HD Channels that Havn't Been Launched

[Tom Bombadil]

Why they can supply locals in SD and not HD is a mystery to me.

Very easy mystery to solve. Providing locals in HD would consume several times the bandwidth, and thus need several additional satellites - or far more efficient compression protocols. I.e. it would cost E* many hundreds of millions of dollars to provide all locals in HD right now, using present technology.

It would be relatively easy to provide the national network feeds in HD. However, thanks to our federal government, most of us would not be eligible to receive them. I wouldn't be eligible to get any of the network HD channels.

 

[PowerDNSTech]

Dish Network will begin to offer network locals in HD sometime in 2006 to some markets.

 

[rnesky]

Locals in HD

I am sure there are people out there who would love to get there locals by satellite at all. it pathetic to hear about all those win ey dish hogs who have to get there locals in HD. Most of the content on those channels in not in HD anyway. It is a very limited broadcasts that are so give it a rest!

 

[Cyclone]

Actually I find that a ton of my HD viewing is via HD Locals. Luckily I live in a area where I get HD locals from two cities (Wash and Balt), so I do not need Dish to provide them. But I can see why others would want this via sat.

But they do need to be patient as this will take time to get going. Lets face it, Dish doesn't even have DMA #1 or #2 on the air yet for HD Locals. So this coversation will be evolving over the next few years.

1. When will Dish offer any HD locals?
2. When will Dish offer my HD Locals?
3. Why are my HD Locals an extra $10/mo?
4. Where are my Digital sub-channels now that my HD locals are carried?
5. When will Dish offer all of the HD Local stations for my DMA? I want my UPN-HD!
6. Why does my PQ now stink?
7. Why has Dish disabled my OTA ATSC tuner unless I subscribe to their HD locals package?
8. When will Dish fix the EPG data?

 

[mdonnelly]

Actually I find that a ton of my HD viewing is via HD Locals. Luckily I live in a area where I get HD locals from two cities (Wash and Balt), so I do not need Dish to provide them. But I can see why others would want this via sat.

But they do need to be patient as this will take time to get going. Lets face it, Dish doesn't even have DMA #1 or #2 on the air yet for HD Locals. So this coversation will be evolving over the next few years.

1. When will Dish offer any HD locals?
2. When will Dish offer my HD Locals?
3. Why are my HD Locals an extra $10/mo?
4. Where are my Digital sub-channels now that my HD locals are carried?
5. When will Dish offer all of the HD Local stations for my DMA? I want my UPN-HD!
6. Why does my PQ now stink?
7. Why has Dish disabled my OTA ATSC tuner unless I subscribe to their HD locals package?
8. When will Dish fix the EPG data?

9. Will Dish over-compress the HD locals, too?

 

[voripteth]

It would be relatively easy to provide the national network feeds in HD. However, thanks to our federal government, most of us would not be eligible to receive them. I wouldn't be eligible to get any of the network HD channels.

Actually I'm only interested in the national network feeds as well. Can you also shed light on why the feds don't want us to have network HD feeds?

 

[mdonnelly]

Actually I'm only interested in the national network feeds as well. Can you also shed light on why the feds don't want us to have network HD feeds?

I believe that the NAB is lobbying Congress hard to prevent cable/fiber/DBS providers from supplying out-of-market stations to consumers. NAB stations have a large investment in their stations' equipment, salaries, etc., and that investment is based on local advertising revenue. If local customers were to choose to watch distant network stations over local stations, that advertising revenue would diminish, and with it the value of their properties.

This is why those living in O&O areas can get distant networks, because the money all goes into the same pot anyway. It all comes down to money, of course.

 

[CJPC]

Personally, I only think HD over the sat (OTS ? haha) locals should be for the top 5-10 markets (geographical sections) in which each section gets those HD locals.. If they want others, they can get SD or an antenna!

 

[lakebum431]

Personally, I only think HD over the sat (OTS ? haha) locals should be for the top 5-10 markets (geographical sections) in which each section gets those HD locals.. If they want others, they can get SD or an antenna!

Let me guess, you live in one of the top 5-10 markets? I actually get OTA just fine with my indoor antenna, but I can understand why people who don't want access to this content. If I was unable to get a good OTA signal I would want them via satellite ASAP. Those of us that spent several thousand $$ on HDTVs want to be able to use them on as much content as possible.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

I believe that the NAB is lobbying Congress hard to prevent cable/fiber/DBS providers from supplying out-of-market stations to consumers. NAB stations have a large investment in their stations' equipment, salaries, etc., and that investment is based on local advertising revenue. If local customers were to choose to watch distant network stations over local stations, that advertising revenue would diminish, and with it the value of their properties.

Undoubtably.

But I'm also not in favor of preventing airlines from using the same routes as claimed by the Wells Fargo Stagecoach line or local bus companies.

It may even be in the best interest of the networks themselves to allow national broadcasts. It would enable them to reach people that they cannot now. Although I'm sure publicly that they are supporting their long-time affiliates.

 

[CJPC]

Let me guess, you live in one of the top 5-10 markets? I actually get OTA just fine with my indoor antenna, but I can understand why people who don't want access to this content. If I was unable to get a good OTA signal I would want them via satellite ASAP. Those of us that spent several thousand $$ on HDTVs want to be able to use them on as much content as possible.

#5

But I get all of mine in fine with my OTA antenna NP (though it is a very old TERK HD antenna, outdoor, i need a new one, if it moves one inch, picture goes all ary!)

However, OTA vs Satellite, OTA wins hands down, much crisper.. but with sat you dont get any freezing/lockups / sound issues on the 811!

 

[jergenf]

1. When will Dish offer any HD locals?

My guess is spring 06.

2. When will Dish offer my HD Locals?

May take 2-3 years to provide HD locals for every major city.

3. Why are my HD Locals an extra $10/mo?

Not aware of what the charge will be, but anything is possible.

4. Where are my Digital sub-channels now that my HD locals are carried?

They will provide subchannels are separate assigned channel numbers all included in the packages under must carry rules.

5. When will Dish offer all of the HD Local stations for my DMA? I want my UPN-HD!

This is the same as question #2. If UPN-HD is available OTA then it should be part of the package (assuming they don't have any legal problems). However in some areas UPN may be a low power station and therefore not required under "must carry rule".

6. Why does my PQ now stink?

If you're referring to the dish locals you're getting now then it may be because they digitize the analog station before they uplink. The quality wasn't all that good from the start so it remains that way throughout. It won't stink when it's from the true digital station.

7. Why has Dish disabled my OTA ATSC tuner unless I subscribe to their HD locals package?

You don't have to subscribe for your built-in ATSC tuner to work, however you must be connected to the dish. For some reason DN was afraid that people will be buying their receivers and DVRs for standalone use, hence you need a dish confirming you're receiving their registered dish signal.

8. When will Dish fix the EPG data?

Dish wants you to pay for locals in order to get their EPG. If you are subscribed I'm sure they're working on the problem.

 

[jergenf]

I would be reasonably happy to have HD versions of all the major networks:
ABC
NBC
CBS
Fox
WB

I do have CBS in HD right now and enjoy it very much! Why they can supply locals in SD and not HD is a mystery to me.

The SD channels originate from the actual OTA analog station and after they are digitized they take up very little bandwidth. The next step is to obtain it from the actual digital station. Even with mpeg4 it will take triple the space as an average sat chan takes. With the locals they now provide figure about 6 chans per city and 180 different cities that about 1080 channels. Triple that number for the digital locals will take up the channel bandwidth of 3000-4000 SD channels. Quite a few more satellites will need to be launched.

Now directv is offering national HD locals while dishnetwork only has CBS-HD. I'm pretty sure they will start with the rest of the networks from NYC and LA first. But the way the law works only about 17 cities will qualify for them until they can provide HD local for more cities.

 

[SimpleSimon]

jergenf:

• Your answers in post #32 for questions 4 & 5 are pure speculation.
• Answer to #6 is just wrong, on two counts.
• Answer #7 is true at this moment, but will change the nanosecond E* wants to do it (which is what Cyclone was getting at).

 

[Cyclone]

Yeah, my post was what I anticipate the future conversation will be as HD locals roll out. I did this my a list of questions that I think will be asked/posted over the next few years. The questions are in cronological order of course, meaning that even all the years have passed, that the EPG will still be unresolved.

jergenf was just doing his best considering he thought I was really asking questions for today.

 

[jergenf]

jergenf:

• Your answers in post #32 for questions 4 & 5 are pure speculation.
• Answer to #6 is just wrong, on two counts.
• Answer #7 is true at this moment, but will change the nanosecond E* wants to do it (which is what Cyclone was getting at).

For questions #4 & #5 pertaining to the "must carry" they must try to supply all the networks trasmitting full power from that city. There are situations where some local stations resist. As far as with digital stations the policy should be the same. Anything can change between now and then but my crystal ball says more of the same.

Also on question #4 the cable company (in my area) is providing the subchannels so why not the satellite companies. Presently in NYC I heard dishnetwork is even providing EPG data for the PBS subchannels. This may be a sign to come.

For question #6 at least from what I observed in my area (when I had free locals for a month) the picture quality of LiL was closer to analog based OTA. The digital OTA stations displayed better resolution for SD than the Dish LiL or analog OTA. Seeing the same channels from three sources I'd rate it digital OTA, then analog OTA and last dish locals on the PQ scale.

In the future (when analogs end) dish will obtain its source programs from the digital feed and retain that quality.

For question #7 I haven't heard any rumors that they'll considering changing the policy and suggest not putting any ideas in E* head. Personally I don't imagine that people would buy one of these HD receivers go through the trouble to install a dish just to get OTA digitals and nothing more. I would just get a HDTV capture card for my computer for $200 rather than buying a HD DVR from dish.

 

[jerryez]

I get all my network locals in HD via OTA. Why pay Dish for the same content. I would rather Dish spend the bandwidth on other HD channels. 400 duplicates of each network is stupid and any government that makes Dish do this is stupid too. We have no need for local broadcast stations. Technology has made them obsolete.

 

[mdonnelly]

I get all my network locals in HD via OTA. Why pay Dish for the same content. I would rather Dish spend the bandwidth on other HD channels. 400 duplicates of each network is stupid and any government that makes Dish do this is stupid too. We have no need for local broadcast stations. Technology has made them obsolete.

Well, there are a lot of people that will never be able to get a good digital signal from their local station, for one reason or another. I suppose the E* could abandon all those people to cable or D*. I have a feeling E* is looking at the meager number of subs that VOOM was able to get, offering no local channels.

So, in 2009, when OTA analog goes away, do all the satellite SD channels go away too? Doesn't E* have to beef up their capacity now, to continue offering locals when analog stops?

 

[SimpleSimon]

do all the satellite SD channels go away too?

Remember, analog vs. digital is a different issue than HD vs. SD.

 

[MI_GTO]

Penthouse HD Channels

Woo Hoo! :shocked