First this will be a locked thread so you cannot post in this.
Q. I don't see any of the new HD channels listed in my program guide.
A. Your viewing your program guide using a custom list of channels and/or a favorites list. You need to switch your guide to view "all" channels and "add" the new HD channels into your custom and/or favorites lists.
Q. I'm getting a black screen with no error message and/or a searching for satellite message. I'm having tiling or pixel issues on some or all of the new HD channels.
A. Most likely your dish has a weak signal with the new satellite and this needs to be fixed. Also this "could" be caused from a bad B-Band Converter or your not using a B-Band Converter. Please tune into channel 498 and if you see the screen that says your ready to go most likely your issue is a low signal strength which might require a tech to tweak your dish.
Q. I'm getting a Channel Not Purchased (721) error message on some or all of the new HD channels.
A. First you need to find out if your supposed to get a specific new HD channel. Simply put if you get the SD channel you will get the HD channel as well. So if you get a 721 message on an HD channel that you get the SD channel of your account needs updating.
This is a big issue today with Starz Superpak customers not getting the HD channels but this can occur with any and all of the new HD channels launched today.
You will need to call DirecTV and tell them your account needs to be updated and that you cannot get the new HD channels. Please tell them what specific HD channels you cannot get as well.
Q. Are the current HD channels (channels offered before the New HD channels launched) also offered in MPEG4.
A. No. Right now ESPN HD, ESPN2 HD and TNT HD are offered in MPEG2 by tuning into the SD channel numbers of each channel only.
It seems that HDNet, HDNet Movies, HD Theater (was Discovery HD Theater) and Universal HD might still be in MPEG2 with no MPEG4 feed. What we don't know yet is if DirecTV updated all MPEG4 boxes to tune into an MPEG4 feed of HDNet etc instead of the MPEG2 feed. Either way it seems thus far that the HDNets etc look better than before but time will tell.
Q. Many of the new HD channels have black bars and/or look very bad. Many people might say they look like HD-Lite etc.
A. Many of the new HD stations may not be broadcasting anything in HDTV when your watching it and as such these shows could have black bars and have bad picture quality. Some channels may stretch the program to fill a widescreen HDTV set and sadly to say an upconverted show not in HD stretched to fill a widescreen HDTV set can look far far worse than a live HD sporting event in very bad HD-Lite.
So simply put wait awhile and see when something is broadcast in HDTV on each of the new HD channels.
Q. Is DirecTV still doing HD-Lite with the new MPEG4 channels.
A. First at this specific time we cannot prove what resolution and bitrate each HD channel is being broadcasting in by DirecTV. So this is based on my staff and member reports regarding picture quality.
Thus far all new HDTV MPEG4 channels that were broadcasting a show in HDTV have had stunning picture quality. Some reports including my own view on it is that the picture quality is on par with Comcast and Verizon FIOS picture quality.
So as of today with current MPEG4 offerings I'd say its a very very safe bet to say heck no its not HD-Lite.
I hope this FAQ will help answer some of your questions and for now this post will be locked so if you have anything you want added to the FAQ that you feel may be a big help please send me a PM with your request and I'll update this FAQ ASAP.
Q. I don't see any of the new HD channels listed in my program guide.
A. Your viewing your program guide using a custom list of channels and/or a favorites list. You need to switch your guide to view "all" channels and "add" the new HD channels into your custom and/or favorites lists.
Q. I'm getting a black screen with no error message and/or a searching for satellite message. I'm having tiling or pixel issues on some or all of the new HD channels.
A. Most likely your dish has a weak signal with the new satellite and this needs to be fixed. Also this "could" be caused from a bad B-Band Converter or your not using a B-Band Converter. Please tune into channel 498 and if you see the screen that says your ready to go most likely your issue is a low signal strength which might require a tech to tweak your dish.
Q. I'm getting a Channel Not Purchased (721) error message on some or all of the new HD channels.
A. First you need to find out if your supposed to get a specific new HD channel. Simply put if you get the SD channel you will get the HD channel as well. So if you get a 721 message on an HD channel that you get the SD channel of your account needs updating.
This is a big issue today with Starz Superpak customers not getting the HD channels but this can occur with any and all of the new HD channels launched today.
You will need to call DirecTV and tell them your account needs to be updated and that you cannot get the new HD channels. Please tell them what specific HD channels you cannot get as well.
Q. Are the current HD channels (channels offered before the New HD channels launched) also offered in MPEG4.
A. No. Right now ESPN HD, ESPN2 HD and TNT HD are offered in MPEG2 by tuning into the SD channel numbers of each channel only.
It seems that HDNet, HDNet Movies, HD Theater (was Discovery HD Theater) and Universal HD might still be in MPEG2 with no MPEG4 feed. What we don't know yet is if DirecTV updated all MPEG4 boxes to tune into an MPEG4 feed of HDNet etc instead of the MPEG2 feed. Either way it seems thus far that the HDNets etc look better than before but time will tell.
Q. Many of the new HD channels have black bars and/or look very bad. Many people might say they look like HD-Lite etc.
A. Many of the new HD stations may not be broadcasting anything in HDTV when your watching it and as such these shows could have black bars and have bad picture quality. Some channels may stretch the program to fill a widescreen HDTV set and sadly to say an upconverted show not in HD stretched to fill a widescreen HDTV set can look far far worse than a live HD sporting event in very bad HD-Lite.
So simply put wait awhile and see when something is broadcast in HDTV on each of the new HD channels.
Q. Is DirecTV still doing HD-Lite with the new MPEG4 channels.
A. First at this specific time we cannot prove what resolution and bitrate each HD channel is being broadcasting in by DirecTV. So this is based on my staff and member reports regarding picture quality.
Thus far all new HDTV MPEG4 channels that were broadcasting a show in HDTV have had stunning picture quality. Some reports including my own view on it is that the picture quality is on par with Comcast and Verizon FIOS picture quality.
So as of today with current MPEG4 offerings I'd say its a very very safe bet to say heck no its not HD-Lite.
I hope this FAQ will help answer some of your questions and for now this post will be locked so if you have anything you want added to the FAQ that you feel may be a big help please send me a PM with your request and I'll update this FAQ ASAP.
