It's 2014, is it safe to say we'll never get RSNs in full-time HD?

jrbdmb

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Apr 5, 2004
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I'm not holding my breath for full-time HD RSNs ... but there is a ton of bandwidth that is not used during non-prime-time-sports hours (Mid - 7PM weeknights, Mid - Noon weekends). I'd love to see off-hours replays of games broadcast in HD when possible.

For example, most live ACC / SEC basketball games are blacked out on the RSNs, but the replays are in the clear. Why not show these in HD?
 

Joe The Dragon

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Sep 19, 2008
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You have it wrong. It's not a regional or spot beam issue. RSNs have to be CONUS on both Eastern and Western Arc because of things like the Sports pack, NBA League Pass, and NHL Center Ice. So you're talking about 30-40 RSNs (my numbers since every time you turn around there's a new one popping up and I've lost count) times two. That's a lot of bandwidth to make them full time HD channels.

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they can do what directv used to and have full Time RSN HD on spot beams. and keep there part time HD for NBA League Pass, NHL Center Ice, ect.
 

dangue

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they can do what directv used to and have full Time RSN HD on spot beams. and keep there part time HD for NBA League Pass, NHL Center Ice, ect.
I've heard this suggestion before and it would work for me, but I bet Sportpack fans would complain about the lack of HD.

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The Fat Man

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Did I ever tell you all my opinion about dumping the SD RSNs ... (DEAD HORSE!!!) This is where preference comes into play. I live in New England, just like the OP. I enjoy NESN and CSN-NE, but I truly care about the live games in HD. I can live with Sports Desk (or whatever it's called lately) in SD. But I'm only one person.
 

Poke

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Well with 4K coming out lets hope at some point ALL SD goes away for everything and we only have HD and 4K.
 

jbrelish

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Dec 5, 2010
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(And Direct TV has started in limited areas to add an RSN surcharge)
Maybe this is the answer for Dish,start surcharges for RSNs(HD and SD). Actually a better idea would be to separate RSNs from all packages and if a subscriber wants their local RSNs then let they pay accordingly to how much that particular RSN wants to charge. That way Dish would be off the hook for being blamed for RSN availability and resolution.
 

hurricane87

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Jan 19, 2014
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they can do what directv used to and have full Time RSN HD on spot beams. and keep there part time HD for NBA League Pass, NHL Center Ice, ect.
That is exactly what I was going to recommend. To me it makes perfect sense. If you're subscribed to league pass, center ice etc you expect to get the games not all sports related shows in that region. I live in Boston and I want my local RSNs Boston content. I wouldn't expect to get local news and highlight shows for LA, NY, Chicago, and Philly etc as well.

The way this corrupt industry is going with constant price hikes there's going to be no choice but for more and more content to go a la carte. I cannot wait...
 

zippyfrog

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That is exactly what I was going to recommend. To me it makes perfect sense. If you're subscribed to league pass, center ice etc you expect to get the games not all sports related shows in that region. I live in Boston and I want my local RSNs Boston content. I wouldn't expect to get local news and highlight shows for LA, NY, Chicago, and Philly etc as well.

The way this corrupt industry is going with constant price hikes there's going to be no choice but for more and more content to go a la carte. I cannot wait...

Agreed! I remember posting a while back that same thing and someone mentioned the reason they didn't go spotbeams with the RSN's is because some markets on adjacent spotbeams might have 3 or 4 RSN's, so each RSN has to be uplinked to multiple spotbeams. And it has been mentioned on other threads that the space is limited on Western Arc.
 

goaliebob99

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Agreed! I remember posting a while back that same thing and someone mentioned the reason they didn't go spotbeams with the RSN's is because some markets on adjacent spotbeams might have 3 or 4 RSN's, so each RSN has to be uplinked to multiple spotbeams. And it has been mentioned on other threads that the space is limited on Western Arc.

The other part of the equation is bandwidth on the spot beams. Some markets like NYC and Chicago are allready maxed out on thier beams and cant add another channel like a RSN.
 

dare2be

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The other part of the equation is bandwidth on the spot beams. Some markets like NYC and Chicago are allready maxed out on thier beams and cant add another channel like a RSN.
Well, NYC doesn't have an RSN, so, problem solved. :D
 

zippyfrog

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Is Dish upgrading any of the Western Arc satellites anytime soon, and if so, does a new satellite mean more bandwidth per transponder?
 

ttomni6

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Aug 14, 2011
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Here in Hawaii even the live games on the RSNs are SD. Same for PAC 12 networks.

They consider us part of California so RSNs here are foxw, csnba, prime. However, for hockey only LA is considered our team. So if the kings have a game on NHLN, it's blacked out and we only get the SD feed.

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Dr.Pepper

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Jun 27, 2010
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I think it would be nice if Dish could pop up a message telling you that your game is now available on its HD channel for those times that you have to watch the game on the SD channel to begin.
 

The Fat Man

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That's the part that stinks for all of you in the JIP zone. I don't have that problem as Boston teams are usually the first to go live, and it is a bigger market. Even though the latter argument isn't sound. After all, Detroit is a bigger market, and relatively close to Boston in the DMA ranks, yet I've heard of them getting JIP HD games.
 

satjay

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Over here in MI we have been pretty good, right now for example pistons might be on main RSN, wings on alternate

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