Rumor!!!(Sudden shift of DirecTV HD Plans for the Worst)

[LonghornXP]

I heard late last week on Thursday night from one of my contacts and I've spent all weekend getting hold of every contact I know all but one of them has confirmed what I was told by the first. Maybe others on here who have different contacts such as Scott can ask but this dosn't look good.

I've been told that at best we will see ESPN 2 HD and/or TNT HD. Their focus will be on national HD networks and HD LIL and if you would like to see Cinemax HD, Starz HD, Encore HD, TMC and/or the InHD channels you will be waiting for a very long time (at the earlist end of the year 2005). It seems that DirecTV has been turning off PPV along with HD PPV and using the Special Events channels for Sunday Ticket games along with bit starving all their SD channels to free bandwidth for Sunday Ticket. I've been told that the bandwidth freed from 7S is being used for the network HD channels plus Universal HD. If they add TNT HD and ESPN 2 HD that would just about max out that freed space. I was also told that because HD locals will make them much more money on keeping and gaining subs they will use almost all bandwidth on the first two spaceway sats for HD LIL.

I'm hoping to god that I'm wrong but I can't help but trust a few of my contacts.

 

[rad]

If this does turn out to be true I will NOT be a happy D* customer. I know if my local cable system adds a few more HD channels while D* follows a LIL plan it will be hard to stay. If Starz-HD and Cinemax-HD aren't added shortly after the first of the year I will be dropping the Starz and Cinemax package.

 

[korsjs]

locals are a big issue for many subs. thats why dish is trying to add every market for sd. i think direct is doing the right thing by attacking with hd. i would like to sell them add some more hd specialty channels.

i am a big sports fan, but i am hoping dish and direct will hold off on espn 2 hd because i feel the price espn is going to charge will be passed to us. i think espn should make better use of espn 1 hd before adding another channel. all of the bowl games are not in hd, so i can't see why they need to add a second channel when they don't have enough cameras right now. just my opinion.

 

[CWS_kahuna]

I've been told that at best we will see ESPN 2 HD and/or TNT HD. Their focus will be on national HD networks and HD LIL and if you would like to see Cinemax HD, Starz HD, Encore HD, TMC and/or the InHD channels you will be waiting for a very long time (at the earlist end of the year 2005).

I was also told that because HD locals will make them much more money on keeping and gaining subs they will use almost all bandwidth on the first two spaceway sats for HD LIL.

I think we have all pretty much expected to see ESPN2HD. Like others have said I am curious as to what they are gonna show in HD since they still have a ton of content on ESPN 1 not shown in HD. TNT HD who knows about this channel, so much talk about this one and we still don't have it, a lot of let downs on TNT HD. Hopefully we can get some of the other channels mentioned with the Spaceway sats, if we could get just 1 of them I hope for InHD. I thought they said they would have enough room for like 500 HD channels with those new sats? What is HD LIL (locals)? They can't take like 10 of those 500 channels to add Cinemax HD, Starz HD, Encore HD, TMC, InHD 1&2, and a few others?

 

[LonghornXP]

I think we have all pretty much expected to see ESPN2HD. Like others have said I am curious as to what they are gonna show in HD since they still have a ton of content on ESPN 1 not shown in HD. TNT HD who knows about this channel, so much talk about this one and we still don't have it, a lot of let downs on TNT HD. Hopefully we can get some of the other channels mentioned with the Spaceway sats, if we could get just 1 of them I hope for InHD. I thought they said they would have enough room for like 500 HD channels with those new sats? What is HD LIL (locals)? They can't take like 10 of those 500 channels to add Cinemax HD, Starz HD, Encore HD, TMC, InHD 1&2, and a few others?

These new satellites do have room for 500 HD channels but they will be HD LIL channels. These new sats are designed for spot beam use and as such one of these sats can offer at best a 1:5 ratio which means that for every national conus Hd channel they offer with these sats they could offer 5 local HD channels.

So again this is best case they could offer either 100 national HD channels OR 500 local HD channels but they can't do both. Now front what I've been told is that each satellite can offer about 70 national HD channels or around 700 HD local channels so that would be the more likely number.

 

[CWS_kahuna]

So if they were to add Cinemax HD, Starz HD, Encore HD, TMC HD, InHD 1&2 that would use roughly 30 spots in a 1:5 ratio. Still leaves plenty for locals it seems.

So HD LIL is local channels, what does the LIL stans for?

 

[charper1]

LiL = Local into Local

Remember they do not want to use 100% of the transponders just in case of transponder failure. They would like to have a percentage as empty backup spares for emergency use.

 

[slacker9876]

I for one am not at all surprised. I already canned my TC Premiere package and I am at a minimum level for programming. I look at it this way if they offer it great! If they don't what can I do? That's right ... NOTHING! I have no Cable HD available in my area nor is it in sight. Voom, well they just plain suck and prove the point that there is not enough original HD content out there that is worth watching.

Movies and sports are the future of HD, if D* does focus on HD LIL, they are plain stupid ... so I am not buying in just yet. By the end of 2005 HD local will be available to more than 85% of the nation. Here in the "Denver" market we have been hot for 2 years now and out high power facility that reaches me 50 miles away (I know from FOX) will be complete mid year covering all 2.1M of us.

Although I must admit the most highly watched HD content (in this house) is the networks so I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

D* is still my only real option for viewing. No one else in this market has HD much less an HD DVR that actually works.

 

[Gen Custer]

Why can't they "spot beam" these national channels into each area so that cinemax-HD(with the appropriate subscription) would be one of the five or six LIL channels. What does this mean for the local sports channels like YES HD. Will they offer it with NY locals for example?

 

[BlackHitachi]

Does it really matter if D* has room for 500 lil when alot of local stations do not broadcast in HD?? I mean i would love any HD i am ready for it ALL!! MY point is here in Medford Oregon we have CBS, ABC,FOX and NBC. Well also PBS.. Cbs and PBS are the only channels we get in HD. So am i assuming D* can only add the channels in HD? If they can add all of them THEN GREAT!! i am all for that but if that can't well then thats not so great and Movie channels and rsn sound better.

 

[BFG]

How are these a shift of plans. As long as I can remember they've said the 2 sats will be used exclusivly for HD LIL, nothing new. It's their dumb plan...

 

[Stargazer]

I just dont think enough people have HD to make it worthwhile with getting all the HD LIL markets up yet. They should get a good basic and movie HD lineup first to give HD more time to develop and this may also lower the cost for them to do HD as well.

 

[LonghornXP]

How are these a shift of plans. As long as I can remember they've said the 2 sats will be used exclusivly for HD LIL, nothing new. It's their dumb plan...

Its no different with what you have heard but for the last 6 months I've been hearing that national HD was a huge priority along with HD LIL but now all of the sudden they aren't planning anything on the national HD side anymore at least for a while.

 

[LonghornXP]

Why can't they "spot beam" these national channels into each area so that cinemax-HD(with the appropriate subscription) would be one of the five or six LIL channels. What does this mean for the local sports channels like YES HD. Will they offer it with NY locals for example?

Simple less room for LIL HD.

 

[LonghornXP]

Also out of the 4 total satellites this will be the breakdown on how they will be used.

The fourth and last sat to go up in space will be a backup and as such will not have any programming on it unless needed by a failure of either of the three sats.

Now all three sats will have anywhere between 20-30 percent of its transponders silent as backups.

 

[jim tressler]

I will be very dissapointed if this is true.. as I have an ota - and cincinnati area is pretty good for locals via ota.. oh well, I guess I will look into voom becasue adlephia doesnt even have hd out here yet, and to take it one step further, if they do add tnt and espn2 hd and raise the price, I'll bet a lot walk!!

 

[korsjs]

I will be very dissapointed if this is true.. as I have an ota - and cincinnati area is pretty good for locals via ota.. oh well, I guess I will look into voom becasue adlephia doesnt even have hd out here yet, and to take it one step further, if they do add tnt and espn2 hd and raise the price, I'll bet a lot walk!!

i am willing to put money on it when espn hd 2 is added to direct or dish, prices will go up.

 

[LOBO2999]

I don't watch ESPN HD & I dont need another one , But if they raise prices I am going to drop the HD pack , Even if they add TNTHD .

 

[dturturro]

What's the point of ESPN2HD when ESPN1HD rarely broadcasts anything in HD? I'd much rather see TNTHD. As far as the new birds, I don't have a problem if they use them for local HD channels. Being from NY I get all of my locals OTA. I certainly feel for those who can't get any HD yet. I probably get 80% of my HD from OTA. What am I possibly going to get out of Cinemax HD that won't be on HBOHD in a few months? HD will only grow when people get to see how it improves shows like CSI, Desperate Housewives, Las Vegas, Lost, etc...

 

[korsjs]

What's the point of ESPN2HD when ESPN1HD rarely broadcasts anything in HD?

i have been saying this for the past couple of months. both dish and direct should hold out so prices for both companies do not go up.