New HD channels in testing

[coolman302003]

New channels are on client in my .motel room.

Does this motel have DRE (DirecTV Residential Experience)? You will know as they will have a lot more HD channels and it will have the guide like we have all become familiar with at home. The hotel/motels can also customize it with there own logo and insert in special promo channels.

It could also be Pro:Idiom where they have special HDTVs in the rooms back to a head end system but those are usually limited to around 20-35 HD channels total for the premises. I also don't think they commonly install those as much these days.

http://www.directv.com/hotels
http://forums.solidsignal.com/showt...-PAPER-The-NEW-DIRECTV-Residential-Experience

 

[dfergie]

this

 

[dfergie]

 

[coolman302003]

Very cool. Thanks for the pictures, and yes that definitely looks like DRE. The national networks have the same channel numbers as residential customers (CNN 202, ESPN 206 etc).They push special software to the receivers so the guests can't screw up the settings etc. They can remotely wipe settings, parental controls etc. remotely from a main location at the hotel after new guest check in etc.
The remote I believe is a (RC70H model) which has a anti-microbial coating to help prevent germs. http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?p=rc70h&d=directv-dre-remote-for-hotels-w/-anti-microbial-coating-(rc70h)&sku=700112818752
http://forums.solidsignal.com/showthread.php/1175-HITEC-2012-DIRECTV-RC70H-Remote

 

[whitewolf8214]

Thanks for sharing and cool pics!!

 

[dfergie]

I couldn't get the remote to turn down volume, other wise could get used to ...

 

[ejb1980]

I couldn't get the remote to turn down volume, other wise could get used to ...

That remote is awful, I can't stand it.

 

[bluegras]

have you guys checked out the tv predications website where is says directv might be going all hd this year.
http://www.tvpredictions.com/directv030915.htm

Allen bluegras

 

[lacubs]

have you guys checked out the tv predications website where is says directv might be going all hd this year.
http://www.tvpredictions.com/directv030915.htm

Allen bluegras

i wouldn't trust that site , he be wrong so many times

 

[Jimbo]

have you guys checked out the tv predications website where is says directv might be going all hd this year.
http://www.tvpredictions.com/directv030915.htm

Allen bluegras

As in All HD recvrs ?
They haven't done strictly SD only in a long time now.

If you sign up new, I doubt they would allow you a SD set up.

Now that said, there are plenty of SD boxes still out there, if they make an effort to get those all changed out, that would be good, should have done that 5 years ago though.

 

[goaliebob99]

Very cool. Thanks for the pictures, and yes that definitely looks like DRE. The national networks have the same channel numbers as residential customers (CNN 202, ESPN 206 etc).They push special software to the receivers so the guests can't screw up the settings etc. They can remotely wipe settings, parental controls etc. remotely from a main location at the hotel after new guest check in etc.
The remote I believe is a (RC70H model) which has a anti-microbial coating to help prevent germs. http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?p=rc70h&d=directv-dre-remote-for-hotels-w/-anti-microbial-coating-(rc70h)&sku=700112818752
http://forums.solidsignal.com/showthread.php/1175-HITEC-2012-DIRECTV-RC70H-Remote

Yep and if you would like to plan a trip around DRE hotels so you an have Directv no matter where you are at, here is a link to do that. https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=z2XPVAuaCC_k.k0R6TBdxOQr0

 

[NGeorge]

How many older MPEG2-only receivers and 18"/Phase 3 dishes are still out there? IIRC all SD receivers since the D10 can decode MPEG4 HD and downconvert to SD... Also they can view MPEG4 from 101* as well -- there just haven't been any MPEG4 channels there... Also SD channels can broadcast in MPEG4 -- so just because it's not in HD (such as Flix) doesn't mean it would have to be dropped...

Also I believe the KU TP's are half as wide as KA ones, so the 32 they have = 16 of the larger ones. Minus 6 due to spotbeams (although these could be re-purposed back to CONUS if the locals went MPEG4 only on KA) -- but this would allow fewer truck rolls if a customer has a MPEG4 receiver but an 18" dish...

It seems like this is something they should have done years ago... Basically they need to swap all pre-D10 receivers and original DirecTivos that can't receive MPEG4. Offer the basic suite on 101, with slides to upgrade your dish for the additional channels...

Or maybe do this in waves... take down some of the "lesser" channels a few at time off SD on 101* with slides to call in for an upgrade to a new receiver (and dish)... as people call in to continue receiving their channels the upgrades get done in waves -- until all SD channels are gone. This could be done over the course of a year or so...

It does seem to make sense to me to eventually move as much as possible back to 101, then fill 99 and 103 with additional HD, 4K etc... would be helpful for RV's, portable units etc.... but the SD MPEG2 needs to go away eventually. Seems like locals would stay at 99/103 and the 101 spotbeams would go back to CONUS. Also this would allow them to move 119* to MPEG4 as well as take the spotbeams there back to CONUS as well, allowing for additional space for international channels/adding some HD there of the spanish channels...

N

 

[dishrich]

IIRC all SD receivers since the D10 can decode MPEG4 HD and downconvert to SD...

Not true at all; this is the reason why D* has ALWAYS deployed (actual) HD receivers in MPEG4 (only) local markets since day 1. If subs in those markets did NOT want to pay for "HD access", then DirecTV shuts off ALL HD national channels, then (also) locks the box down to 480i/p, so that those same subs can ONLY view their local (HD) channels in SD. (if you do a search on this board, this has been posted many times...)

The ONLY receiver that could remotely claim this, would be the R22 DVR's, which were actually full HD receivers from the start, but were originally intended for these markets.

 

[DS0816]

WEtv HD (260), BBC World News HD (346) and SundanceTV HD (557) are all now "live"
BBC World News is only available in HD.

It's good that these were added by DirecTV.

BBC World News HD is really valuable because the other news programmers deserve having competition.

Everything that can come in in high definition is encouraging. In some cases, one particular programmer may not interest a person; but, it's good to see additions happening so that DirecTV makes its lineup more and more up to date.

 

[N5XZS]

Now, only if they can add CC or Subtitles and bonus add teletext "E-Newspaper" from BBC World then I will be a happy camper!

 

[Marcingak]

Seems like BBC World News replaced the NASA channel.

 

[satgirl51]

Seems like BBC World News replaced the NASA channel.

Nasa just moved to 352

 

[N5XZS]

Wish NASA would go HD on Directv!

 

[satgirl51]

Wish NASA would go HD on Directv!

Hopefully soon, D14(99ca) has zero channels on it right now as everything moved back to D10(103cb) so directv has tons of room to add 60+ HD channels on 99 ka hi alone.

 

[Marcingak]

Nasa just moved to 352

Ah ok thanks! Why didn't they just put BBC World News on 352? It gets really confusing when they start shuffling channels around.