DirecTV and Technology

[woljr]

I have had HDTV for a year and a half and last night's July 4th specials on NBC and PBS made it worth the initial price. It was truly a spectacular demonstration of what HD is all about.

After viewing Macy's special July 4th show on NBC (OTA) last night I realized what an improper use of new technogy by DirecTV fully means. In order to cram 500 stations using new Digital technology compression, you end up with PQ lower than analog (280i ). At the same time DirecTV advertices delivering Digital quality pictures which is not true.

For the present I suggest that DirecTV or Dish Network provide a package consisting of 20 HDTV stations and 20 of the most popular Cable shows in true digital quality (480p ) . There are enough higher resolution receivers on the market to warent such a move and be profitable. :shocked

We now know what modern technogy can deliver so why can't DirecTV be a part of this new world ????

 

[Sean Mota]

I think most of us here (minority) will agree with you but D* is not in the business of providing "quality channels" but providing "quantity channels". The NBC HD presentation on D* sucked big time. It was having all type of pixelation in the fireworks; The OTA, on the other hand, was providing clear HD fireworks. D* starves the HD channels not by only providing lower resolution but by also starving to death the HD channels with lower bandwith. If this is how HD Locals will be provided, lots of people who care about quality will go back to their OTA channels. Those that are stuck with the HD locals will never know what they are missing.

 

[slacker9876]

I think most of us here (minority) will agree with you but D* is not in the business of providing "quality channels" but providing "quantity channels"...

That is because that what most consumers (not us) desire. They want to be able to tell their friends "Hey, I get 5,000,000,000 channels via satellite!!!" and we know the reality of the situation is they watch about 8 of those 5B channels.

I too (even as a strong D* advocate) think HD SAT LIL is a poor use of capacity, especially when they have not fixed the currently ailing lineup. All we can do is bitch after the fact ... no one else even offers the HD LIL services, even poorly. So to D*'s credit, at least they are trying.

 

[enoree]

Just think,IF enough people had gotten VOOM your wish would have been fulfilled.

 

[Chado]

Guys, is it me or is D* working toward improving this? And don't forget, we HD hungry customers are on the bleeding edge of technology. Unfortunately, I think VOOM was ahead of its time. Maybe not technology wise, but in the business market.

 

[woljr]

Just think,IF enough people had gotten VOOM your wish would have been fulfilled.

I agree, I had VOOM and DirecTV for over a year. In comparison DirecTV was a joke and sets back TV to the dark ages. They need to wake up before someone else finally gets wise and shows them how it is done.
WE must promote OTA HD for competition purposes. The way things are presently being handled it is the only true tecnology of the future.

 

[charper1]

The bottom line right now is, as long as people can still get any HD for free OTA AND the NAB/affiliates continue to force the FCC into continuing/creating unfair competition against ALL the DBS companies, you won't see the vast majority of US residents concerned with what goes on with satellite delivered HD.

The FCC has to speed up the removal of its own head from its backside (its has been moving slowly as of late) and stop allowing the local affiliates and the NAB to dictate the majority of the rules in the system.

The time has long since come to eliminate the current local affiliate system and to reclaim that spectrum. Just allow the networks themselves to transmit their own raw feeds (for each time zone) to allow ALL END USERS to decide, WHEN they care to watch and HOW they want to watch it. END all this my DMA, your DMA, crap. Open up all markets to all users; no more sports blackouts except for the non-sellout rules.

Let the local affiliates create their own LOCAL based news, sports, information and general programming at their OWN advertisement revenue like radio or newspapers; if it is quality, they will survive.

 

[vurbano]

The FCC has to speed up the removal of its own head from its backside (its has been moving slowly as of late) and stop allowing the local affiliates and the NAB to dictate the majority of the rules in the system.

Amen

 

[Chado]

I would be careful in giving the FCC too much more power as it already has... But you are right, it seems there time should be better spent dealing with this stuff than finding a definition to "obscene"

 

[charper1]

Hell talk about power, the NAB and our local affiliates are damn near gods in the eyes of the FCC (at least pre-mid90's) and cable operators for sure; they are always in the NAB's ear/pockets. I am surprised at what we do have as DBS users, but we should be far more advanced and on equal gronds than we are.

 

[vurbano]

Hell talk about power, the NAB and our local affiliates are damn near gods in the eyes of the FCC (at least pre-mid90's) and cable operators for sure; they are always in the NAB's ear/pockets. I am surprised at what we do have as DBS users, but we should be far more advanced and on equal gronds than we are.

Ive been absolutely slammed on this before but here is the way I look at the affiliate/network situation. Its the Tony Soprano business model but its supported by the government (FCC). Territory is carved up into designated market area (DMA's) like Chris's drug territory between dealers each with a different quality of drug depending on the DMA. going out of your territory to sell your better cocaine or higher bitrate HD is forbidden. You only get to deal in your drug in your "DMA". Profits are then funneled up to the BOSS(or the network). SO yes the affiliates are like little mob bosses or gods of their territories.

 

[charper1]

I would love to read some of the slams on this theory. I will honestly admit that we don't see eye-to-eye on some things in the forum, but this is DEAD ON. It's not even a well thought out theory; it is FACT!

 

[vurbano]

I would love to read some of the slams on this theory. I will honestly admit that we don't see eye-to-eye on some things in the forum, but this is DEAD ON. It's not even a well thought out theory; it is FACT!

Trust me on this. You dont want to mention this to a broadcaster. Ive been crucified on it before. They get absolutely IRRATE

 

[Chado]

My point was that there should be more effort into this area rather than hiding tities on TV.

 

[charper1]

Trust me on this. You dont want to mention this to a broadcaster. Ive been crucified on it before. They get absolutely IRRATE

I have too, when I was living in the SE and the big "Denver5" and "Primetime 24" thing hit I was literally cussed out by a local CBS affiliate general manager over this after I asked him why he was more concerned about his ad dollars than servicing his customer correctly. That if I was dissatisfied with his product why was he trying to refuse my right to get the product elsewhere.

EXPLOSION!

I later won by having all my DNS grandfathered on my BUD because I was one of the earliest adopters before there were "clear" (COUGH) rules like we have now LOL!

Funny I never could get the same guy to return my calls so I would know where to send the CROW.