NPS is ending their C-Band signals on 12-26-10

[tvropro]

The 922 can do some combo mode. It just cant do the big one 29270 3/4 combo. Thats the one all the cable programmers use.

 

[photoman76]

I believe all 19.51 SR are combo mode. 29.27 SR are either split or combo mode.
4dtv's can do 19.51 combo mode and 29.27 split mode, but not 29.27 combo mode.

 

[truckracer]

wow...i never knew our 4d's could do anything combo...

 

[tvropro]

wow...i never knew our 4d's could do anything combo...

Oh ya especially the 922 and 905 (410 also) its just that the combo mode that 99% of the programmers use 29270 3/4 combined. The 4D will not do that GI toyed with the 922 doing that when built but released it without. The new 924 was suppose to do it but well that when up in smoke when Motorola took over.

 

[Anony55]

Thanks tvropro & photoman for the explaination. It's been a while since I studied the 922's hidden menu that shows all the modes. I didn't know enough about it at the time to notice that 29270 Combo wasn't listed.

I don't know how other commercial DCII receivers allow you to tune. But in the 4500X, you don't choose Freq, then SR, then FEC, then Mode. Instead, you choose the TP number (or you can go the IF route) and then choose from a list of predetermined SR+FEC+Mode combinations.

The 4500X has a full compliment of 19510 SRs with the split option in the list (as well as the combo stuff). I have no idea if any providers use them, but the receiver appears to be capable of receiving them if they do.

From your explainations... can I assume that 29270 Combo mode is what truely applies to the term "Megapipe"?

Cheers

 

[truckracer]

it would have been nice if GI would have stayed in the game. i believe this outcome would have been a lot different.

 

[tvropro]

it would have been nice if GI would have stayed in the game. i believe this outcome would have been a lot different.

GI was C band friendly Motorola wasn't. Lets say GI stayed in the game and came out with the 924 combo mode receiver and we could subscribe to those masters. There would have never been a demise like we saw. Loosing channels, & Ergans games with YSP & NPS did it in. The c banders were a select stable group. They were happy with getting programming and their buds. Many me included would ever have though I would have been forced into pizza. I can only hope that Comcast gets wind that the few of us that are left want c band to stay around and builds from that. More channels and some aggressive advertising could go a long way.

Key points could be, No contracts, pay as you go. No rain fade. Better quality than pizza. Well you get the idea.

 

[highskies]

Key points could be, No contracts, pay as you go. No rain fade. Better quality than pizza. Well you get the idea.

Since all that will be left is the W5 SD feeds, I would argue quality is no longer in our favor. While I agree that the W5 SD feeds are probably better image wise than the pizza SD feeds, I seriously doubt they would be better image wise than the pizza HD feeds.

I remember some time ago over at satforums, either I or someone asked Nick about the HD combo feeds via HITS, as to whether they were full resolution. He was able to determine
via the proper equip and tsreader that they were indeed full res. That alone has pizza HD beat, since I tend to understand that the HD feeds are not full res. Out of curiosity, has anyone in here ever seen the HITS HD feeds for themselves, such as thru their cable co?

 

[gardo403]

"Out of curiosity, has anyone in here ever seen the HITS HD feeds for themselves, such as thru their cable co?"

I would think that the cable co would recompress and wreck it anyway..

Fire up a commercial receiver and a hdd 1000 and try.... (hint galaxy 15 is moving by w5 right now shhhh!)

 

[tvropro]

Since all that will be left is the W5 SD feeds, I would argue quality is no longer in our favor. While I agree that the W5 SD feeds are probably better image wise than the pizza SD feeds, I seriously doubt they would be better image wise than the pizza HD feeds.

I remember some time ago over at satforums, either I or someone asked Nick about the HD combo feeds via HITS, as to whether they were full resolution. He was able to determine
via the proper equip and tsreader that they were indeed full res. That alone has pizza HD beat, since I tend to understand that the HD feeds are not full res. Out of curiosity, has anyone in here ever seen the HITS HD feeds for themselves, such as thru their cable co?

From what I know HITS is full resolution on SD & HD. Pizza decreases the resolution on SD & HD before retransmit. PIzza HD is lite at best with DirecTV being better than Dishnetwork.

 

[tvropro]

"Out of curiosity, has anyone in here ever seen the HITS HD feeds for themselves, such as thru their cable co?"

I would think that the cable co would recompress and wreck it anyway..

Fire up a commercial receiver and a hdd 1000 and try.... (hint galaxy 15 is moving by w5 right now shhhh!)

Zombiesat strikes again. I don't think any HITS is open though.

 

[photoman76]

I found 3 HD channels. Video quality is very good. Channels are running between 10.5 and 13.8 Mbps.

 

[tvropro]

I found 3 HD channels. Video quality is very good. Channels are running between 10.5 and 13.8 Mbps.

Thats pretty good bitrates for a retransmit.

 

[Kb Cool]

Thats pretty good bitrates for a retransmit.

An all the more reason SRL has to get an HD capable box besides just the 410. Is there a possibility?

 

[tvropro]

An all the more reason SRL has to get an HD capable box besides just the 410. Is there a possibility?

Never say never. Everything riding on the success of Comcast HITS with us rides on one thing, subscriber numbers. We need to support it and get others interested. There will be an abundance of 4DTV receivers available come the first of the year. If they can be utilized by new subs there may be enough incentive to take the C band thing a step further. It won't happen overnight but if the numbers spark a revival with Comcast getting good returns anything is possible.

 

[Kb Cool]

Never say never. Everything riding on the success of Comcast HITS with us rides on one thing, subscriber numbers. We need to support it and get others interested. There will be an abundance of 4DTV receivers available come the first of the year. If they can be utilized by new subs there may be enough incentive to take the C band thing a step further. It won't happen overnight but if the numbers spark a revival with Comcast getting good returns anything is possible.

Isn't there any boxes available now that will decode HitsHD? Skyvision ran out of 410's,"right?" Why aren't they going after something else that does HD? It seems like somebody is holding cband down and want it to fail or the people that stand to profit on it. Do not want to make any kind of investment. Why the 410 and not something better? Is that the only thing Motorola would let them have? Or was it just the cheapest receiver available?

 

[tvropro]

It boils down to dollars and cents, right now the 410 service has about 800 subscribers or some very low number, can't remember. There is a potential of possibly 15,000 4D subs that will be left. If that happens it gives incentive to make changes. Right now it's not there because of the NPS fiasco and fallout.

 

[Kb Cool]

It boils down to dollars and cents, right now the 410 service has about 800 subscribers or some very low number, can't remember. There is a potential of possibly 15,000 4D subs that will be left. If that happens it gives incentive to make changes. Right now it's not there because of the NPS fiasco and fallout.

Well, how can they expect people to "flock" to them. When there isn't much to offer. It's sort of like what came first the "chicken or the egg". Someone needs to re-invest all the money they made over the years and give back. Mike pumped his into a herd of CSR's and sobongo and bent over for charlie too. So he don't count!

 

[lonewolf454]

If SRL/Skyvision want this thing to fly, they will have to backtrack and consider why people have left over the years for pizza
1. Expensive hardware (The 4dtv cost what, around $1000 when it made it's debut?)

2. Inability to receive masters (This is what it was all about wasn't it?) We have been losing channels ever since the 4dtv came out and analogs began going away.

3. No DVR-capable receiver (In these days and times this is a "must" for most

4. No ability to stack receivers, so more than one program can be viewed at once on separate TV's.

-. I don't think having to move a dish has been a big problem for most of us, so I don't consider it on this list.

This should have been #1: Marketing. This is what has made DirecTV and Dishnetwork kings. Its not that they really offered much in the early years, but they won people over. Even in cities where cable is readily available you can see pizza dishes everywhere. Marketing. Make people believe you are giving them what they want and saving them money over the "other guys"

SRL/Skyvision could keep a good portion of c-banders by offering a DC2 HD capable receiver -or- since there is less DCII all the time, A dvb-s2 capable receiver that can be subbed to HITS/and/or masters. We have always enjoyed a-la-carte in addition to package ability so hopefully they will keep this in mind.

I really hope that subscription c-band will be around for many more years, but without proper support, I do not see it lasting either, and that's a shame. It was #1.

 

[highskies]

Well, how can they expect people to "flock" to them. When there isn't much to offer. It's sort of like what came first the "chicken or the egg". Someone needs to re-invest all the money they made over the years and give back. Mike pumped his into a herd of CSR's and sobongo and bent over for charlie too. So he don't count!

I agree with you, unless they do something to motivate potential customers, how many are going to stick it out with the few chs avail on W5? That's not even a good selection in my opin. But if we had access to all the feeds on both sats, both SD and HD, then I think that would likely be cause for motivating potential customers. Another thing to consider too, perhaps Skyvision and SRL are not that naive about this, and they're just waiting for NPS to close up shop before they try to pursue this further. If NPS found an interest in this, as before they closed up shop for good, undoubtedly it would only be so they could find a way to destroy that market before it ever had a chance to grow. Or they would try to dominate it again, etc. With NPS in the picture in the past, Skyvision and SRL have never had the majority of the market. With NPS out of their way, that all could change. But that all gets back to motivating potential customers. If all there is to look forward to are the current W5 feeds, plus a cpl of more, such as Soapnet, that's hardly enough reason why I would feel motivated to continue subbing. But that's me. I can't speak for anyone else tho.