How many older MPEG2-only receivers and 18"/Phase 3 dishes are still out there? IIRC all SD receivers since the D10 can decode MPEG4 HD and downconvert to SD... Also they can view MPEG4 from 101* as well -- there just haven't been any MPEG4 channels there... Also SD channels can broadcast in MPEG4 -- so just because it's not in HD (such as Flix) doesn't mean it would have to be dropped...
Also I believe the KU TP's are half as wide as KA ones, so the 32 they have = 16 of the larger ones. Minus 6 due to spotbeams (although these could be re-purposed back to CONUS if the locals went MPEG4 only on KA) -- but this would allow fewer truck rolls if a customer has a MPEG4 receiver but an 18" dish...
It seems like this is something they should have done years ago... Basically they need to swap all pre-D10 receivers and original DirecTivos that can't receive MPEG4. Offer the basic suite on 101, with slides to upgrade your dish for the additional channels...
Or maybe do this in waves... take down some of the "lesser" channels a few at time off SD on 101* with slides to call in for an upgrade to a new receiver (and dish)... as people call in to continue receiving their channels the upgrades get done in waves -- until all SD channels are gone. This could be done over the course of a year or so...
It does seem to make sense to me to eventually move as much as possible back to 101, then fill 99 and 103 with additional HD, 4K etc... would be helpful for RV's, portable units etc.... but the SD MPEG2 needs to go away eventually. Seems like locals would stay at 99/103 and the 101 spotbeams would go back to CONUS. Also this would allow them to move 119* to MPEG4 as well as take the spotbeams there back to CONUS as well, allowing for additional space for international channels/adding some HD there of the spanish channels...
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