). SHVIA was created in 1999, before digital. SHVERA (the replacement) has a caluse that if you can't get digital reception, you can get it via satellite.

 

[Fgsilva]

SHVIA is the Satellite Home Viewer Improvement Act

It allows satellite carriers to carry locals to an area (SHVA didn't). SHVIA was created in 1999, before digital. SHVERA (the replacement) has a caluse that if you can't get digital reception, you can get it via satellite.

Thanks iceberg! Oh well. Sucks being stuck in an area where all I can get is satellite

Fgsilva

 

[Fgsilva]

SHVIA is the Satellite Home Viewer Improvement Act

It allows satellite carriers to carry locals to an area (SHVA didn't). SHVIA was created in 1999, before digital. SHVERA (the replacement) has a caluse that if you can't get digital reception, you can get it via satellite.

Oh, I just saw the end of your post. Now, won't Dish have to add more satellies then in order to be able to have more HD channels available also? Last time I called them they mentioned that they may have a new satellite up soon.

Fgsilva

 

[Mr Tony]

Well if SHVERA goes through (supposedly by the end of this year), you may be able to get CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX in HD

I use to live in a satellite only area, so I know how you feel

 

[Fgsilva]

Well if SHVERA goes through (supposedly by the end of this year), you may be able to get CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX in HD

I use to live in a satellite only area, so I know how you feel

Yep, and just a month ago I lived in an area where I got it all (and sometimes even more from other nearby cities) digital locals.

Right now I'm trying to get a waiver to be able to get at least CBS. They serve up to San Francisco (I'm closer to the Sacramento area) so when I called they said I need to request a waiver from my local station. Called local station they said they don't give waivers. Called dish back they said they need the waiver! Then the engineer from the local station said that the best route was to call dish and tell them to request a waiver for me to get distant network. Then, once it is approved I can 'talk' them into getting the CBD HD. So much burocratic crap!

F

 

[charper1]

dont forget:
1. the cable companies are in bed with your local affiliates and their advertisers to stop it from ever happening (illegal monopoly!)
2. most (if not all) HD IRDs also have an HD OTA tuner just use that and save the sat HD bandwidth for national channels
3. its time to have digital/HD network programming for all sat users at the national level and let the local stations provide their own local programs, news and so on via OTA and provide digital/HD if they care to. all at their and their advertisers expense. let them fight and pay their own way onto cable and sat without piggy-backing off of a network.

 

[bcshields]

Also.. Not only bandwidth, but also.. cable companies line the lawmakers pockets better. All the laws are based around cable, since they've been around longer, and they haven't adapted them to be fair to satellite.

Local channels are one big example.

My local cable company offers Baltimore, Philly, and Salisbury, MD local stations. 2 of each major network. Satellite isn't allowed to offer local channels across DMA (Direct marketing area, the subscriber base boundries set by the FCC) lines. They can only offer what's in your DMA, and suppliment the rest with feeds from New York, LA, etc.

Tell me how that can be a fair market?

 

[Fgsilva]

dont forget:
2. most (if not all) HD IRDs also have an HD OTA tuner just use that and save the sat HD bandwidth for national channels

I used to before. BUt I moved to an area where my local signal wont' really get to: a valley surrounded by big mean Pine trees! So, unless I spend a fortune getting an antenna on top of 60 or so foot tall pole, I ain't getting anything!

F

 

[Mr Tony]

My local cable company offers Baltimore, Philly, and Salisbury, MD local stations. 2 of each major network. Satellite isn't allowed to offer local channels across DMA (Direct marketing area, the subscriber base boundries set by the FCC) lines. They can only offer what's in your DMA, and suppliment the rest with feeds from New York, LA, etc.

Tell me how that can be a fair market?

Its Designated Market Area and the FCC didnt make it up, Nielsen decided who is in what DMA and the FCC agreed.

Where I use to live is 120 miles from Minneapolis and 90 miles from Duluth. The cable company ( Charter) had ABC & NBC from both, FOX from Mpls & Fargo & 3 PBS stations. Mpls satellite customers only got Mpls.

 

[NightRyder]

The NAB (National Association of Broadcastors) is the worst. Even if their members have no intention of providing HD service to an area the NAB will fight tooth and nail to keep anyone else from doing so.


NightRyder

 

[DishSatUser]

Just to help clarify. Digital and HD are not mutually exclusive. To help prevent possible confusion, Digital includes SDTV (Standard definition TV) and various modes of HDTV (High definition TV).

As for the SDTV, since Dish is a DBS (Digital Broadcast Service) all of your channels are Digital.

In regards to HDTV signals, the previous posters were correct about the "bandwidth" issue. This can be resolved with either:

A. More Satellites at different locations requiring a multi-Dish. Each Sat still requires an uplink facility (although a single facility could service numerous Sats if the equipment is present).

B. Newer Satellites with many more spotbeam anntenas with narrower focus. These Sats would also require additional "uplink" facilities, as the bandwith limitations is sending to the Sats as well as receiving from them.

Now it's just my speculation, but Dish is in the process of building new facilities and "spare" uplink centers for redundancy. Perhaps silently they are also preparing for these additional uplink demands for future Local HDTV capabilities.

Cable, fortunately for them, has all of these "individual" head ends or plants that provide the linking of the services to those customers and can "adjust" to Local HDTV demands quicker. If Comcast or the various providers had a single "head end" location for all states, they'd be suffering from the same constraints.

However, when the cable service is offline due to problems down the road, my Sat continues to provide me my SDTV programming at this time. By the time I finally purchase an HDTV set, I expect Dish will have my Local HDTV problem solved at that time.

 

[Mr Tony]

The NAB (National Association of Broadcastors)

I thought NAB mean Nazi A**hole B**tards

 

[skidog]

Hey iceberg it's nice to see someone else from minnesota on here, I'm in Waconia where are you at the Iron Range?

 

[Grandude]

You guys are making me homesick. Wife and I are former Duluthians, born and raised there but now holed up on the left (west) coast, north of San Francisco. (la la land)