SuperDish and MPEG4 Conversion

[varaonaid]

Hi All,

I've grown rather addicted to HD programming with the few channels I currently get with TWCable. I switched to TW from E* a relatively short time ago because I could get HD channels without having any upfront charge. I will stay with TW for at least a few more months (required on contract anyway) but will eventually go back to E* now that they are beefing up HD content.

My questions are these:
Any word on when the E* MPEG 4 conversion is going to happen and what effect it will have?

When will the "SuperDish" become available and what will that do for me?

Are there any standard networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, WB, UPN etc.) available on E* (couldn't find the info on their website) in HD - even if they're not local for me?

Any word on planned HD programming additions to E* (other than the rest of the Voom 21)? Is there an ETA on more channels?

I've search the forums but have had trouble finding this info. If it's available elsewhere, please forgive additional thread - just point me to the ones with the information!

 

[chevyN8]

MPEG 4 maybe later this year....new receivers.
Superdish has been available for a while, in my case it's for regular locals.
CBS HD East and West if you qualify, the rest OTA.
New HD, well it was 'no HD until MPEG 4' but look how that worked out.
E*'s plans and what actually happens are sometimes the same, but usually differ.

 

[varaonaid]

Thanks for the reply. I guess to a large degree, it's a wait and see game, eh?

Do you happen to know if any of my current equipment would be compatible with superdish - specifically the legacy dual lnb's. Or, maybe there's a reason that I wouldn't want to use that - will the new MPEG4 use something different as well?

What satellites can you pick up with Superdish?

Thanks again!
Rachel

 

[Frank Jr.]

110,119 and 105 or 121 depending on what superdish you have. 105 is mostly for locals and 121 for international programing.

 

[Dish Dude]

121 carries a lot of local markets as well. legacy lnbs do not work as the fss(121,105) lnbs are dish pro compatible

 

[DarrellP]

It's going to take a good 3 years to swap everyone out, so why wait? I picked up a used 811 for $150 so even if Dish doesn't let me trade up, it's still a pretty good deal for 3 years use. Plus, if you get a used unit, there is no programming commitment and you can order whatever programming you want.

 

[dfergie]

Everyone acts like Mpeg 4 is coming next week... for both providers... its gonna take awhile.

 

[Stargazer]

With MPEG-4 coming out later this year why rush to get MPEG-2? There is no guarantees that the exchange will be free.

 

[rvsixer]

if you get a used unit, there is no programming commitment and you can order whatever programming you want.

Definitely a good way to go. Route I took as a long time customer - I pushed for and got a new 811 $5/mnth lease with no programming commitment.

 

[SimpleSimon]

Thanks for the reply. I guess to a large degree, it's a wait and see game, eh?

Do you happen to know if any of my current equipment would be compatible with superdish - specifically the legacy dual lnb's. Or, maybe there's a reason that I wouldn't want to use that - will the new MPEG4 use something different as well?

What satellites can you pick up with Superdish?

Thanks again!
Rachel

Legacy LNBFs can NOT be used with DP LNBFs or switches - which is what a SuperDish has.

 

[normang]

I still think we are not going to see any mpeg4 hardware actually appear until sometime in 2006, and even then, until they come up with a plan to move slews of subs to mpeg4, they just can't migrate programming to mpeg4 without big problems.

 

[DarrellP]

There is a thread somewhere that said Dish is planning on taking 3 years to swap out all of the stb's out there, and it will be Fall at the earliest when they start MPEG-4, so we have a good 3 1/2 years of stb use left.

I don't know how many of you were in HDLand when Dish did the 8psk conversion, but they did announce a drop-dead date for the older HD receivers that were not upgradeable or if you had a 6000, you had to have the 8psk module by that date or your HD went bye-bye. The same thing will happen with MPEG-4, it will not be this October everyone goes black with MPEG-2, it just doesn't work that way or that fast. Dish needs time to swap out all the existing boxes before they even consider turning off MPEG-2.

 

[Stargazer]

Perhaps it will be a transition just like that of the yellow card swapout. They start with the premiums and work their way down. Do you think they would end up shipping a bulk of recievers to each retailer for the customers to pick up and perhaps have the retailer install to save on shipping costs to keep the price down?

 

[SimpleSimon]

Do you think they would end up shipping a bulk of recievers to each retailer for the customers to pick up and perhaps have the retailer install to save on shipping costs to keep the price down?

That will NEVER happen. Charlie's well-known paranoia about being ripped off by his dealer base is in the way.

 

[Stargazer]

Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Why would retailers want to keep recievers that would not work eventually anyways?