Dish Network to offer SuperBowl in HD

[dead3ye]

Screw it. I just fired an email off to ABC asking them why the made this decision. Maybe if enough people did, they would listen.

I know, pipe dream. :river

 

[waltinvt]

Scott, Thanks for running this one to ground for us. Again, even by the wording, Dish is talking in terms of cities. They really tend to ignore rural America--even when we jump through all the legal hoops to get the appropriate waivers! Maybe this is because there are HD OTA and cable choices in cities?

If I am not careful, I am going to start sounding like Walt!!

I heard that

 

[waltinvt]

It's not they are ignoring you guys, it's that the content suppliers are telling them what they can and can't do in these instances.

I don't blame E* for this one. I would call up ABC and start a massive email outpouring to see if you can get them to take care of the white area and waiver folks. If you are in a non O & O market I fear you are SOL as the local companies will have 1 minute of ads an hour they will want you to watch.......

I sent emails to ABC last night but as of 7am est I haven't heard back. I'd post a copy of my email but I don't want anyone "sounding like me"

 

[waltinvt]

Great! I live in Pittsburgh area and im stuck watching it in crappy SD. Hell i better off going to friends and watching it on SD from Adelphia. Sad that Adelphia SD is so much better than Dish.

Someone suggested contacting ABC, which is a good idea for all of us to do that arn't getting the feed even though we qualify and get the analog feed of the same station.

I'd also contact your congress people and local press - especially you being in the Pittsburg area.

When this exact same thing happened last year with the NBC HD Olympic feed, I contacted mine in Vt and got a phone call back from Jefford's office. Seems they were pretty upset about it as "this was not what congress intended" with the legislation. However, nothing was ever done and here we go again.

It's a private deal that Dish has with ABC and apparently there's not a whole lot that can be done legally but if the media gets hold of it, it not only looks bad for ABC and Dish but also the NFL. Many viewers that already have HD options get the HD sat feed while thousands that live in areas that get no digital OTA are denied.

I imagine now I'll get a lot of shitmail from the "put up an antenna" crowd but I don't really give a rip. You want to come up to Vt and talk about my antenna reception, I'll be more than glad to accomodate you.

 

[waltinvt]

If it were left to SHVERA, a lot less would be receiving this offering. How many do you think in these cities actually qualify for the SD distant feeds? I sure don't and I am on the fringe of the Philadelphia DMA. Thanks to ABC for the Blanket HD waivers in their O&O markets.

But how many of these people DO have an alternate ABC HD option such as OTA or Cable ? I'm sure there are some that legitimitly can't get ABC HD in any fashion but I bet a lot more can in those cities than can in the rural mountain areas throughout the rest of the country.

 

[BrianMis]

Someone suggested contacting ABC, which is a good idea for all of us to do that arn't getting the feed even though we qualify and get the analog feed of the same station.

I'd also contact your congress people and local press - especially you being in the Pittsburg area.

When this exact same thing happened last year with the NBC HD Olympic feed, I contacted mine in Vt and got a phone call back from Jefford's office. Seems they were pretty upset about it as "this was not what congress intended" with the legislation. However, nothing was ever done and here we go again.

It's a private deal that Dish has with ABC and apparently there's not a whole lot that can be done legally but if the media gets hold of it, it not only looks bad for ABC and Dish but also the NFL. Many viewers that already have HD options get the HD sat feed while thousands that live in areas that get no digital OTA are denied.

I imagine now I'll get a lot of shitmail from the "put up an antenna" crowd but I don't really give a rip. You want to come up to Vt and talk about my antenna reception, I'll be more than glad to accomodate you.

Walt, very well said, this really does stink.

 

[Weezknight]

But how many of these people DO have an alternate ABC HD option such as OTA or Cable ? I'm sure there are some that legitimitly can't get ABC HD in any fashion but I bet a lot more can in those cities than can in the rural mountain areas throughout the rest of the country.

I see your point Walt. I'm in the Philly 'burbs and get crystal clear OTA HD. I'm guessing that will have a better PQ than the Dish feed, but I'll have to compare when it comes on.

In the end this is the kind of stuff I expect when Big Networks and Professional Sports look to make "special deals," especially anything involving the NFL, they never get anything right.

 

[JohnH]

Well, many seem to want ABC and E* to jump through hoops for this one-day presentation when they don't even know if the "Mpeg4" HD Distants and/or Locals will be available by then. You know it is possible that you are overlooking the obvious solution. Of course, there is not one bit of confirmation either way that these will happen also.

 

[dead3ye]

Well, many seem to want ABC and E* to jump through hoops for this one-day presentation when they don't even know if the "Mpeg4" HD Distants and/or Locals will be available by then. You know it is possible that you are overlooking the obvious solution. Of course, there is not one bit of confirmation either way that these will happen also.

I not sure what you're trying to say here. This one day presentation really has nothing to do with Mpeg4 rollout. They are offering it in Mpeg2, to people who already have Mpeg2 receivers, which I have (811) and I get the SD LA feeds. I'm not getting it because I live in rural PA. What makes those 10 cities more eligible than me? More to the point, what does ABC, E*, or the NFL have to gain by not letting me viewing in HD. I have no other options of receiving HD other than through E*.

I'm not sure what the obvious solution would be other than having a Mpeg4 receiver for the SB and getting the HD LiLs. Trust me, if I could have an Mpeg4 receiver by the 5th, I would. But seeing how you can't even order one till the 1st, it is highly unlikely I would have it by then. So the obivious solution escapes me.

 

[waltinvt]

I not sure what you're trying to say here. This one day presentation really has nothing to do with Mpeg4 rollout. They are offering it in Mpeg2, to people who already have Mpeg2 receivers, which I have (811) and I get the SD LA feeds. I'm not getting it because I live in rural PA. What makes those 10 cities more eligible than me? More to the point, what does ABC, E*, or the NFL have to gain by not letting me viewing in HD. I have no other options of receiving HD other than through E*.

I'm not sure what the obvious solution would be other than having a Mpeg4 receiver for the SB and getting the HD LiLs. Trust me, if I could have an Mpeg4 receiver by the 5th, I would. But seeing how you can't even order one till the 1st, it is highly unlikely I would have it by then. So the obivious solution escapes me.

Exactly what he said.

What possible reason is there to deny the HD feed of a station to someone legally qualified and in fact already receiving the analog feed of the SAME station.

I know I tend to get a little irrational with my rants sometimes but this one really doesn't make any rational sense to me other than that "E" just didn't want the added logistics (expense) of turning this feed on anywhere but those select cities.

 

[Weezknight]

Exactly what he said.

What possible reason is there to deny the HD feed of a station to someone legally qualified and in fact already receiving the analog feed of the SAME station.

I know I tend to get a little irrational with my rants sometimes but this one really doesn't make any rational sense to me other than that "E" just didn't want the added logistics (expense) of turning this feed on anywhere but those select cities.

I really tend to think this is something that is beyond Dish's control, and that they are providing the best scenario they could get. As I said before, when the NFL gets involved with rights and licensing all rational thought goes out the window.

 

[BFG]

I'm suprised they are offering it at all. I knew this would happen, those that are not eligible to see the game, wont accept it and just cry about it...

 

[dead3ye]

I'm suprised they are offering it at all. I knew this would happen, those that are not eligible to see the game, wont accept it and just cry about it...

This kind of statement contibutes absolutely nothing but get people more angry, including me.

See the problem with your statement is that I am eligible legally. For some reason somebody else within ABC, E*, and/or the NFL decided I'm ineligible. That's what's pissing me off.

I can watch it all in SD but not HD? What kind of sense does that make?

I bet you'll be getting it in HD...!sadroll

 

[BFG]

Yup, I will

sorry.....

 

[trumpit]

I just spoke with Mark Lumpkin at Dish Network and the ONLY people who will see their HD feed of the SuperBowl are those in those 10 markets I posted earlier.

IF YOU HAVE DISTANT NETWORKS (EVEN IF IT IS THE NEW YORK OR LA MARKET) you WILL NOT see the SuperBowl in HD on Dish Network...<snip>

What about subscribers who DO live in one of the 10 markets (e.g., San Fran), but chose to keep their distants (NY & LA) rather than SF locals when they were forced to choose?

 

[waltinvt]

<snip>.... I knew this would happen, those that are not eligible to see the game, wont accept it and just cry about it...

and we have no right to be upset?

Look Bryan, I don't begrudge those that can get this HD feed for the game - it's a good thing - for them and they have every right to be happy about it - especially the people in those cities that really didn't have any other options. I apologize if I implied anything to the contrary.

But you know what - there are many of us for whom this is just one more setback. We've also invested in HD. We've also tried to follow all the rules and regulations but we have NO other options for receiving this game in HD, just like we couldn't get the NBC HD Olympics feed last year.

We legally qualify and receive the SD feed from "E" and they're not going to allow us the HD feed of the exact same station.

I'm not unhappy for those of you that ARE eligible and getting the game in HD, why are you belittling those of us that are upset because we're also "eligible" but are NOT getting it? I gotta admit that surprises me about you.

 

[NightRyder]

Walt, all this anger is bad for your health, time for a break.

I wonder how many subscribers will "move" to an O&O city before the SuperBowl?


NightRyder

 

[BigFella]

What about subscribers who DO live in one of the 10 markets (e.g., San Fran), but chose to keep their distants (NY & LA) rather than SF locals when they were forced to choose?

What Trumpit said - I live in LA DMA, grandfathered into NY distant SD (no LA SD locals) but subscribe to HD and Voom packages on my 942.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I hear since we broke the news yesterday Dish has been getting a lot of phone calls from people moving from Pittsburgh to Chicago.

What up with that?

 

[waltinvt]

Walt, all this anger is bad for your health, time for a break.

I wonder how many subscribers will "move" to an O&O city before the SuperBowl?


NightRyder

You're right. I just get too passionate about this stuff. It is just TV.

Hey, my Pats didn't make it this year anyway but I've always liked the Steelers too. I even go back to the days of Chuck Knoll, Terry Bradshaw and the "Steel Curtain".

"Moving" crossed my mind but I've never gone that route before and I don't need anything else to take to confession