KQED San Francisco
- Thread starter shimma
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Most areas
This is true w/ most areas. Only way I get PBS in HD is OTA. Ypu should ask a mod to rename this to PBS in HD across the country or something like that.
This is true w/ most areas. Only way I get PBS in HD is OTA. Ypu should ask a mod to rename this to PBS in HD across the country or something like that.
it all depends on the spotbeam capacity. They have added some PBS stations in smaller markets due to room on the spotbeam 
it all depends on the spotbeam capacity. They have added some PBS stations in smaller markets due to room on the spotbeam
I have not heard that there has been a settlement between PBS and Dish.
The Bay Area has about a half dozen PBS TV channels, not just KQED, and there are weird territorial issues.
There are currently only 5 channels on the Bay Area HD spotbeam, so it seems unlikely that it is a bandwidth issue.
This is a new measurement that I had never heard of. How does one go about determining spotbeam capacity?
I live in Portland, OR, where there also are 5 HD channels on the HD spotbeam (about 8 SD on the SD beam), and PBS is not one of the 5 HD channels. Does that mean there is room on the HD spotbeam for PBS HD (we only have one local channel) and DISH is not making use of it?
If so, I'm going to become more vocal about it, before they give the HD capacity to one of the local religious or Spanish-language channels!
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PBS is mostly the problem
The way that PBS is set up is most of the problem. Since all moneys are not shared through the system it is harder for any carrier other than local cable co's to carry the stations. The way funding is done for PBS stations a large part of the money comes from their local areas. That's what the "beg-a thons" are about.
The way that PBS is set up is most of the problem. Since all moneys are not shared through the system it is harder for any carrier other than local cable co's to carry the stations. The way funding is done for PBS stations a large part of the money comes from their local areas. That's what the "beg-a thons" are about.
You're right of course about each station being funded locally, but wouldn't that be an added incentive for the local PBS station in Portland to make itself available to DISH? The added revenue would be 'found' money for them, and DISH would pick up a popular station at a reasonable price. It sounds like a win-win to me, provided there is unused capacity on the spotbeam.
If only
The thing is it is more complicated than that. Some of the stuff they run would have to have national approval or else have to be blacked out. It's not simple as local only. E* will need a national contract and a local station contract to make it work so as I said it is complicated.
The thing is it is more complicated than that. Some of the stuff they run would have to have national approval or else have to be blacked out. It's not simple as local only. E* will need a national contract and a local station contract to make it work so as I said it is complicated.
The word has been that satellite loathes having to unlink them because of the lack of precious bandwidth for satellite. Consider that right now Dish has to deal with getting all RSN's in HD 24/7, adding all CW and MyTV in all DMA's in HD and up-linking all local PBS in HD. Adding the sub-channels is not even on the back burner. It is still in the fridge. I believe that requirement to provide all locals in HD does NOT apply to sub-channels. Meaning I am unaware of any legislation that will require that any sub-channels are offered by satellite. Your only hope is local stations demanding that their sub-channels be up-linked if Dish or DirecTV want to offer their main channel.
I'm sure it is more complicated than it looks; but despite the complications, DIRECTV manages to offer HD channels for both KQED in San Francisco and for the one local PBS affiliate in Portland. So it is possible to negotiate these contracts.
Maybe the other poster is right after all in saying that our local DISH spotbeams don't have the capacity for more HD channels. It is curious that Portland and San Franciso are both assigned the same number of HD channels by DISH (5). Possibly DIRECTV is using newer technology, or maybe their spotbeams are engineered differently.
Same
D* signed a contract w/ PBS about yr ago so all they needed was an agreement w/ local station after that.
I could be the later or the former w/ E*. Once they get all the national nets up then maybe they will do PBS or wait until the have to date in what I think is 2013.
D* signed a contract w/ PBS about yr ago so all they needed was an agreement w/ local station after that.
I could be the later or the former w/ E*. Once they get all the national nets up then maybe they will do PBS or wait until the have to date in what I think is 2013.
Why would their HD signal offerings to DISH be any different than their SD? DISH now carries KQED, KTEH, KCSM, and KRCB (Sonoma County Public TV) in SD and has for a long time. I do not understand how an agreement to carry HD could be an issue, other than the bandwith capability of the DISH spotbean for the Bay Area.
It just is
The contracts are different is all. That's why some of the LIL for different area now have some of the locals only in SD even though they run HD OTA. Found this out when I worked for a station where they turned on the HD locals and it was only 2 of the big 4. Went thru a bunch of hoops to find out who to talk to at E*. I found out that neither the station I worked for or the other had agreements for the HD's to be carried.
The contracts are different is all. That's why some of the LIL for different area now have some of the locals only in SD even though they run HD OTA. Found this out when I worked for a station where they turned on the HD locals and it was only 2 of the big 4. Went thru a bunch of hoops to find out who to talk to at E*. I found out that neither the station I worked for or the other had agreements for the HD's to be carried.
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Very interesting. I had no idea, and many thanks for clearing it up for me. I would watch our PBS station much more if it were in HD.....so many of their programs lend themselves particularly well to HD. I am way too far from the transmitter to get OTA. Alas.
Dish needs to carry all locals in HD. I have checked with the FCC and may file a complaint with them to force dish into carrying all local signal in HD
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