I'm not so sure about that theory. I believe the extra compression rate given by the MPEG4 vs the older MPEG2 format is useful in decreasing needed bandwidth to send signals down to your receivers...but is not utilized for storage amount on your DVR. For example, a year ago when I recorded a program an hour long on ESPNHD (MPEG2), it took the same amount of space as when I recorded an hour long program on Universal HD (MPEG4). Maybe I'm wrong, but before the switch to all MPEG4 HD in August, I never noticed any difference in storage amount.
Eastern Arc Expands Again
- Thread starter Scott Greczkowski
- Start date
- Latest activity Latest activity:
- Replies 36
- Views 8K
I'm not so sure about that theory. I believe the extra compression rate given by the MPEG4 vs the older MPEG2 format is useful in decreasing needed bandwidth to send signals down to your receivers...but is not utilized for storage amount on your DVR. For example, a year ago when I recorded a program an hour long on ESPNHD (MPEG2), it took the same amount of space as when I recorded an hour long program on Universal HD (MPEG4). Maybe I'm wrong, but before the switch to all MPEG4 HD in August, I never noticed any difference in storage amount.
I assume that at some point the locals in the DMA's assigned to the new EA will all be switched to the EA satellites. When this happens, what will happen to existing customers in EA DMA's who are now pointed at the WA satellites? I see 3 choices: be moved to EA; be required to add a wing dish; or do nothing and lose the locals for your DMA. If it is one of the first two scenarios, will Dish provide the necessary equipment for free? Also, if moving to EA will cause LOS, will Dish still require such a move? I realize that this might require speculation, but speculate away.
Mpeg 4 on the satellite takes up less bandwith than mpeg 2. DISH can fit upto 7 hd channels on one transponder vs 3 using mpeg 2. They can put upto 20 sd channels on one transponder using mpeg 4 vs 10 using mpeg 2. I have read in other places and seen for myself, that an mpeg 4 program recorded off of my hd locals from DISH takes less room on my hard drive than an mpeg2 hd recording off of my ota channels. So it stands to reason that if EVERYTHING is being broadcast in mpeg 4 that you will have more room on your internal harddrive no matter what the actual receiver says. Using my external hard drive to send a show from my internal hard drive, I can select an mpeg 4 recorded show from DISH hd local & I get 2.0gb. Now compare that to an mpeg 2 recorded hd show from my ota cbs at 5.5gb. So obviously mpeg 4 takes up less room on my internal hard drive than mpeg 2.
Hi Mike. I thought I read that the 622/722 convert any mpeg2 programming into mpeg4 for storage on the DVR. I'm not an expert here Mike, so you might be right, but when ESPNHD was still being broadcast as mpeg2, it would take the same amount of space/time on my 622 DVR as any other mpeg4 HD channel I'd DVR as well. Maybe someone else could chime in on this subject to get a 3rd opinion as it'd be nice to know one way or the other!:up
You are being confused by the proposed switchover to all-mpeg-4 HD in August. That didn't happen, presumably because too many customers are still paying for HD sevice via mpeg-2-only HD receivers. ESPNHD in particular is still mpeg-2 on 110 (and mpeg-4 on 61.5).
Bottom line: Mike is right. These receivers don't have the horsepower to transcode in real time. The demultiplexed and decrypted transport stream itself is what gets recorded to disk.
Two Questions:
Is Kansas City eventually going to be added to EA? As a DMA still with locals on CONUS, I didn't know if this would affect us.
If Kansas City is added to EA, does this mean I must have E* realign my satellite?
Is Kansas City eventually going to be added to EA? As a DMA still with locals on CONUS, I didn't know if this would affect us.
If Kansas City is added to EA, does this mean I must have E* realign my satellite?
I was thinking the same thing. I haven't gotten mine yet. I even got the phone call from Dish that I should receive them. But if not, then we should call again to have them sent out.
Your lucky you got the phone call. I haven't received a call so it looks like I will have a long wait before I receive them.
They let you put up a dish because there is nothing they can do about it the FCC
has thrown out the banning of antennas just follow the link that the other poster put up.
My HOA wanted me to move my dishes, yes I have a wing, from the front to the back
of my unit I told them if they wanted it moved they they would have to pay for it.
Let how you make out with your HOA.
The MPEG 4 data is copied onto the hard disk after it's decoded/decrypted within the receiver.
You're describing "transcoding" and the receivers do not do transcoding.
The size of data used is based on an almost infinite number of factors including action and scene complexity, tailored with hierarchical modulation which changes at unpredictable times (which assigns higher bandwidth when needed to different MPEG streams when needed).
This is my long-winded way of telling you that:
One hour of data on one channel cannot be compared to another channel.
It's just that simple.
Oh, and on the topic of HOAs, my covenant insists the FCC rules don't forbid them from banning your dish but the HOA still has a "say" in where the dish should be allowed to go, which isn't legal, either.
You don't need a new smartcard to get locals from 61.5, only from 72.7 and 77 (presumably when in place). The 61.5 part of EA is currently available to everyone regardless of whether you have the new card. If you already have 110 and 119 from a Dish 500 or 1000.2, all you need is a wing dish to pickup 61.5. If you want a one dish solution and go EA, you'll pay for everything yourself as only new subscribers are eligible for EA installations.
I feel it is unfair that only NEW subs get the EA at no charge - I do not want my house to look like a commercial building and do want a one dish solution. So I guess I will have to talk to the retention department or go back to Directv ( which I said I would never do) but my patience is wearing out with Dish and their non care for current subs.
IMHO two dishes look sexy, as long as they both say Dish on them and they're not pointed in the same direction.
I am in the Wilkes-Barre DMA and my customers are in Snyder/Union/Northumberland Counties and have yet to see WNEP-HD. Appears that there is no signal from the Spotbeam here in the Southwestern edge of the DMA. 16HD appears in my guide here on my showroom unit, but no pix, only a screen that says we are working on the problem. And then of course, DISH evidently can't come to terms with NEXSTAR again, since there is no 22 or 28 in HD offered. Fox and PBS either.
So, we connect the OTA for those customers if they have one, and hope for the best. The OTA pictures are better anyway, and you get the sub-channels.
So, we connect the OTA for those customers if they have one, and hope for the best. The OTA pictures are better anyway, and you get the sub-channels.
