Why do some channels have two numbers?

kenskibum

SatelliteGuys Family
Original poster
Jan 21, 2008
73
4
Lopez Island WA
I've noticed some of my HD channels have a 3 digit channel number as well as a 4 digit number starting with 94. Why is that? Both seem to work. Is one better quality than the other? Thanks -Ken
 
The post you referred him to does not answer his question. He asked WHY, not HOW to change.
 
I read that post. My question was "why" do they do that, not how to get rid of the extra numbers in the guide. -Ken
edit- guess you beat me to it 47HO.
 
The 94xx number is where the channel is REALLY located the 3 digit number is a mapdown to the "same' number as the SD version of the channel because they seem to think that makes it easier for the user to have both the SD & HD have the same number..
 
Sorry, wrong link and cannot find right one.
Answers to the OP's questions: Different reasons, some as in the case of Superstations is to group them with other channels in the same package. In the case of Locals, the lower number is the station number which makes it easier to find them than where they would be (ie Scranton's ABC is something like 9247 but people in dma know it is channel 16. In the case of some of the HD channels, they are put right next to the sd version of the same channel. This one not only makes it easier to find, but lets subscribers know when the HD version of the channel is added. Different people like their channels at different spots on the guide, overall makes it simple to set up your guide the way you want it by using map down feature and channels locks as well as the favorites to give the customer what they want.

(I just typed this a couple of days ago, really hate having to do it again.)
 
The higher numbers represent the actual number assigned to that channel. Mapdowns tell boxes that the channel can be found in a more convenient location for the customer.

There are a lot of older boxes which are not capable of mapping down channels. For those customers, they would have to go to the actual channel number. A model 3700 receiver won't go to a channel 16 in Scranton, a customer with that box would have to go to 9247 or wherever the actual channel is located.

HD mappings are changed because the SD channels are located at their native spot for all receivers, including legacy receivers. So a 3700 model receiver will see History at 120 because that's where DISH tells it to find it at. In the case of HD History, if they were to uplink that as 120, it would screw up every receiver in the system, so they uplink it as a 94xx instead. Telling the boxes to map it to 120 is just a convenience thing for the customer.

COX here in Phoenix puts their HD locals in the 700s so 703 is the HD version of channel 3. However, many cable HD customers wouldn't remember to go to the 700s for their HD locals and would end up complaining about poor picture quality on their HD locals because they were going to the SD ones instead. When I moved out here and worked a temporary gig doing cable, I was teaching people constantly where to find their HDs since they weren't mapped to be co-located to the SD counterparts. DISH makes it easy by defaulting you to the HD version of a channel when you type in that number.
 

Dish network tells court News Corp unit hacked it

CSNBAHD is finally added!

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Total: 0, Members: 0, Guests: 0)

Who Read This Thread (Total Members: 1)