DISH HD Migration off of 61.5

[Scott Greczkowski]

As we were first to mention here at SatelliteGuys a few months ago the HD on 61.5 will be moving off the satellite to the 72.7 orbital location.

The following was sent last night to DISH Network retailers with some more solid information on the migration.

Now is the time for you to get fully on one arc or the other. If your trying to setup a mixed arc setup, you might be wasting your time and money.

61.5º HD CORE MIGRATIONS

PHASE 1
From October 2010 through March 2011, HD Premiums will be taken down from 61.5º

These services are already simulcast on 129º and 72.7º

The takedown order will be as follows: Cinemax, Starz/Encore, Showtime, HBO

PHASE 2

After March 2011, it will include the takedown of 10 HD Core channels including: Biography, Encore, Hallmark movie channel, Fox business, Planet Green, Science channel, Tennis channel, Versus, Nat Geo

PHASE 3

The final phase will finish up the takedown of the remaining HD Core content off of 61.5º

POSSIBLE SCENARIOS

First action by operators should be to swing a dish to obtain these services from the 129º satellite where possible.

It is expected that the majority of impacted properties can receive these services from 129º avoiding the need for an MPEG4 property wide upgrade.

There are 23 DMA's in the NE part of the country that are outside of the 129º satellite footprint. Operator impact will be the heaviest there. These properties will have to be converted to full Eastern Arc configuration (61.5º, 72.7º, 77º) and this will eventually require all MPEG4 equipment at the property.

 

[isaacmorseMI]

As we were first to mention here at SatelliteGuys a few months ago the HD on 61.5 will be moving off the satellite to the 72.7 orbital location.

The following was sent last night to DISH Network retailers with some more solid information on the migration.

Now is the time for you to get fully on one arc or the other. If your trying to setup a mixed arc setup, you might be wasting your time and money.

Scott do you have any idea what they will put on 61.5 when all of this is complete?

 

[PATECO]

How abouy a repoint from 61.5 to 72.7 or are some of these moving to 77?

 

[rocatman]

HD channel migration schedule is probably related to when Dish will get access to the additional TPs at 72.7 W as DirecTV relinquishes them. This also leads more creedance to speculation that both E-16 and E-12 will be providing spotbeam coverage from 61.5 W. I could see Dish using 20+ TPs at 61.5 W for spotbeams once E-16 is in place.

 

[mike123abc]

How abouy a repoint from 61.5 to 72.7 or are some of these moving to 77?

Dish does not want odd ball configurations. They want either EA 61.5/72.7/77 or WA 110/119/129 so they can move channels freely between satellites without the current issue (110/119/61.5). Yes, it will work, but don't complain when Dish decides to move things around again (which they seem to always be doing).

 

[holy_devil]

Bad news to Puerto Rico, the only combination that works here is (110, 119, 61.5). No access to 72, 77 or 129. Now that 61.5 is strong on the caribbean, I was hoping to get all HD from 61.5. Bad news indeed

 

[bnewt]

Dish does not want odd ball configurations. They want either EA 61.5/72.7/77 or WA 110/119/129 so they can move channels freely between satellites without the current issue (110/119/61.5). Yes, it will work, but don't complain when Dish decides to move things around again (which they seem to always be doing).

If that is true, they want customer to be either ea or wa..........then won't they convert customers to the correct one. I have been a customer for over 10 years. My sd locals are on wa (which I am), but the hd locals are ea, yet they will not convert me to ea. I am paying for locals that I can not receive.

 

[R0ss]

As we were first to mention here at SatelliteGuys a few months ago the HD on 61.5 will be moving off the satellite to the 72.7 orbital location.

The following was sent last night to DISH Network retailers with some more solid information on the migration.

Now is the time for you to get fully on one arc or the other. If your trying to setup a mixed arc setup, you might be wasting your time and money.

SO the 64K question is....Will I have to pay the $15.00 for the upgrade or will Dish finally realize they need to do this at no charge???

As I have said many times it's not the $15.00 it's the principal as well as the fact that I always loose HD's when it rains....a little or a lot.

Ross

 

[DWS44]

SO the 64K question is....Will I have to pay the $15.00 for the upgrade or will Dish finally realize they need to do this at no charge???

As I have said many times it's not the $15.00 it's the principal as well as the fact that I always loose HD's when it rains....a little or a lot.

Ross

I actually received a letter from Dish a week or so ago notifying me that I would soon be losing HD channels due to my current config (61.5/110/119) and to call them for a FREE upgrade. I have not called them yet for the details, as I have to "move" back home first. Been pondering getting a 922 and shuffling my other receivers to move to EA at the same time. Either way I have to keep 61.5 in the final mix to keep SNY.

 

[supermanpr]

It doesn’t make any sense for us here in Puerto Rico.

We don’t have acceptable footprints from 129, 72 or 77 so it is impossible to setup a WA 110/119/129 or a EA 61.5/72/77.

A brand new satellite (E15) with great footprint for Puerto Rico and now it will be useless for us? The numbers that everybody have posted for E15 seems good but Puerto Rico numbers look amazing.

Why can’t Dish create a true mirror of HD content using 129 and 61.5?

We pay for premium channels, but we can’t receive all premiums in HD?

Can anybody help us?

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

PR and HI is a different beast and should not worry, the HD for that area is served by spot beams.

 

[supermanpr]

Yes, but it is limited to some Core HD programming, Last time I cheked, at least 90% of HD premiums werent served by Spotbeams.

4900 Animal Planet HD
4901 Discovery HD
4902 History HD
4903 Cartoon Network HD
4904 Comedy Central HD
4905 Disney HD
4906 Disney XD HD
4907 Nickelodeon HD
4908 TNT
4909 USA
4910 A&E HD
4911 SYFY
4912 Bravo HD
4913 Food Network HD
4914 FX HD
4915 HGTV HD
4916 Lifetime HD
4917 Spike HD
4918 TBS HD
4919 HDTHR
4920 HDNET
4925 HDNMV
4926 MTV HD
4927 CNBC HD
4928 CNN HD
4929 The Weather Channel HD
4930 ESPN
4931 ESPN2 HD
4932 The Learning Channel (TLC) HD
4933 CI
4934 WGN
4935 GREEN

 

[s010804]

Bad news to Puerto Rico, the only combination that works here is (110, 119, 61.5). No access to 72, 77 or 129. Now that 61.5 is strong on the caribbean, I was hoping to get all HD from 61.5. Bad news indeed

Not so good in Central Mexico either, we currently have 129,119,110, however 129 fades at night and we hoped to eliminate that by switching to 61.5. I may switch over until March, then go to whatever combination gives us the most HD, likely 129, 110, 61.5.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

DISH is not licensed to sell its service in Mexico and therefore is not a concern for them in that respect.

 

[R0ss]

I actually received a letter from Dish a week or so ago notifying me that I would soon be losing HD channels due to my current config (61.5/110/119) and to call them for a FREE upgrade. I have not called them yet for the details, as I have to "move" back home first. Been pondering getting a 922 and shuffling my other receivers to move to EA at the same time. Either way I have to keep 61.5 in the final mix to keep SNY.

Good for you! Scott's post specifically mentioned that Dish recognizes that the North East will be heavily impacted by this move, I'm a bit surprised that they aren't sending letters to us to have a "free" upgrade! In all honesty I just don't see South Carolina as the North East.

Ross

 

[ljdonato]

Yes, but it is limited to some Core HD programming, Last time I cheked, at least 90% of HD premiums werent served by Spotbeams.

Yep. Now I am worried. I've been anxiously waiting for these sats to get operational, hoping to see beneficial changes in our lineup and things have only gotten worse.

First, losing 2 HD channels with the transition to E-14. Then, the loss of the HD Platinum Pak. Then the inexplicable loss of 4 or 5 HD premiums coming from 61.5

So, I was hoping to get a great signal from 61.5 and get those lost premiums back, and now we get this notice!!

I sure hope Dish get their act together towards PR and put those premium channels in our spotbeam, because HBO-E, SHO-E, MAX-E, Starz-E doesn't do it...

And, in terms of pure logic, what use would 61.5 be for PR, with that nice footprint, once HD premiums are gone? (Unless, TP 26, which seems that only PR subs are receiving, have surprises in store for us).

 

[holy_devil]

Yes, but it is limited to some Core HD programming, Last time I cheked, at least 90% of HD premiums werent served by Spotbeams.

4900 Animal Planet HD
4901 Discovery HD
4902 History HD
4903 Cartoon Network HD
4904 Comedy Central HD
4905 Disney HD
4906 Disney XD HD
4907 Nickelodeon HD
4908 TNT
4909 USA
4910 A&E HD
4911 SYFY
4912 Bravo HD
4913 Food Network HD
4914 FX HD
4915 HGTV HD
4916 Lifetime HD
4917 Spike HD
4918 TBS HD
4919 HDTHR
4920 HDNET
4925 HDNMV
4926 MTV HD
4927 CNBC HD
4928 CNN HD
4929 The Weather Channel HD
4930 ESPN
4931 ESPN2 HD
4932 The Learning Channel (TLC) HD
4933 CI
4934 WGN
4935 GREEN

The worst thing is that the premium channels available on 110 are block to PR residents. Ex. Starz Edge HD, TMC HD

 

[holy_devil]

PR and HI is a different beast and should not worry, the HD for that area is served by spot beams.

Sorry to say but that's not true, PR is way behind on Hd than Conus and even Hawaii and Alaska. Dish is so stupid that is wasting spotbeams mirroring SD channels from 119 to 110 (as you can see on The List), instead of using that bandwidth for new Hd channels. Like Supermanpr says only 4 premium channles are available. the worst thing is that Dish has the capacity to offer more HD thru spotbeams but they simply don't do it.

 

[NotMe546]

What about us in New York? I'm on 110/119/61.5 and if I went Eastern Arc wouldn't I lose my locals?

 

[Tom_P]

That's why I change from AEP to A250, not even locals I get them from AAD. So from over $150 that I was paying a couple of months ago now I'm paying $86. We all (PR subs) should cancel all premiums to make a stand...