HD channel capacity?

[apollog]

I was just wondering, Directv is claiming with Directv 12 they will have the capacity to have over 200 HD channels. My question now is, with Echostar 14 being launched and Ciel 2 having a lot of bandwidth still available, what is DN's HD channel capacity? 225, 250, 300?

 

[space86]

I was just wondering, Directv is claiming with Directv 12 they will have the capacity to have over 200 HD channels. My question now is, with Echostar 14 being launched and Ciel 2 having a lot of bandwidth still available, what is DN's HD channel capacity? 225, 250, 300?

That's a trick question...since you have to have the space on 110/119 to add it to 72.7.

But with that being said.... I posted a run down a while back but here's the raw numbers.

With them having only 16 transponders of the 32 they are currently running in 5/6 QPSK mode (30 megabit a TP) that's 480 megabits they currently have. They will transition to 8PSK 2/3 in a week or two. Those are typically around 40 megabits maybe a bit over. 40*16=640 megabits. 640-480=160 megabit gain. If they consolidate that's basically 4 free HD capable transponders. So if they run 7-8 HD's per TP that's about 30 HD channels.

But you have to remember what they add to EA has to be added to WA. They can't just add it to 129 either, since the folks that have 110/119/61.5 would be high and dry. They need to get something over to 61.5 to fire up the transponders that E3 and E12 can not physically use. I suspect they will add some HD local markets that are in bad need.

 

[mike123abc]

Dish can have whatever capacity they choose. I know that sounds strange, but if the plans go through to convert the WA to 8PSK, they essentially have enough bandwidth to carry every channel in HD in the system. Essentially they will gain capacity for about 80 more HD channels, this is in addition to about 10-20 currently unused capacity. The issue will be lack of channels to carry more than a capacity issue.

That does not mean that they will since some channels do not have an HD counterpart, and there is also the negotiation phase of carrying the HD channel.

There is a thread of what Dish does not carry: http://www.satelliteguys.us/dish-ne...available-dish-network-version-2-updated.html - Look at the second part of post #2, updated Feb 26, 1010

Outside of sports 24/7 and movie channels Dish already has most channels available to be carried. Some like the Cablevision owned channels are in dispute because of the VOOM lawsuit.

 

[TigerpounceTN]

That's a trick question...since you have to have the space on 110/119 to add it to 72.7.

Is that really an issue now? With the move to 72.7 from 61.5 with the new HD, the arc mirrors are effectively broken.

 

[am7crew]

space and mike: very informative, thanks for the replies.

 

[thedamaja]

But you have to remember what they add to EA has to be added to WA. They can't just add it to 129 either, since the folks that have 110/119/61.5 would be high and dry.

These folks already are high and dry since the last HD additions.

 

[satjay]

For what its worth, they have thrown out the "200" channel comment

DISH Network - Investor Relations - 1.888.825.2557

 

[MikeD-C05]

NO they said: "We look forward to extending our industry- leading hd line-up to well over 200 channels." This still leaves just enough doubt there ,that somebody will take from this , they mean they will have over 200 hd channels from this sat launching. Of course that is not what they meant, but it could be taken either way. Better than saying "we have capacity for up to 200 hd channels" like Directv said , which was obviously not true.

 

[navychop]

.....Outside of sports 24/7 and movie channels Dish already has most channels available to be carried. Some like the Cablevision owned channels are in dispute because of the VOOM lawsuit.

VOOM - the lawsuit that will not die.

Then again, the Tivo suit won't die either!