NFL-HD might be available only to ViP receivers

[HokieEngineer]

Had a little time to sit down tonight and look through things, and saw this:

Descriptor: Service List Descriptor
Service: 9420 (TNTHD) user defined (0x91)
Service: 9456 (HBOHD) user defined (0x91)
Service: 9464 (NFLHD) user defined (0xa4)
Service: 9465 (HDEV1) user defined (0x91)
Service: 9466 (NBAHD) user defined (0x91)
Service: 9467 (HDPPV) user defined (0x91)

Basically its the channel information table for the transponder these channels are on. The channel type (0x91) indicates a mpeg2 HD channel. 0xa4 indicates a mpeg4 HD channel.

I'm not sure exactly when this happened, but I would take it to mean when NFL season rolls around, only those with mpeg4 receivers will be able to view the HD NFL games on the NFL network this season.

Of course, why do this? First off, NFLHD shares the same feed as HDPPV, HD Events, etc. So they aren't saving any bandwidth by changing to mpeg4 here. Maybe this is the start of forcing people with older receivers to upgrade?

Also, the use of A4 is interesting, as A6 is currently being used on mpeg2 channels that they dont want the old receivers to see (espn2hd, new vooms, etc). A4 is used for real mpeg4 channels (hd lil). I guess we have a few months to find out, but I figured I'd start the speculation now .


Edit:

I've also noticed that the EPG data for NFLHD channel now lists HD programming 24 hours a day. Pretty much all of it is repeats of NFL total access or NFL Films. Maybe they are going to "launch" NFL Network HD as a full time programming channel and split it off from the shared channel (of HDPPV and HD Events)?

 

[BFG]

Full time NFL Network HD would be more convienent, although several programs would be SD

 

[waltinvt]

<snip>...
Of course, why do this? First off, NFLHD shares the same feed as HDPPV, HD Events, etc. So they aren't saving any bandwidth by changing to mpeg4 here. Maybe this is the start of forcing people with older receivers to upgrade?

My guess is that "E" got nowhere near the response to the MPEG4 / New HD farse that they had hoped for. Sure it started out with a bang but many soon realized the new channels didn't amount to that much.

In any event, Dish is probably trying to "sweeten" the pot with something. IMHO, they'll have to do a lot more than NFL-HD reruns if they expect to force those fancy new dish 10,000+++ upgrades too

 

[DWS44]

heaven forbit they'd do it by adding all the other HD channels they're missing

 

[riffjim4069]

NFL HD has been a huge disappointment. They need to start broadcasting a lot more games and events in HD or pull the plug.

 

[pdxsam]

Charlie said in a chat way back in 2005 that all new full time HD will be in mpeg4.

I don't think you'll see mpeg2 with the mpeg4 coding anymore. They are moving on.

At some point I expect all the HD that's pseudo mpeg4 to be converted to fulltime mpeg4.

Sam

 

[waltinvt]

NFL HD has been a huge disappointment. They need to start broadcasting a lot more games and events in HD or pull the plug.

You got that right. Although I did hear they might do a few (5 or 6) NFL games in HD this year but then again I may have drempt it.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I am still waiting for Dish Network to add REAL national HD in MPEG4. (Not this MPEG2 with headers which can only be seen by MPEG4 receivers)

I really want to see what MPEG4 REALLY looks like on Dish Network.

 

[waltinvt]

Charlie said in a chat way back in 2005 that all new full time HD will be in mpeg4.

I don't think you'll see mpeg2 with the mpeg4 coding anymore. They are moving on.

At some point I expect all the HD that's pseudo mpeg4 to be converted to fulltime mpeg4.

Sam

Personally I think "E" is still pulling a fast one with MPEG4.

Has Dish tech ever recinded or amended their original statement that MPEG4 wasn't doing what Dish wanted yet?

AFAIK, Dish still doesn't know what the f*ck they're doing with MPEG4. Some are saying their HD LiLs look like dogsh*t while others say they look good (or course compared to Dish's analog LiLs, anything would look good).

If MPEG4 was really working, Dish should have been able to add some national HD by now - at the very least the remaining 3 HD DNS.

 

[riffjim4069]

I really want to see what MPEG4 REALLY looks like on Dish Network.

Well, if they allocate 7 1/2Mb per 1920x1080i feed like they're currently doing with the DC HD LIL, then I can honestly say it will be unwatchable...using existing encoders, of course.

 

[vurbano]

I thought NFLHD would be the only way to see some NFL games this season in HD.

 

[Bradtothebone]

I really want to see what MPEG4 REALLY looks like on Dish Network.

No you don't......at least at 4 channels/tp!

Brad

 

[pdxsam]

AFAIK, Dish still doesn't know what the f*ck they're doing with MPEG4. Some are saying their HD LiLs look like dogsh*t while others say they look good (or course compared to Dish's analog LiLs, anything would look good).

We just got mpeg4 locals recently and while compared to OTA they're not pristine they are actually quite watchable. There's some lipsync problems with ABC here in Portland but the other channels on my receivers look good to me. For a purist they will never be up to snuff but for general watching they're good.

I'm sure the technology is being tweaked rapidly and I'm certainly no Dish apologist but I think so far so good.

 

[waltinvt]

I thought NFLHD would be the only way to see some NFL games this season in HD.

"D" & "E" both have kind of got themselves in a situation with national sports and HD. In most situations where a viewer can compare OTA HD to HD LiLs or HD DNS for things like NFL, MLB & Nascar, the OTA is by far superior.

You can all say what you like but this is one big reason Dish is NOT going out of their way to provide full OTA EPG support (unless they get paid extra for it. If 942 / 622 owners with decent OTA digital signals could set NBR timers for their OTA networks without having to sub to Dish's SD / HD LiLs, that's $6 per month per sub "E" would right off.

Since national sports and prime time network programing are the 2 big driving forces in consumer's TV based entertainment purchases, the sat companies are kind of left looking like non contenders. The only thing in their favor is that currently the only 2 sat choices are both just as bad and cable HD is no better.

The time has never been better for a new competitor to jump into the HD arena and I think the next few years are going to be crazy. I don't thing both "E" and "D" can survive if they stay by themselves. IMO, they may as well merge because they sure as hell don't compete anymore.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I just heard a rumor that the NFL HD which is showing is just something to throw us off course and in fact will be renamed StarzHD durring the first week of June.

I am hearing that Dish may soon start throwing bogus data up so these uplink reports will mean nothing.

I don't know if its true or not, but I would think that a fortune 500 company would have something better to do then play games with forum members.

 

[jcrandall]

For heaven's sake --- that is just outright pitiful.

If they don't want us to know what it is while they uplink it before release then just call it a test channel. They have done this for a long time.

 

[jcrandall]

I could see them making NFLHD MPEG4 for a couple reasons.
1. New fees for the station to NFL - they will broadcast multiple live games this year. They may be paying out more?
2. Make more people upgrade.
3. It was never a full time channel in HD, only once a week. If they make it a full-time channel they could consider it part of the DishHD packages.

 

[goaliebob99]

I just heard a rumor that the NFL HD which is showing is just something to throw us off course and in fact will be renamed StarzHD durring the first week of June.

I am hearing that Dish may soon start throwing bogus data up so these uplink reports will mean nothing.

I don't know if its true or not, but I would think that a fortune 500 company would have something better to do then play games with forum members.

Scott, The thing with NFL its still sharing space with ppv hd.. ect ect.. and hasnt moved on to its own tp with other channels. There is no way dish can do 4 hd channels in mpg2


Also with the bogus data dish better rethink that one as the spectrum they use is in the public intrest. its the public's right to know what that spectrum is used for.. im sure the FCC doesnt want 50,000 emails coming in requesting that echostar be rejected use of that spectrum because its not able to be viewed by the public for public to have a right to know what the spectrum is used for.

 

[scooby2]

I thought NFLHD would be the only way to see some NFL games this season in HD.

You are correct. There will be eight games only seen nationally on NFL Network starting with the new *third* Thanksgiving day game. This is obviously new for the 2006/2007 season. So for us Dish subs, NFLHD will be the only way to see these games in HD unless it is our local team playing.

http://www.nfl.com/nflnetwork/home

 

[jerryez]

If Dish can broadcast lil in MPEG4 HD, why can't they broadcast the National HDs in real MPEG4.