Miam Mpeg4 - HD Tivo

[canesfins]

I am thinking about purchasing a HD Tivo rreceiver, but I read below the rumor that Miami is going Mpeg4 in April. Does anyone have further information on this rumor? I dont want to blow $325 just for it to be obsolete in 2 3 or 4 months. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[charper1]

Miami is #17 on the DMA list. #1 - #12 are already online. The chances of the next 24 (#13 - #36) being online by summer 2006 are very good; although as with anything no one will know 100% until it happens; or a few days before.

 

[Digital Dude]

If you can get your locals OTA why pay DirecTV $6 a month for the 4 major networks from satellite? It looks like no national MPEG-4 channels for at least a year, besides Direc doesn't even have an MPEG-4 DVR available yet.

Get it and enjoy it.

 

[canesfins]

If you can get your locals OTA why pay DirecTV $6 a month for the 4 major networks from satellite? It looks like no national MPEG-4 channels for at least a year, besides Direc doesn't even have an MPEG-4 DVR available yet.
Get it and enjoy it.

I dont understand what you are saying. Because there will be no MPEG4 DVR until the end of the year, Directv wnt roll out national MPEG4 channels (such as TNTHD, etc.)? ANd its worth $4 a month to me to have my local channels in HD through satellite.

If I get the 5 LNB MPEG4 upgrade in APril when it is rumored to be available for Miami, will I still be able to use the HD Tivo receiver with the dish? I plan on upgrading to the MPEG4 as soon as it becomes available.

 

[moonman]

I am thinking about purchasing a HD Tivo rreceiver, but I read below the rumor that Miami is going Mpeg4 in April. Does anyone have further information on this rumor? I dont want to blow $325 just for it to be obsolete in 2 3 or 4 months. Any advice would be appreciated.

-
Well the RUMOR has it that D* will swap out your current Tivo DVR at
little or no cost, however this remains to be seen..they seem to have the
recent habit of saying one thing and doing another ...You are in a O&O
market and all networks(except Fox ch7 and ABC ch10) will automatically(no waivers) be
available to you. You will need the new dish and receiver to receive these
channels in H/D....on the other hand, a decent OTA antenna will get you all of these
stations + W.P.B. ones, if you point it the other way...If it was me, I would take the chance and get the H/D Tivo now, and hope for a low/free swap-out, knowing
that the Tivo will not get the MPEG4 stuff...........MPEG2 should be around for at
least 2 more years IMO.....

 

[canesfins]

So assuming that I dont upgrade, I will still be able to use the HD tivo for a while. As Directv introduces new HD channels, will they only be introduced on MPEG4 or will they also be introduced on MPEG2 for those who have not yet upgraded?

 

[Digital Dude]

Only on MPEG4, use an antenna for your locals, it's pretty flat down there.

 

[canesfins]

Only on MPEG4, use an antenna for your locals, it's pretty flat down there.

Well I just purchased the HD tivo for $325 delivered, hopefully I didnt make a mistake. It sucks that new HD channels will not be introduced on MPEG2, I will miss out on the new aditions. I wonder if I can upgrade and keep both MPEG2 and MPEG4 at the same time, is this possible?

 

[charper1]

Are you talking about haveing the MPEG2 HDTIVO and the MPEG4 HD both in the same room at once? Sure you can do it. You can have any combo of MPEG2 & MPEG4 receivers in the house, you just know you wont get your HD locals on the MPEG2 boxes, thats all. Just rum multiple lines into the DEN (for example) and have the MPEG2 & MPEG4 receivers bothe connected, lot of work for little reward, but it does work.

 

[moonman]

Well I just purchased the HD tivo for $325 delivered, hopefully I didnt make a mistake. It sucks that new HD channels will not be introduced on MPEG2, I will miss out on the new aditions. I wonder if I can upgrade and keep both MPEG2 and MPEG4 at the same time, is this possible?

-----------
Not with the Tivo 10-250, as it only can do MPEG2, however now that you have
a H/D DVR, there is a good chance that D* will swap you out with the HR20-250
when it comes out for little/no cost...this DVR will do both MPEG2&4

 

[canesfins]

-----------
Not with the Tivo 10-250, as it only can do MPEG2, however now that you have
a H/D DVR, there is a good chance that D* will swap you out with the HR20-250
when it comes out for little/no cost...this DVR will do both MPEG2&4

An from what I hear we should expect that unit at the end of the year. Will the new dish also be able to handle both MPEG 2 and MPEG 4 signals so I wont need 2 dishes?

I bought the 10-250 because at $325 delivered it was a good deal, and I cant be without tivo even after the upgrade.

 

[hdtvtechno]

Will the new dish also be able to handle both MPEG 2 and MPEG 4 signals so I wont need 2 dishes?
.

Yes

 

[Jimbo]

In My Opiinion,
The HR20-250 will be out long before the end of the year,
D* mentioned in the 2nd Quarter, I would imagine by summer......(June ....hopefully)

Jimbo

 

[moonman]

Congrats on your new DVR...you will love it I'm sure...Don't be in such a hurry for
the MPEG4 dish and receiver/dvr...you don't want to "paint yourself" in a corner
so to speak, and remove your options, especially with this new Leasing program
coming from D*...all you would be getting from it would be your locals in MPEG4
instead of MPEG2 with a OTA antenna(unless D* has intentions of shooting some
National H/D in MPEG4)

 

[canesfins]

Congrats on your new DVR...you will love it I'm sure...Don't be in such a hurry for
the MPEG4 dish and receiver/dvr...you don't want to "paint yourself" in a corner
so to speak, and remove your options, especially with this new Leasing program
coming from D*...all you would be getting from it would be your locals in MPEG4
instead of MPEG2 with a OTA antenna(unless D* has intentions of shooting some
National H/D in MPEG4)

I thought that I would also not get any new HD channels that are added, as someone said above that new HD channels will only be MPEG4. For instance, if TNT HD is aded, it will not be added as a MPEG2 signal but only a MPEG4 signal, and thus all those with MPEG2 that have not elected the upgrade will not be able to receive TNT HD. Am I wrong with this understanding?

 

[moonman]

I thought that I would also not get any new HD channels that are added, as someone said above that new HD channels will only be MPEG4. For instance, if TNT HD is aded, it will not be added as a MPEG2 signal but only a MPEG4 signal, and thus all those with MPEG2 that have not elected the upgrade will not be able to receive TNT HD. Am I wrong with this understanding?

--------------
Well, I'm not privy to D*'s plans, but they did recently add CDUSA in H/D, and that
is in MPEG2 not 4(of course they did rob the needed bandwidth from the PPP ch.99)..so they can add more in MPEG2 if they wanted. I think they will probably NOT
OFFER new National stuff in MPEG2 until all the DMA's are converted..(can you
see the calls they would get if half the country could not get new H/D offers b/c
they were not yet in a MPEG4 DMA?) The point is D* CAN and probably will, add new H/D in MPEG2, by taking some bandwidth from other dedicated channels(like
they did when they took some PPV channels for NFL Sunday tck S/F) BTW, there
is a RUMOR floating about that all Sunday tck subs will be required to be upgraded
to MPEG4 next season. It remains to be seen if Spaceway1&2 can be used for
something other than Local into local H/D. Waiting for 2007 and Direct 10 and 11
just does'nt seem right!

 

[elephant98]

--------------
BTW, there is a RUMOR floating about that all Sunday tck subs will be required to be upgraded to MPEG4 next season. It remains to be seen if Spaceway1&2 can be used for something other than Local into local H/D. Waiting for 2007 and Direct 10 and 11 just does'nt seem right!

I live in Miami as well and have a HR10-250 HD-DVR. Because I easily get my HD locals using an inexpensive OTA antenna, and because no new HD national channels are on the horizon, I am in no hurry to upgrade to the new MPEG4 HD-DVR just to pay for HD locals (something I already get for free). However, if the NFL Sunday Ticket rumor proves to be true, then I will be forced to get the new MPEG 4 dish just so I can watch my beloved Tampa Bay Buccaneers in HD.

 

[charper1]

I thought that I would also not get any new HD channels that are added, as someone said above that new HD channels will only be MPEG4. For instance, if TNT HD is aded, it will not be added as a MPEG2 signal but only a MPEG4 signal, and thus all those with MPEG2 that have not elected the upgrade will not be able to receive TNT HD. Am I wrong with this understanding?

No, you are neither right nor wrong, as this has also been speculation.

 

[belias21]

I live in Miami as well and have a HR10-250 HD-DVR. Because I easily get my HD locals using an inexpensive OTA antenna, and because no new HD national channels are on the horizon, I am in no hurry to upgrade to the new MPEG4 HD-DVR just to pay for HD locals (something I already get for free). However, if the NFL Sunday Ticket rumor proves to be true, then I will be forced to get the new MPEG 4 dish just so I can watch my beloved Tampa Bay Buccaneers in HD.

So you have the HR10-250 but don't subscribe to the HD plan? I was wondering if I could do that. I'm getting my HD locals OTA for now anyways, so why do I need to pay $10.99 for 6 or 8 lame-ass fulltime HD channels right now?

I just didn't know if the DVR would still recognize those channels, or if they could somehow screw us and turn off that functionality.

 

[ChrisPC]

I'm sure you could have the HD pack turned off. BTW, it's actually gone down to 9.99. I think that's worth it, even if I only watch a few movies here and there.