ESPN MDU disruptions?

[AntAltMike]

I just got this e-mail from WSA LLC, which is the corporate entity owned by DISH that holds the remaining assets from the WSNet bankruptcy:

We received the below information from ESPN:

This letter serves to notify you that due to certain technical changes, effective December 31, 2006 tier bit access for the ESPN & ESPN2 services will no longer be available through the Access Control Center (“ACC”). As a result, the access to provide signal to certain C-Band subscribers will no longer be available. Furthermore, should the ACC cease to operate on a date earlier than December 31st, the services will no longer be available upon such date without further notice from ESPN.



Thanks,

I still have three MDUs using C-band analog as a source for ESPN, and two of them pay nearly $2.00 per sub less for resellable, "basic" ESPN (as distinguished from "bulk", which cannot be resold) via C-band than I can buy it for from a transport programming broker.

Does anyone know what any of this means? Does it only apply to digital C-band ESPN feeds? Is ESPN maybe trying to squeeze WSA LLC out of the distribution loop?

If they make me take their digital C-band feed, what satellite is it on. I have one account with a Simulsat3 antenna that can only take on addiditional feedhorns from 3 degrees or further away, so I can't outfit it to receive signals from satellites adjacent to G5, F3 or F4.

 

[voomvoom]

ESPN & ESPN2 are not currently available on digital (DCII) C/ku bands that I'm aware of for 4dtv. You can only get ESPN Classic & ESPNews that I can think of and maybe one in Spanish. It looks to me like it's the analog feeds (VCII) that are probably going to disapear. Hopefully, some of the DCII providers will contract to re-uplink them. We'll have to wait and see.

Al

It loooks like you may have to get a 4dtv, if someone does re-uplink it, or go with D*, E*, or a local cable provider?

 

[photoman76]

ESPN's commercial (not consumer 4dtv) digital standard definition distribution feeds are on Galaxy 15 (formerly Galaxy 1R). ESPN's High Definition distribution feeds are on Galaxy 10R.

It sounds like the analog feeds you are now receiving will not be available to you after December 31st. It makes no mention of what you should do if you still wish to receive ESPN after December 31st.

 

[AntAltMike]

It would cost me a bundle to target G15, because the dishes I maintain receive signals from the adjacent slots and are not large enough to add a beam just 2 degrees away.

I have some old, model 910 DC-2 receivers left over from a HITS/Loral/WSNet headend that are physically about the size of the old Sony B2 receivers, but sometimes a commercial digital services provider will only activate rack-mounted receivers, which cost over $1,000 each. To get free ones, the customer must commit to a multiyear subscription, which I won't advise them to do.

I can get the programming from DBS transport, but as I mentioned in the opening post, it costs a lot more to get it that way.

 

[photoman76]

Here is an old story about ESPN's conversion from analog to digital.

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA38683.html?display=Programming

It sounds like they provided a lot of free DSR-4500X DigiCipher II Integrated Receiver/Decoders.

 

[cablewithaview]

Here is an old story about ESPN's conversion from analog to digital.

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA38683.html?display=Programming

It sounds like they provided a lot of free DSR-4500X DigiCipher II Integrated Receiver/Decoders.

You have to have 200 or more subs to get a free 4500x, if it's less then that, you will have to pay for it. I think they are now using the new DSR 4530X for those feeds. The roll out for ABC Family used the 4530X and very similar to the 4500X. Main differences was the size and port 1 is powered on the 4530X.