EchoStar Will Launch New HDTV Satellites

[DISH_NC]

This is a smart move on E* part to accelerate the move to MPEG4 and the new receivers.

It's especially attractive to people like me who have an RV and tend to keep things simple with a DISH300 or DISH500. I just carry the PVR508 with us and get what we need in SD since it would be hard to drag along the DISH500+ and a DPP44 to get all the HD stuff on the road.

Now, I can get a ViP211 to bring along and only need a small 18" DISH that is easy to aim like the DISH300. Will probably still keep the 500+ at home though since I'll keep the 508 until it dies.

 

[Bountykiller]

Agreed that it is not necessarily good for an 18' dish... however... ;0 Usually my "predictions" have some element of truth to them... !

-B

 

[gadgtfreek]

Boy, I think Charlie really put his foot in his mouth on this one...

We have not idea what level of planning this thing is at. Where are these birds? What Technology? Is the launch scheduled?

Is it truly on the books, or just something Charlie thinks would be cool? How can E* contract two new sats without the stock holders knowing?

I'm VERY skeptical at this point.

Dude, read the team summit notes. Me and some other guys figured out the birds. E11 is scheduled for Dec and a AMC sat that will be 100% leased by E* is scheduled for Dec. They are on the books.

 

[mike123abc]

Dish has 2 satellites ready to go up, Echostar 11, which was supposed to go up via sealaunch, and another one built for it by SES which they agreed to lease, but have not disclosed what satellite position it would go to.

Yes Dish has said E11 would be a backup satellite, but Dish always says that about new satellites, once they get up there they are completely used.

 

[JohnH]

Dude, read the team summit notes. Me and some other guys figured out the birds. E11 is scheduled for Dec and a AMC sat that will be 100% leased by E* is scheduled for Dec. They are on the books.

Is there some fantasy slots you suggest these birds will be going to?

 

[mdonnelly]

Lyngsat has AMC-14 scheduled for a 12/2007 launch on an Atlas rocket. Does that automatically mean a Cape Canaveral launch? And does E* even have a slot at 105.5°W? How reliable is the Lyngsat launch info?

0712 	AMC 14 	Atlas 	105.5°W 	32 Ku tps 	Anonymous 	070505

 

[gadgtfreek]

Is there some fantasy slots you suggest these birds will be going to?

Once again, read the TEAM NOTES. Scott reported it for a reason, so people could read it.

 

[JohnH]

Lyngsat has AMC-14 scheduled for a 12/2007 launch on an Atlas rocket. Does that automatically mean a Cape Canaveral launch? And does E* even have a slot at 105.5°W? How reliable is the Lyngsat launch info?

0712 	AMC 14 	Atlas 	105.5°W 	32 Ku tps 	Anonymous 	070505

105.5 is a tweener slot owned by SES Americom with a Gibraltor license. There has been no known approval to provide service to the USA from this slot.

Launch info at Lyngsat is as reliable as the source(usually quite good). Commercial Atlas launches are usually from Florida.

 

[RealityCheck]

Once again, read the TEAM NOTES. Scott reported it for a reason, so people could read it.

Scott reported it because Charlie said it - that doesn't mean its accurate OR going to happen. After all take a look back to the pronouncements from last year. Lots still not ful
filled! Its echostar kool aid.

 

[skysurfer]

Well, tomorrow may bring some info in the quarterly financial report.

That's what I'm hoping for. I think myself as a DISH investor deserves more info about future operations than DISH customer service and DISH installers since those two groups can't do much with forward-looking plans until the sats are launched or existing sats are drifted into an operating slot.

as for tweeners, I'm not sure those are valid for consideration as I don't recall the FCC having made a final ruling about allowing tweener operation to help expand DBS bandwidth.

I would like to see AMC-15 used more (I don't see very many occasional feed there), so I'd like to see Echostar Fixed Satellite let Echostar DISH Network use more transponders for HDTV or locals until other capacity falls into place (tweener final approval, for one, or launch of Echo11 and other future echo DBS sats).

 

[mike123abc]

Dish does not want to use Ku-FSS satellites for DTH service if they can avoid it. The SuperDish was super expensive and hard to install. There are possibilities as to where this new service can be launched from:

1. A new DBS set of frequencies has been approved by the FCC. But, the slots have not been allocated yet. These frequencies are higher than Ku-DBS but lower than Ka. So, they should be better with rainfade than Ka. They also according to FCC docs are designed for 18" (45cm) dishes.

2. Foreign slots. Canada and Mexico have unused capacity, perhaps dish has worked out a deal with a foreign company that has not been announced yet.

3. In between slot could be approved and allocated.

For competative reasons Dish probably will keep everything secret until just before the launch when the FCC will finally publish the documents.

 

[RealityCheck]

No way. Applications for licenses don't happen overnight - and MUST be in the public domain so that any opposing parties have a chance to make a counter filing if they choose. If this stuff could be done secretly, all of them would do the same.. This process would already have to be known and in the public domain ALREADY..

Its just Charlie Chat IMO.

 

[David_Levin]

Dude, read the team summit notes. Me and some other guys figured out the birds. E11 is scheduled for Dec and a AMC sat that will be 100% leased by E* is scheduled for Dec. They are on the books.

I truely hope all this happens. But, more then 5 years has taught me to be very skeptible (50 hi-def channels on superdish, demos of firewire on the 921, etc).

I'm sure we can think of many great things for E* to do with thier sats, slot, transponders, uplink centers, encoders, etc. But, most likely E* will do something different.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

As I always say we should always be skeptible until we actually see something with our own eyes.

I usually go with my gut which is normally a good BS meter. And for some reason the gut is not going off on the MPEG4 news. I cant wait for it to happen.

 

[Cyclone]

Thats because it just makes sense. Anyone with a clue has been able to see that the writing is on the wall. Going MPEG4 only increases capacity and allows the business to continue to grow. Otherwise dbs would stagnate without being able to offer more HD channels and other services.

 

[db2]

As I always say we should always be skeptible until we actually see something with our own eyes.

I usually go with my gut which is normally a good BS meter. And for some reason the gut is not going off on the MPEG4 news. I cant wait for it to happen.

I agree. Dish certainly does drag their feet on a lot of issues but I don't think they will when it comes to something as vital as this. Both satellite companies pushing each other is a good thing for the end users.

 

[mdonnelly]

As I always say we should always be skeptible until we actually see something with our own eyes.

I usually go with my gut which is normally a good BS meter. And for some reason the gut is not going off on the MPEG4 news. I cant wait for it to happen.

Yep, MPEG-4 will happen, but I'm really "skeptible" about the timeframe.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Im not as I know they have already been doing some testing of this. (although they have been using 148)

 

[Dish-Direc]

My gut has been alarming on this once since it has been announced. Imagine the implementation of this for 13 millions customers. If it did not involve new satellites and new dishes and new switches and new installations, and new returns, I would say YES it will happen on schedule.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

It dont need new dishes, or new switches.

Just a Dish 500 and a MPEG4 receiver.

I put audio in the pub of Charlies announcement at Team Summit if you want to hear it for yourself