The Clock Channel

[KE4EST]

Hey don't think I'm crazy, but Charlie said there would be a clock channel.
I could care less about it, but just wondering if anybody knows anything about it. Like I said could care less, but as a retailer/Installer, I have surprisingly had customers ask about it. Scott do you know or maybe you could talk to people you know and shed some light on it. I have 3 customers that are asking me now, this is why I post this. I guess a lot more people watch Charlie Chat than I thought. I think Clock Channel is very silly and a waste of bandwith but some people don't, so I will listen to anybody that knows, about it.

 

[Mark_AR]

It was Charlie's lame attempt at pre-christmas humor.

On the 12-13-04 Charlie Chat, a promo spot was run of a classroom style analog wall clock for an upcoming channel launch. Then a future 'digital' LED alarm clock channel was displayed for a few seconds too.

I just erased the chat last week off my 522 or I could have added pics. sorry

I think Charlie and staff had been hitting the Pre-Holiday egg-nog a bit early.

See a link here to the chat summary.

It was basically E*'s response to all of us bantering about 'new content' all of the time.

 

[SimpleSimon]

It was just a spoof. A stupid unthinking insulting low-life joke.

But now that customers are actually asking for it, tunaboy will put it up and probably charge 1.50/month for it.

 

[korsjs]

that is funny that so many people are now asking for it.

 

[bcope9]

What's really funny about it, is there was a Simpsons episode where they get a satellite. Can anyone guess what one of the channels was? That's right, The Clock Channel. I find it funny that Charlie stole a bit from the Simpsons.

 

[Bizzach]

From the Simpsons: "Coming up, on the Clock Channel... 5:30!"

 

[korsjs]

ii remember that one.

 

[GaryPen]

Ironically, it sounds just like the kind of channel Dish would add. That's probably why so many thought it was real.

 

[MustangLX89]

I wouldn't be urprised at all. If I were still a customer and saw what he said and did, even though temporary, I'd be pissed enough to drop his ass for trying to make a joke at the customers expense. Low class in my opinion.

 

[maximum]

I'd probably tune into the clock channel more often than some of the other wastes of bandwidth:
TV Guide
Horse Racing Channel
Bingo Channel
CSPAN
Any shopping channel
Etc. . .

 

[korsjs]

I'd probably tune into the clock channel more often than some of the other wastes of bandwidth:
TV Guide
Horse Racing Channel
Bingo Channel
CSPAN
Any shopping channel
Etc. . .

if you have an account that you can bet on the races, the horse racing channel can be very exciting to watch.

 

[GaryPen]

...and if you are addicted to heroin, drugs are pretty cool too.

 

[GaryPen]

I'd probably tune into the clock channel more often than some of the other wastes of bandwidth:
TV Guide
Horse Racing Channel
Bingo Channel
CSPAN
Any shopping channel
Etc. . .

CSPAN may be boring to some (most?), but it is no waste of bandwidth. It is our sight glass into the engine of our government, the one entity with the most effect on our daily lives.

I rarely watch it. But, it needs to be there. I guarantee there is nothing like it in China, Cuba, or North Korea, or anywhere freedom is but a dream.

 

[Stargazer]

I have seen that Simpsons episode as well. They could put a clock on the audio channels in the background or on one side if they wanted to but the problem would be the different time zones. Maybe they could just have a background screensaver on the receiver itself for the audio stations or at least a clock screensaver going around the dish icon or something.

 

[TuxCoder]

Actually that would be quite doable without time zone issues because the video part of the "audio only" channels is locally generated by the receiver.

 

[korsjs]

we should do a petition and see if dish would actually add it.

 

[GaryPen]

That's not how Dish adds programming. If nobody asks for it, then they add it. If subs actually want it, then it is not compelling.

You should know better!

 

[grunt]

How about the fire place channel?! That could go right along the Holiday Music music channel that launches after Thanksgiving!?

 

[Foxbat]

Dish would have to run their clocks a few seconds fast to take into account the lag in encoding to MPEG-2 and the 75,000 Km transit to and from the Clarke belt. Plus, if it were on a spotbeam, you could have different clocks for the different time zones. (Indiana would get their own...)(for now, anyway)

 

[SimpleSimon]

As has already been posted - the box already generates video for the audio channels.

In addition, it already knows what the local time is (it displays it in the program banner, and guide). It would be a trivial feature to add.

Lessee. It'll be released in 3 days for the cheapest, oldest, junker boxes, but for the flagship 921, it'll take 8 months and will then incur a $20/month fee.