Here is what im seeing going on in yr 2009

[hdtvtechno]

1. Local Broadcasters shut off the analogs
2. Directv shuts off the analog locals from the sats 101. 110, 119, 72.5,
3. Directv then notifys customers to upgrade to HD
4. Directv then moves some or all HD locals to the 101. 110. 119 sats
5. after moving the HD locals, directv now has massive amount of space for National HD networks on the spaceway sats : :up


So what everyone think ?

 

[MattyG]

While analog locals will be turned off in the "near" future, that doesn't mean that Standard Def channels are going away.

Currently locals are being transmitted OTA in Standard Def on both the analog channel and a digital "sister" channel. When certain thresholds are met, the local station will have to turn on the analog channel and broadcast strictly digital signals. *** BUT a digital signal is not necessarily high def ***

Turning off analogs will not impact D*'s carriage requirements and NOT free up B/W

Nice thought, but dead wrong!

 

[Brewer4]

Maybe maybe not. I think they will end up with one channel. Might not be in 2009 but one digital channel equal to the main digital channel that the local broadcasts. In most instances thats SD programming in the day and HD at night. So I think there will definately be a convergence point but I am not even remotely looking past 2007 until I see Directv 10 and 11 up there. I just want them to fulfill HD locals on Spaceway 1 and 2 and HD MPEG4 DVR and cablecard like device for Windows Media Server. Until they can do that, the rest doesnt matter much.

 

[GeorgeLV]

Um, the local stations don't have to convert to HD, 480i digital is just fine with the FCC. DirecTV will almost certainly just downconvert the HD locals in a market for their SD subscribers when analog is cut-off.

 

[charper1]

Don't the OTA affiliates have to go to 480p as their minimum digital resolution?

I agree with the above; looking much pat the summer of 2007 is asking for a big bag of JINX TROUBLE. I would even begin to start worrying about what OTA broadcasters are going to be doing; for all we know the NAB might thrown more wrenches into the works between now an 2009.

Lets see what rolls out between now and the end of the year as far as new QUALITY channels coming online and then being picked up by the DBS providers before making any hasty assumptions about what they might do; heck, we all know adding HD LIL is a huge undertaking for the DBS companies right now; after years of hearing that's what users wanted and fighting with the NAB and the FCC to get them, they are going to be focused on this 95% or more until that 76%+ threshold is achieved. I say 95% because they will always have an eye out for something of SUPER-NEED, which isn't much.

 

[twaller]

As was posted, 480i is just fine with the FCC. It's the "digital" that they are concerned about. In 2009 there will still be a boatload of 480i broadcasts.

 

[hdtvtechno]

In 2009 there will still be a boatload of 480i broadcasts.

Maybe, or maybe not

 

[colofan]

Well with DVR's becoming more and more available to people the whole local channel broadcast from a moeny standpoint might be moot anyway. Except for local sports and news I see the OTA market being marginalized much like radio is now.

 

[Skyboss]

1. Local Broadcasters shut off the analogs
2. Directv shuts off the analog locals from the sats 101. 110, 119, 72.5,
3. Directv then notifys customers to upgrade to HD
4. Directv then moves some or all HD locals to the 101. 110. 119 sats
5. after moving the HD locals, directv now has massive amount of space for National HD networks on the spaceway sats : :up


So what everyone think ?

1. Analogs off.
2. Local SD pulled off the 101 national feeds in HD LiL markets. Every SD channel on the planet gets put up, extra space used for other national HD in MPEG-4. 110 location dedicated to music channels or simply dumped from the system/sold off to Echostar. 119 used for special markets and International. Most peeps would then not need the attachment to the new dish.
3. MPEG-2 Receivers start to go away over a 5 year period in favor of MPEG-4 system wide.
4. HD Locals stay on spaceway and secondary channels in the markets HD or SD are backed up on the existing 101 spotbeams where applicable.
5. National HD on DirecTVs new SATs going up and 101 extra space.

 

[kmcallis1]

Skyboss,

So are you saying the National HD channels currently on 119 will move to the new sats going up in 2007? I have LOS with 119 and that move would be fine with me

 

[Neutron]

I thought that the only thing that was going away was the analog OTA??

Isn't the station still allowed to send the analog channel via coax or fiber or sat to the cable co's?

 

[Stargazer]

What we receive now is digital but is converted back to analog by the receiver for our television sets. The MPEG-4 would either convert it to analog or HD/HD-Lite depending on the television that you have and which format the channels are coming in.

 

[NVBlue]

Analog OTA is being replaced by digital OTA. People without HD sets would receive SD picture. Old TV sets would need a new tuner to receive the broadcast. People with satellite TV or Cable TV would get broadcast through the respective boxes and no digital tuner would be needed unless you want to receive OTA signals.