Looks like new HD Channels are up in testing

[Scott Greczkowski]

According to TNGTony's Channel Chart it appears the new channels are up and in testing.

http://www.dishchannelchart.com/

Below are reported to be their new channel numbers.

Discovery Channel - Channel 9421 (On the Wing sats it's 9420)
HDNet - Channel 9422
HDNet Movies - Channel 9423
ESPN-HD - Channel 9424

Maybe they can turn them on early for a free sneek peak.

 

[Sean Mota]

I wonder if they are showing in the 6000 guide yet.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

No probably not, I guess people with FTA receivers can see the channel number.

(Although I still have yet to figure out how people with FTA receivers read the data stream, as far as I know thats not a function of any FTA receiver)

 

[csschrot]

I checked the showroom receiver at work. No sign of the new HD channels. If I see them before the 16th I will let people know. With E* the customers will get it before the retailer.

 

[fv3]

....(Although I still have yet to figure out how people with FTA receivers read the data stream, as far as I know thats not a function of any FTA receiver)

Actually, it is a function of every DVB-S receiver, FTA or not. They have to read the SI to know what channels are available and what kind of decryption is needed to receive them. What may not be present is the ability for the user to see what the receiver collects from the data stream.

Rob Hewitt's website has a good discussion of how MPEG-2 works, especially in DVB-S: http://www.coolstf.com/mpeg/index.html

Bottom line: enough of the System Information tables have to be transmitted in an unencrypted form that the FTA receiver can figure out what channels are on which transponders, etc.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Cool I would get a FTA reciever but they probably dont work behind a switch (you probably need a direct connect to the LNB)

 

[fv3]

Cool I would get a FTA reciever but they probably dont work behind a switch (you probably need a direct connect to the LNB)

Actually, most DVB-S receivers work quite well with DiSEqC switches....

But I suppose you meant Dish network switches.

I heard a noise about the Dish Pro switches being (more) compatible with the DiSEqC switches, but I don't know how much stock to put in that. Also, I suspect that the new band-stacking stuff Dish is coming out with might break that "compatiblity"....

Anybody have more specific information?

 

[fv3]

Further reading suggests that the DishPro switches are, in fact, DiSEqC 2.0 compatible.

Check this footnote from Chapter 6 of the 721 manual:

"Compatible accessory devices must pass 2150 MHz signals, 22 KHz signals both directions (per DiSEqC 2.0 specifications)....." (page 140)
http://www.dishnetwork.com/downloads/pdf/technology/721/721_User_Guide_part4.pdf

 

[sampatterson]

Yes, my FTA receiver works fine with the dishpro switches. (diseq 2.0)