Would it not save Dish/Direct space to

purvis

Well-Known SatelliteGuys Member
Original poster
Dec 24, 2004
30
0
Just offer the network programming in HD and give the local affiliates signal in SD??? That way you would only have to offer HD from 8 to 11 PM, 11:30 to 2:30 AM and Saturday and Sunday afternoon sports programming. Most of the current “local” programming is News, talk shows, and old reruns anyway that really don’t need HD for. This would also allow for the DBS companies to offer the network feeds at the maximum bit rate as well, since you are only offering six or seven national network “HD” feed channels instead of 1500 if everything is in HD someday? Does it really make sense to have 350 CBS HD channels that are showing the exact same network programing??
 
Its all about the commercials. Your local CBS wants you to watch the commercials THEY sold, not the commercials on the national feed.
 
IF the networks would allow themselves to be sold as a premium channel like say Hbo and Showtime , Cinemax, Starz then you could have a national feed of each network .

For instance, they could sell say Abc Hd network as the main channel and then include the local affiliate in sd as a sub channel for their news programming , reruns, and all network shows that are not in sd. They could also include the weather radar channel too as a sub channel for your local area. You would still have to have the sd version of each channel up on the satellite but you would only have to have the one hd channel of each network on the satellite. IF you subbed to the networks as a premium you would only get the national commercials on the hd channel. OR they could include the hd shows without commercials . The hd main channel would only show programming if the program was in true hd. The sd version would stay on all the time. But that would never happen unless they redo the deals with the affilates as they are today. They have deals going back to the 50's on this and it would have to be changed to make it happen.

I think one way or the other you will see video on demand from the networks on network programming. IT is coming because the networks are looking for new ways to make money.
 
If all of the CBS/NBC/FOX/ABC stations were owned and operated by each other and not affiliates and owned by someone else then this wouldn't be such a big deal. The owners of the affiliates don't won't you watching a station from NY or from some other city because you are taking money out of his pocket. If less people are watching his station then these companies that place commercials on there ain't going to want to pay as much money for them to be on there because less people are watching.
 
If there was some type of software/hardware combination that was smart enough to cut to local commercials then they would save space if all the local markets didnt insert commercials at the same time. Dish Network and DirecTv could get a copy of all of those commericals from all of those markets and insert them themselves but that would be a lot of work as well. Even if there was a way, there could be breaking news and so forth and that would not get covered so that would defeat part of the purpose for locals anyways.
 
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