What is with the crazy ass channel numbers?

[JohnH]

where did you get that number?

Some retailer should figure out how much it would cost to subscribe to all 3000 (and how many dishes you'd need! )

There are currently 3183 channels in the system. I would guess about 200-300 never showup in anybody's EPG. I get the number from my PC as I am the author of the original Uplink Activity.

While it is theoretically possible to subscribe to all those channels, it is not legal or physically possible to receive all of them at one location.

 

[tnsprin]

where did you get that number?

Some retailer should figure out how much it would cost to subscribe to all 3000 (and how many dishes you'd need! )

I don't know if the number is correct, but there are a lot of locals so you cannot subscribe to all of them.

The 9000's were originally introduced to make it easy to detect 4 digit numbers. The earliest were not HD channels and I am not sure that when introduced there were any 900 numbers. So, at that time when you entered anything but a 9 as the first digit the could switch to a channel as soon as you entered 3 digits.

I believe there are now stations in the 5000, 6000, 7000, 8000, and 9000's. They are sorta grouped but not too many channels in each.

 

[Yes616]

There are currently 3183 channels in the system. I would guess about 200-300 never showup in anybody's EPG. I get the number from my PC as I am the author of the original Uplink Activity.

While it is theoretically possible to subscribe to all those channels, it is not legal or physically possible to receive all of them at one location.

This number includes channels E* leases out to NPS and Sky Angel?

I suppose this number includes all the "virtual channels". The ones that tell receivers channel guide info for digital reception OTA. Those are in the 14000 and 15000 range but don't think you will need to tune to these channels to get this information. It is just placed there and you would never even see or know it. Then it gets mapped down to where it belongs when and where applicable.

Many channels are test channels and data only channels as well. When you think about everything, 3183 is a very believable number.

Besides.. John knows his stuff..

 

[kwindrem]

I don't care what the number are, but do wish they'd allow you to group HD and SD channels from the same service together. For example, HBO HD with HBO-E (SD), HBO-W, etc. In my custom guide lists, I remove the SD channels where there's an HD equivalent, so the current number based listing puts HBO HD a long ways away from HBO-W.

 

[Cold Irons]

I don't care what the number are, but do wish they'd allow you to group HD and SD channels from the same service together. For example, HBO HD with HBO-E (SD), HBO-W, etc. In my custom guide lists, I remove the SD channels where there's an HD equivalent, so the current number based listing puts HBO HD a long ways away from HBO-W.

Yep - this is on my (not-likely-to-happen) wish-list. In my custom MAIN favorites EPG, I have all the channels we might like to watch. I already removed ESPN & ESPN2 SD channels, since the ESPN HD channels have the same schedule. However, this puts the ESPN HD's a "long way from" the other sports channels. Ditto HGTV-HD and Food-HD - I have both the SD & HD channels in the list (since they have different schedules), but my wife would like to see these grouped next to the SD channels (since she "surfs" that area of the EPG the most).

 

[AlaJoe]

Why don't they just allow us to map all of them to a different number and rename them? I am not a programmer but this would have to be an easy feature to add. I for example do not understand why the history channel is at 120 near a&e, scfi, bet, and game show instead of in the 180's where discovery and the learning channels are. This all makes me wonder if the different channels don't negotiate into there contract with dish a specific placement.

 

[SmityWhity]

If I'm not mistaken, the major programming, such as those from the Top 60, Top 120, etc... needs to be on 3 digit numbers in order to be compatible with the earlier receivers that are still in service which cannot accept a 4 digit number.

But I'm not going to go to the garage and pull one out to test; at least not today.

I do agree that HBO-HD would probably make customers more happy (or less sad) group together. It looks like this would only apply to a handful of channels, and maybe there are enough open slots to accomplish this, but maybe not. If so, then you could still select ALL HD to just see HD channels.

 

[ZandarKoad]

Why don't they just allow us to map all of them to a different number and rename them? I am not a programmer but this would have to be an easy feature to add. I for example do not understand why the history channel is at 120 near a&e, scfi, bet, and game show instead of in the 180's where discovery and the learning channels are. This all makes me wonder if the different channels don't negotiate into there contract with dish a specific placement.

I can just imagine the service calls I'd get...

"Uh, I accidentally named every channel 'CBS' and set them all to random channels. What do I do now?"

But seriously, it is a great idea except for the fact that it will never happen...

 

[Hall]

I am not a programmer but this would have to be an easy feature to add.

Hmmm....

 

[tonyp56]

i think they do it so that it makes them think they've got lots of channels. 0-99 Locals, beyond that, well 100-500 for basic, movie, ppv, then 600, some 700's, then 800's, music channels in the 900 range, then we jump several thousand channel #'s to go to 6000's for Sirius music, can't remember where the locals begin but seems like 8000's--maybe 7000's, who knows--then 9400 to 9415 Public interest channels, then 9420+ for HD channels.

Yeah, seems a little nutty to me too, LOL

 

[TNGTony]

If I'm not mistaken, the major programming, such as those from the Top 60, Top 120, etc... needs to be on 3 digit numbers in order to be compatible with the earlier receivers that are still in service which cannot accept a 4 digit number.

I still have a 1000 receiver still hooked up and working and until two years ago had a 4000 receiver which is still in my closet. (purchased in 1998 and 1997 respectively) They have no problems with 4-digit channel numbers. I have also seen 3000 receiver with 4-digit channels working fine. So that is not an issue.

Networks FIGHT over channel location. CNN absolutely-positively must be on channel 200 because that is the channel that their contract states they will be on and that's all there is to that. Same goes for quite a few other channels. ESPN classic and ESPN News will be between ESPN and ESPN 2 because they give the providers heavy monitary incentive to do it that way. All providers do this.

As to where channels are, from the bottom of the Dish Channel Chart
(There is a lot of repitition because it is an index)

Channel Chart Index

Adult Entertainment (480-499)
Audio Only
--Muzak Monaural Audio Channels (923-947)
--Muzak Stereo Audio Channels (950-983)
--Sirius Music Channels (6000-6116)
--Sky Angel Radio Channels (9750-9799)

Broadcast TV
--Local Channels (NTSC-Standard Def) (7000-9395)
--Local Channels (ATSC-High Def) (6300-6399)
--National "Network" Channels (241-252)
--Significantly Viewed distant channels (6200-6299 - removed 12/1/06 by Court Order)
--Super Stations (231-239)

Business TV (9600-9699)

Entertainment
--Childrens (169-179~)
--Educational (~179-199 & 214, 215)
--Family (170~197 & 215)
--General Interest (105-138 & 168)

Foreign Language (580-879)
--Spanish (824-879)
--All others (580-823)

HDTV
--"Cable Channels" (9421-9498)
--"Local Channels" (6300-6399)

Local Broadcast
--High Definition (6300-6399)
--Standard definition (7000-9399)

Music
--Music Video (156-167)
--Muzak Monaural Audio Only (923-947)
--Muzak Stereo Audio Only (950-983)
--Sirius Music Channels (6000-6116)

Movie Channels
--Basic (128-133)
--Pay Per View (502-539)
--Premium (300-356)

News (200-214)

Pay Per View
--Events (454-472)
--Movies (502-539)
--Sports (454-472)

Public Interest (9396-9418)

Religious
--Dish Channels (260-264)
--Sky Angel Channels (9700-9799)

Shopping (216-229)

Sports
--Basic (140-154)
--College Sports Packs (454-472)
--League Packages
-----MLB - Baseball (625-639)
-----NBA - Basketball (560-572)
-----NHL - Hockey (540-552)
--Pay Per View (454-472)
--Regional Sports Networks (RSN) (411-449)
--Specialty (400-410)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

(by channel number basic channel positions)

2-69 Local channels (Mapped from higher "home" channel numbers)

100-299 - "cable channels" (in the following order: General Entertainment, women's channels, Basic movie channels, men's channels, sports channels, music channels, man-boy channel, children's channels, learning/documentary channels, news, weather, shopping, superstations, network channels (for qualifying subs), religious, most popular spanish, free previews.

300 block - Premium movie channels

400-480 - Sports (Specialty, regional and PPV in that order)

480-499 - Adult (read Porn) channels

500-539 - PPV Movies

540-573 - NHL & NBA sports packages

573-624 - Foreign Language packages

626-639 - MLB sports package (though these may not be a problem if DirecTV gets their way)

640-916 - Foreigh Language packages
---Dish Latino 819-899

923-983 - Muzak audio channels (they have been there since the beginning of time--almost)

984-999 - Retailer channels (not all active)

1000-5499 are currently empty. However there are some mirrors that used to pop up in the 4000 range.

5500-5516 - HDTV for Alaska and Hawaii

5731-5738 - NPS Network channels (mapped to 231-238)

5740-5780 - Test channels, Open TV and Wink applications channels

5783-5789 - home of all the alternate HD sports channel feeds which are as yet unused. These channels will never be seen on these channels but will be remapped to "alternate" channel numbers.

5800-5813 - home of all the SD sports alternate channels which are remapped daily to the 450 channel range and the sports package channels in the 500 and 600 blocks. These channel numbers are never directly available to subscribers.

5816-5825 - Video on Demand channels. Mirrors of PPV channels in the 500 range but these are the channel numbers some receivers tune to to "download" the movies on demand available in the VOD feature.

5826-5999 - "Test Channels" including NYC and LA local HD Network channels. These channels constantly change and allows dish to try out several different things before we can see them.

6000-6116 - Sirius Music Channels

6250-6299 - what remains of Significantly Viewed.

6300-6999 (only goes up to 6486 now) HD Local channels

7015-9392 SD Local channels

9396-9418 FCC Mandated Public Interest Channels (some PI channels are in the "basic" line-up like TBN, EWTN and C-Span)

9419-9499 HD channels

9500-9599 recently vacated test channel area with the exception of channel 9500 an Open TV weather applet. Speculation is room for more HD.

9600-9699 Business TV and leased access channels

9700-9799 Sky Angel Channels

9800-9801 Commercial account Sports channels

9802-9899 Recently vacated test channels (moved to 5000 range) A couple of straglers still there

9900-9905 "WE ARE HERE" channels for aiming dishes to 110°, 129°, 118°, 61.5°, 121° and 148°. Interestingly enough, no 119° channel!

9906-9999 More test channels (most of which moved to the 5000 range) with a a few DVR feature channels you will never see in the EPG but your DVR receiver will tune to them periodically.

14000-15999 - Virtual channels for EPG of digital OTA channels. (Now you see them, now you don't) They never show up on your EPG. They are mapped down to your local channels on HD receivers with an OTA antenna attached.

19000-19999 - Open TV applet channels which only show up on channel 100 on Dish receivers with OPEN TV capability (that's most of them)

36000 range - Error reporting screens and engineering "stuff"
36861 & 36862 - Electronic Program Guides. Your receiver actually tunes into these channels to download the guide info.

There will be a quiz on this later.

See ya
Tony

 

[Claude Greiner]

Look at it this way, if they squeezed everything down to 1-999 then everytime they would add a new channel they would have to move other channels, thus create an issue because customers wouldn't know what channel is what.

The system works pretty well considering Dish has not had any major channel re-alignment since they started back in 1996

 

[OoTLink]

I use favorites + punch in the channel numbers, mostly favorites with up/down surfing, works pretty good once you take the time to do it.

 

[Slamminc11]

What is with Dish? I can't believe they make me have to turn on my TV when I get home! If they really cared about their customer, they should have something in place that senses that I have come home and put my key in the door (I'll be bitching about that next!) and should turn my tv on for me and know what channel I want to watch when I get there so I don't have to waste my time picking up the remote! Damn them!

 

[Hall]

Actually, I spoke to Charlie a couple of weeks ago and he said they are adding that feature to their receivers "soon".

 

[JohnH]

By the time "soon" gets here they will have decided that the feature would not be that useful anyway.

 

[MikeD-C05]

Nbr for the 500 series of dvrs coming SOON.
External hard drive storage for your 622 coming SOON.
Your hd/ sd locals for your area coming SOON.

My bill being paid SOON. Notice on that last one, if I didn't pay my bill it would be cut off YESTERDAY. So evidently only DISH can use the term SOON and get away with it.

 

[mdonnelly]

Nbr for the 500 series of dvrs coming SOON.
External hard drive storage for your 622 coming SOON.
Your hd/ sd locals for your area coming SOON.

My bill being paid SOON. Notice on that last one, if I didn't pay my bill it would be cut off YESTERDAY. So evidently only DISH can use the term SOON and get away with it.

D* can too.

 

[boy921]

It was mentioned somewhere, a forum, Charlie Chat, or maybe Tech. Chat that they were experimenting with the channel assignments so the HD channels would be listed, for example, "HBOSD = 300, HBOHD = 300-1. This would be similar to the mapping of the local into locals.

 

[KwestJones]

9424 is one my favorites!

AMEN to that Brother...

To be honest...I rarely use the EPG unless I'm setting up recordings for days in advance. I memorize the channels I like to watch.