so its been what.. about a week now...

[Alan Gordon]

Also I've been told that DirecTV is going to show all HD football games next year but just mirroring the games from the local HD stations because most if not all HD games will be shown in the top 30-35 markets. So with that said those customers with NFL Sunday Ticket will need a new dish but they can gain local HD channels if in the top 30 markets but this would be a big step for them.

I believe it's been said over and over that this was not possible.

Also, while I suspect that DirecTV will have less compression on their HD channels next year, and I do believe that we will end up with more national channels, I'm still wondering how it will be done. So far, all they've said that they plan on using the SpaceWay satellites for would be for HD locals and broadband, and nothing has been said about national HD channels. I guess they could take CBS E&W, NBC E&W and the soon to be FOX HD E&W and put them on the SpaceWay satellites which would free up some bandwith on the current satellites and those in L.A. and N.Y. and people in white areas would have to get the bigger dishes next year... oh well, I'm going off on a rant...

~Alan

 

[LonghornXP]

Well I've talked to my contacts as I get these new questions that I didn't think about and here goes again. Now to start off they can mirror a game from Fox and CBS NY and LA feeds but its more trouble than its worth today. Right now not even close to all games that are shown in HDTV this year are on the Fox and CBS NY and LA feeds so they decided not to go this route. Now I'm talking about them mirroring the feeds from the Spaceway sats. So in summer of 2005 when and if the bird is ready they can come very very close to being able to mirror all NFL ST games from their SpaceWay sats. All HD customers with NFL Sunday Ticket regardless of whather they want HD locals or not will most likely need a new dish that would get the new programming.

Also the NFL ST games are using bandwidth set aside just for those games until football season is over. Also I've been told that quite a few HD channels are being tested internally but they aren't on the sats right now and they are also putting aside bandwidth for these new channels as well. So there is more bandwidth that is sitting there with nothing on them for the time being so they can work with different hardware setups. One of the things they are working with is putting 2-5 SD channels on the same xponder with two HD channels. They didn't have to hardware to do this before but they are working on it now.

Now I hope this clears some things up for now.

 

[smitty825]

But right now they are giving you 6 free months of the HD Package for free because they know they are having problems.

Hey Longhorn...thanks for the great info. I agree that the HD picture quality is still pretty good, and it's much better than SD! (however, I'm not the pickiest customer)

That being said, the HD package isn't totally free for 6 months...we still have to pay for the package for the final 6 months.

 

[vinnyv07]

Hey Longhorn...thanks for the great info. I agree that the HD picture quality is still pretty good, and it's much better than SD! (however, I'm not the pickiest customer)

That being said, the HD package isn't totally free for 6 months...we still have to pay for the package for the final 6 months.

When I signed up for the HD pack I was told I could cancel it after the free 6 mths if I wanted to.

 

[ScottChez]

WHen they do put FOx E / W up, why cant we get BOTH East and West if we are in a O&O market.

DIshnetwork lets you have both CBS East and West? Whats the harm, there all owned by the same company?

 

[LonghornXP]

WHen they do put FOx E / W up, why cant we get BOTH East and West if we are in a O&O market.

DIshnetwork lets you have both CBS East and West? Whats the harm, there all owned by the same company?

Good question and one I have been asking for about a month or so. All I'm told is that this setup only gives customers access to whatever timezone they live nearest.

 

[slacker9876]

Longhorn ... not trying to be a stinker. I am just telling it like it is. Degraded or not I want the most HD possible ... downrezzed or not. we all know DVD quality is better than SD quality. We are willing to ride out the next few months, but after football I would say it is a safe statement we want to be whooping Voom's butt!

D* is the innovator, that is why I have been there for 7 years and will be there even if my HD is half-assed ... for now. I tried voom and did not find the PQ acceptable.

Your info is VERY MUCH APPRECIATED, that is why I invited you over from TCF myself.

Also, the ticket looks fabulous ... I have said like 5 times now it is as good as my OTA and SHOULD NOT CHANGE.

 

[LonghornXP]

Longhorn ... not trying to be a stinker. I am just telling it like it is. Degraded or not I want the most HD possible ... downrezzed or not. we all know DVD quality is better than SD quality. We are willing to ride out the next few months, but after football I would say it is a safe statement we want to be whooping Voom's butt!

D* is the innovator, that is why I have been there for 7 years and will be there even if my HD is half-assed ... for now. I tried voom and did not find the PQ acceptable.

Your info is VERY MUCH APPRECIATED, that is why I invited you over from TCF myself.

Also, the ticket looks fabulous ... I have said like 5 times now it is as good as my OTA and SHOULD NOT CHANGE.

I for the most part agree with you. I think DirecTV will after football season and a very good and complete HD channel lineup with a few suprises thrown into the mix (hint hint) and all will have good picture quality with enough bandwidth and a compression ratio that isn't pushing the limits.

But I also think DirecTV still has much work still to do and they must not keep picture quality down for any longer than what is truely needed because HDTV is a technology in which they can't get away with lower quality like they did with SD channels. But one problem I see maybe happening in the future is as more people buy HDTV sets and picture quality is lowered will those new people actually know that it could be much better than what they get and this is the 64K question. That question has to be answered by us the consumers spreading the word with our friends who buy their first HDTV sets and let them know if a company is not doing their part that there is better. We have to fight for picture quality once HDTV is a mass market product that average joes are buying and its out job to tell them don't accept anything less than steller.

But right now that won't be a major problem simply because other providers will provide better picture quality and if one company lowers picture quality their customers will go elsewhere. The problem we have to avoid and stop is when all companies lower quality. We when the time comes will have to prove a point and make a stand with our wallets and this is what wasn't done by existing DirecTV customers with the SD days. They had to spread the word that it could be better and vote with their wallet by going back to cable and tell them you would be back only when picture quality improves. That is the problem in the USA is that people don't want bad things to happen and they can talk the talk but they never can walk the walk.

Now I'm not saying that all of you are like that but things can and will change if we the people force things to change and we have all the power but we all have to use it together.

 

[Mike Greer]

But I also think DirecTV still has much work still to do and they must not keep picture quality down for any longer than what is truely needed because HDTV is a technology in which they can't get away with lower quality like they did with SD channels. But one problem I see maybe happening in the future is as more people buy HDTV sets and picture quality is lowered will those new people actually know that it could be much better than what they get and this is the 64K question. That question has to be answered by us the consumers spreading the word with our friends who buy their first HDTV sets and let them know if a company is not doing their part that there is better. We have to fight for picture quality once HDTV is a mass market product that average joes are buying and its out job to tell them don't accept anything less than steller.

But right now that won't be a major problem simply because other providers will provide better picture quality and if one company lowers picture quality their customers will go elsewhere. The problem we have to avoid and stop is when all companies lower quality. We when the time comes will have to prove a point and make a stand with our wallets and this is what wasn't done by existing DirecTV customers with the SD days. They had to spread the word that it could be better and vote with their wallet by going back to cable and tell them you would be back only when picture quality improves. That is the problem in the USA is that people don't want bad things to happen and they can talk the talk but they never can walk the walk.

Now I'm not saying that all of you are like that but things can and will change if we the people force things to change and we have all the power but we all have to use it together.

I agree with you here - didn't you just tell me it was my fault that they won't be adding more new channels?

I don't hate DirecTV - I just want HDTV to remain HDTV. DirecTV's so called HD is not in the same category as Comcast is so I voted with my wallet. I'm not just talking about HDNet, HDNet Movies and Showtime (they completely suck on DirecTV now) but ALL of their HD is not on par with Comcast.

Last night my wife and I were watching Discovery HD on Comcast and she wanted to know why it looked better than it used to. I told her that it was because we were watching it from Comcast rather than DirecTV. Later on I compared Discovery HD from Comsast and DirecTV back and forth for a few minutes - no question - on Comcast it looks like HD - on DirecTV it is better than SD but not as good as real HD. Again I'm not talking about you call the 'Temporary' dumbing down of 3 channels - I'm talking about the PQ on Discovery HD every since I have had DirecTV.

If some time in the future DirecTV decides to have the picture quality of Comcast I may drop Comcast but now that I have seen HD on Comcast there is very little chance I would want to give up the extra HD channels I get and the PQ I get from Comcast. DirecTV would have to add InHD1&2, CinemaxHD and Starz!HD and give me full bandwidth before I'd dump Comcast. I assume that someday they will add Starz! and Cinemax but I doubt they will add InHD and it's more likely I'll be our next President than they will give me the PQ of Comcast ever.

Please everyone, please do vote with your wallet. HDTV should be HDTV.

 

[dakeeney]

I don't know what the bellyachin' is all about.....I get a fantastic HD picture....in
fact with my setup I get better picture and color on 480p than I do on 1080i.

 

[Alan Gordon]

I agree with you here - didn't you just tell me it was my fault that they won't be adding more new channels?

I don't hate DirecTV - I just want HDTV to remain HDTV. DirecTV's so called HD is not in the same category as Comcast is so I voted with my wallet. I'm not just talking about HDNet, HDNet Movies and Showtime (they completely suck on DirecTV now) but ALL of their HD is not on par with Comcast.

Last night my wife and I were watching Discovery HD on Comcast and she wanted to know why it looked better than it used to. I told her that it was because we were watching it from Comcast rather than DirecTV. Later on I compared Discovery HD from Comsast and DirecTV back and forth for a few minutes - no question - on Comcast it looks like HD - on DirecTV it is better than SD but not as good as real HD. Again I'm not talking about you call the 'Temporary' dumbing down of 3 channels - I'm talking about the PQ on Discovery HD every since I have had DirecTV.

If some time in the future DirecTV decides to have the picture quality of Comcast I may drop Comcast but now that I have seen HD on Comcast there is very little chance I would want to give up the extra HD channels I get and the PQ I get from Comcast. DirecTV would have to add InHD1&2, CinemaxHD and Starz!HD and give me full bandwidth before I'd dump Comcast. I assume that someday they will add Starz! and Cinemax but I doubt they will add InHD and it's more likely I'll be our next President than they will give me the PQ of Comcast ever.

Please everyone, please do vote with your wallet. HDTV should be HDTV.

Not everyone can vote with their wallet. I mean, take me for instance. I live in a rural area and don't have access to CableTV. That means my choices for TV providers is either Dish Network or VOOM.

Dish Network has the advantage of giving me TNT-HD, SD locals and the Superstations, but I'd lose Fine Living and CBS E&W, CBS HD E&W and ABC E&W, not to mention my TIVO.

With VOOM I'd lose HGTV, DIY, Fine Living, Food Network, CBS E&W, CBS HD E&W, ABC E&W, BYU, HDNet, HDNet Movies (among others), my Tivo and I'd lose the chance of ever getting my locals. I'd also have to buy three receivers which would cost a couple of months pay and I might end up with better PQ, but then for all the channels I'd lose, I'd only gain (for a limited time) TNT-HD and 21 exclusive channels which I care nothing about.

Like I said before, I can't get cable, but if I did, it would be from Mediacom (the local Cable monopoly) who (NOW) carry (MOST) of the channels I get off satellite and their HD offerings include HDNet, HDNet Movies, BravoHD+, ShowtimeHD, and StarzHD. That's it according to a flyer they recently sent out. To get access to their HD offerings I'd have to pay quite a bit more a month than what I do now and I've never even seen or heard about how their PQ stands.

Though I hope DirecTV will soon work on their PQ, DirecTV is currently the provider who caters more to my needs/wants. I'm not going anywhere...

~Alan

 

[Darin]

I get a fantastic HD picture....in
fact with my setup I get better picture and color on 480p than I do on 1080i.

Am I the only one confused by this statement?

 

[hongcho]

It could be his receiver or his display converting 1080i to 480p. Who knows. There are so many setup variations.

Hong.

 

[dakeeney]

Hong......I have scrolled thru the modes on the HR10-250 from 480i to 1080i and I do
get a better overall picture and color using the 480p. I also use the hdmi to dvi
cable to my Toshibal 34" widescreen crt tv. With 480p there's less picture grain and
better contrast.

 

[Darin]

Is that an HD capable set? If so, I wouldn't be so satisfied if the best picture was with 480p input. Have you tried the component outputs instead?

 

[Mike Greer]

Not everyone can vote with their wallet. I mean, take me for instance. I live in a rural area and don't have access to CableTV. That means my choices for TV providers is either Dish Network or VOOM.

Dish Network has the advantage of giving me TNT-HD, SD locals and the Superstations, but I'd lose Fine Living and CBS E&W, CBS HD E&W and ABC E&W, not to mention my TIVO.

With VOOM I'd lose HGTV, DIY, Fine Living, Food Network, CBS E&W, CBS HD E&W, ABC E&W, BYU, HDNet, HDNet Movies (among others), my Tivo and I'd lose the chance of ever getting my locals. I'd also have to buy three receivers which would cost a couple of months pay and I might end up with better PQ, but then for all the channels I'd lose, I'd only gain (for a limited time) TNT-HD and 21 exclusive channels which I care nothing about.

Like I said before, I can't get cable, but if I did, it would be from Mediacom (the local Cable monopoly) who (NOW) carry (MOST) of the channels I get off satellite and their HD offerings include HDNet, HDNet Movies, BravoHD+, ShowtimeHD, and StarzHD. That's it according to a flyer they recently sent out. To get access to their HD offerings I'd have to pay quite a bit more a month than what I do now and I've never even seen or heard about how their PQ stands.

Though I hope DirecTV will soon work on their PQ, DirecTV is currently the provider who caters more to my needs/wants. I'm not going anywhere...

~Alan

Looks like DirecTV is the best provider for you - I'll have to vote for you! I'll see if I can dump DirecTV twice!

I consider myself very lucky to have a choice for REAL HDTV. I'd have a to make a very painful decision on HDTV or not if I were in your shoes.

 

[Ramy]

Any word yet on the TNT-HD start date?

 

[byron!]

its nearing the end of the week... is the word still "TNT-HD by the end of the week"?

 

[pradike]

Since tomorrow is the end of the week, and also happens to be October 1st - hmmmm...a coincidence????

 

[cliffordmarc]

I'll keep my fingers crossed.... but I doubt it