I do not understand them putting up spares BEFORE the new HD units. and letting the older sats that are up there and working but doing nothing not carry new HD channels. They have the room to carry new HD channels without losing anything on now, why not use it?
I do not understand them putting up spares BEFORE the new HD units. and letting the older sats that are up there and working but doing nothing not carry new HD channels. They have the room to carry new HD channels without losing anything on now, why not use it?
Because DirecTV 9S was contracted before DirecTV implemented their HD plans.
DirecTV 9S has been in production at Space Systems/Loral for over two years. DirecTV then ordered DirecTV 10 and 11 to complement the Spaceway satellites early last year.
The DirecTV satellite fleet (not including the Spaceways) cannot transmit any more channels than they currently have. The DirecTV fleet is transmitting 32 transponders at 101, 3 at 110, 11 at 119 and 16 at 72.5. If DirecTV had 1000 DBS satellites in their fleet, they could only use the transponders listed in the last sentence, because that is all DirecTV is licensed to use. It doesn't give any more bandwidth by having more satellites.
DirecTV does have Ka-band licenses, but they are only being used by the Spaceway satellites.
Yes, the half that are currently not being used by the current license holder, Telesat Canada. DirecTV would have to come to an agreement with Telesat Canada, as well as another satellite to put there, in order to use the odd transponders at 72.5.
