Starz HD Status: Still Up?

[LoneSwan]

As of early Monday morning(Feb. 1st) when my subscription to the Starz movie package expired, their HD channels on G9 were still up. This is in contrast to the post on the SRL website Satellite Receivers C band and 4DTV satellite programming that first stated that Starz HD was leaving "on or around" January 15th; then after Jan. 15th changed the banner to read:

Starz HD ceased transmission on January 15th 2010. Sorry for the inconvenience this may have caused.​

Okay... considering the recent situation with NPS who have made no statement about Starz HD, but who now are issuing a warning that 4DTV C-band services are liable to end by December 31st... I am wondering is there any vendor you can trust?


The fact _I know_ is that Starz HD was up and running on the 31st, considerably past the time that SRL made a special point of advertising that it was gone. They(SRL) could have just left the wording of their original banner alone. It was sufficiently vague: "on or around". But making the statement absolute, makes it absolutely false.


I'm expecting Starz HD to go dark at any moment. But as long as it is available I'm willing to sub for another 30 days. My last sub was through NPS. I'm ready to switch to Skvision/SRL, however they are saying that the HD is no longer there.


So, would someone still on Starz let me know what they see before I commit to another month?


Thanks!




​

 

[ParaclipseCKu]

I don't have HD capability but most likely their signal is still on the satellite for cable headends but the consumer tier bit has been pulled from the datastream.

 

[tvropro]

If you have Starz and the HD feed is still on Motorola probably hasn't run the tier bit turn off update yet. HBO HD is still up there in MPEG 2 also. They are migrating both to MPEG 4. The cable headends still need both signals. SRL stated this for a reason and the channel will go dark eventually for consumer units. SRL is not posting false information.

 

[lonewolf454]

Guess they havent run it yet, just got a hdd200 for line doubling, on 50" plasma,
looks like better than dvd quality to me! Sure would be nice if srl would lobby to get us a few of these...

 

[Kb Cool]

If you have Starz and the HD feed is still on Motorola probably hasn't run the tier bit turn off update yet. HBO HD is still up there in MPEG 2 also. They are migrating both to MPEG 4. The cable headends still need both signals. SRL stated this for a reason and the channel will go dark eventually for consumer units. SRL is not posting false information.

Are you sure HBOHD is still there? When was the last time you checked it?

 

[tvropro]

Are you sure HBOHD is still there? When was the last time you checked it?

I just did it here's the proof (see attached) :yikes

 

[Kb Cool]

I just did it here's the proof (see attached) :yikes

Well, that's just sad. Another nail in the coffin for SRL. What's next?

 

[tvropro]

Well, that's just sad. Another nail in the coffin for SRL. What's next?

HBO and Starz are migrating to MPEG 4 with there master HD feeds. It has nothing to do with SRL they have no control over it. C band subscription is no longer for the guy wanting ESPN and certain mainstream channels. Pizza, and cable now provide a second generation signal, with down sized resolution for those interested. C band subscription is more or less icing on the cake to hobbyists and still provides certain channels NO pizza or cable provider carries.

 

[Kb Cool]

HBO and Starz are migrating to MPEG 4 with there master HD feeds. It has nothing to do with SRL they have no control over it. C band subscription is no longer for the guy wanting ESPN and certain mainstream channels. Pizza, and cable now provide a second generation signal, with down sized resolution for those interested. C band subscription is more or less icing on the cake to hobbyists and still provides certain channels NO pizza or cable provider carries.

Yes, i figured that. But, HBO was cut off when? I hope it doesn't turn into an ESPN.
By the way, i just got to watch the "in between program" with my HDD-200 after going to w5. Last time i tried. It didn't work. So i figured HBO shut it down already. And , whoever said E* provides a better HD picture than the HDD-200 in another post. Obviously needs to get there eyes checked.

 

[tvropro]

Yes, i figured that. But, HBO was cut off when? I hope it doesn't turn into an ESPN.
By the way, i just got to watch the "in between program" with my HDD-200 after going to w5. Last time i tried. It didn't work. So i figured HBO shut it down already. And , whoever said E* provides a better HD picture than the HDD-200 in another post. Obviously needs to get there eyes checked.

The HBO SD masters even rock. They look absolutely beautiful even in Smart Stretch mode on my AQUOS. I don't have a HDD 200 so I can't comment on the HD but if I would have to guess they are superior to any pizza provider. Once a signal gets information taken out of it to compress, no codec as advanced as they say it is will replace that lost information. The future of all consumer HD is butchered to some extreme or another.

 

[LoneSwan]

Feb. 11th & Starz HD is Still UP

I called SRL Satellite Receivers C band and 4DTV satellite programming at 1-800-432-8876 and had them open an online SAMS account. Login (works with FireFox) https://www.programming-center.net/websams/Login.aspx

When I phoned last week, the CS rep offered to briefly authorize Starz (standard) so that I could check if Starz HD on G9 was still available for viewing with my HDD-200 decoder. I waited until today to call back and test. Since it still is there, I subbed for another month.

The CS reps will tell you there is no HD, however they still were nice enough to let me try. As of this date, it is still UP. As long as consumer 4DTV access is allowed, I'll keep renewing the monthly Starz subscription.

HBO HD in MPEG 2 HD may still be broadcast on G9, but for some reason the management in control has decided that 4DTV subscribers are of no value and have cut off enduser reception. I wonder if Starz might "drag its heels" on shutting down their G9 channels? It would be great if they kept at least one MPEG 2 HD feed going for a while longer.

Walker, in Virginia

 

[ikki]

> HBO HD in MPEG 2 HD may still be broadcast on G9, but for some reason the management in control has decided that 4DTV subscribers are of no value and have cut off enduser reception.

I do not the think that is the case. With regard to MPEG 2 HD, the consumer level 4DTV receivers are not capable of receiving that format, further more there is no content management system in place for consumer level MPEG 2 HD receivers. 4DTV is in DC2 not DVB MPEG2. Now if you are calling DC2 true MPEG2 it is not. Its a bastardized version. (Much in the same way that Windows likes to make up standards and ignore what the rest of the world does.)

I will add a few more points.

4DTV G9 is 127 West (Correct me if I am wrong)

If you where speaking to the HBO located at;

3900 H 29270-7/8 That according to Lyngsat is DC2 HD (So that might be receivable, in which my point above can be ignored.)

However

The Starz on the same bird is now transmitted at 4000 V 30000-8/9 in DVB-S2 - 8PSK MPEG-4/HD
Digicipher 2 which the consumer level 4DTV receiver can not receive.

 

[photoman76]

He's talking about the Starz HD channels at 3880 V 29270. Starz HD East is still at G9-122 and Starz HD West is still at G9-124. I assume that not all headends have switched over to the new DVB-S2 mux that you mentioned.

Both HBO HD East and West are still up on Galaxy 13, but have been removed from the 4dtv channel maps.

 

[wallyhts]

By the way, i just got to watch the "in between program" with my HDD-200 after going to w5.

What channel did this work on?

 

[Kb Cool]

W5 122.

 

[tvropro]

W5 122.

You can go to any W5 channel and leave it there for a few minutes. HITS has a different set of channel maps for the 4D watch your channel numbers they will increase. The problem is that when you go HBO HD it will wipe HITS maps out and put the other maps in there when you change channels they will disappear Not sure about Starz didn't try it. You can always use a generic map. I think it's CE.