EchoStar Will Launch New HDTV Satellites

[GweeDo767]

Question: if they do start broadcasting from two new birds, will people have to have their dishes realigned? For example, I have a Dish 1000 right now for 110,119, and 129. Will something need to change in that respect for me to enjoy these channels if it should occur?

 

[mdonnelly]

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

Oh, I'm sure Charlie said it. It's just that Charlie has a history of saying things that don't end up happening just the way he said they would. Kind of like the line about the Pirates' Code from Pirates of the Caribbean, "We be takin' the Code more as a guideline".

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Question: if they do start broadcasting from two new birds, will people have to have their dishes realigned? For example, I have a Dish 1000 right now for 110,119, and 129. Will something need to change in that respect for me to enjoy these channels if it should occur?

From the way I see it, you will enjoy everything you have now with no changes, however if you want the mpeg4 service (and the new channels it offers) you will need to repoint your dish.

 

[datwell]

Washington, DC HD Locals

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

Scott: I assume I will still need my 61.5 for my HD locals?

The MPEG4 is just super! The PQ is great and makes for bunch more capacity on the 622 hard drive due to smaller file size! :

--Doug

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Scott: I assume I will still need my 61.5 for my HD locals?

Nope, once the new system is online you can get everything from one Dish, all in MPEG4.

 

[datwell]

Nope, once the new system is online you can get everything from one Dish, all in MPEG4.

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!! :

--Doug

 

[Kru83]

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!! :

--Doug

so that will replace current 119 and 110 ??? or new slot.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

A new slot.

We will hear more details about this as time goes on.

Trust me on this when I tell you they have a plan and it will get done.

 

[Kru83]

A new slot.

We will hear more details about this as time goes on.

Trust me on this when I tell you they have a plan and it will get done.

hopefully, i am still waiting on DPP 33, and vip 222. i keep loosing my faith in charlie.

 

[RealityCheck]

I trust they have a plan - I doubt the timeframe.

 

[Cyclone]

Do not get attached to time lines and you will never be disappointed.

 

[RVD420]

I hope that when the new birds for the mpeg4 service are launched that they have enough power to run 8PSK at 22000 SR with 5/6 FEC.

That would give them about 50.7 mbit/sec for Bandwidth per TP.

Right now they run their 8PSK TPs at 21500 SR with 2/3 FEC for about 39.6 mbit/sec.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Do not get attached to time lines and you will never be disappointed.

Exactly, remember FREE BEER TOMMOROW.

 

[MikeD-C05]

So Scott if we repoint our Dish 1000.2 towards the new sats for mpeg 4 we should have one hell of a rain fade killer right? I mean that dish is pretty good size and if the lnbs aren't going to change then it should be pretty easy.

 

[rad]

Would it just be cheaper to give everyone free replacements to MPEG4 STB's and then on a given date do a flash cut from MPEG2 to MPEG4? How much will the spend on sending tech's out to repoint dishes or installed new dishes for free for new sub and give away new STB (since E*'s in the mood to give away hardware for new subs or will they charge existing subs to switch)? How much is it costing them to build/lease two new satelittes and get them launched (and hope that there isn't any problems)? Then add in all the new uplink facilities to service these two new satellites.

 

[DishSubLA]

Of course Swann reads SatelliteGuys.

Yes, and he never gives you credit. Instead he refers to "boards".

 

[abricko]

I'm sorry, but i don't like swann at all, i'll leave the bashing there...

why is this new satellite mirror service so hard to believe? to do a national upgrade by replacing how many million receivers so they can just hit a switch and enable mpeg2 would be a horrible nightmare and require many years of upgrading just to get us to the point where they can finally flip the switch... E* doesn't have that time and we don't have that paitence... anyone with software or systems engineering experience will tell you the safest way to upgrade is to build a mirror system, upgrade it and then begin to migrate people. both systems are up and you have time to move people safely.

sooooooo.....

launch new mpeg4 satellites all new subs will automatically be pointed to the new dishes and have the new mpeg4 boxes... us geeks and 211 / 622 owners will swing our dishes over, others will pay for a tech to come out or complain E* India that they aren't getting new channels because they are now on the old system...

then you set an agressive upgrade plan... all dish mover subs will get the new sat location and boxes. dish offers upgrades to all existing users when they call for tech support... call other customers and offer them better prices on their pacakges if they allow a system upgrade to the new sats... over the next two years you fade out the old service by continuing to contact old subs and convert them... in the end you'll have a majority of users using and enjoying the new system then when you finally flip the switch you'll finally get the boon docks / unabomber subs calling to say hey my tv don't work anymore and they are finally fixed or they leave i guess...

 

[Dish-Direc]

My Thoughts

It dont need new dishes, or new switches.
Just a Dish 500 and a MPEG4 receiver.

Repointing 13 million dishes wont happen overnight, and if the MPEG-2 service will still remain, then the security issues will continue. I guess we can soon see these FREE MPEG-4 receivers coming to our doors?

 

[mike123abc]

Would it just be cheaper to give everyone free replacements to MPEG4 STB's and then on a given date do a flash cut from MPEG2 to MPEG4? How much will the spend on sending tech's out to repoint dishes or installed new dishes for free for new sub and give away new STB (since E*'s in the mood to give away hardware for new subs or will they charge existing subs to switch)? How much is it costing them to build/lease two new satelittes and get them launched (and hope that there isn't any problems)? Then add in all the new uplink facilities to service these two new satellites.

13 million accounts with multiple receivers in each account... Assume to make it easy 25 million receivers to update... At $100/each $2.5 billion (this is an agressive price point, probably much higher when you consider DVRs, shipping, and tons of service calls to all those that cannot figure out how to unhook one and hook in the new one).

New satellite $100-$250 million... They are leasing one satellite. So for 1/10th the upfront cash they get the new system. I expect Dish to have some sort of $50-$100 fee to upgrade to the new system if you need a tech to come out. Essentially they get the customers to pay for the upgrade.

 

[Sammy033]

Exactly, remember FREE BEER TOMMOROW.

As long as its good beer. I'll pass on Coors thank you.