Team Summit General Assembly Notes

[RedSavina]

Yeah, after more research and thought I am seeing this as less likely. Scott G seems to think the MPEG2 will stay at 110/119 and the new MPEG4 will be at 86.5/97.

Too early to know for sure - just lots of interesting speculation!

Whatever they do I hope it does not involve too much hassle for the subscribers. Repointing a gazillion dishes sounds like an expensive proposition - plus the vocal minority who will not have a clear LOS for different slots. I'm glad I don't have to solve those problems!

Anyway you look at it I am thrilled to see things moving to MPEG4.

Red

 

[AJF]

Thanks for the full rundown, Scott!

I'm surprised no one has asked after the DishComm. By your notes, it sounds like its been activated in the 622s, I'm assuming in the last software update (L4.03)?

QUOTE: "Leslie comes out and shows us how to use the new features on the 622. She also tells us that DishCOMM has been turned on in the 622's and will soon be turned on in the 211, this will allow all the boxes to talk to each other."

So, if that's true, can we, say, now hook into our networks via ethernet and share recordings, etc. between 622s? Anyone try to get these boxes to "talk" yet?

Ah, hell...I just answered my question by doing a little looking around. I was confusing DishComm (which seems at present to only entail sharing of a phone-line connection for account purposes) w/ all the fancy media sharing/remote viewing capabilities Dish was showing off at the conventions last year. It was all running on the new boxes (part of the ViP of the ViP 622/211s), so I dared to hope...

So what IS the answer ? I'd love to be able to connect my receivers together and share the recordings and hard drive space . I think it would be fantastic if the connected receivers operated like 1 big mega-receiver .

 

[roachxp]

I thought the new slots will be 97 and 113 for Mpeg4 sats

 

[RedSavina]

Not if they intend to use the Dish500 dish which currently "sees" a 9 degree difference (110 to 119). Other posters have mentioned a 10.5 degree spacing for the new sats and service. It seems reasonable that the same Dish500 could be used for a 10.5 degree spacing (86.5 to 97). I'm not so sure about a 16 degree spacing (97 to 113). That would probably require something like a Dish1000.

Another consideration is the claim of reception using an 18" dish. I believe the only dish that is truly 18" is the Dish300. The Dish500 is generally considered to be equivalent but is actually more like 20". The other dishes are larger. (Of course, with a non-circular dish you could claim vertical or horizontal measurements!)

I have not kept up with all the licenses and orbital slots that Echostar controls, but it would be interesting to see the full listing with potential pairings for a Dish500 solution. I still maintain that it is in Echostar's best interests to have a minimal impact on changes to the end customer. So far that suggests establishing the MPEG4 service at a new slot-pair since the number of MPEG4-capable existing customers is much smaller than the MPEG2-only customers. In the short term this makes it easier to re-point a smaller percentage of dishes (new customers are a wash). Unfortunately they will eventually have to deal with repointing MPEG2 customers when they upgrade. Someone (Dish or the customer?) will foot this bill.

Red

 

[RJohn]

How about the local HD cities they promised last year.

They haven't completed that list, so what are the chances they will complete this one?

All Big talk and no action.....

How about completing last years list of promises, before making new ones.

 

[Poke]

Well some of that would fall in getting all the contracts done in some of those local markets. Some local markets might be quicker than others on getting things done to get their HD channels setup for Dish than others. So really that depends on both parties getting things done to offer the HD feed of the local market. So it might not always be Dish or Direct fault on how fast things get done. It would be nice if all they had to do was to just turn things on when its available but does not always work that way. Either way I think Direct and Dish do what they can when they can other times its out of their control.

 

[MikeD-C05]

Maybe they are going to wait to finish adding the extra hd locals till the new sats are up & running in early 2008. I still wonder what the heck Dish is going to do with all those slots they are using right now like 118, 121, 105, 61.5, 129,148, 110 and 119 once they finish moving everything to just two sats in mpeg 4? I can't imagine it would be cost effective to keep all those slots or sats once they move it all to mpeg 4 in the next 2-3 years.

Maybe a used satellite sale?

 

[mike123abc]

Maybe they are going to wait to finish adding the extra hd locals till the new sats are up & running in early 2008. I still wonder what the heck Dish is going to do with all those slots they are using right now like 118, 121, 105, 61.5, 129,148, 110 and 119 once they finish moving everything to just two sats in mpeg 4? I can't imagine it would be cost effective to keep all those slots or sats once they move it all to mpeg 4 in the next 2-3 years.

Maybe a used satellite sale?

It saves them a billion or 2 not to have to switch out all the old boxes and repoint all the satellite dishes... It will probably be something like if you want the new stuff you pay $X to upgrade your equipment (to the MPEG4 VIP series) and commit to so many months of CC autopay. Then Dish will pay for someone to come out and change out/repoint your dish to the new satellites where you can start enjoying the new programming.

Soon Dish will stop adding stuff to the old system. If you want the new stuff you will have to go to the new system. Eventually they will have most customers switched over for minimal costs. Once enough are converted they can reclaim the satellites for more capacity.

 

[Dune]

Great news for us in Hawaii. I was almost ready to switch to cable even though the signal is terrible.

Ever since Dish switched Hawaii HD over to the spot beam I almost never get rain fade, and I also re-qualified for distant networks with All American.

The only thing I was missing was HD Networks, so I will soon be a happy customer.

Dune

 

[satelliteguy2343]

any word on Indianapolis Indiana HD Locals

 

[LER]

getting dates on HD LIL is like pulling teeth .

I want Austin so bad....

The impression I got was within 18 mos the top 100 DMA's would have HD LIL.

LER

 

[enoree]

My local co op telco hooked me up friday with a moto residential gateway with 2 sets like the 622 box,built in DSL and they are in the process of receiving and installing HD equipment. I get ALL of the channels. plus premiums, home phone, unlimited LD, 2 cingular phones, 850 min a month.DSL max for 160 a month, plus 1 ppv. So unless E* shows me something really good it will be adios charlie, he can't even match D* for putting up the Greenville locals, or for that matter (the cable pig)Charter. Fiber will eventually eat your lunch charlie.your SAT internet with its lag time due to distance will never be as good as wire for gaming or real time needs.

 

[Slamminc11]

My local co op telco hooked me up friday with a moto residential gateway with 2 sets like the 622 box,built in DSL and they are in the process of receiving and installing HD equipment. I get ALL of the channels. plus premiums, home phone, unlimited LD, 2 cingular phones, 850 min a month.DSL max for 160 a month, plus 1 ppv. So unless E* shows me something really good it will be adios charlie, he can't even match D* for putting up the Greenville locals, or for that matter (the cable pig)Charter. Fiber will eventually eat your lunch charlie.your SAT internet with its lag time due to distance will never be as good as wire for gaming or real time needs.

I'm sure he's reeling now. You really gave it to him. I guess all those plans and ideas that were talked about in Dallas this week were just crap now, since you have now spoken!

 

[dgordo]

I may have missed it, but no mention of new national HD channels?

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

What was Cinemax HD?

 

[dgordo]

Fair enough, but I was asking about anything beyond what was launched that day. Any announcements of future HD national channels?

 

[Hall]

What was Cinemax HD?

You alluded to a lot more regarding HD carriage in earlier posts.

 

[gadgtfreek]

Whats funny is I've seen more than one say "no hd programming since last year" but everyone discounts the the HD RSN's and Cinemax. Probably because they are low watched channels, but still E* is adding hd and it's more than D* and Comcast customers can brag about.

 

[Neutron]

I'm happy that my RSN, FSSW is carried in HD from E*.

The more HD they can give us the better. I just hope the quality doesn't go down the tubes though.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I don't see hd quality going down the tubes. In fact I believe we may see the PQ improve in the future.

The future seems bright for BOTH satellite companies, and guess who wins?? Us the consumers!