Concern over MPEG4

[Tahoerob]

I am quite concerned over the CC comment about no new HD until MPEG 4 is rolled out. This will then require new STB.

This is VERY distressing to us with "new" $1000 921 receivers.

I really hope there will be a very generous plan to compensate us to switch receivers. Otherwise you will end up seeing a mass exodus of HD subs to Voom or Directv.

 

[korsjs]

best of luck to all of you who deceide to stick it out with dish.

 

[bcope9]

Don't trust Direct either. Charlie has something up his sleeve. He has a hand left to play. Remember D* needs to launch these new sats then offer HD. I don't know who will come out on top, but Charlie will not announce anything until it's ready to go. There was way too much coverage of AMC-16 to not start thinking something is up. I do know that it is awfully strange that E* and D* are now both doing ku-fss. Remember P* did this first and tanked. HD locals will be on separate sats to caover only certain areas and the HD nationals will be in the 110-119 area. Alot is going to happen in the next year or so.

 

[Neutron]

E* won't do more HD without going to MPEG-4 which will render EVERY HD receiver out there obsolete.

D* will be launching more HD hopefully by the summer. I will be able to view it with my CURRENT HD receiver.

 

[kwajr]

well it seems that mpeg 4 would give dish the uper hand here since i think it would allow more channels as far as space is concerned i know it does in archiving to dvds

 

[Stargazer]

Its supposed to be Dish Network's concern, not ours, but we will find that out eventually.

 

[bavaria72]

...D* will be launching more HD hopefully by the summer. I will be able to view it with my CURRENT HD receiver.

You sure about that? I seem to remember D* is also considering the switch to MPEG4. Might want to tap the brakes a little bit.

 

[Neutron]

D* hasn't annouced any plans to go to MPEG-4 yet. Current press release says we will be able to see the new HD channels with our current receivers. This is thanks to the massive capacity that's on the SPACEWAY satellites.

 

[MoviegoerMan]

D* hasn't annouced any plans to go to MPEG-4 yet. Current press release says we will be able to see the new HD channels with our current receivers. This is thanks to the massive capacity that's on the SPACEWAY satellites.

The december charlie chat discussed this issue in the q/a section. Dish has announce MPEG4 for the 942 due out next spring. He also said MPEG4 will not be supported on the existing receivers. Another claim was that it would take 3-4 years to convert all their content over to MPEG4.

Another reason the 921 will have no life past next spring. I got the 921 for HD with the expectation of more HD channels coming out. (another promise)... But, now, any future HD channels won't be compatible unless you spend another $1000 and get the 942 when it's available.

I have the clip in AVI format at 18meg of size, but no where to upload it at this time.

 

[mdonnelly]

D* hasn't annouced any plans to go to MPEG-4 yet. Current press release says we will be able to see the new HD channels with our current receivers. This is thanks to the massive capacity that's on the SPACEWAY satellites.

New E* satellites are orbiting at 22,300 miles now. New D* sats are orbiting at a MUCH lower altitude. It's very hard to pull in a signal from a sat that hasn't been launched yet. Let's see who gets their HD sooner.

 

[dispatcher_21]

It it possible that the mpeg4 decoder could be put into the lnb/switch and go down the RG6 decoded to the current box's??

 

[BFG]

Supossedly. There was discussion about that on these boards somewhere.

 

[dispatcher_21]

If it is possible, I dont see why E* doesnt go down that path. It seems like it would be cheaper and you would get more people willing to do this than buy a new reciever.

 

[mike123abc]

The discussion was for the 921 since it is basically a PC with PCI slots, Echostar could decide to make a PCI card to put in the 921 to do MPEG-4 decoding. They have not really ruled this out, but they have also given no hope that they would go through with the trouble of designing/debugging/programming a card like that.

Echostar is building up a large amount of capacity... AMC-15 and AMC-16 are both up and Echostar X will launch in a few months. Echostar has not committed to using this capacity in any way shape or form beyond the standard canned response of we could use it for TV or internet or other advanced things that we think we might do some day.

Perhaps Echostar is going to run 3 satellites of the clock channel... More likely they are keeping quite because they are not sure what they are going to do with them yet. This would possibly mean that they think they could get a hold of VOOM's satellite. They would not want to commit to the public that they are going to do one thing and have to change in the middle of roll out because they get an "unexpected" extra satellite. They certainately cannot say they are going after VOOM because of all sorts of negotiating non disclosures that would be in place.

 

[bcope9]

Absolutely correct, they cannot disclose anything until they have met with investors and reported to Wall Street.

 

[Stargazer]

When $550 was spent for this 721 a few years ago that was pretty well the limit for me on what I spend on a receiver and that was a bit much in itself. I cannot see myself spending more than that with as rapidly as this technology is changing. When I buy a computer I at least know I can still use it 2 or 3 years from now even if it lags behind the newer stuff, but a satellite receiver is different especially considering that its not upgradable.

 

[tonyp56]

When $550 was spent for this 721 a few years ago that was pretty well the limit for me on what I spend on a receiver and that was a bit much in itself. I cannot see myself spending more than that with as rapidly as this technology is changing. When I buy a computer I at least know I can still use it 2 or 3 years from now even if it lags behind the newer stuff, but a satellite receiver is different especially considering that its not upgradable.

Agreed 100%, though I can't bring my self to spend more than $200 on a receiver. Especially now with everything getting changed around like it is. I'd be kicking myself if I just bought a 921, for what are they going for now?, $500, and be finding out that it will be nothing but a paper weight in one or two years. (if that, or maybe longer? who knows) And in the meantime be stuck with what channels I have now, (possible of 8, plus OTA).

Yeah, I've seen people still using computers that are over ten years old, they may not be able to say that they have a top of the line computer, but "it does what I need it to" is what they always say!

 

[Stargazer]

Since they have announced this MPEG-4 conversion I will also have to quit spending money in Dish Network receivers (unless I can get enough out of my older ones that replace them to make up for most of the cost or lease them).

 

[tnsprin]

The december charlie chat discussed this issue in the q/a section. Dish has announce MPEG4 for the 942 due out next spring. He also said MPEG4 will not be supported on the existing receivers. ...

The 942 is not announced to have MPEG4. Of course if it doesn't and no upgrade plans are announced, then the 942 will never sell.

Charlie said the 942 will be out the spring of 2005. And receivers with MPEG4 should be out about this time next year (i.e 12/13/05) maybe sooner. Who believes sooner from DISH?

 

[Stargazer]

It would be so stupid for Dish Network to release the 942 unless they had already made all those receivers and need to dump those as well just like they did with the 921's. Sometimes you just get caught up with the current technology making it hard to continue onto the new hardware. I think Dish would strongly consider using MPEG-4 in the 942's.