Dish Network announces 48 HD local cities that may be launched

[Stargazer]

Dish Network will make HD local channels available to over 50 percent of U.S. households via satellite in some of the following markets. The remaining markets will receiver over-the-air broadcasts as signal availability, strength and geography permit.

Albuquerque, Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo, Burlington, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Greenville SC, Houston, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Louisville, Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Norfolk, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phenix, Pittsburgh, Portland OR, Providence, Raleigh, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, Sand Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Spokane, Springfield MO, St Louis, Tulsa, Washington D.C.

Markets and networks subject to availability and may change.

source: http://www.satelliteguys.us/photopost/showphoto.php/photo/56/cat/500/ppuser/1

 

[BFG]

Dish Network HD goes in Dish HDTV forum please.

 

[DWS44]

Dish Network will make HD local channels available to over 50 percent of U.S. households via satellite in some of the following markets. [/url]

What an overblown statement...list a pile of cities, then say we might provide it to some of these.

 

[Jim S.]

Dish Network will make HD local channels available to over 50 percent of U.S. households via satellite in some of the following markets. The remaining markets will receiver over-the-air broadcasts as signal availability, strength and geography permit.

Ummmm... does this mean that they don't have any plans to cover the remaining markets in the foreseeable future, or what? And I just love the part about how we still might be able to get OTA broadcasts -- like we haven't been already if we could?

 

[GeorgeLV]

Translated to DMAs:

Dish Network HD LiL List

(#1) New York, NY
(#2) Los Angeles, CA
(#3) Chicago, IL
(#4) Philadelphia, PA
(#5) Boston, MA
(#6) San Francisco, CA
(#7) Dallas, TX
(#8) Washington, D.C.
(#9) Atlanta, GA
(#10) Houston, TX
(#11) Detroit, MI
(#13) Seattle, WA
(#14) Phoenix, AZ
(#15) Minneapolis, MN
(#16) Cleveland, OH
(#17) Miami, FL
(#18) Denver, CO
(#19) Sacremento, CA
(#20) Orlando, FL
(#21) St. Louis, MO
(#22) Pittsburgh, PA
(#23) Portland, OR
(#24) Baltimore, MD
(#25) Indianapolis, IN
(#26) San Diego, CA
(#27) Charlotte, NC
(#29) Raleigh, NC
(#30) Nashville, TN
(#31) Kansas City, MO
(#33) Milwaukee, WI
(#35) Greenville, SC
(#36) Salt Lake City, UT
(#37) San Antonio, TX
(#42) Norfolk, VA
(#43) New Orleans, LA
(#44) Memphis, TN
(#45) Oklahoma City, OK
(#46) Albuquerque, NM
(#49) Buffalo, NY
(#50) Louisville, KY
(#51) Providence, RI
(#52) Jacksonville, FL
(#53) Austin, TX

The WTF section
(#61) Tulsa, OK
(#77) Springfield, MO
(#78) Spokane
(#90) Burlington, VT

NOT PLANNED (Top 60 DMAs)
(#12) Tampa, FL
(#28) Hartford, CT
(#32) Columbus, OH
(#34) Cincinnati, OH
(#38) West Palm Beach, FL
(#39) Grand Rapids, MI
(#40) Birmingham, AL
(#41) Harrisburg, PA
(#47) Greensboro, NC
(#48) Las Vegas, NV
(#54) Wilkes Barre, PA
(#55) Albany, NY
(#56) Fresno, CA
(#57) Little Rock, AR
(#58) Knoxville, TN
(#59) Dayton, OH
(#60) Richmond, VA

 

[jgili]

Uggh!

That's just great. I happen to be in the Hartford DMA and can't understand how a place like Burlington, VT gets in ahead of my DMA. Right now I get all 4 major channels OTA, but 2 of the 4 majors here have had periodic transmission issues. The local CBS had a 3 day stretch where the signal would fluctuate wildly and not hold. It ruined my NFL watching one day. The engineers continually use the new tecnology excuse to explain their problems (if they even acknowledge the problem as theirs), but the problems always seem to return for short periods of time.

Having HD LiL would alleviate my headaches when I find a DVR recording with signal losses. I'm just curious as to how these 48 markets were chosen? And is ther going to be no chance of getting my HD locals ever?

 

[gdarwin]

Louisville is in that list and we are 50.

 

[Stargazer]

Maybe it has to do with the spotbeams for why some markets were in that are in the upper DMA's and some were left out in the lower DMA's.

How about getting the rest of the LIL markets launched so they cant at least have something? They may want to replace the SD with HD in many of the top markets. That could free up some space for more HD markets or maybe they already had that figured in when making up this list of channels. I wonder if they plan on using Rainbow for some of these or if Rainbow is going to add more cities than what they name here.

 

[RIRWIN1983]

And This is why as of yesterday/today i'm now a directv customer, where they actualy have plansing on lighting up columbus, oh in a few months. certanly even if i was lit up in 6-9 months, im still way ahead of what dieh network even is planning sorta, maybe kinda is.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

Anything about the timeframe? Over the next 12 months? 18 months? 24 months?

Not that it matters to me.

 

[RobertsD]

Salt Lake City, UT. Thats where I live.

Doesn't matter though, since I get HD locals OTA (except for FOX).

 

[Stargazer]

No time frame was released. It seems both positive and negative at the same time. This may give some people perspective though on what to expect and give them direction of what to do in that they need to get an OTA antenna. Some may decide to go to DirecTv if they see a planned launch of the locals in their area and not a planned launch on Dish Network.

Since most probably still dont have HD televisions and many that do are not concerned about getting HD at this time, it will not influence many to switch providers if they do not have the content. It is not going to pursuade my decision because I have no HD television but if I did then it may persuade me if the HD hardware was very cheap or at no cost if there was enough programming available in HD. It would probably persuade people even more if there was not much national HD content available as any HD additions would be impressive.

 

[waltinvt]

Uggh!

That's just great. I happen to be in the Hartford DMA and can't understand how a place like Burlington, VT gets in ahead of my DMA. Right now I get all 4 major channels OTA, but 2 of the 4 majors here have had periodic transmission issues. The local CBS had a 3 day stretch where the signal would fluctuate wildly and not hold. It ruined my NFL watching one day. The engineers continually use the new tecnology excuse to explain their problems (if they even acknowledge the problem as theirs), but the problems always seem to return for short periods of time.

Having HD LiL would alleviate my headaches when I find a DVR recording with signal losses. I'm just curious as to how these 48 markets were chosen? And is ther going to be no chance of getting my HD locals ever?

An asprin will alleviate your headache. By your own admission you get all 4 major (nets I assume) OTA. The Burlington Vt stations won't even have their digital towers up until next year and even when they do, OTA is not an option for most of us up here because of the terrain. Maybe that's why.

 

[Sean Mota]

I used to think that this LOCAL HD Networks did not make sense until I realized that the Dish DVRs do not have dual OTA Tuners. Sometimes this is a blessing in the sky because you can record 1 OTA program and 2 Satellite programs at the same time (3 simultaneous feed) or a curse becaus there's only one OTA tuner and many times you may want to record the two OTA programs.

Even though I can get everything in OTA in NYC, I will welcome the HD LIL in NYC because it willl give me the option to record two OTA signals and one satellite signal. This is the nature of E* DVRs. So from this perspective, I welcome the HD LIL.

 

[Kirby Baker]

Maybe I missed it, but did they say where these HD LiL will be delivered from? Going to be on 110/119/129? Or some other location?

 

[M Sparks]

I think this is a good thing in general, even if it's bad for certain people.

1) It shows they have a goal and it's reasonable. No more that 336 HD locals...more likely less than 288. Admittedly, that's about 84 spotbeam transponders. But there are (I think) 49 spotbeam transponders in use for LIL now. Between Rainbow 1 and Echostar X, there will be 200 or so spotbeam transponders opening up. Obviously, not all of those will be useable (I know 7 or 8 of them are for Alaska), and some will replace the existing ones. But 84 certainly seems reasonable

2)It shows they've analyzed the markets instead of just going by DMA#. I've been saying for a long time that DMA# is not the only factor. (Although I'm sure spotbeam coverage played a part.)

3)It lets the people who WON'T be covered know in advance. Likewise, it will draw in/keep some of the smaller markets who figured they didn't have a chance with DISH

Eventually (and this is way down the line), they will be able to clear some of the current LIL spotbeams as they convert everyone to the new receivers. (Remember, the new base receivers will downconvert HD.) They could probably fill in the rest of the LIL markets with that room, or add more HD markets.

As for time frame, the east coast will probably come first, as Echostar 10 isn't ready. OR, perhaps some of the smaller markets will come first so they can be put on 61.5 to reduce the number of second dish installs. Maybe that's why Albuquerque is being tested now...Rainbow 1 has an Albuquerque Spotbeam after all.

They've been saying 5 markets a month. My guess is that's for the first 20 markets...then it will slow way down. (And the first 20 may not be the TOP 20.)

 

[Poke]

Cool! Oklahoma City and Tulsa are listed but main one for me is Oklahoma City. So when you we think this will go live??

 

[Poke]

Ok question?? With these new HD Locals that they will be adding will my Dish 500 get them or should I go ahead and get the Dish 1000?? Also will this make it where you will not need a OTA to get your local HD Channels??

 

[mdonnelly]

Ok question?? With these new HD Locals that they will be adding will my Dish 500 get them or should I go ahead and get the Dish 1000?? Also will this make it where you will not need a OTA to get your local HD Channels??

1) OKC will probably be on the 129 satellite, so the Dish 1000 would be the way to go.

2) Dish hasn't said what channels they will carry. Only the big 4 networks from LA and some other big cities are up in testing mode now. So, if WB, UPN or any of the independents are important for you, keep your OTA antenna up. Knowing E*'s history of negotiation confrontation, I'm keeping my OTA anyway.

 

[Ilya]

48 cities... This must be 200+ HD channels in total!!!