DIRECTV Remains Clear HD Leader with 130 HD Channels

[DodgerKing]

Not if they aren't licenced. More per transponder is what would have to be done.

True...or try to acquire a license, which may take much longer and cost much more than simply cramming the transponders.

Just a note: They are planning to turn off my power soon to work on a transformer. So if a question is asked or a point made for me to address and I do not get to it, it is because of power loss...

 

[rad]

Which birds are Ka and which stations are primarily broadcast from them? I am assuming they are mostly locals and SD?

The Ka satellites are where all the HD locals and all the HD channels on channel 200 or greater are from. There is a small number of SD locals on the Ka satellites at this time but more are to be added to DirecTV can stop using the satellite at 72.5 since it's a leased slot from Canada that they need to give up soon. And that would also free up DirecTV 1R to move somewhere else in case of a failure at 101, 110 or 119.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

Trust me I don't think D* has anything to worry about. I'm 100% certain they would know what to do if a failure happend. And My guess to why they don't max out their satellites ,is because they been watching the E* failures and thought to themselves, we better keep some room as well incase of a major failure.

 

[DodgerKing]

The Ka satellites are where all the HD locals and all the HD channels on channel 200 or greater are from. There is a small number of SD locals on the Ka satellites at this time but more are to be added to DirecTV can stop using the satellite at 72.5 since it's a leased slot from Canada that they need to give up soon. And that would also free up DirecTV 1R to move somewhere else in case of a failure at 101, 110 or 119.

Ahhh....Thanks. So if one of these birds goes, then so does a lot of our HD (at least temporarily)??? This is where it maybe better to be a cable or FiOS sub?

 

[rad]

Ahhh....Thanks. So if one of these birds goes, then so does a lot of our HD (at least temporarily)??? This is where it maybe better to be a cable or FiOS sub?

That's why D* says in their annual report:

"We rely on in-orbit spare satellites and excess transponder capacity at key orbital slots to mitigate the impact of a potential satellite failure on our ability to provide service. However, programming continuity cannot be assured in all instances or in the event of multiple satellite losses."

Guess it would all depend on what died. If SW1 or SW2 died it wouldn't be as bad as D10 or D11 since those are only spotbeams for local HD channels. Yea some cities would probably loose their HD LIL's but the national channels would still be there. Not true if D10 or D11 died no place to put all those national channels on remaining satellites.

 

[DodgerKing]

Then someone tell me, what are transponders 15-32 being used for? Keep in mind, D10 did use two of these transponders before D11 went live. Since D11, D10 freed up two transponders through the movement of legacy channels to D11 bringing the total transponder use down from 16 to 14.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

Spares I thought ,if 1-14 failed.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

My guess if they have 14 licences they can only use 14 transponders MAX and all times. So if one failed they could use one of the spares.

 

[DodgerKing]

Spares I thought ,if 1-14 failed.

but according to young they have redundant transponders for this use

 

[DodgerKing]

My guess if they have 14 licences they can only use 14 transponders MAX and all times. So if one failed they could use one of the spares.

So these are used for spares?

Now I am getting confused.

 

[rad]

Then someone tell me, what are transponders 15-32 being used for?

I'd recommend reading post #7 at DIRECTV and Ka (with satellite configs) - DBSTalk.Com and see how the Ka satellites work vs the Ku band when it comes to transponders, it's not the same. See what Tom says about D9S which also has a Ka payload on it for their license at 101. They've configured only 2 transponders to use the entire 500mhz Ka band vs. a larger numbe of transponders each with a smaller slice.

So while it may look like there's bandwidth just not being used it most likely is.

 

[rad]

My guess if they have 14 licences they can only use 14 transponders MAX and all times. So if one failed they could use one of the spares.

Please read the link that I gave you for DBS Talk about the Ka band that Tom put together. They are licensed a frequency range not a number of transponders. It's up to D* to decide on how they want to carve up that range on how many transponders to use. The D9S example that Tom gives is a perfect example on how this works, see post 7 in that thread.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

Please read the link that I gave you for DBS Talk about the Ka band that Tom put together. They are licensed a frequency range not a number of transponders. It's up to D* to decide on how they want to carve up that range on how many transponders to use. The D9S example that Tom gives is a perfect example on how this works, see post 7 in that thread.

Yea I see they go by a Frequency range instead. That I totally don't get . So I'll just let that alone.

 

[DodgerKing]

I still don't know if transponders 15-32 are used as backups or for something else all together...

 

[Hemi 6.1]

It looks like they could still use them as backups. But maybe the frequency range thats aloud, is only enough to take up 14 transponders. My Guess FCC Rule?

 

[Hemi 6.1]

Weren't these satellites supposed to be used for High Speed internet? But they used them for TV instead?

 

[Curtis0620]

I still don't know if transponders 15-32 are used as backups or for something else all together...

Please refer to RAD's link above. Ka doesn't work like Ku.

 

[rad]

I still don't know if transponders 15-32 are used as backups or for something else all together...

How about D* just kept the layout of the screens the same for all the satellites (like 110 shows 32 transponders but they have license for only 3).

Here's another posts from Tom about this:
DBSTalk.Com - View Single Post - Directv 10 transponder listing
D10 Satellite - HD Anticipation and other posts - Page 77 - DBSTalk.Com


Hope that helps, I'm out of ways to try to help explane it, sorry.

 

[rad]

Weren't these satellites supposed to be used for High Speed internet? But they used them for TV instead?

Covered in Toms thread at DIRECTV and Ka (with satellite configs) - DBSTalk.Com and yes, only SW1/2 were to be used for internet, D10/11 were always for TV.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

So by using KA they can fit more on a transponder then they can using KU. But they have a limited frequency. So really 4-5 per transponder on KA isn't the same as 4-5 on KU. Its 10% better Right? It doesn't really sound fair to compair E* 7-8 per transponder, to 5 per on D* since the systems are nothing the same.