What we are hearing...

[Bob Nielsen]

I only have one transponder (13) which has noticeably lower signal strength. They have varied quite a bit over time, but that one has always been lowest.

 

[yourbeliefs]

I read the Washington Post article that is linked here.

I found this part interesting : "The channel is starting small. It will be free for three months, then be offered in a package of HD channels for a fee. "

I suppose tiered programming isn't that bad.. I mean if we pay $9.95 for HD service that will give us HD versions of all our SD stations, and then we'd have to pay $5 extra for the "HD Only" stations, even with everything we're still ahead of the game, at least as far as our HD compares to Dish's. You gotta throw down $20 extra a month for that. I just hope though that they stick with this plan people have been describing, of the HD/SD stations being included in the 9.95, and then extra for the HD only stations, because quite frankly what I've seen in terms of HD only stations is not impressive.

 

[Indiana627]

There are only 2 teams in the NFL that don't broadcast their games in HD...the Texans and the Cardinals. It just so happens that last week, here in North Carolina, the Texans played the Carolina Panthers (my local game) which the broadcasting is handled by the away team, so we got that game in standard def. and the other game was the Cardinals at the Ravens so that too was a standard def. game. Those two teams either traditionaly get low ratings or they have cheap ownership, whichever the case, all the other NFL teams broadcast in HD and of course if the Cards or the Texans were to show up on Sunday or Monday night football they would get the HD treatment. :up

The teams have no control if their games are broadcast in HD or not. The networks decide and then bring in the HD cameras/equipment/trucks to produce the game.

 

[vegas-steven]

I suppose tiered programming isn't that bad.. I mean if we pay $9.95 for HD service that will give us HD versions of all our SD stations, and then we'd have to pay $5 extra for the "HD Only" stations, even with everything we're still ahead of the game, at least as far as our HD compares to Dish's. You gotta throw down $20 extra a month for that. I just hope though that they stick with this plan people have been describing, of the HD/SD stations being included in the 9.95, and then extra for the HD only stations, because quite frankly what I've seen in terms of HD only stations is not impressive.

extra fees to me are 100% unacceptable. especially when cable companies are bragging about HD being free with the lease of equipment.

part of DTV getting me as a customer was that there was a package that didnt require an additional $10 fee for HD programming.

I remember in canada there is so much cost involved in getting into HD, and that is something that they dont do here... which they need to keep in order to be competetive IMO.

 

[ScoBuck]

As it stands right now (to the best of my knowledge), EVERY provider has tiered service. You only get the SD channels in the tier that you pay for - you want additional channels you get the next highest package.

Seems to be the same with HD - and it makes sense to me. If you aren't getting it in SD, why would you get it in HD?

 

[iceturkee]

Anyone having Trouble with the odd Transponders being a lot lower then the evens,on H20-600?

yep

 

[yourbeliefs]

extra fees to me are 100% unacceptable. especially when cable companies are bragging about HD being free with the lease of equipment.

part of DTV getting me as a customer was that there was a package that didnt require an additional $10 fee for HD programming.

I remember in canada there is so much cost involved in getting into HD, and that is something that they dont do here... which they need to keep in order to be competetive IMO.

Well as far as I know only Optimum Online provides "free HD," which of course isn't really free. Honestly I bet they have it set up where EVERYONE is paying "HD Price" regardless of whether they get it or not. My dad has Comcast HD and I know that wasn't free. He has to pay extra for the equipment every month. Actually he has 2 HD DVRs, and they just raised the DVR rate from like 9.95 to 14.95.

 

[ONUOsFan]

extra fees to me are 100% unacceptable. especially when cable companies are bragging about HD being free with the lease of equipment.

part of DTV getting me as a customer was that there was a package that didnt require an additional $10 fee for HD programming.

I remember in canada there is so much cost involved in getting into HD, and that is something that they dont do here... which they need to keep in order to be competetive IMO.

You hit on it in your own post - "free with the lease of the equipment." Every cable company I've had HD from charges extra for the HD box, even if they don't charge separately for the package.

You can argue which way actually comes out costing more money (from my experience, it's Cable) in the long run, but I don't see where you can claim that Cable companies aren't charging for HD. They have to get the money back somewhere...

 

[Hemi 6.1]

yep

I guess I won't worry too much yet then.

 

[HDhysteria]

You hit on it in your own post - "free with the lease of the equipment." Every cable company I've had HD from charges extra for the HD box, even if they don't charge separately for the package.

You can argue which way actually comes out costing more money (from my experience, it's Cable) in the long run, but I don't see where you can claim that Cable companies aren't charging for HD. They have to get the money back somewhere...

Hope I don't start a firestorm here, but it's like whenever I hear the democrats talking about a tax on business so they don't try to get one from the taxpayers. Well DUH,,, nothing is free and a tax on business will just be passed on th the consumer.

 

[kwalker962]

We have been waiting for years for all this HD to come about. I think it would be a bad decision to up the current charge of the HD package.

 

[steveken]

You guys keep blabbing on and on about silly stuff when you should turn it on 9300 & 9301! GET TO IT!

 

[gadgtfreek]

this is why i ordered enough spare b-band converters for all three of my boxes. so i wouldn't have to bug directv right before the rollout.

+1

 

[Happy Camper]

Thanks, Scott. As a veteran of DirecTV, I did not even turn on my set to see if the alleged new channels were up on any of the dates hysterical speculation suggested they would be. I cannot think of a single DirecTV "advancement" which has actually rolled out either when specualtors suggested, or even when D* said it would happen (remember the HR20? ha, ha)

When the channels show up on screen, that's when they'll be here. So, D* will have attempted to finally catch up with FIOS picture quality and channel selection, and might actually succeed, minus video on demand, but D* will trump most providers because D* has far better hardware. As much as I actively hate our HR20, it's a better box than anything FIOS has or has suggested they might have-hardware is where D* shines. As to programming, they are just now becoming competitive, and it's been a long time coming.

I don't think D* ever actually announced to anyone when they'd have any new channels, or how many, did they? So, we could make up any imaginary date we wanted and then accuse them of not making it?

 

[steveken]

Well, I was watching 9301 till the TP's went dead. Don't know what happened. Guess they are doing more work.

Ok, we are back up. Guess they were rebooting the satellite. LOL

 

[gadgtfreek]

Well, I was watching 9301 till the TP's went dead. Don't know what happened. Guess they are doing more work.

Havent switched, but Im still watching 9300

 

[Bigguy]

Mine still on watching mythbusters

 

[Tyrate]

When the channels show up on screen, that's when they'll be here. So, D* will have attempted to finally catch up with FIOS picture quality and channel selection, and might actually succeed, minus video on demand, but D* will trump most providers because D* has far better hardware. As much as I actively hate our HR20, it's a better box than anything FIOS has or has suggested they might have-hardware is where D* shines. As to programming, they are just now becoming competitive, and it's been a long time coming.

Are you sure about that, I was at a friend house this weekend who has FIOS installed and it's a very nice picture beautiful in fact the equipment, guide, VOD worked flawlessly, quick, easy to use, everything is hard wired don't have to worry about storms. Internet access is incredible I was very impressed jealous in fact! I have Directv it's a shame how much false advertising DTV pumps out of it's pie hole, hell I'm still waiting for my local HD channels to be turned on, which they advertise as being actives by the end of last year and it's still not (Norfolk, Va). Directv has the nerve to lock people into these 2-year contracts and as you said never come threw on their promises on time. That's just bad business and I already know there will be at least 100 people responding to back them up like a bunch of clones, talking about how it's just not true Directv is honorable company my A**. They're no different from the cell phone companies who lock you in on these unbreakable contracts and don't delivery what they promise. Don't worry I will be first in line when FIOS comes to my area, I'm already on the waiting list, you see they already offer our local channels in HD, like they promise their customers. We should take a poll on how many people believe they will have a 100 HD channels by the end of the year like they advertised. I vote not likely!! !protest

 

[crazyeye]

Can get 9301 on one set but not the other

Hello - This is my first post, though I've been enjoying the dialog since the aborted launch last week. With word that there was a test channel broadcasting, I bolted downstairs to my plasma and happily viewed a crystal clear episode of Mythbusters in full HD and living color. .:clap Unfortunately, a similar attempt on my bedroom LCD yielded a less pleasing result - a searching for signal msg, the same result I get when tuning this set to 498. A diagnostic test of the box showed a failure on 103(B). Can anyone speculate as to what could be causing this error and the lack of HD on the test channel? Do I need a new set of BBCs? If so, can I order those right off of the D* site?

Thanks all for the constant flow of information.

Mike

 

[rad]

Hello - This is my first post, though I've been enjoying the dialog since the aborted launch last week. With word that there was a test channel broadcasting, I bolted downstairs to my plasma and happily viewed a crystal clear episode of Mythbusters in full HD and living color. .:clap Unfortunately, a similar attempt on my bedroom LCD yielded a less pleasing result - a searching for signal msg, the same result I get when tuning this set to 498. A diagnostic test of the box showed a failure on 103(B). Can anyone speculate as to what could be causing this error and the lack of HD on the test channel? Do I need a new set of BBCs? If so, can I order those right off of the D* site?

Thanks all for the constant flow of information.

Mike

You can try swapping BBC's with the working box to see if that fixes the bedroom set. If you're using a diplexor on the bedroom cable remove that since you're not supposed to diplex OTA for the new sats.