NPS chat today
- Thread starter tdti1
- Start date
- Latest activity Latest activity:
- Replies 11
- Views 2K
- Status
I also called NPS today because I got my message that analog subs was going away. They couldnt give me pricing information for CNN and HNN. Said call back in Jan. It was strange.
I dont know if I should try to come up with a 4DTV unit or not. They did have time to try and sell me a cell phone however.
I dont know if I should try to come up with a 4DTV unit or not. They did have time to try and sell me a cell phone however.
NPS Short December Chat
[moderator] Thanks for joining us for this month's chat. We would like to welcome your questions.
[onionscd] I think I speak for many C-Banders, who worry about the future of C-Band and 4dtv, and who believe the only future for it is IPTV or some other system. Should we assume, from previous chats, that IPTV is done and dead, as far as C-Band is concerned? If so, is there hope for any other system to keep C-band healthy and get back some of the channels we've lost, like ESPN?
[Mike_Mountford] We have tried to go down the path of IPTV and that has not worked out as of this time. We continue to explore any and all opportunities...whether it be IPTV or any other type of delivery method that makes sense for Cband. Right now, the one thing that we have that helps a lot is the HITS channels on W5 and our uplink channels on G3. In essence, they constitute a DBS system in their own rite.
[Lobo] Do you have the new locations for the Turner channels, coming January?
[Mike_Mountford] No. They will be on G3. Not to mislead anybody...we do not have a final agreement with Turner to reuplink the channels. However, I feel optimistic about all the channels except for WTBS. It appears as though we will not be able to reuplink WTBS and the reason is blackouts.
[Mike_Mountford] This is the same reason that ESPN denied us service a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, the 4dtv receiver does not meet programmer specifications for blackouts.
[Lobo] Will the price of the packages be increased because of the addition of the Turner channels? Or will it remain the same?
[Mike_Mountford] That is yet to be determined. We are going to try and keep them the same or at a minimial increase if necessary. We may also have to take a channel out of the current lineup...simply due to space availability on our transponder.
[Mike_Mountford] We have done a survey of customers and from the results of that it appears as though, overwhelmingly, MTV is the channel they would choose to have replaced if one is necessary.
[dtv] 922's and 905 handle blackouts fine 920's don't
[Mike_Mountford] Unfortunately that's not the opinion of the programmers and it is their liability to the leagues for the blackouts...and they just won't make that leap of faith.
[Lobo] Will you re-uplink The Weather Channel?
[Mike_Mountford] No, we won't need to. The Weather Channel has a Cband digital uplink already. The only holdoff there is that our contract with them needs to be renewed and their legal department is buried.
[Lobo] Will the ABC and CBS stations from Atlanta remain in the same location (W3), or will you get them on the same satellite as the NBC-WXIA station (G3)?
[Mike_Mountford] They will remain in the same location.
[Lobo] Will we be able to get The Weather Channel on 01-01-09 on 4dtv? Or how close are you to finishing a contract with them?
[Mike_Mountford] I can't promise that. I think so, but when legal gets involved all bets go out the window.
[moderator] Do we have any other questions from the room?
[Mike_Mountford] Thank you all very much for participating. have faith that we are doing everything we can to keep Cband alive and well into the new year. Have a Very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year. Let's hope 2009 is MUCH better than 2008!
[moderator] Thanks for joining us for this month's chat. We would like to welcome your questions.
[onionscd] I think I speak for many C-Banders, who worry about the future of C-Band and 4dtv, and who believe the only future for it is IPTV or some other system. Should we assume, from previous chats, that IPTV is done and dead, as far as C-Band is concerned? If so, is there hope for any other system to keep C-band healthy and get back some of the channels we've lost, like ESPN?
[Mike_Mountford] We have tried to go down the path of IPTV and that has not worked out as of this time. We continue to explore any and all opportunities...whether it be IPTV or any other type of delivery method that makes sense for Cband. Right now, the one thing that we have that helps a lot is the HITS channels on W5 and our uplink channels on G3. In essence, they constitute a DBS system in their own rite.
[Lobo] Do you have the new locations for the Turner channels, coming January?
[Mike_Mountford] No. They will be on G3. Not to mislead anybody...we do not have a final agreement with Turner to reuplink the channels. However, I feel optimistic about all the channels except for WTBS. It appears as though we will not be able to reuplink WTBS and the reason is blackouts.
[Mike_Mountford] This is the same reason that ESPN denied us service a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, the 4dtv receiver does not meet programmer specifications for blackouts.
[Lobo] Will the price of the packages be increased because of the addition of the Turner channels? Or will it remain the same?
[Mike_Mountford] That is yet to be determined. We are going to try and keep them the same or at a minimial increase if necessary. We may also have to take a channel out of the current lineup...simply due to space availability on our transponder.
[Mike_Mountford] We have done a survey of customers and from the results of that it appears as though, overwhelmingly, MTV is the channel they would choose to have replaced if one is necessary.
[dtv] 922's and 905 handle blackouts fine 920's don't
[Mike_Mountford] Unfortunately that's not the opinion of the programmers and it is their liability to the leagues for the blackouts...and they just won't make that leap of faith.
[Lobo] Will you re-uplink The Weather Channel?
[Mike_Mountford] No, we won't need to. The Weather Channel has a Cband digital uplink already. The only holdoff there is that our contract with them needs to be renewed and their legal department is buried.
[Lobo] Will the ABC and CBS stations from Atlanta remain in the same location (W3), or will you get them on the same satellite as the NBC-WXIA station (G3)?
[Mike_Mountford] They will remain in the same location.
[Lobo] Will we be able to get The Weather Channel on 01-01-09 on 4dtv? Or how close are you to finishing a contract with them?
[Mike_Mountford] I can't promise that. I think so, but when legal gets involved all bets go out the window.
[moderator] Do we have any other questions from the room?
[Mike_Mountford] Thank you all very much for participating. have faith that we are doing everything we can to keep Cband alive and well into the new year. Have a Very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year. Let's hope 2009 is MUCH better than 2008!
Wonder why no one asked about the new Star choice receiver being modified, SRL and Skyvision had the 410 done hope they push for the 630.
tvropro...thanks for posting that. It doesnt make me want to run out and buy a 4DTV system right now.
He sounded a little optimistic this chat (just a feeling that he wasn't being gloomy), as opposed to the last three or so. The lack of TBS would make me very sad, but not enough to get mad at anyone over (i love My Name is Earl). I still think its worth the couple hundred or whatever for a 4dtv, as theres still a good while left for 4dtv. As long as you understand the High Definition and ESPN situations. Even if they ever get a modified/working StarChoice reciever, the 4dtv will still work as it does now. Im still gonna get my 922 fixed up, just kinda money tight around holidays. I'm just kinda bummed out that analog is going away, thats all. We need a memorial service for analog! Haha.
No they will no longer authorize anolog programming for consumers, the analogs will still there, and for the wildfeeds they will be there for a while.
Wonder how long VC 2 will stay up running in commercial mode only? If It's going to be a while I can't see why they are going to only turn off the consumers. Or is it because NPS won't pay the Turner tier bit fee anymore because of increased cost. Im sorry but I don't totally believe everything NPS tells the public.
What would be cool if they turned off all the data streams for vc 2 and they would have to run in FA mode to keep the feeds up there (Fat chance of that happening though)
What would be cool if they turned off all the data streams for vc 2 and they would have to run in FA mode to keep the feeds up there (Fat chance of that happening though)
Thats another uninformed NPS answer. They told me that when OTA goes all digital Feb 17th there would be no more analog. That date has nothing to do with satellite at all, as long as someone decides to uplink in analog on satellite it will be there. NPS would be better off to say nothing.
Ditching the 4DTV idea is a bad one since you are missing out on alot of channels in DC2 that aren't going anywhere. Pick up a used box somewhere and enjoy.
- Status
