New HD channels coming!

[NGeorge]

IIRC doesn't DirecTV have space at 99* for another fully loaded satellite? They have 99* Spots, 99* Conus (B)--but 103* has both Conus (A) and Conus (B). Is there still enough "A" spectrum at 99* for a new sat, with lots of HD?

Also, how is Dish Network doing this with KU sats (or do they have KA at 129 that I don't know about)? They seem to have lots of HD, and can cram 4-5 HD channel per TP, while D* was only able to squeeze 1-2 per KU tp?

--Nat

 

[cypherstream]

Also, how is Dish Network doing this with KU sats (or do they have KA at 129 that I don't know about)? They seem to have lots of HD, and can cram 4-5 HD channel per TP, while D* was only able to squeeze 1-2 per KU tp?

--Nat

DirecTV puts a max of 5 HD per tp. Dish puts up to 8 HD per tp. This is why Dish has more HD. They use their bandwidth more efficiently.

 

[raoul5788]

DirecTV puts a max of 5 HD per tp. Dish puts up to 8 HD per tp. This is why Dish has more HD. They use their bandwidth more efficiently.

They also settle for a lower quality picture.

 

[gadgtfreek]

They also settle for a lower quality picture.

Yeah, I not necessarily call Dish's use more efficient...

 

[jdspencer]

I'll take quality over quantity any time.

 

[gadgtfreek]

Me too, because to be honest, their quality is not good enough now for my setup... Im downloading a LOT of 1080i VOD from Amazon and HBO/Starz, because of the PQ improvements. Game of Thrones looks excellent as a HD VOD file.

 

[cypherstream]

They also settle for a lower quality picture.

But it's still better than SD-LITE!
1024x720 > 480x480

I'd be ok if DirecTV put less popular or niche channels in 6,7 or 8:1 muxes per transponder. Some low action channels won't even degrade (Cspan, HLN, QVC, EWTN, etc). Some channels don't even broadcast in a high bitrate from the source studios (UniversalHD, Reelz, Bloomberg, ovation, trutv, etc). Many aren't even encoded at 1080i, but 720p (NatGeo Wild, Fox Movies, Fox Business, Fox News, Disney, ABC Family, etc). I say take advantage of this and do testing with the right combination of channels.

Using the right combination of channels with diverse content (animation, talking heads, action, slow pans and stills, etc) along with the resolution (720p networks mixed with 1080i), I think you can get away with more than 5 channels per TP. Especially with statistical multiplexing an variable bit rate mpeg4.

Sent from my iPhone using SatelliteGuys

 

[gadgtfreek]

Directv does shift channels around from time to time, depending on their usage, so they are looking at it. I'd prefer em to keep PQ right where it is at.

 

[lern4483]

They also settle for a lower quality picture.

I have both and would agree. Not by a big margin but Direc has a sharper more defined picture.

I always watch all my sports on Direc tv. Nothing looks better!

 

[NGeorge]

DirecTV puts a max of 5 HD per tp. Dish puts up to 8 HD per tp. This is why Dish has more HD. They use their bandwidth more efficiently.

Yes--but I thought E* was using KU at 110, 119, 129, whereas D* is using KA band at 99* and 103* (their KU is 101, 110, 119)--doesn't each KA band transponder have 5x the bandwidth of a single KU one? My point was that on *KU* D* had 1-2 channels per tp (remember when 110* had like 5 channels, a couple on 119* and a couple on 101*?)--How is E* able to cram 8 HD channels per KU transponder? Could D* do the same thing? If so, they could have 15 HD channels at 110* alone--I undersand 5 vs. 8---but not 1-2 vs. 8 lol

Or does E* have KA at 110/119/129 that they have that I am not aware of? I thought they only had KA at 85* but aren't using it... I know this is the D* forum, but is there an (updated) list of all the satellite locations and frequencies that E* owns/uses?

--Nat

 

[Rey]

DirecTV puts a max of 5 HD per tp. Dish puts up to 8 HD per tp. This is why Dish has more HD. They use their bandwidth more efficiently.

this is also why the picture quality isn't as good as directv's. i'd rather they leave it the way it is.

 

[Rey]

I have both and would agree. Not by a big margin but Direc has a sharper more defined picture.

I always watch all my sports on Direc tv. Nothing looks better!

exactly!! when i had both a couple of years ago i could really notice the difference as well. on smaller screens no. but on the larger ones it was noticeable. noticeable enough to bother me.

 

[Rey]

But it's still better than SD-LITE!
1024x720 > 480x480

I'd be ok if DirecTV put less popular or niche channels in 6,7 or 8:1 muxes per transponder. Some low action channels won't even degrade (Cspan, HLN, QVC, EWTN, etc). Some channels don't even broadcast in a high bitrate from the source studios (UniversalHD, Reelz, Bloomberg, ovation, trutv, etc). Many aren't even encoded at 1080i, but 720p (NatGeo Wild, Fox Movies, Fox Business, Fox News, Disney, ABC Family, etc). I say take advantage of this and do testing with the right combination of channels.

Using the right combination of channels with diverse content (animation, talking heads, action, slow pans and stills, etc) along with the resolution (720p networks mixed with 1080i), I think you can get away with more than 5 channels per TP. Especially with statistical multiplexing an variable bit rate mpeg4.

Sent from my iPhone using SatelliteGuys

i agree with you except on the sd lite. i understand it affects those who still watch sd but in my case i stay away from all the sd channels . you do make some valid points on how they can better manage their bandwidth.

 

[cypherstream]

i understand it affects those who still watch sd but in my case i stay away from all the sd channels . you do make some valid points on how they can better manage their bandwidth.

I wish I could stay away from SD. But that's why I post in these threads and try to keep up on DirecTV's slow pace of adding HD channels. There's a lot of stuff in our household that is watched, but it's only offered in SD. I wish that if they had the rights to show the content in SD, they should be able to show it in HD. Of course there's bandwidth requirements for that.

Just a few of many channels for an example:
DIY, E!, Style, Fuse, AMC, BBCA, We, Oxygen, Fuse, HI, ID, Ovation, Reelz, TruTV, TCM, Nat Geo Wild, Cooking, HLN, IFC, Sundance, GMC, GSN, ION, LMN, OWN

Granted I can get ION, HSN, QVC, and one of our local independant networks in HD on my TV's QAM tuner, connected to cable (have a line for Internet/phone).

 

[satjay]

With the above post, I agree to have some of those HD adds would be nice though on the other side of things it was nice to see my rsn and rsn+ in hd last night. Maybe one day the lack of hd adds may catch up with them? But if your a sports fan, even a casual one directv has what you need for me comcast is just a pain and while I respect and like alot of what dish has the lack of rsn in hd would be a problem, when I left direct after about eight years to see what dish was like I did not think the rsn hd thing would be a big deal but it bugged me

 

[cypherstream]

With the above post, I agree to have some of those HD adds would be nice though on the other side of things it was nice to see my rsn and rsn+ in hd last night. Maybe one day the lack of hd adds may catch up with them? But if your a sports fan, even a casual one directv has what you need

I can't get my RSN on DirecTV because it's Comcast Sportsnet Philadelphia. I can find it in clearQAM SD on the basic cable line I have coming in for Internet/phone.

I'm not that huge of a sports junkie though. I care about my local football team, but that's usually broadcast on our local fox affiliate.

Sent from my iPhone using SatelliteGuys

 

[db2]

Does D* broadcast 1080i channels in 1920x1080? I know E* broadcasts their 1080i channels at 1440x1080.

 

[gadgtfreek]

There was data to support it's 1920x1080i, but dunno if anyone has checked lately.

 

[Ramy]

There was data to support it's 1920x1080i, but dunno if anyone has checked lately.

But is it 19Mb/s or 25Mb/s or something less?

 

[gadgtfreek]

Last time I averaged, IIRC, Directv had about 8 mb/s for each channel, at 5 per tp. I dont think thiers is variable like dish's, but you are getting me out of my realm of knowing what the hell Im talking about