Discussion of D*s upcoming conversion to MPEG 4

[Smthkd]

That's a relief..
I have a lot $$ invested in DTV equipment.
BTW I discovered this board today and it's great.. alot of good info

WELCOME to SatGuy's !!! Spread the word about this site!!

 

[colofan]

I can't see how effective it would be for D* to ask for the the STB from customers. Many don't have the packaging and why would they want old equipment except to recycle the material from.

The cost of shipping alone would be a deterrence to doing this let alone the processing energy to manage all this equipment.

Personally I think I will be using my "old" HD boxes as ATSC receivers.

 

[slacker9876]

Moore's Law on electronics do not look to make recycling an effective option. I'll bet the old STB's are customer retained. I suppose we have one more football season (in the Denver area) before we are transitioned to the new scheme. I just hope I like the equipment as much as I do now.

 

[hdtvtechno]

More detailed Info

DirecTV Moves to MPEG-4
By Scott Wilkinson

January 30, 2005 — One of the more interesting announcements at CES this year was from DirecTV, who revealed that they would be launching four next-generation satellites by 2007 in order to carry more than 1500 local HDTV channels and 150 national HD channels. The first two of these satellites, dubbed Spaceway 1 and Spaceway 2, are scheduled to be sent aloft early in the second quarter of 2005, and they will transmit local HD channels to 12 US markets (New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco, Dallas, Washington DC, Atlanta, Detroit, Houston, and Tampa) by mid-year.

Even more interesting was the announcement that these local HD channels would be encoded in MPEG-4 AVC rather than MPEG-2, which is the current encoding format. MPEG-4 AVC is more than twice as efficient as MPEG-2, which will allow more channels to be carried within a given bandwidth. However, current DirecTV HD receivers will not be compatible with the new signals; subscribers will have to replace their existing HD receiver with a new one if they want to watch the new local HD channels. At this point, it's unknown what sort of upgrade path DirecTV will offer its current HD customers.

DirecTV's current national HD channels (HDNet, HDNet Movies, Discovery HD Theater, Universal HD, and ESPN HD) will remain in MPEG-2, at least for a while, so older receivers will still work with them. And the new receivers will be able to decode MPEG-2 signals, so new owners will be able to view everything DirecTV throws at them


Story at:
http://www.guidetohometheater.com/news/013105DirecTV/

Another format crisis

Myrtle Beach Online - January 30, 2005: America's 25 million satellite TV subscribers are in for a rude awakening in the next year or three. To tune in high-definition satellite programming, they'll need to replace their high-def receiver boxes and also install a slightly larger dish antenna.

Both DirecTV and Dish Network use versions of the MPEG-2 data compression scheme for their digital transmissions. But to deliver lots more high-density, high-def channels, both services are switching to a more efficient MPEG-4 coding technology.

DirecTV will introduce MPEG-4-encoded HD local channels to a dozen leading markets by mid-year.

But company executives were reluctant to discuss how they'll transition HD box users, or how long it will be before DirecTV shuts off the out-of-market ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC high-def channels now available to many of these subscribers with current equipment.

Over at the Dish Network booth, spokesman Marc Lumpkin offered a more satisfying response, saying his company "already has a history of upgrading consumers to improved HD technology. If you sign up for another year of service, we give you a new box for free. We're not going to alienate our customers."

Story at:
http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/ml...ne/10771750.htm

 

[cr0mag]

There are many advantages to being wireless.

-The initial install for a new customer with a 4 room setup would now be nearly as easy as a single room installation. The additional rooms just require plugging the box into an electrical outlet and connecting the video connections to the TV. This would signifcantly cut down on installation time/cost and make for a neater install with not needing 1 or 2 lines going to each receiver.

-If a customer adds/moves a TV an installer no longer has to come out and run line(s) from the dish. Connecting additional receivers is as easy as connecting a dvd player.

OMG... where was that thing last summer when I was crawling through my attic running two lines for my DVR? If this thing is all that we're hoping it is, it will definately save install time, AND best of all, allow customers to re-arrange their furniture w/o having an installer come back out. Not to mention, if the wireless range is long enough, we may be watching HD in the back yard one day soon!
:shocked

 

[hdtvtechno]

You'll still need a power outlet in the back yard

 

[charper1]

Over at the Dish Network booth, spokesman Marc Lumpkin offered a more satisfying response, saying his company "already has a history of upgrading consumers to improved HD technology. If you sign up for another year of service, we give you a new box for free. We're not going to alienate our customers."

Give away to KEEP or lease?

 

[fkostyn]

wireless.... damned TV signal keeps going out.. Honey, get off the damn phone.

 

[Barney]

wireless.... damned TV signal keeps going out.. Honey, get off the damn phone.

LOL....or this one, "Sweetheart (as she mumbles S O B), get off the computer chating with your friends at sat-guys, my American Idol is breaking up".

 

[Mtnmike]

More Rumor????

So everyone is speculating as to how D* will switch current HD customers to MPEG-4 (equipment ETC). This maybe rumor or it may be some insider info, but if this is even close to reality it is truly a sweetheart deal that will capture the HD market.

This was posted by Skyboss on dbstalk.com, don't know how accurate it is.

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?p=360728#post360728

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HMC Cost update.

Latest info:

Two base (HD HMC) units with different capacity.

1) 240 GB - $499 + $99 for SD units and $199 for HD remote units
2) 480 GB - $599 + $99 for SD units and $199 for HD remote units

Trade in Values:

HD-TiVo -> High capacity unit + 2 HD remote units
SD TiVo -> Low capacity Unit + 1 SD remote unit
SD Receiver -> Low Capacity unit and 1 SD for every three (3) SD receivers.
It's basically a price match. For example, if you have two SD TiVo's and an standard HD unit, you can obtain the High Capacity + 1 HD remote unit in exchange.

Values on units for trade in:

Standard SD Receiver - No value for HMC - 1 for 1 on SD remote units
Standard HD Receiver - Low cap HMC or 1 HD Remote unit
1 TiVo - Low Capacity HMC + SD Unit
2 TiVo - High Capacity HMC + SD Unit, or High Capacity + SD Unit

Dollar Value:

SD Receiver $99
HD Receiver $399
TiVo $199
HD TiVo - $899

 

[ShadowEKU]

So everyone is speculating as to how D* will switch current HD customers to MPEG-4 (equipment ETC). This maybe rumor or it may be some insider info, but if this is even close to reality it is truly a sweetheart deal that will capture the HD market.

This was posted by Skyboss on dbstalk.com, don't know how accurate it is.

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?p=360728#post360728

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HMC Cost update.

Latest info:

Two base (HD HMC) units with different capacity.

1) 240 GB - $499 + $99 for SD units and $199 for HD remote units
2) 480 GB - $599 + $99 for SD units and $199 for HD remote units

Trade in Values:

HD-TiVo -> High capacity unit + 2 HD remote units
SD TiVo -> Low capacity Unit + 1 SD remote unit
SD Receiver -> Low Capacity unit and 1 SD for every three (3) SD receivers.
It's basically a price match. For example, if you have two SD TiVo's and an standard HD unit, you can obtain the High Capacity + 1 HD remote unit in exchange.

Values on units for trade in:

Standard SD Receiver - No value for HMC - 1 for 1 on SD remote units
Standard HD Receiver - Low cap HMC or 1 HD Remote unit
1 TiVo - Low Capacity HMC + SD Unit
2 TiVo - High Capacity HMC + SD Unit, or High Capacity + SD Unit

Dollar Value:

SD Receiver $99
HD Receiver $399
TiVo $199
HD TiVo - $899

Looks like i can trade in my HD receiver, 2 tivos and 1 d10 and get the high capacity, and 2 sd units. odd question.. is the hmc centrally located and the receivers out at the tvs.. so ide need 2 sd and one hd unit... i beleve...

 

[minorthr]

The way I understand it the HMC will record and be able to output HD. So if you only need HD on one Tv you could put the HMC at that Tv.

 

[cr0mag]

This may have been covered already, but I'm at work and don't have time to read all the posts...
Will the new equipment roll out happen before all of the local HD markets get activated? Or do you have to wait for new gear until your market gets "lit up?" New Orleans is pretty far down the list...

 

[DrWho]

Wow, that's just aweseome news.

I'm so glad I left VOOM.

Thought D* is this big huge coporation, they would be doing the right thing to help the early adopters convert to the new MPEG4 format. It's when early adoption finally pays off.

 

[bobpenn]

Let me see how this could play out. They say that if you live in L.A., then the new MPEG-4 signals may be available by July or so of this year. But I have also read that the new "Tivo-type" replacement units won't be ready until November. Is this true? Because if it is, then those of us with HiDef Tivos will not really be able to see the new signals until the new HiDef DVRs come out, and there may be a lag time for that. How would this work, and did I misunderstand something or read something wrong?

Thanks.

 

[Tonedeaf]

Confused of how this will work - so if I have 1 HD, 2 Tivos, and 1 SD unit what will that get me?

I have 3 TV's hooked up currently with 1 TV that has the HD and a Tivo at it.

 

[Stargazer]

I wonder if they are going to have you put the access cards that you currently have in your receiver into the new receivers or if they will come with a new card to enhance the security in their system even more.

If FTA is the wave of the future then perhaps those companies wanting to start broadcasting FTA stations should allow them to work on the DirecTv and Dish Network receivers using those same frequencies if there ends up being millions of receivers out there available.

 

[ShadowEKU]

Confused of how this will work - so if I have 1 HD, 2 Tivos, and 1 SD unit what will that get me?

I have 3 TV's hooked up currently with 1 TV that has the HD and a Tivo at it.

my same question.

 

[beast37799]

i think we should wait till a press release is made

 

[GreatMac]

The picture quality, particularly of supercompressed SD channels, sucks now and it will suck with MPEG4 too. If you have a large HDTV, get VOOM - it is the ONLY way! And it looks like Voom is getting MPEG4 sooner than that. And the Voom HD channels.... ah, I am in love

Cheers!