Uplink Activity Report - 10/8/2008 1:02pm - 89 changes

[TNGTony]

403 and 625 are the same video stream with different availability packages.
403 is for AT and Sports packages
625 is for Center Ice.

One channel. Two channel numbers.

See ya
Tony

 

[beauseph2008]

Ok, so I checked, and 61.5 isn't even one of the things that pops up, so I am guessing I am going to have to contact CSR and lay the smackdown. I am not going to sign another contract, I have decided that, then they have me bent over for the next two years, I am going to tell them straight up, either I get a free one or I go to direct. I am sorry, but I have been waiting all this time, and I finally get one freaking local HD channel and can't even watch it, and who knows how long it could take for them to install it even if they do offer it for free!

 

[B_Kranski]

so the package changes, are them changes from na to a? or are they just flag changes? Right now I have not seen anything on the front page with reguards to E* in a while reguarding channel additions. But yet we see the main page for D* every week. If these are additions to E* then they should get just as much attention on the front page as that is the original reason that I signed up for this site and became a pub supporter. If it changes to a D* site then I will know not to add any money to the kitty. Thanks Bill

 

[kstuart]

I wish. The following is on TP 19:

403 - NHLN
625 - NHLN
845 - TELAM
852 - SETA
5890 - OBAMA
5891 - TEMP08 (Not Available)
6198 - SETAS (Not Available)
9990 - ECT10

The first is the NHL Network, the second appears to be an NHL Center Ice Channel, the second two and second to last appear to be Latino channels (2 may be Setanta sports, maybe the other one is Telemundo), and god knows what the last one is.

Mostly junk that could probably find a home elsewhere. It would just be confidence boosting to see it completely cleared and switched to 8PSK FEC 5/6 like the rest of the 110 HD TPs rather than being the dumping ground for miscellaneous SD additions that are of limited interest. After the MPEG4 transition (whatever happened to that?), TP19 is still is probably the best hope for more 110 HD space.

852 is a slate announcing the end of Free Preview and availability for $9.99.

I would bet that 6198 is a test channel for the slate.

845 is Tele-Amazonas in Dish Latino.

So, there are only two subscribed channels, NHL Network and Tele-Amazonas, that will be around after the first Tuesday in November.

 

[JohnH]

just keep beating that dead issue of Tp 19 being cleared(not really) for HD. The SD channels that were on there were moved to other Tps on 110, sort of maxing out those Tps. There is no place else to put these new channels(channels which have been requested quite heavily).

Additional HD is not the only reason EchoStar 10 was launched, probably not even the primary reason. The MPEG4 conversion of the 2 Tps will provide additional HD channels and the fact it is now EchoStar 10 may allow 1 additional HD channel per each of the 2 Tps.

SD is a fact of life for more than 50% of subscribers, so plan on more of the same.

BTW: ETC has always been EchoStar Technologies Corporation. I suppose they are not important either.

Also, EchoStar 8 does not appear to be in any hurry to get to 77 west.

 

[HDRoberts]

just keep beating that dead issue of Tp 19 being cleared(not really) for HD. The SD channels that were on there were moved to other Tps on 110, sort of maxing out those Tps. There is no place else to put these new channels(channels which have been requested quite heavily).

Additional HD is not the only reason EchoStar 10 was launched, probably not even the primary reason. The MPEG4 conversion of the 2 Tps will provide additional HD channels and the fact it is now EchoStar 10 may allow 1 additional HD channel per each of the 2 Tps.

I presume you mean Echostar 11.

Is there any space on 119 for 2 channels? With space at a premium, it seems a waste to have a TP just with just 2 SD channels. At least get busy adding some useful (to some) SD channels to it like American Life, Sprout, Exercise TV, LOGO, and what not. I'm betting those are at least as requested as NHL Network and Tele-Amazonas.

Yes, the MPEG4 trasition gives space for 6 (maybe 8 with E11) new HDs, but wouldn't at least doubling that space with another TP be better?

 

[JohnH]

I presume you mean Echostar 11.

Is there any space on 119 for 2 channels? With space at a premium, it seems a waste to have a TP just with just 2 SD channels. At least get busy adding some useful (to some) SD channels to it like American Life, Sprout, Exercise TV, LOGO, and what not. I'm betting those are at least as requested as NHL Network and Tele-Amazonas.

Yes, the MPEG4 trasition gives space for 6 (maybe 8 with E11) new HDs, but wouldn't at least doubling that space with another TP be better?

Yes, it should have been EchoStar 11.

Adding HD channels at the expense of space for an unknown quantity of SD channels is not good. We have no idea of how many of either are planned.

Yes, American Life has been in the requests for a number of years. One might think it is there for the programming it offers for about 5 or 6 hours of the day. I have received it free from the big dish for much of this decade and only found 2 or 3 programs a day which fit my pallette and Graham Kerr was not one that fit. Ballroom dancing was filled with weird things.

 

[skyroniter]

Just got off the phone with DISH. Some helpful Indian guy named Travis has arranged for my wing dish to be installed Saturday. The only local HD activated now for the Greenville, NC market is CBS. To waive the $59.99 (or whatever) fee, I reupped for 24 months.

 

[kstuart]

just keep beating that dead issue of Tp 19 being cleared(not really) for HD. The SD channels that were on there were moved to other Tps on 110, sort of maxing out those Tps.

And there was no reason to do that, other than to free up a transponder for HD use.

Otherwise, they would have just left the transponders with some extra room, and just added new SD channels one per transponder.

(That is what they previously did with transponder on 129, for example.)

 

[JohnH]

You apparently fail to recognize that two of the channels added are high bandwidth sports channels. Channels which would not fit just anywhere.

 

[HDRoberts]

You apparently fail to recognize that two of the channels added are high bandwidth sports channels. Channels which would not fit just anywhere.

Only NHL Nework. I don't think Tele-Amazonas is a sports network, although they might have some sports. Isn't that just the main channel in Ecuador. As pointed out above, Setana is just a slate about the free preview ending.

It just seems odd they would go to all the trouble of completely clearing a TP to add two channels. I imagine even if it took up that much space, they could add it to a TP with space for two normal SDs and keep everything spread out. They also have 119 to work with. Can you cheak to see what the bandwidth premium of NHL Newrk is versus some standard SD channel, like a TNT or Spike, or somehing like that?

Here's another theory: They are saving this TP for HD launches next spring or summer, after hockey season. They will yank NHL Network SD, find another home for Tele-Amazonas and have space to keep up with some no launches of high demand HD channels.

 

[Laddyboy]

Here's another theory: They are saving this TP for HD launches next spring or summer, after hockey season. They will yank NHL Network SD, find another home for Tele-Amazonas and have space to keep up with some no launches of high demand HD channels.

If they don't add the Viacom and Fox HD before next Spring or Summer, they really are in trouble as many more will likely be out the door by then. Outside of the Fox, Viacom, and Rainbow HD, what is left? Also what happens next hockey season when the "hockey" channels are already filled with other HD programming?

 

[JohnH]

NHL Network is a year 'round channel.

They may have a solution for HD/SD mixing on a TP, SOON.

 

[JohnH]

Also what happens next hockey season when the "hockey" channels are already filled with other HD programming?

The Hockey HD Channels, being mirrors of the HSKDL channels, do not really go away.

 

[HDRoberts]

NHL Network is a year 'round channel.

They may have a solution for HD/SD mixing on a TP, SOON.

Doesn't mean they can't pull it.

I would also think mixing HD and SD wouldn't be a issue, it would just have to be in QPSK, cutting into capacity. They mix MPEG4 HD and SD on the Rainbow 1 spots now.

 

[JohnH]

Doesn't mean they can't pull it.

That seems to be the solution, if the price goes up, now.
I guess the channel wasn't all that important anyway. Could say the same about some of this HD stuff.

 

[alebowgm]

403 and 625 are the same video stream with different availability packages.
403 is for AT and Sports packages
625 is for Center Ice.

One channel. Two channel numbers.

See ya
Tony

Just a note on the NHL Network channel, and the reason why it was moved from MPEG4 only to MPEG2 a month or so ago. It is apparent that the reason for this is that the NHL Network has exclusive rights in the USA to broadcast CBC Hockey Night in Canada coverage. In the past, Dish would just show the national CBC feed on Saturday nights, but it will now air on NHL Network nationally.

I think Dish realised that they better make it available to everyone at that point.