Charlie Chat Recap and Discussion

[csschrot]

Since I didn't see the chat I will hope that the Retailer Chat has more information on what is going to be happening. They should be letting us know about new promotions, programming upcoming. Maybe we will have a clearer idea then.

By the way that chat will be on December 22 and I'm sure Scott will have a recap for everyone on that.

Shawn

 

[Lucky]

Ken has never been a source for Dish news in my books. Still gonna wait for the January chat

I hope your right. Otherwise, I think this is terrible news. Remember DirecTV only has locals in MPEG4. Dish will have nationals in MPEG4, and basically force all of us to get new boxes or miss some of their HD content. That is a big difference. On DirecTV everyone gets all the nationals. At least for now.

This sounds like a big money making plan by Charlie. He will have most of his HD customers rushing to buy new boxes, while DirecTV is only making people that want locals in select markets buy the new boxes, and they also give a $ 200 rebate, so it is free if you only have one HD box.

 

[HokieEngineer]

KenH is citing the dbstalk charlie chat recap as his source. While I trust his inside sources, I do not trust charlie.

I am willing to bet Charlie is bluffing or misspoke, and we will see 5 new voom channels, espn2hd, and the locals up in January in mpeg2.

Hey, funny! I'm going to CES in january, maybe they'll have odds on Echostar uplink activity???

 

[alan]

i thought i heard them mention on the chat that there would be 30 hd channels operating next month??

 

[GeorgeLV]

KenH is citing the dbstalk charlie chat recap as his source. While I trust his inside sources, I do not trust charlie.
I am willing to bet Charlie is bluffing or misspoke, and we will see 5 new voom channels, espn2hd, and the locals up in January in mpeg2.
Hey, funny! I'm going to CES in january, maybe they'll have odds on Echostar uplink activity???

If Dish is launching everything in mpeg2 then there is no point in the new receivers. The changeover will happen and the 5 new Voom channels are probably the most harmless place to start. It's not like your receiver is going to be turned into a Dish 5000 receiver overnight--you'll still get all the channels you already have, but the transition will have to start eventually.

 

[GeorgeLV]

i thought i heard them mention on the chat that there would be 30 hd channels operating next month??

5 local markets * 4 channels = 20 channels + 5 channels of Voom + ESPN2 = 26 channels. A PBS or WB here or there will easily get them to 30.

 

[RandallA]

The existing HD package is 5 + 26 that makes 31 HD channels operating next month.

 

[HokieEngineer]

The existing HD package is 5 + 26 that makes 31 HD channels operating next month.

Dont forget the Voom 10, HDPPV, CBS-E,W HD, HBOHD, SHOHD, and the HD demo channel

 

[BFG]

Dish currently has 65 HD slots uplinked (13 of which are duplicates) (6 of which are MPEG4) several of those slots don't have any actual content either

 

[Stargazer]

I'm just going to enjoy what I got and wait until the technology improves along with the HD content before I buy into any of it.

 

[ww2154]

Charlie said 30 hd channels plus locals by early 2006. There is no way that will happen.

 

[rad]

When are folks going to learn to not believe anything that Charlie and company say in the chats, especially when it comes to HD programming?

Let's see, it was firsts you need a dish at 61.5 or 148 to get HD.

Then you'll need to get a SuperDish pointing to 121 to get new HD.

We changed our minds, no SuperDish required, we'll put HD on the 110/119 slots, 61.5 and 148 only for the CBS network feed.

You'll need a new MPEG4 STB to get any new HD programming.

Added a bunch of V* channels at 61.5 and MPEG2, so much for 110/119 only.

Now putting HD content Dish1000.

MPEG4 isn't the holy grail, we'll just use Turbo-PSK for awhile to add new content, MPEG4 not ready at this time (November 2005).

New channels coming in January and you'll need MPEG4.

Bottom line is wait until you can actually order 'whatever' from E* since they shoot from the hip way too much on the Chat.

 

[waltinvt]

When are folks going to learn to not believe anything that Charlie and company say in the chats, especially when it comes to HD programming?

Let's see, it was firsts you need a dish at 61.5 or 148 to get HD.

Then you'll need to get a SuperDish pointing to 121 to get new HD.

We changed our minds, no SuperDish required, we'll put HD on the 110/119 slots, 61.5 and 148 only for the CBS network feed.

You'll need a new MPEG4 STB to get any new HD programming.

Added a bunch of V* channels at 61.5 and MPEG2, so much for 110/119 only.

Now putting HD content Dish1000.

MPEG4 isn't the holy grail, we'll just use Turbo-PSK for awhile to add new content, MPEG4 not ready at this time (November 2005).

New channels coming in January and you'll need MPEG4.

Bottom line is wait until you can actually order 'whatever' from E* since they shoot from the hip way too much on the Chat.

Ah, at least someone with prospective. I was beginning to think everyone was drinking the kool-aid at the chat party.

 

[jmcgee_jr]

.

Walt wouldnt this be a real bite in the ass..for us I mean. Think if the LIL are in MP4 then our boxes would be hosed weve been waiting for HD locals for a while and from the DTV website I know I could get everything except CBS and with DTV WCAX is willing to grant a waiver they wont grant one to dish. I guess since im not stuck ina contract after CES this year and everything falls into place I will be looking at going DTV if its true on the HD LIL only being MP4. I wont give dish any money to upgrade my 811 when I lease it from them. I could understand if I owned it. Kinda like when you lease a pager and they make new changes for new transmitters you bring in your pager and they drop new crystals in for free but if you own it you gotta pay for it.

 

[BrianMis]

Remember, it doesn't matter when they start to ship the MPEG4 boxes. The MPEG4 boxes will also do MPEG2. As for me I am taking a wait and see attitude, if the new VOOM and HD LIL is put up in MPEG4, E* will have to make sure that the VOOM subs and the people in the HD LIL markets have the hardware to get the channels. Think what you want about Charlie, after almost a whole year of waiting for HD news, we finally got some. Personally I'm just happy we heard some news.

 

[jmcgee_jr]

Remember, it doesn't matter when they start to ship the MPEG4 boxes. The MPEG4 boxes will also do MPEG2. As for me I am taking a wait and see attitude, if the new VOOM and HD LIL is put up in MPEG4, E* will have to make sure that the VOOM subs and the people in the HD LIL markets have the hardware to get the channels. Think what you want about Charlie, after almost a whole year of waiting for HD news, we finally got some. Personally I'm just happy we heard some news.

Yeah brian I been waiting to hear about HD too but for some network feeds since now that I moved from PHX to Vermont I have no access to any network HD at all.

 

[riffjim4069]

Ah, at least someone with prospective. I was beginning to think everyone was drinking the kool-aid at the chat party.

Everyone at Dish must be drinking kool-aid prior to stepping in front of the camera. !sadroll

Apparently, "say what you mean, mean what you say" is not part of the EchoStar Corporate ethos. I'm sorry, but I have trouble with a company that says one thing and does another...whether by deceit or ineptitude.

 

[Juan]

Charlie looked very confused when he was talking about the mpeg 4 stuff I wouldn't be surprised if he had no clue what really is going on!!

 

[jergenf]

If the new 5 Voom and ESPN2 are going to be mpeg4 as Charlie hinted then why was there no mention about the means of viewing it. Example 211 and 962 swap program. How does he expect people to view the channels they're subscribed to.

 

[BrettTRay]

The only thing I think Charlie messed up on was new voom channels being in MPEG4. Nearly everything that charlie said about HD has been rumered by scott from his contacts at dish for about a week now. All this info must have started somewhere. I just don't see charlie pulling our chain right now. I beleive everything he said will happen. This is just my own opinion.