MPEG4 SD Dish uplinks

[bradfordj]

I've noticed that sats 61.5W and 72.7W receive channels in MPEG4 SD and the others get MPEG2 SD. Why is that?

I thought MPEG4 SD is better quality. And if so, why uplink the same station in MPEG4 to 61.5W & 72.7W and MPEG2 SD for 110, 119, or 129? Doesn't seem fair or make sense.

 

[agentc13]

The non VIP/Hopper receivers (311, 322, 625 etc) can't decode mpeg4. So they can't operate on EA. So they keep WA an option for those.

 

[dare2be]

MPEG4 is not necessarily better quality, just better compression compared to MPEG2.

 

[boba]

DISH is slowly eliminating non MPEG4 receivers on the WA to improve the compression of signals but there are millions of old receivers in use, it will take several more years to complete the transition. The 4 digit models are gone (3700/3900 4000 etc.) the old DVRs(501/508) are on there way out, it is a matter of time.

 

[MikeD-C05]

At the rate DISH is losing subs and the amount of provider switching going on each year, the time it takes to eliminate the old mpeg2 receivers won't take more than a couple of years. Of course DISH could go ahead and replace the old receivers for free and make this go a lot faster. Everyone loves an upgrade,especially if it is free.

 

[Jim S.]

MPEG4 is not necessarily better quality, just better compression compared to MPEG2.

The last time I saw MPEG2 SD on Dish, it varied between barely-passable and unwatchable. Their MPEG4 channels are at least competent, and some are pretty good.

 

[Teehar]

I hate to burst everyone's bubble but,we still have an active 3800 and 3900 receiver.They also just renewed the 501/508 dvr credits for 2 more years,so it's going to be a while until the western arc goes mpeg 4.2 years ago they sent out letters saying they would start replacing those old legacy receivers,then it's as if they stopped.

 

[3HaloODST]

Dish MPEG2 SD is 544x480, MPEG4 SD is 480x480. I have both EA and WA, I feel that the MPEG2 SD does better with motion, and even looks slightly better in still shots, at least on the HD receivers.

 

[navychop]

Receivers from departing subs are just reissued to new subs, or as replacements for failing equipment. Dish has not started a policy of issuing only MPEG-4 capable equipment. Somewhere, there is a counter of beans who is comparing swap out costs to satellite bandwidth and launch costs. When those two lines on the graph are about to cross, that's when Dish will start pulling MPEG-2 boxes out of service. And, IMHO, take at least two years to do it, probably a few years longer. They can probably stretch out the costs of new equipment by not retrieving in the field MPEG-2 STBs until near the end. Just start out by only sending out MPEG-4 equipment with new installs and replacements. Even considering that some will send in functioning MPEG-2 boxes just to get new MPEG-4 boxes "sooner" they can conserve cash.