Uplink Activity for 4/24/08 4 PM EDT

[Dugout Doug]

I hate slow days...

 

[kstuart]

Originally Posted by kstuart
An interesting possibility is that since these are on 61.5, they could mirror them on 129 and free up enough space on 110 for 12-14 national HD channels.
This would coincide with the necessity to not authorize any 921 or 942's, and it would match nicely with the CSR's statement that "all the new national HD will be on 110" (see thread in Dish Network Forum).

I don't think the eastern arc calls for any more national hd (other than the USA and Sci Fi hds) to be added to 110.

I'm not talking about Eastern Arc, and clearly the CSR was not either.

 

[kstuart]

I hate slow days...

You could, say, actually watch some TV in High Definition ?

 

[TalonDancer]

After this week's up-link activity, I'm not expecting any new National HD for several weeks. So far all the space being freed up on 61.5 is going to the Eastern Arc. It looks like Dish has their hands full with the new HD Locals and the EA. The sooner the EA is in place, the sooner they can stop installing wing dishes for HD locals. I'm guessing Dish needs another Sat (or two) worth of TPs in the vicinity of 61.5 before a full roll out of HD Nationals can get going.

Talon Dancer

p.s. IMHO last week's National HD releases were meant to quell the mob and show that Dish is doing something about National HD.

 

[tillerr]

Can someone bring me up to speed on what the Eastern Arc is and if it will affect me in Michigan?

 

[JEFFinINDY]

IMHO last week's National HD releases were meant to quell the mob and show that Dish is doing something about National HD.

After this week's up-link activity, I'm not expecting any new National HD for several weeks. So far all the space being freed up on 61.5 is going to the Eastern Arc. It looks like Dish has their hands full with new HD Locals and the EA. The sooner the EA is in place, the sooner they can stop installing wing dishes for HD locals. I'm guessing Dish needs another Sat (or two) worth of TPs in the vicinity of 61.5 before a full roll out of HD Nationals can get going.

Talon Dancer

I'm just curious what you base these predictions on. Do you have inside information, or are you guessing/prognosticating?

 

[tigerfan33]

p.s. IMHO last week's National HD releases were meant to quell the mob and show that Dish is doing something about National HD.

If this was the case, something would have been done long, long time ago.

 

[TheKrell]

Yeah, I don't lean in TalonDancer's direction either.

That said, I'm totally LOSING IT (with all the changes). Didn't Dish just free up 3 transponders (16, 17, and 21) by putting Providence, NY, and Boston locals on spots? 16 can't go to spot mode, and while 17 and 21 could be placed in spot mode, they have not as yet. I think I read they put up MPEG-4 versions of MPEG-2 HD still coming from 110 on 21. So doesn't this leave 2 unused conus transponders for making a big splash next week?

 

[TalonDancer]

I'm just curious what you base these predictions on. Do you have inside information, or are you guessing/prognosticating?

I am simply "guessing/prognosticating" based on what I read in these forums.

FWIW Dish freed up 3 CONUS TPs on 61.5 yesterday AM and almost immediately up-linked 7 HD National Channels, that are already on 110, onto one of them. AFAIK the only difference is that the ones on 61.5 TP21 are MPEG4 and can be seen with a single dish pointed at the "eastern arc". If Dish was really anxious to add HD Nationals, they just had a nice opportunity to add 7 of them and didn't use it. Of course they still have CONUS TPs 16 and 17 free. So time will tell what they do with those

Talon Dancer

 

[gadgtfreek]

If this was the case, something would have been done long, long time ago.

:up

 

[mdonnelly]

...
p.s. IMHO last week's National HD releases were meant to quell the mob and show that Dish is doing something about National HD.

And it worked.

 

[TalonDancer]

If this was the case, something would have been done long, long time ago.

The basis of my speculation is that the Dish Web site had already posted updated graphics which included CNN HD and Cartoon Network by Wed PM. But CN was never turned on and about this time last Friday SciFi Hd and USA HD were. The Dish Web masters quickly replaced the graphics removing CN and keeping CNN HD. But curiously SciFi HD and USA HD are still not in those graphics a week later. Somehow this strikes me as a last minute decision possibly in response to DirecTV's "stomp the competition" ad campaign that included the SciFi HD and USA HD logos in the comparison to Dish's HD that "you've never heard of"

Talon Dancer

 

[TalonDancer]

And it worked.

Exactly!

I'm a happy camper now that I have my HD Locals, SciFi HD (for the wife) and a free wing dish for 61.5 Any additional HD Nationals are gravy.

Talon Dancer

 

[db2]

The Dish Web masters quickly replaced the graphics removing CN and keeping CNN HD. But curiously SciFi HD and USA HD are still not in those graphics a week later.

T.I.E. my friend. This is Echostar.

Where anything can, and probably will, happen.

 

[nlk10010]

T.I.E. my friend. This is Echostar.

Where anything can, and probably will, happen.

A/K/A "Bizarro World". Exactly why it makes no sense to try and reverse engineer Dish's decisions to infer what is coming when.

The channels you never expected will show up at the unlikeliest of times.

 

[flyingsquirrel]

We will know at this time next week.

It has been widely reported that 18 or so new National HD channels would be added by May 1 (Next Thursday).

There have been THREE so far. Also, this means that Charlie has fulfilled his only public statement on the matter, which was that we would see "some" new HD before the next Charlie Chat, June 9.

The way I look at it, if Scott is right, then we will have an April Shower of National HD channels next week. If not, There is really nothing pressing for Charlie to do until the Olympics. All the immediate official expectations have been met, and he has got until the end of the year to reach the next goal of 100 HD channels.

While I certainly hope that we get our "Shower", I don't think we will be seeing anything for quite some time. Certainly not the channel I want most, Speed. Perhaps I can find someone at D* who can put the Speed logo on a DTV HD ad? Hmm.

 

[TalonDancer]

A/K/A "Bizarro World". Exactly why it makes no sense to try and reverse engineer Dish's decisions to infer what is coming when.

The channels you never expected will show up at the unlikeliest of times.

Of course it does not make sense. But then most of the behavior exhibited by SatelliteGuys members who visit/participate in "The Uplink Center" does not make sense. After all, any new channels will either show up in the guide or they won't. And if you need additional equipment to receive channels to which you subscribe, Dish will send you notification in due time. Any rational sentient being would not waste their time/energy reading/replying to the wackos who post wild speculation here

But IMHO, solving a jigsaw puzzle with all the pieces, is nowhere near as much fun as even trying to solve one with several pieces missing and a few extra from another puzzle

Talon Dancer

 

[kstuart]

On April 30th/May 1st - either:

- The 7 MPEG2-HD channels are uplinked to 129 (new transponder 1 perhaps?), and then MPEG2-HD receivers are swapped by E* over a ____ day period, ending with 10-14 new national HD channels on 110 at the end of that ___ day period, OR

- Several national HD channels will be added to transponder 16 at 61.5 and transponder 1 at 129 (or some other transponders).

Why not sooner than April 30th/May 1st ? Two reasons:

- Contracts with channel providers often start on the 1st of the month, and

- HD Locals actually affects Dish Network revenues more than National HD Channels, especially because HD Locals actually make use of HD - examples abound:
* Lost (resumes tonight) - beautifully filmed in Hawaii
* Heroes (most popular recent new show)
* Prison Break

not to mention ratings leaders like American Idol, and NFL, NBA and MLB. So, E* has been working hard on putting as many cities' HD Locals on Rainbow 1 as they can.

PS To squirrel - don't expect Speed-HD, FX-HD, FoxBusiness-HD or FoxNews-HD any time soon due to the litigation between E* and NewsCorp.

 

[TalonDancer]

So next week we will either get ...

"April showers" "ending with 10-14 new national HD channels on 110" or "Several national HD channels will be added to transponder 16 at 61.5 and transponder 1 at 129"

or

no "new National HD for several weeks" because "Dish has their hands full with the new HD Locals and the EA" and "Charlie has fulfilled his only public statement on the matter, which was that we would see "some" new HD before the next Charlie Chat, June 9."

Is that a wide enough range of outcomes to cover any reasonable expectations ?

Talon Dancer

 

[GameOn]

Since I am Sgt Shultz in many ways (I know nothing!), the only qualifcation I might add is that with the SatelliteGuys meeting with DN/E* on May 17(?), I would think DN/E* expects to be in "positve" PR mode by then. Remember, "rumor" has it they aproached StaelliteGuys and not vice-versa.