Rumor - Free Hd Equipment From Direct?

[bonscott87]

If they don't get started until August 1st that only gives them 6 short weeks to swap boxes before Sept 11th, but I doubt the amount of Superfan subs is more then 50,000. If that. And some of them may be getting it for the interactive stuff, not HD. I know one guy for sure is all over it for the 8 games on one screen thing (I don't know why, I don't see the big deal but hey..) and he doesn't even have an HDTV.

So anyway, they could get them swapped in time.

Honestly, I like everything you are saying Longhorn and I hope you are right.

 

[markd]

Again what I need to point out is that all HD customers (in all markets) will be getting an MPEG4 HD box by Thanksgiving of this year.

Since you brought this up a few months ago, changing the current sats from Mpeg-2 to Mpeg-4, I've been wondering why D* just doesn't do that. I hope they do this. It's makes the best sense to me.

But what about the announcement D* made a few weeks ago about the current hardware (HD-TIVO) would still be able to receive the programming they are receiving now?

 

[LonghornXP]

Since you brought this up a few months ago, changing the current sats from Mpeg-2 to Mpeg-4, I've been wondering why D* just doesn't do that. I hope they do this. It's makes the best sense to me.

But what about the announcement D* made a few weeks ago about the current hardware (HD-TIVO) would still be able to receive the programming they are receiving now?

That is indeed one of the things they are considering. The problem they are having is that nobody will be happy. Examples of this are below.

If D* does what I say above HD Tivo owners will get all pissed off because they were told that current HD channels will still work even though they will be give a very low cost (most likely free) replacement box.

Now if they cave in to those HD Tivo owners and hold off on the plan above thus resulting in no new HD channels until after the start of the new year. Doing this would get them a backlash from customers saying they haven't added anything new and a backlash from customers who want HD quality back.

Now the HD customers (even some with an HD Tivo) will get mad at D* if caves in to those few HD Tivo owners who want current HD channels to still work. So you again have more HD customers upset because if they get a free replacement they want more new HD channels and better picture quality.

Do you see the problem here is that because this crowd of customers are so vocal D* has to try and guess the crowd that won't get pissed off the most. Yes we have a right to complain but we sometimes create our own problems that are against what most of us want.

 

[LonghornXP]

Since you brought this up a few months ago, changing the current sats from Mpeg-2 to Mpeg-4, I've been wondering why D* just doesn't do that. I hope they do this. It's makes the best sense to me.

But what about the announcement D* made a few weeks ago about the current hardware (HD-TIVO) would still be able to receive the programming they are receiving now?

They won't be changing the current satellites from MPEG2 to MPEG4. What I said above is just sending out a few MPEG4 streams instead of MPEG2 streams. This doesn't require any changes to the satellites and both MPEG2 and MPEG4 can coexist at the sametime without problems. The only thing that is required todo this is that the customers box must be able to decode that MPEG4 stream.

If current HD Tivo owners wouldn't go nuts if they cut off current MPEG2 HD channels (even though they would get a very low cost or free HD box) they would have done this last month. Right now they are looking for the best, quickest way to add new national HD channels while pissing off as few customers as possible.

 

[guffy1]

Can I get any predictions on how this is all going to pan out for a "moved" D* sub...

As an example, how about a D* sub that lives in DMA market 110 or so, but has a service address in DMA #1 (NYC)?

I would love to hear what everyone thinks about this scenario..

 

[Skyboss]

Longhorn,

Is it 25 LiL markets with LA and NY no longer being conus or 23 markets plus LA and NY remaining conus, but in MPEG-4? To me it makes sense to do 25 LiL + the 2 conus markets netting 27 total markets and every DMA with more than 1,000,000 viewers. Can you check this? They'll have some ticked off people in San Diego and Indy that can't watch their football teams in HD while Portland and Sacramento are kicking back enjoying the teams they don't have.

 

[auribe14]

Longhorn,

Is it 25 LiL markets with LA and NY no longer being conus or 23 markets plus LA and NY remaining conus, but in MPEG-4? To me it makes sense to do 25 LiL + the 2 conus markets netting 27 total markets and every DMA with more than 1,000,000 viewers. Can you check this? They'll have some ticked off people in San Diego and Indy that can't watch their football teams in HD while Portland and Sacramento are kicking back enjoying the teams they don't have.

Well, no matter how you cut it, Indianapolis is #25, so no mattter how you cut up 25, we should get be getting MPEG-4.

 

[LonghornXP]

Longhorn,

Is it 25 LiL markets with LA and NY no longer being conus or 23 markets plus LA and NY remaining conus, but in MPEG-4? To me it makes sense to do 25 LiL + the 2 conus markets netting 27 total markets and every DMA with more than 1,000,000 viewers. Can you check this? They'll have some ticked off people in San Diego and Indy that can't watch their football teams in HD while Portland and Sacramento are kicking back enjoying the teams they don't have.

The top 25 markets will include NY and LA but both Spaceway 1 & 2 have enough bandwidth to carry at least the top 50 markets HD LIL channels. The only question is how long will it take to get those markets upgraded. My guess is that at least the top 50-75 markets will have HD LIL channels (actually viewing them) by summer of 2006. Again as always first things first.

 

[Alan Gordon]

The top 25 markets will include NY and LA but both Spaceway 1 & 2 have enough bandwidth to carry at least the top 50 markets HD LIL channels. The only question is how long will it take to get those markets upgraded. My guess is that at least the top 50-75 markets will have HD LIL channels (actually viewing them) by summer of 2006. Again as always first things first.

Not to mention that the SpaceWay satellites will carry SD-LIL for Alaska and Hawaii.

~Alan

 

[LonghornXP]

Not to mention that the SpaceWay satellites will carry SD-LIL for Alaska and Hawaii.

~Alan

I must have missed this.

 

[bcushman]

Can I get any predictions on how this is all going to pan out for a "moved" D* sub...

As an example, how about a D* sub that lives in DMA market 110 or so, but has a service address in DMA #1 (NYC)?

I would love to hear what everyone thinks about this scenario..

GOOD question.

 

[salsadancer7]

LONGHORN...I have a stange scenario...I bought my full hdtv back in september of 2001, now at the time...it looked like proscan(rca) had a deal with D* where the D* box was BUILT IN to the hdtv....I suppose if I were to go back to D* I would require a new external box...since it is safe to assume that the box inside my tv is mpeg2. Because when I had D*, all I needed to do was plug my dish line straight into the tv.
By the way, I want to thank you for all the info you have provided. I have been sort of outta of the loop for about a month....so I am trying to play catchup this morning with all that is going on....

 

[vinnyv07]

The ones I'm hearing I'll list and again these are all rumors until announced by D* as always.

The HD Pak will get the following below.
TNTHD
ESPN2 HD
InHD
InHD 2
Voom 21
Fox based offering not yet announced

Premium HD channels to include the following below.
HBO HD West
Cinemax HD East and West
Showtime HD West
TMC HD East
Starz HD East and West

I would really be a customer forever if they added TNTHD , INHD 1 and 2 and VOOM21. I'm a former Voom customer that has maintained my Direct sub throughout. I miss the choices VOOm provided ...especially MonstersHD and RaveHD ...by the way they are showing DEAD movies this weekend on MonstersHD...not matter how many times I watch that stuff I never get tired of those movies.
I know these are rumored ch's to be added....but any timetable for these rumored ch's? Should I call up Direct and request the VOOM21? Would it make any difference?

 

[markd]

If current HD Tivo owners wouldn't go nuts if they cut off current MPEG2 HD channels (even though they would get a very low cost or free HD box) they would have done this last month. Right now they are looking for the best, quickest way to add new national HD channels while pissing off as few customers as possible.

I'm a current HD-Tivo owner and I wouldn't go nuts if they swapped out my box if it would give us better PQ and possible more national HD channels. I like the HD-Tivo except for the slowness. But I'm not married to it. It's just an DVR to me.

 

[comanche1700]

Can I get any predictions on how this is all going to pan out for a "moved" D* sub...

As an example, how about a D* sub that lives in DMA market 110 or so, but has a service address in DMA #1 (NYC)?

I would love to hear what everyone thinks about this scenario..

I have been wondering the same thing for months, as I live in DMA 90 something, but have my service address in NYC. After reading countless forums on AVS and Sat Guys I have really not seen one mention of what "moved" subs can expect regarding new equipment and such.

It kinda seems to me that "moved" subs are going to have to temporarily move home and order the ST pack in order to get the new box for free.

Im really suprised more people have not been asking questions regarding this.

We cannot be the only 2 "moved" subs out there that are pulling their hair out trying to figure out their next move.

I can tell you one thing, I wont be waiting around until 2007 for local HD's.

No way, no how. Ill move it over to BEV if I have to, but I really want to stick with D* and all their new Nat HD offerings if possible.

Tick, tick, tick...We wait and see I guess?

I believe someone like Longhorn XP has got to have at least an opinion about how this going to shake out for us "moved" subs.

Any thoughts Longhorn?

 

[ad301]

Do you see the problem here is that because this crowd of customers are so vocal D* has to try and guess the crowd that won't get pissed off the most. Yes we have a right to complain but we sometimes create our own problems that are against what most of us want.

I'm sorry, but I don't understand this one bit. You're saying here that the HD TiVo customers, many if not most of whom spent upwards of $1000 on their receivers, are somehow selfishly creating problems for everyone else?

Why does D* need to piss off any segment of it's customer base at this point? I thought that with the launch of the new satellites, that there would be so much mpeg4 bandwidth available that we'd be seeing tons of new national HD channels as well as HD LILs. With all this bandwidth, why would they even have to consider shutting down the mpeg2 streams any time soon???

 

[comanche1700]

I would actually be more than willing to purchase a new box and dish if it meant I could stay in NYC without having to move home and have a D* installer come to my house to do an install of new Equipment.

Does anyone think this will be a viable option?

 

[markd]

Why does D* need to piss off any segment of it's customer base at this point? I thought that with the launch of the new satellites, that there would be so much mpeg4 bandwidth available that we'd be seeing tons of new national HD channels as well as HD LILs. With all this bandwidth, why would they even have to consider shutting down the mpeg2 streams any time soon???

I think the main reason this might be an option that D* is looking at is because the 2nd Spaceway sat launch has been delayed because of problems with the other sat that was going up on that bird. It looking more like it's going to be the end of July at the earliest before it can be launch.

It's going to be 2007 when D* gets the other two sat launched to have the full "1500 HD-LIL and 500 HD National" channels capacity. The Spaceway sats launching now are spot beam (LIL) while the two they'll launch in 2007 are CONUS (National). D* could do National HD with the Spaceways by using multiple spot beams to broadcast them.

Personally, if D* can increase PQ (most important to me) and add more national HD now they can swap my HD-Tivo today!

 

[mhaider]

Can I get any predictions on how this is all going to pan out for a "moved" D* sub...

As an example, how about a D* sub that lives in DMA market 110 or so, but has a service address in DMA #1 (NYC)?

I would love to hear what everyone thinks about this scenario..

I live in DMA 116, my service address is in DMA 14, the two are 60 miles apart.

If the new box is mailed to me I hope to convince D* to send it to my work address, this worked for a new 3 LNB dish when I was with Pegasus, the installer for the new dish called me and I explained the situation to him and he had no problem going to the correct address to do the installation.

If an installer is to bring the box and install a new dish I hope I can have the same thing happen, if I don't get a chance to talk to the installer before the scheduled install I'll drive to my service address and hope to convince him to go to my real address, even if I have to make it worth his time.

 

[ad301]

Personally, if D* can increase PQ (most important to me) and add more national HD now they can swap my HD-Tivo today!

I agree with that. But all indications are that they are nowhere near ready to start distributing any kind of HD DVR. Would you give up your TiVo today in return for a non-DVR HD box, if it meant more HD channels a couple of months sooner? I personally, would not. Also, if the DVR they finally do introduce is less capable than the current HD TiVo in any significant way, would you happily swap it out? Again, I personally would not be too happy about that.

The bottom line for me is that they'd better make sure that the mpeg4 receivers work, and that the mpeg4 DVRs work at least as well as the current TiVos and are readily available to anyone who wants to swap, before they even start to think about cutting off the mpeg2 streams.