DISH NETWORK® UNVEILS BIGGEST HIGH DEFINITION UPGRADE IN TV HISTORY

[KAB]

So is it coming in off the satellite or internet ? I'm not sure I want my internet connection bogged down pulling down the video. Also, many ISPs (Comcast) have been imposing download limits.

http://www.satelliteguys.us/1464919-post104.html (DISH NETWORK® UNVEILS BIGGEST HIGH DEFINITION UPGRADE IN TV HISTORY)

[navychop]

If they somehow include the bitstreaming of the HD audio codecs (True-HD and DTS-MA) I will damn sure cancel netflix, start getting VOD from dish, soil myself, and post the pics here.

You can take what you posted more ways than one, as far as what the pictures are of.......


SCOTT- PLEASE FIND OUT WHAT AUDIO FORMATS WILL BE INCLUDED IN THIS VOD.



Also, I suspect these extra channels are VOD channels and not the regular channels with varied programming. It's to sell more movies/specials etc. Fine with me. IF it includes great AQ. At least 5.1.

As posted above, downconverting to 720p for your HDTV from a 1080p signal will look better than from 1080i, as the interlacing artifacts will have been better dealt with. My main HDTV is a 61" 720p display. If Dish offers me a great upgrade to an HD DVR from my 721, I'll take it and replace my bedroom TV with a 1080p flat screen. Don't anybody tell my wife of my plan.

There are some folks with HD CRTs out there that might not be able to take full advantage of the 1080p signals. More reason for them to move on to microdisplay technologies.

[tjwgrr]

How this would reflect to current subs that for example have dishHD Absolute package? I know it will be removed as the option as of tomorrow 08/01 and replaced by TurboHD metallic packages...which will be for now only offered to new subs and the old ones would be grandfathered...

By reading this text is seems E* is planning to "automatically upgrade" all of us by "turbo-charging" us to the package which would have "all the features and benefits of TurboHD"...which would include all new HD channels they add in the future and RSNs too? hmmm, yeah...right?

I just had a lengthy phone call with a Dish Tech. The HD only TurboHD Bronze, Silver, Gold, & Platinum packages will NOT be available to existing customers until February 2009. TurboHD Silver, Gold, and Platinum will include RSN's and the Big Ten Network for those living in the appropriate region.

Existing Absolute HD customers will be grandfathered. Essential HD and Ultimate HD are being replaced by Turbo add-ons Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum- these are NOT the HD only TurboHD packages.

Off the record she said the techs and reps expect many complaints from existing Dish customers not being able to switch to the HD only TurboHD packages.

To try and save some $, I was going to switch to Absolute HD, but no FSN HD Detroit or Big Ten Network HD so I'm gonna sit tight with what I have now which will become AT250 HD Gold or Platinum.

[GRExpert]

I would think they will have LOTS of complaints, hopefully a change in policy is coming. I don't want to give my my FSN Detroit

[Fiveft20in]

I am paying $145 a month

[gary08]

Dish has the capacity to add the 36 missing channels. You notice they somehow inflated the channel count from 100 to 114? I guess they are going to count PPV that is stored on the hard drive as "channels". This is getting rediculous how they are counting channels. Next thing you know they will count the same channel uplinked to both 61.5 and 129 as 2 channels. How many event only sports channels are counted now as HD channels? They will probably be close to 100 real HD channels by the end of the year. What I mean by real channels is channels that are broadcast on Dish 24x7 in MPEG-4 HD (they may of course not have any real HD content, that is a different argument).

I wonder if the 722 will have more "channels" than the 622 since it can store more movies on the HD.

I agree.
It's the Karl Rove way of counting channels.

[Pistol]

Or the Osama Obama calculation method

[jacmyoung]

Scott, any word on if these 1080p movies may be saved onto the external HD and played back later? I wouldn't even mind if they charge a nominal fee like $0.99 each time I want to play it back.

As far as doing the math, who cares? There aren't 150 national HDs out there, as long as E* carries most all of them (except the premiums) for $29.99, those who cannot have it can say whatever the negatives they wish, I am just too happy to even notice them.

[atlind01]

I am reading about how the MPEG-4 broadcast looks great for D* customers, so my question is are we going to see any significant improvement in PQ from tomorrow?

[BobMurdoch]

OK, posts are flying fast and furious, but Scott, we need your help......

What EXACTLY is happening here.....?

From what I read, the E* boxes will have the CAPABILITY of outputting 1080p after a software upgrade, but only for HD PPV movies?

And that will only be for ONE movie in August, "I Am Legend", which I already own on BluRay so it has zero appeal to me.

Also, I've got a lone 50 ft. HDMI cable going to my projector, which is directly connected to my BluRay/HD DVD player. I COULD get an HDMI switcher, and then run the 722 off of it as well, but it looks like this announcement ONLY calls for 1080p content for HD PPV movies, correct? None of our other channels are affected? I'm running my output through component outs right now, and although 1080p sounds good for PPV buyers, it is useless for me as I haven't bought a movie in 8 yrs. of being an E* subscriber.

It's a good marketing point, but it looks like this news is underwhelming for those who don't get the PPV movies.

It does give a way to get a marketing bragging point vs. D*, but it will be confusing to new customers who think they are getting 1080p on ALL channels, not just the PPV ones....

Am I understanding this right, or is there more here?