Uplink Activity Report - 1/14/2009 1:02am - 418 changes

[drummerguy]

Happy to see Indy HD locals finally! Surprised they're on 129 -- would think they'd be part of Eastern Arc -- but I'm relieved that they are on 129 because that's what I already have.

I'm not a pro at reading these reports, but it looks like about 27 new temp HD channels. That's a lot more HD than Dish previously mentioned is coming. Could this really happen?

 

[HDRoberts]

Just passing on what I heard.

Personally I think it should be February since it will help ease the sticker shock of the new pricing.

Agreed on Feb. I was hoping for Jan 28th or Feb 4th. But throwing March in there is disheartening.

So what's going on in Feb and Mar? Presumably there is an earnings call. Also a Charlie Chat or Tech Forum?

Digi, there still live feeds on those 4 TPMs on 110?

 

[Bobby H]

I noticed they turned two more local HD channels in Wichita Falls, TX: KFDX channel 3 (NBC) and KJTL channel 18 (FOX). KAUZ channel 6 (CBS) has been available in HD for almost a couple of months now.

Strangely, the one remaining major network channel in this viewing market, KSWO channel 7 (ABC) in Lawton, OK was loaded onto 61.5° in MPEG-2 SD. Wierd. On the bright side, KSWO is the only local channel I'm getting over the air in HD.

Right now I'm getting my SD locals from another satellite, I'm not sure which one. Does this mean D* will remove the locals from other satellites and expect everyone in that viewing market to get their local channels from 61.5°?

 

[digiblur]

Digi, since they are puting the Lafayette, La. HD locals on Ciel 2 at 129 do you think they will put the New Orleans HD locals, whenever they do provide them, on 129 also? I thought in the past you said they would probably be on 61.5. I hope they put them on 129 because then I won't need to get a new dish because I have 110/119/129 now.

I thought they would be but the ended up using that space for Mobile, AL. I do know there is a beam on 129 that looks like it was meant for the New Orleans, LA DMA. Only time will tell... I'm sure we will see many more markets added to 129 than just these.

This is interesting. They removed the EA SD versions of the two HD channels they added today. I suppose this makes sense since all ViP receivers can downconvert HD, but it'll result in larger recordings for people who just wanted to record SD. Is this the first time they've used this strategy? Do they actually do EA installs for people who only want SD, or do you have to subscribe to HD?

They've been doing this with the EA for quite a while. Once the HD versions become available they remove the SD. They need to do this with the SD national channels too in my opinion.

 

[digiblur]

I doubt we will have one with cool new national HD today.

I heard at CES the next wave of HD is coming in the February / March time frame.

Also chances are good that we will not see any uplink activity for new national HD channels until they launch since there are over 30 HD channels uplinked in testing. Digiblur will be able to tell when there is actual video on those channels and not just slates, however since those feeds are scrambled we will have no way to tell what channels they are until they are turned on or renamed.

I don't think we are going to see much but in the next few weeks it could interesting. I moved my Dish300 over to 129 to watch the fun

Hopefully the receivers that had problems with the extra entries in the tables are working fine now with this add. I suspect this is why they did this early in the morning for testing.

 

[RandallA]

"Hopefully the receivers that had problems with the extra entries in the tables are working fine now with this add. I suspect this is why they did this early in the morning for testing."

I was thinking the same thing and so far I haven't see any reports of receivers rebooting so that's a good sign.

 

[Primus]

It's interesting as well for the STL HD locals. So they will be on the new 129 sat. IIRC they are currently on the 118 bird(as well as the eastern arc I think). I was just on the roof last night because I get a pretty week signal on some of the 118 tp's that my HD locals come down.

It will be nice to no longer need to worry about the 118 sat. I don't think I get anything else from there unless I'm mistaken.

Although, the HD locals will be on spotbeam on 129. I don't know if that is different from other channels I get on 129 currently.

 

[tman1991]

STILL NO TUCSON HD LOCALS??

argghh Direct has been here for 14 months! All these new uplinks and still no Tucson..

I think my contract expires in March.. 10 years+ with dish and crappy SD locals..

wtf?

 

[Laddyboy]

Just passing on what I heard.

Personally I think it should be February since it will help ease the sticker shock of the new pricing.

If they don't add more HD with the price increases, I do think some more subs will exit. They would certainly reduce the calls to CS if they added HD as they increased prices. As it is, I think E* is going to suffer some revenue loss as existing subs transition to lower-priced packages with (1) the availability of the Turbo HD packages and (2) cost cutting/belt tightening with the recession.

 

[db2]

My money is on most, if not all, of the TEMP HD channels being 24/7 HD RSN's. After all, how many national HD channels are there that Dish does not carry yet? And even if there are that many what are the chances that Dish would have an agreement with all of them?

 

[ctownnerd]

all these new hd local uplinks for cleveland, but they still can't get WBNX in HD. gaaaah. <whine type='nasally'> D* has it, why can't we?</whine>

 

[HDRoberts]

My money is on most, if not all, of the TEMP HD channels being 24/7 HD RSN's. After all, how many national HD channels are there that Dish does not carry yet? And even if there are that many what are the chances that Dish would have an agreement with all of them?

I new someone would say this.

There are 32 non-RSN non-shopping national HD channels currently available Dish can carry. Yeah, there cold be 24/7 RSNs up there. Personally, I’d rather they carried most of the below with these slots.

*= Dish plans on carrying in 2009, according to 12/31 email

Viacom (6 channels, not including BET)
*Country Music TV HD
*Comedy Central HD
*MTV HD
*Nickelodeon HD
*Spike TV HD
*VH1 HD

Fox (5 channels)
FOX Business Network HD
FOX News Channel HD
Fuel HD
*FX HD
*Speed TV HD

(Comcast, 3 channels)
E! HD
G4 HD
Style HD

Rainbow Media (4 channels)
American Movie Classics HD
Fuse HD
Independent Film Channel HD
Women's Entertainment HD

Showtime multiplex (6 channels)
*Showtime Extreme HD
Showtime Showcase HD
*Showtime 2 HD
*Showtime 2 West HD
The Movie Channel HD
The Movie Channel Xtra HD

Miscellaneous (9 channels):
*Crime & Investigation Network
ESPNU HD
*FashionTV (European channel)
MavTV HD
Outdoor Channel HD
RFD TV HD
Wealth TV HD
MoreMax HD

[FONT=&quot]Hate to say it, but more HD PPV is another possibility.

[/FONT]

 

[HDRoberts]

all these new hd local uplinks for cleveland, but they still can't get WBNX in HD. gaaaah. <whine type='nasally'> D* has it, why can't we?</whine>

Heck, DirecTV just added WVIZ, the local PBS.

 

[kstuart]

My money is on most, if not all, of the TEMP HD channels being 24/7 HD RSN's. After all, how many national HD channels are there that Dish does not carry yet? And even if there are that many what are the chances that Dish would have an agreement with all of them?

1 - The RSNs already have channel numbers, they don't need placeholders.

2 - Don't forget the PREMIUM HD channels, as Dish gets extra revenue from adding those, which they don't directly get from adding National HD. There are probably 23 Premium channels that Dish does not carry yet in HD alone...

3 - Engineering is constantly uplinking channels that Dish does not yet have an agreement with.

 

[kstuart]

4567 - KABC [MPEG4 HD] added to Ciel-2 129W TP 4 Spotbeam ?? (NA)(Los Angeles, CA)
4568 - KCBS [MPEG4 HD] added to Ciel-2 129W TP 4 Spotbeam ?? (NA)(Los Angeles, CA)
4569 - KNBC [MPEG4 HD] added to Ciel-2 129W TP 4 Spotbeam ?? (NA)(Los Angeles, CA)
4570 - KTTV [MPEG4 HD] added to Ciel-2 129W TP 4 Spotbeam ?? (NA)(Los Angeles, CA)
4571 - KTLA [MPEG4 HD] added to Ciel-2 129W TP 4 Spotbeam ?? (NA)(Los Angeles, CA)

Some of you movers will need to move back home.

 

[kstuart]

Ugh... Way to rain on our parade, Scott... Did you have to include 'March time frame' in your comment, because that is just depressing...

In previous comments by Charlie about Ciel-2, he stated that they would first uplink CONUS channels, and then in the following month, they would uplink New HD Locals.

So, February is when you will see new National HD channels, coinciding with the price increase, and March is when you will see new HD Local markets, such as:

4600 - KESQ [MPEG4 HD] added to Ciel-2 129W TP 9 Spotbeam ?? (NA)(Palm Springs, CA)
4601 - KPSP [MPEG4 HD] added to Ciel-2 129W TP 9 Spotbeam ?? (NA)(Cathedral City-palm, CA)
4602 - KMIR [MPEG4 HD] added to Ciel-2 129W TP 9 Spotbeam ?? (NA)(Palm Springs, CA)
4603 - KDFX [MPEG4 HD] added to Ciel-2 129W TP 9 Spotbeam ?? (NA)(Indio/palm Springs, CA)

 

[tigerfan33]

In previous comments by Charlie about Ciel-2, he stated that they would first uplink CONUS channels, and then in the following month, they would uplink New HD Locals.

This is the same Charlie that gave the ok to run the "150 hd national by year end"

That was last year by the way.

 

[JonE]

Some of you movers will need to move back home.

Might as well make the LA locals available in Denver since they're all moving here.

 

[zim2dive]

They've been doing this with the EA for quite a while. Once the HD versions become available they remove the SD. They need to do this with the SD national channels too in my opinion.

Watching the SD version of the HD locals was the only way (I found) to work around the sound-drop bug (which is hopefully now fixed in L616).. so I certainly don't mind them being there..

 

[jwgreen68]

5201(10) - KOLR [MPEG4 HD] added to EchoStar8 77W TP 17 ConUS beam (A) (H)(Springfield, MO)
5203(27) - KSFX [MPEG4 HD] added to EchoStar8 77W TP 17 ConUS beam (A) (H)(Springfield, MO)


When I saw that, I got so excited, I almost pissed myself. Then I realized that they are on 77 and not 129! All these years of waiting, and I'm still waiting!