Howdy from Team Summit
- Thread starter Scott Greczkowski
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I believe its the 86.5 and 97 degree location. I am going to try getting more information in a little while 
I guess that we should pick two from this list, from the last SEC 10-K filing:
Satellites under Construction
We have entered into contracts to construct a number of additional satellites, including the following satellites which are contractually scheduled to be completed within the next three years.
• EchoStar XI, a Space Systems/Loral, Inc. (“SSL”) DBS satellite, is expected to be completed in 2007. However, the launch could be delayed until the second half of 2008 as a result of problems currently being experienced by the launch provider, Sea Launch. EchoStar XI is expected to provide service to CONUS from the 110 degree orbital location. This satellite will enable better bandwidth utilization, provide back-up protection for our existing offerings, and could allow DISH Network to offer other value-added services.
• Four additional SSL Ka and/or Ku extended band satellites are contractually scheduled to be completed during 2008 and 2009. They would enable better bandwidth utilization and could allow DISH Network to offer other value-added services.
• CMBStar, an S-band satellite, is scheduled to be completed during the second quarter of 2008. Provided required regulatory approvals are obtained and contractual conditions are satisfied, the transponder capacity of that satellite will be leased to an affiliate of a Chinese regulatory entity to support the development of satellite-delivered mobile video services in China.
• During January 2007, we entered into a contract for the construction of EchoStar XIV, an SSL DBS satellite, which is expected to be completed during 2009. This satellite has been designed with a combination of CONUS and spot beam capacity and could be used at multiple orbital locations. EchoStar XIV could also allow DISH Network to offer other value-added services.
We have also entered into agreements to lease capacity on the following satellites currently under construction.
• An SES Americom DBS satellite (“AMC-14”) which is currently expected to launch during late 2007, and commence commercial operation in early 2008 at an orbital location to be determined at a future date. The satellite is being equipped with transmit antennas optimized for multiple orbital locations, providing greater backup flexibility in the event certain other in-orbit satellites fail.
• A Canadian DBS satellite (“Ciel 2”) which is currently scheduled to be launched during 2009 and commence commercial operation at the 129 degree orbital location, has both spot and CONUS capabilities. This satellite could be used to provide HD programming to CONUS and as additional backup capacity.
Satellites under Construction
We have entered into contracts to construct a number of additional satellites, including the following satellites which are contractually scheduled to be completed within the next three years.
• EchoStar XI, a Space Systems/Loral, Inc. (“SSL”) DBS satellite, is expected to be completed in 2007. However, the launch could be delayed until the second half of 2008 as a result of problems currently being experienced by the launch provider, Sea Launch. EchoStar XI is expected to provide service to CONUS from the 110 degree orbital location. This satellite will enable better bandwidth utilization, provide back-up protection for our existing offerings, and could allow DISH Network to offer other value-added services.
• Four additional SSL Ka and/or Ku extended band satellites are contractually scheduled to be completed during 2008 and 2009. They would enable better bandwidth utilization and could allow DISH Network to offer other value-added services.
• CMBStar, an S-band satellite, is scheduled to be completed during the second quarter of 2008. Provided required regulatory approvals are obtained and contractual conditions are satisfied, the transponder capacity of that satellite will be leased to an affiliate of a Chinese regulatory entity to support the development of satellite-delivered mobile video services in China.
• During January 2007, we entered into a contract for the construction of EchoStar XIV, an SSL DBS satellite, which is expected to be completed during 2009. This satellite has been designed with a combination of CONUS and spot beam capacity and could be used at multiple orbital locations. EchoStar XIV could also allow DISH Network to offer other value-added services.
We have also entered into agreements to lease capacity on the following satellites currently under construction.
• An SES Americom DBS satellite (“AMC-14”) which is currently expected to launch during late 2007, and commence commercial operation in early 2008 at an orbital location to be determined at a future date. The satellite is being equipped with transmit antennas optimized for multiple orbital locations, providing greater backup flexibility in the event certain other in-orbit satellites fail.
• A Canadian DBS satellite (“Ciel 2”) which is currently scheduled to be launched during 2009 and commence commercial operation at the 129 degree orbital location, has both spot and CONUS capabilities. This satellite could be used to provide HD programming to CONUS and as additional backup capacity.
Hey Scott,
The new avatar....doesn't look anything like you!
And yours does?
(ducks and runs)
All this talk of swapping BOXES for the MPEG4...if they go to different sats as mentioned, we'll all be swapping DISHES again too!
Sounds promising, though!
Sounds promising, though!
Ok lots of news posted. http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=96083
I am now off to get lots of pictures.
I am now off to get lots of pictures.
We seem to be interpreting "full MPEG-4" to mean Dish will shift all programming (except possibly for some new, separate service) to MPEG-4 promptly. Surely there will be a phase in period. Maybe by "full MPEG-4" they mean they are committing, with or without a timeline, to shift all MPEG-2 stuff to MPEG-4. And I'll bet the actual timeline will be 2 or 3 years, with incentives (new channels) for moving to the new equipment sooner rather than later. Maybe part of this is to start issuing only MPEG-4/8PSK equipment as of X date.
No they are going to be running MPEG2 on 110 and 119
And MPEG4 on these two new satellites.
The MPEG2 stuff will remain running for quite awhile to give people time to upgrade to MPEG4.
And MPEG4 on these two new satellites.
The MPEG2 stuff will remain running for quite awhile to give people time to upgrade to MPEG4.
Ya know, I'm thinking some more about this. Why would this be a separate service? Why wouldn't Dish just add these two new satellites to their existing fleet?
Possible answers:
--Maybe these two sats would require another dish, or more dish re-pointing? (I don't know enough about these topics to hazard a guess as to whether this is true.) If this is the case, then this would imply that they're not going to bother marketing to existing customers . . . but what would they put on them?
Maybe all their SD channels in MPEG-4? Excluding locals? Put out a new receiver with QAM demodulation, so that users could get just basic cable for their locals? Then this new service could be marketed as a cheap alternative to cable . . . Nahh, I don't see the point of that.
--Or maybe this will be an HD-only service. Move all HD CONUS channels to these new sats, freeing up space on the existing ones, and market this new service to HD households--call it VOOM2: Electric Boogaloo . . .
--Or, if these new sats have spot beams, then load 'em them up with all the HD locals.
Hmm . . .
Possible answers:
--Maybe these two sats would require another dish, or more dish re-pointing? (I don't know enough about these topics to hazard a guess as to whether this is true.) If this is the case, then this would imply that they're not going to bother marketing to existing customers . . . but what would they put on them?
Maybe all their SD channels in MPEG-4? Excluding locals? Put out a new receiver with QAM demodulation, so that users could get just basic cable for their locals? Then this new service could be marketed as a cheap alternative to cable . . . Nahh, I don't see the point of that.
--Or maybe this will be an HD-only service. Move all HD CONUS channels to these new sats, freeing up space on the existing ones, and market this new service to HD households--call it VOOM2: Electric Boogaloo . . .
--Or, if these new sats have spot beams, then load 'em them up with all the HD locals.
Hmm . . .
Or, another option: Take so long to compose your message that Scott spills the beans before you can post it.
So when all is said and done, someone like me who has a 1000.2 for 129, 199 and 110 can swap to an 18" dish for two sats?
That is the question I want to know. Where is the national hd channels going to? I don't see mention of that in the posts. They say 100 hd locals and a thousand sd channels and so many international ones but no mention of if the hd national channels are staying put or moving. But if all of the above can be recieved with only one 18" dish where the heck are the national hd channels going to?
The way I understand it is that they will keep the existing MPEG-2 programming and simulcast the MPEG-4 programming on different birds to be viewable by folks with all MPEG-4 capable equipment. This will allow current customers without VIP receivers to continue viewing their normal programming. Completely changing over to MPEG-4 would be an ENORMOUS task. Changing EVERY dish and EVERY receiver.....whew. That's a lot of dollars to spend. Consider this - what would they do with all of the returned MPEG-2 receivers? They'd be junk. DISH would have BILLIONS of dollars of equipment returned just to sit and collect dust. On top of that, they would have to manufacteur all of the millions of replacement receivers. Too much to do before the middle of next year. The only thing that makes sense is to simulcast both MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 service on different sats. Folks wanting/needing total MPEG-4 programming will get a different dish to integrate with their existing ViP receivers. For everyone else it will be business as usual. Then like Scott said, over time MPEG-4 will be the cat's meow for everyone. But it will be at least 2-3 years before the total switch is complete.
I guess, really, Id rather keep the 1000.2 even if I only had to get channels off of two sats. Due to the size of the dish it would help in the rain. I just hope it does end up where I only need to two satellites, being stretched between 110 and 129 with 1 dish is not so hot.
Yepp. Prob be smarter to keep a 1000.2 than swap to an 18" if all this comes to fruition.
