OMG Scott!!! Nooo please don't fuel the fire!
First off, Broadcom issued a press release almost two years ago about how Echostar is using their chip for 8psk turbo code. Here:
http://www.broadcom.com/press/release.php?id=473736
Link to the Broadcom website about the BCM4500:
http://www.broadcom.com/products/Satellite/HDTV-SDTV-Video,-Graphics-%26-Receiver-Chips/BCM4500
For technical details on QPSK and FEC, please read here:
http://www.coolstf.com/mpeg/index.html#srfec
The following was stolen from a very smart person on another forum:
"There are three different versions of 8PSK currently in use:
1. The first is the DSNG extension to DVB-S which uses Trellis encoded 8PSK (or 16QAM). I know of nothing sub $3K that'll get these signals and a bunch of them are scrambled distribution services (like ABC and CBC). I know of no single chip silicon that'll do this variety.
2. Dish Network is using Turbo-coded 8PSK and so was Voom until they gave up. There are also a few IP via satellite services using this and recently USDTV switched to this format too in C-Band. There are a couple chips including one that went into production from Broadcom that'll do this format.
3. DVB-S2. This is way cool and will eventually surplant all DVB-S - multiple streams within a stream, variable error correction rates and almost a 3dB gain just for switching to the QPSK version. Killer stuff. "
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So, to add my 2 cents (now dont go giving me nicknames or anything

)
1. All dish HD content is being sent on transponders using 8PSK with turbo code modulation. This includes VOOM, HD Pak, CBSs, the mpeg4 HD test content on 148, and the 4 West coast HD local channels (testing) on 129.
2. They are playing down the disappointment of MPEG4 buzz word by substituting another buzz word. 8PSK TURBO!
3. In the near future, the only thing we'll be seeing more of on 8psk transponders will be HD. Sure, they might have 12million or so 8psk equiped boxes deployed, but there are still a few million legacy and 501, 721s out there. They could try to do locals first, which would limit the impacted boxes to one geographic area.
4. A transponder is either 8PSK or QPSK, it cant be both. It can however contain both mpeg2 and mpeg4 content, SD and HD content. This also depends on how their multiplexers (the things that combine multiple video channels onto one transponder) work together. I know DTV had a problem with SD and HD on the same transponder.
5. If you want to know if your reciever can tune to 8PSK Turbo, goto the point dish screen, goto Satellite 110, and pick transponder 7. If you get a signal level, you're good to go. That TP happens to carry HDNet and HDN Movies. Again, there arent dish boxes out there that are 8psk, but not turbo. If you have 8psk ability, its good to go.
6. Remember, this chip is nothing new. It was first introduced in the 8psk module for the 6000. All HD content was converted over maybe 2 years ago? JohnH or Tony would know. When they converted, the model 5000 became useless for HD, as it could not decode 8PSK and had no upgrade slot. So, they've already made extinict one reciever.
Whew.