transponder change chicago ?

[jerryd]

I "moved" to the chicago area 2 years ago so I could see most of my beloved cub games. I was away 2 weeks in February, when I got back I found I was unable to receive the Hi Def chicago channels, only the non hi def chicago channels. Does any one know if Dish recently changed the Hi Def chicAGO TRANSPONDER TO A SPOT BEAM ?

tHANKS FOR ANY INFO YOU ANY ONE CAN PROVIDE.

 

[dennispap]

Yes They have switched the Chicago locals to spot beam on 2-9-09
6312 - WLS [MPEG4 HD] moved from EchoStar5 129W TP 12 ConUS beam to Ciel-2 129W TP 09 Spotbeam 22 (A) (H)(Chicago, IL)
6313 - WBBM [MPEG4 HD] moved from EchoStar5 129W TP 12 ConUS beam to Ciel-2 129W TP 09 Spotbeam 22 (A) (H)(Chicago, IL)
6314 - WMAQ [MPEG4 HD] moved from EchoStar5 129W TP 12 ConUS beam to Ciel-2 129W TP 09 Spotbeam 22 (A) (H)(Chicago, IL)
6315 - WFLD [MPEG4 HD] moved from EchoStar5 129W TP 12 ConUS beam to Ciel-2 129W TP 09 Spotbeam 22 (A) (H)(Chicago, IL)
6316 - WGN9 [MPEG4 HD] moved from EchoStar5 129W TP 12 ConUS beam to Ciel-2 129W TP 09 Spotbeam 22 (A) (H)(Chicago, IL)

 

[rockorbert]

Does anyone know why they did this or if they will come back? I thought that Chicago was a distant local? Also why do the HD channels come in sometimes, and if you DVR the channel, it still records the show. Does anyone know if the SD versions of the 4 networks will remain or if that will go to spotbeams too?

 

[digiblur]

They did this to take advantage of the powerful spotbeam satellite at 129 now. Now that they moved off of CONUS they can offer many other markets in HD via the same transponder through the use of other spotbeams. They aren't coming back. No one but dish knows the plans for the SD locals.

Dish doesn't offer distant networks, they can't due to the lawsuit against them. They only distants available are by All American Direct in SD from 119.

 

[Laddyboy]

The old 129 didn't have spot beams and thus could only provide a few markets in HD. The new 129 is a spot beam satellite that will be able to provide HD locals to just about everywhere. Chicago HD locals will not go back to spotbeam. In the not too distant future, there will be no HD locals available on ConUS at all. The dstant networks for AAD are from NY and San Francisco.