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D* now downrezzes all 1080i channels to 1280

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Have not jumped into the fray in a while but here goes.

I had V* and loved the selections of HD even though some are total crap...(see Antiques channel, Moov,etc..) some good Equator(when no mosquito noise), rave, etc. Their accounting was horrible and they offered no substantive sports i.e. Sports tickets, PPV, and stb was suspect for me a couple times. I went back to D* for the NFL ticket....and the HD there especially. Did I give up PQ...yah i might have. Did I give up HD selection...Yup. But in 3-4 months D*'s Birds will be roaming the celestial skies beaming beaultiful HD Content to my living room and bedroom. Now Vurbano, I doubt all the bandwith will be taken up with HDLIL. If D* doe not add IN HD 1 & 2, ESPN HD2, and every other real HD option for a channel out there I will scream from the highest peak on my roof...but until then D* will give us a so-so HD signal and I can deal with it. The journey to get the most HD in the end is the objective, this is merely a bump in the road to 1900something x whatever
 
smays said:
Link?

Or are you speculating?


DirecTV has said that the two Spaceway satellites will be used for HD-LIL while D* 10 and 11 will have the space for national HD. From http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/aboutus/headline.dsp?id=01-06-2005A

Local HD programming in the first group of markets will be available mid-year following the successful launch of the Spaceway 1 and Spaceway 2 satellites in the second quarter. The launch of these satellites and two others - DIRECTV 10 and DIRECTV 11, scheduled to go aloft in early 2007 - will play a vital role in the dramatic expansion of programming capacity for DIRECTV, announced last September.

The Boeing-built Spaceway 1 and 2 satellites will have the capacity for more than 500 local HD channels, bringing local HD programming to most of the U.S. population, and will enable DIRECTV to continue to expand standard-definition local offerings and other enhancements. DIRECTV 10 and 11 will have the capacity for more than 1,000 additional local HD channels and more than 150 national HD channels and other new programming offerings. All four satellites will use spot-beam technology to deliver local channels.


I wish it isn't so, if we have to wait till early 2007 Comcast might have a new customer before then.
 
It has been widely reported that the vast majority of the Spaceway 1 and 2 satellites which will be launched within the next 2 - 3 months if all goes well (Ka transponders), will be used for HD-LIL, specifically starting with the top 12 DMAs; and some much needed compression relief. Now I also hope at least 2 - 4 national HD channels hit as well with these first satellites; like TNT-HD, and InHD just to name a few.

The other satellites due out this year, DTV8 and 9s, will have 70 Ku transponders, so I see this as being some needed space for added SD channels (HBO comedy & The Tennis chnl would be nice) and more needed compression relief as well.

AND in 2007 I am seeing DTV 10 & 11 as replacements for aging satellites.
 
If I hadn't received my HD DVR for free, I'd be really pissed about this issue.

Fortunately once I get off my lazy arse and re-mount my OTA on the roof (and tell the HOA where they can stick their bylaws) the DVR will be able to record all my favorites at their glorious full resolution (which my old E* HD DVR was virtually incapable of doing, regardless of their satellite HD channels looking slightly better).
 
hmmmmm wonder how many local HD doom...I mean voom has?
let me count.........ZERO, NADA, NONE, ZELCH.
you watch your "paint dry" and grass grow" stations in HD all you want......but some of us enjoy watching primetime shows in HD
 

I'm unclear as to whether or not D* will add any national local HD channels running off the newly launched satellites, as I thought that those sats were MPEG-4, and anyone who was going to be looking at those sats would need their STB's replaced... If this is true, then I seriously doubt D* would add any national HD channels on THOSE satellites, as it would be much harder for them to coordinate STB replacements all over the country at the same time, as opposed to what I understood them to be plannig, which is the top 12 markets, then top 30, etc, in a more organized fashion.
 
mpeg4 has nothing to do with the satellites.

I have no use for any HDTV channels LIL. Why on Earth would I pay them for getting what I now get for free when all they would do is muck up what quality the locals broadcast direct to me already? As far as I'm concerned, the entire effort to support all LIL is nothing more than a scam to hold onto a business model for local broadcasting out of the 1950's. It costs billions and billions to achieve this and the locals subscriber base does not pay the tab as it is subsidized by the general subscriber. Had they never began the LIL use of the precious bandwidth, we would have never had a situation where HDTV was thought of being a bandwidth hog. D* would be like VOOM with 40 HDTV channels on a small number of TP's.

People who live in the boonies just want those network TV shows which could be offered conus. People don't really want to watch the few local commercials from some city 100 miles away they are forced to see by the LIL concept. People who live within good broadcast signal don't need LIL and those with problems can do cheap cable for locals plus a few cable channels cheaper than D*'s minimum package plus LIL. Of course there are those who advertise on local TV who derive income from it and by some remote chance the few who would not watch may be a loss, but we're really talking extremely small numbers here.
 
Don Landis said:
mpeg4 has nothing to do with the satellites.

I have no use for any HDTV channels LIL. Why on Earth would I pay them for getting what I now get for free


Its all about choice and a level playing field between the affiliates, cable and DBS. Also, not everyone wants to be forced into getting something a certain way just because the next guy say so. If you happen to be able to get perfect OTA HD reception doesn't mean that the majority or your town can. Just consider yourself one of the lucky few and smile that you save a few bucks, but don't berate those that need it via satellite or choose not to go via cable.
 
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