Spaceway 1 & 2

[azsun22]

Will they solely be just DirecTV for use with all the new HD locals?
When launched?
When starting use?
And will spotbeams still be used even with the larger capacity on the birds?

 

[azsun22]

answer to own question

from DirecTV's own news release. Just found it, thought all would be interested.
The Boeing-built Spaceway 1 and 2 satellites will have the capacity for more than 500 local HD channels, bringing local HD programming to most of the U.S. population, and will enable DIRECTV to continue to expand standard-definition local offerings and other enhancements. DIRECTV 10 and 11 will have the capacity for more than 1,000 additional local HD channels and more than 150 national HD channels and other new programming offerings. All four satellites will use spot-beam technology to deliver local channels.

 

[charper1]

Keep in mind that 100% of the estimated 500 channel capacity will NOT be used, a good bit of the space will be set aside for backup purposes just in case of transponder outages.

 

[colofan]

I also thought they are Ka Band satellites.....

 

[lee espinoza]

they are Kband

 

[charper1]

Spaceway 1 & 2 are slated to be Ka band.
D* 9s is slated to be 54 Ku transponders.
D* 8 is slated to be 16 Ku transponders.

http://www.lyngsat.com/launches/2005.html

 

[beast37799]

are directtv 8&9s backups or are they to expand local channels

 

[Alan Gordon]

are directtv 8&9s backups or are they to expand local channels

They're supposed to be backups, however SkyReport.com mentioned something about DirecTV-8 having some Ka-Band ability which would be used for more SD LIL, but I've heard nothing else about it anywhere else. DirecTV-9s however is supposedly more powerful than 4s currently at 101, and Dan Collins thinks that it's possible DirecTV could choose to use 9s since it's able to provide more LIL channels than 4s does.

Also, the SpaceWay press release mentioned something regarding the SpaceWay satellites helping DirecTV to offer more SD LIL.

Though nothing has been announced yet, I'm hoping that there will be more LIL channels added then just the five already announced for this month...especially since one of the five is a neighboring DMA of mine.

~Alan

 

[beast37799]

i wonder how significantly viewed channels affect local hd channels . where as if u can receive both ny and some phili stations do u get there hd channels as well

 

[Alan Gordon]

i wonder how significantly viewed channels affect local hd channels . where as if u can receive both ny and some phili stations do u get there hd channels as well

I would think that once they make the rules regarding "Significantly Viewed" channels, DirecTV will offer the same channels in HD. I especially hope this is true since I do not have an ABC or CBS affiliate in my DMA, and would be very disappointed if all I got (in 2007) was my local NBC, FOX and PBS affiliates in HD (via HDLIL).

~Alan

 

[beast37799]

do u get national abc and cbs hd feeds

 

[Alan Gordon]

do u get national abc and cbs hd feeds

Currently, but I wouldn't be surprised to lose CBS-HD soon, and while I'm looking forward to having my locals available to me, I'm aware that once I do, I may end up losing ABC-HD (or CBS-HD if they didn't cut me off yet) unless I'm "grandfathered" on the HD nets, or they finish with the digital "white area" rules and start offering them to me. Otherwise I'm going to have to rely on spotty OTA reception until 2007.

~Alan

 

[slacker9876]

charper said most of it. Even with the new capacity, D* will only utilize about half the transponders per bird, holding the rest in reserve so there are no "dark" days. Come 2008/9 things will finally be where we all want them today. I just hope D* will find a way to free some bandwidth to decompress what is currently up there.

It has always pained me that D* did not link the RF port in the DirecTV DVR's for cable or antenna use. That would have been the best way to go. Allow locals without the LIL service. Sure, it is lost revenue ... I would have paid 60.00 more for my DVR if it had this function, and they could have made it up on the flip side.