DISH NETWORK® UNVEILS BIGGEST HIGH DEFINITION UPGRADE IN TV HISTORY

[james_k_p]

Wait Wait Wait.
We knew that Dish planned on doing PPV or Dish on Demand with 1080P movies. Is this announcement saying that they will have 1080p output for all HD channels? If so, that's pretty awesome.

Of course, if it's 1280x1080P as someone stated, that will be less than thrilling.

Oh yeah, and since I feel like sharing good news for me personally, my charter internet service has been upgraded in my area and I'll be dropping my 6meg adsl service for 16meg cable!
Woot! Come on Monday!!!! What a good week this has been for me in technology!

 

[mike123abc]

Dish has the capacity to add the 36 missing channels. You notice they somehow inflated the channel count from 100 to 114? I guess they are going to count PPV that is stored on the hard drive as "channels". This is getting rediculous how they are counting channels. Next thing you know they will count the same channel uplinked to both 61.5 and 129 as 2 channels. How many event only sports channels are counted now as HD channels? They will probably be close to 100 real HD channels by the end of the year. What I mean by real channels is channels that are broadcast on Dish 24x7 in MPEG-4 HD (they may of course not have any real HD content, that is a different argument).

I wonder if the 722 will have more "channels" than the 622 since it can store more movies on the HD.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Next thing you know they will count the same channel uplinked to both 61.5 and 129 as 2 channels.

Don't give them any ideas.

 

[Curtis0620]

Don't give them any ideas.

I thought they already did. !sadroll!sadroll!sadroll

 

[mike123abc]

Well it is nice to know they will be adding more channels. They will probably be at 100 real channels by the end of the year which should cover the most popular channels in HD, and most premiums. Sports/PPV/events will have good coverage via temporary space filling in the last 50 of the 150 claim.

Dish finally learned from DIRECTV... Advertise the future capacity now to sell!

The "next 50" channels (going to 200) will be a challenge for Dish without more satellites. Depends on how much capacity on 129 is sold to Canada.

 

[danknapp76]

All I can say is, competition is a wonderful thing. Image where D or E would be if only one of them existed? This is great news for subs of both providers.

Bingo!!!

 

[mikew]

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6583116.html


Starting Aug. 1, Dish will offer Warner Bros.’ 2007 sci-fi thriller I Am Legend in 1080p resolution, for a limited-time discount of $2.99 (compared with $6.99 regularly).

For now, I Am Legend is the only 1080p title that will be available, but the DBS operator plans to add more over the next few months, corporate communications director Francie Bauer said.



I'll stick with my Blockbuster deal of $19.99/month for three at a time BD.

 

[AlexTheOne]

...all the features and benefits of TurboHD...?

"...Current DISH Network customers with MPEG-4 HD DVR receivers are being automatically upgraded and will have their systems “turbo-charged” by early August with all the features and benefits of TurboHD. DISH Network customers looking to add the industry’s best HD experience can get a “turbo-charged” HD package for as little as $10 more per month...."

How this would reflect to current subs that for example have dishHD Absolute package? I know it will be removed as the option as of tomorrow 08/01 and replaced by TurboHD metallic packages...which will be for now only offered to new subs and the old ones would be grandfathered...

By reading this text is seems E* is planning to "automatically upgrade" all of us by "turbo-charging" us to the package which would have "all the features and benefits of TurboHD"...which would include all new HD channels they add in the future and RSNs too? hmmm, yeah...right?

 

[GRExpert]

Any info on current customers subscribing to the Turbo HD packages?

 

[navychop]

I'll ask this question again. (Apologies if I missed the answer in this thread somewhere)

I thought it had been said many times before today that only the 722 was capable of receiveing HD VOD...does this now mean that the 622 will also be able to receive the 1080p HD VOD?!?

That was over the internet. There is another difference between the ViP622 and ViP722 beyond what someone posted earlier. The chipset in the ViP722 is better and can better support HD VOD over the internet. This new way will also send it over satellite and all MPEG-4 DVRs will be able to receive it. I suspect the DVR feature will be required, as it may download in spurts, and faster than is watched.

How is this "big" news if I have a VIP211 and VIP222? 150 HD channels...LMAO. 100 HD channels for me means I receive under 50, so 150 = under 75. Don't drink the Kool-Aid folks!

You still come out ahead, don't you? You get more channels, even if you can't get all the channels they advertise.

 

[KAB]

So is it coming in off the satellite or internet ? I'm not sure I want my internet connection bogged down pulling down the video. Also, many ISPs (Comcast) have been imposing download limits.

http://www.satelliteguys.us/1464919-post104.html

 

[navychop]

If they somehow include the bitstreaming of the HD audio codecs (True-HD and DTS-MA) I will damn sure cancel netflix, start getting VOD from dish, soil myself, and post the pics here.

You can take what you posted more ways than one, as far as what the pictures are of.......


SCOTT- PLEASE FIND OUT WHAT AUDIO FORMATS WILL BE INCLUDED IN THIS VOD.



Also, I suspect these extra channels are VOD channels and not the regular channels with varied programming. It's to sell more movies/specials etc. Fine with me. IF it includes great AQ. At least 5.1.

As posted above, downconverting to 720p for your HDTV from a 1080p signal will look better than from 1080i, as the interlacing artifacts will have been better dealt with. My main HDTV is a 61" 720p display. If Dish offers me a great upgrade to an HD DVR from my 721, I'll take it and replace my bedroom TV with a 1080p flat screen. Don't anybody tell my wife of my plan.

There are some folks with HD CRTs out there that might not be able to take full advantage of the 1080p signals. More reason for them to move on to microdisplay technologies.

 

[tjwgrr]

How this would reflect to current subs that for example have dishHD Absolute package? I know it will be removed as the option as of tomorrow 08/01 and replaced by TurboHD metallic packages...which will be for now only offered to new subs and the old ones would be grandfathered...

By reading this text is seems E* is planning to "automatically upgrade" all of us by "turbo-charging" us to the package which would have "all the features and benefits of TurboHD"...which would include all new HD channels they add in the future and RSNs too? hmmm, yeah...right?

I just had a lengthy phone call with a Dish Tech. The HD only TurboHD Bronze, Silver, Gold, & Platinum packages will NOT be available to existing customers until February 2009. TurboHD Silver, Gold, and Platinum will include RSN's and the Big Ten Network for those living in the appropriate region.

Existing Absolute HD customers will be grandfathered. Essential HD and Ultimate HD are being replaced by Turbo add-ons Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum- these are NOT the HD only TurboHD packages.

Off the record she said the techs and reps expect many complaints from existing Dish customers not being able to switch to the HD only TurboHD packages.

To try and save some $, I was going to switch to Absolute HD, but no FSN HD Detroit or Big Ten Network HD so I'm gonna sit tight with what I have now which will become AT250 HD Gold or Platinum.

 

[GRExpert]

I would think they will have LOTS of complaints, hopefully a change in policy is coming. I don't want to give my my FSN Detroit

 

[Fiveft20in]

I am paying $145 a month

:yikes :shocked

 

[gary08]

Dish has the capacity to add the 36 missing channels. You notice they somehow inflated the channel count from 100 to 114? I guess they are going to count PPV that is stored on the hard drive as "channels". This is getting rediculous how they are counting channels. Next thing you know they will count the same channel uplinked to both 61.5 and 129 as 2 channels. How many event only sports channels are counted now as HD channels? They will probably be close to 100 real HD channels by the end of the year. What I mean by real channels is channels that are broadcast on Dish 24x7 in MPEG-4 HD (they may of course not have any real HD content, that is a different argument).

I wonder if the 722 will have more "channels" than the 622 since it can store more movies on the HD.

I agree.
It's the Karl Rove way of counting channels.

 

[Pistol]

Or the Osama Obama calculation method

 

[jacmyoung]

Scott, any word on if these 1080p movies may be saved onto the external HD and played back later? I wouldn't even mind if they charge a nominal fee like $0.99 each time I want to play it back.

As far as doing the math, who cares? There aren't 150 national HDs out there, as long as E* carries most all of them (except the premiums) for $29.99, those who cannot have it can say whatever the negatives they wish, I am just too happy to even notice them.

 

[atlind01]

I am reading about how the MPEG-4 broadcast looks great for D* customers, so my question is are we going to see any significant improvement in PQ from tomorrow?

 

[BobMurdoch]

OK, posts are flying fast and furious, but Scott, we need your help......

What EXACTLY is happening here.....?

From what I read, the E* boxes will have the CAPABILITY of outputting 1080p after a software upgrade, but only for HD PPV movies?

And that will only be for ONE movie in August, "I Am Legend", which I already own on BluRay so it has zero appeal to me.

Also, I've got a lone 50 ft. HDMI cable going to my projector, which is directly connected to my BluRay/HD DVD player. I COULD get an HDMI switcher, and then run the 722 off of it as well, but it looks like this announcement ONLY calls for 1080p content for HD PPV movies, correct? None of our other channels are affected? I'm running my output through component outs right now, and although 1080p sounds good for PPV buyers, it is useless for me as I haven't bought a movie in 8 yrs. of being an E* subscriber.

It's a good marketing point, but it looks like this news is underwhelming for those who don't get the PPV movies.

It does give a way to get a marketing bragging point vs. D*, but it will be confusing to new customers who think they are getting 1080p on ALL channels, not just the PPV ones....

Am I understanding this right, or is there more here?