Interesting Solid Signal Article About The 101 Satellite

[CSM]

It interesting to note that it can only do a few HD channels. So it looks like when they all HD in 2019 they can't switch all the HD channels to the 101 that it can only handle a few, not sure how much that is. It also will only last until 2021. So will they need to figure out another way to keep the HD channels from staying out longer in bad weather?

http://blog.solidsignal.com/content...ellite-location-after-SD-service-ends-in-2019

 

[rad]

I don't buy the limited HD statement, at 5 HD channels per transponder, and 32 transponders that's 160 channels they could put there. Satellites don't care if it's a HD or SD channel, it just sends back the 0's and 1's that are sent up to it.

 

[CSM]

I don't buy the limited HD statement, at 5 HD channels per transponder, and 32 transponders that's 160 channels they could put there. Satellites don't care if it's a HD or SD channel, it just sends back the 0's and 1's that are sent up to it.

I'm not sure they would need to bother putting them their anyway since the satellite wouldn't be operational in 2021 anyway.

 

[rad]

Transponder space is a valuable resource and I really can't see DIRECTV just letting 32 Ku transponders just drop off. Especially since Ka is very hard to handle in mobile environments I can see them putting up whatever satellite they need to at 101 to keep broadcasting there. Remember DIRECTV has a number of customers like Airlines that use them for their IFE systems.

 

[CSM]

I have been researching the KU and KA bands again. It looks like the reason they have HD on the KA band is for more bandwidth and that gives you better PQ right? If they moved the HD channels to the KU band it would have less bandwidth and worse PQ?

 

[rad]

DIRECTV was sort of forced to go to the Ka band because there were no more Ku band CONUS slots available. But going to Ka they picked up 99 and 103 slots, which are on both sides of 101 so they can use one dish and pick up the additional slots. Any bandwidth advantage Ka has is lost because Ka needs to use more error correction to handle rain fade.

 

[Claude Greiner]

And since 99 and 103 are next to 101 you can get directv to work on a narrower line of site

 

[bobvick]

DIRECTV was sort of forced to go to the Ka band because there were no more Ku band CONUS slots available. But going to Ka they picked up 99 and 103 slots, which are on both sides of 101 so they can use one dish and pick up the additional slots. Any bandwidth advantage Ka has is lost because Ka needs to use more error correction to handle rain fade.

The other reason that they went with Ka band is because they got the old Spaceway birds from when them an Hughes were together. After Hughes decided not to use all of them for the satellite internet service they had planned. Also, they couldn't use BSS Ku birds (12.2-12.7) at 103 and 99 because they would cause interference with their satellites at 101. I believe that there is at least a 9 degree spacing requirement between BSS birds (like Dish, 110, 119, 129, 61.5, 72.7). I don't know why that article makes it sound like they cannot put HD or increase the amount of HD on 101W. The satellite could care less what is beamed up to it, if they still worked, and had enough bandwidth per transponder, Westar 1 and Satcom 1 could transmit 4K signals back to earth. Nothing but a relay station in the sky basically speaking.

 

[navychop]

Some transponders failed?

 

[CSM]

Can new satellites do both KA and KU? If so could they just switch all the HD channels to the KU band on those?

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

RAD is 100% correct. Transponder space is transponder space. If they wanted to use all the working tranponders for HD they could, to the satellite its just bouncing off a signal sent to it.

No different then an outdoor antenna... where I laugh when I hear people think they need a new antenna to get the HD channels.

 

[navychop]

Can new satellites do both KA and KU? If so could they just switch all the HD channels to the KU band on those?

There are only so many frequencies in any band available to providers. That's why compression becomes so important.

I believe 14 was KA and reverse KA only, and 15 does that plus KU. But you've got to have permission for the frequency slots.

 

[CSM]

RAD is 100% correct. Transponder space is transponder space. If they wanted to use all the working tranponders for HD they could, to the satellite its just bouncing off a signal sent to it.

No different then an outdoor antenna... where I laugh when I hear people think they need a new antenna to get the HD channels.

So if they used all the transponders would that prevent HD from staying out longer than SD?

 

[Juan]

Wasn't DirecTV supposed to give up some transponders to dish?..I don't remember which slot

Sent from my SM-G920V using the SatelliteGuys app!

 

[bobvick]

RAD is 100% correct. Transponder space is transponder space. If they wanted to use all the working tranponders for HD they could, to the satellite its just bouncing off a signal sent to it.

No different then an outdoor antenna... where I laugh when I hear people think they need a new antenna to get the HD channels.

Don't you love those commercials for ClearTV and they have a new one, a black plastic antenna about 12-18" long that you just screw into the antenna in on the TV. Makes it sound like broadcast TV is new.

 

[bobvick]

Wasn't DirecTV supposed to give up some transponders to dish?..I don't remember which slot

Sent from my SM-G920V using the SatelliteGuys app!

There was talk about them giving up their licences at 110 or 119 in order to get approval for the acquisition by AT&T, but I don't think anything ever came of it.

 

[cypherstream]

I would say during rain fade it should switch to IP delivery if the receiver is internet connected. But then again their own on demand or start over cannot keep up with my 40mbps internet connection. Constant "please wait while your video buffers" resulting in having to stop and wait hours for the download. No issue live streaming from the DirecTV mobile app or any other app, website on my home network. Hopefully AT&T beefs up the CDN to handle IP video to the receivers.