Why not local HD????

[Asdad3]

Can anyone explain why DISH doesn't carry local channels on HD? Just curious since I can only get my locals on HD through OTA.

 

[drod]

One word, bandwidth constraints. Think about that one dish network employees. Almost like putting a bag of M&M's in alphabetical order.

 

[Neutron]

The reason why none of the satellite providers offer local HD channels is because of what drod already said, bandwidth constraints. There's simply no room for them.

Directv has taken a bold step in that they are launching 2 satellites, one later this year and one in 2 years, that will allow for local HD channels to be offered.

DISH has basically said that they have no plans to offer locals in HD.

 

[BFG]

I would hope they wouldn't add local HD. Local HD is deffinetly something that should stick with an antenna for. The local Sds arent a problem cause they take up much less room. But if you don't have local HD, then sat should carry at least distants, and for that you'd have to wait for the digital white area.

 

[Asdad3]

Thanks

Many thanks! I am slowly learning.......I appreciate all the responses.

 

[CWS_kahuna]

I would hope they wouldn't add local HD. Local HD is deffinetly something that should stick with an antenna for.

Some of us can not use an antenna. I am very happy now that I get my 4 major locals through D*, I just wish it was not only for O&O areas so everyone can get them. I can bet there are a lot of E* users out there that would love for them to add NBC, ABC & FOX to their HD Lineup.

 

[mike123abc]

I do not think Dish has come out and said they do not plan on offering HD locals. They have really not said anything on the subject... They have just lined up 9 new satellite slots for unannounce reasons...

 

[Pepper]

Someday all available channels will be in digital HD because that will be the low-end standard. It took many years, but now how many stations still exclusively broadcast in black-and-white?

Maybe not in our lifetimes, this will probably happen about the same time that every home in the US has a fiber connection to the backbone, everybody has a DVR with an 8 terabyte hard drive, and media distribution is exclusively over IP (or its successors).

 

[Barry Erick]

One problem with locals is their LOW power. Most are at low power and not the granted power. But before summer all digitals have to be at granted power and that will help many situations.

I know where I live I can't get the FOX HD, but before the SuperBowl they will be at full power and up high on a tower. Right now they are 100 watts and 20 feet up the tower. In a mountainous terrain, we can pick them up at our station on the mountain!

Others, even low power ones, come in fine where I live, 10 miles from the towers, as they are mounted high enough to get over the terrain.

One thing, the locals integrate easily on the dish receivers. They also did on the DirecTV receivers, but not the HD on my box. With the 811, to get channel 11, digital, I simply input 0111, which is ch11-1. On the analog, input 011 or 0110. For the other receivers, it is simply 11.

 

[NightRyder]

Some of us can not use an antenna. I am very happy now that I get my 4 major locals through D*, I just wish it was not only for O&O areas so everyone can get them. I can bet there are a lot of E* users out there that would love for them to add NBC, ABC & FOX to their HD Lineup.

I'm in that group. The broadcast networks in my DMA have chosen not to serve my area. No antenna reception, analog or digital. I say at this point the local affiliates should have no right to dictate where I receive my programming from. Why should I be subject to the whims of broadcasters 80 miles away that have chosen not to provide service to me? Total f***ing crap.


NightRyder

 

[smitzinok]

Same here

I only get ABC OTA. The other networks only at low power and too fay away.
looks like no Superbowl in HD for me!!!!!!!!!!

 

[chevyN8]

If the local distants are anything like the analog distants....we can't get all the locals via an antenna and the stations won't sign waviers. So, if you have a sat. provider you couldn't get locals. The only way to get all the locals was with cable. Since LiL started up, we can have locals with a sat. provider. I have seen many, many dish's go up since the LiL. The DTV service will probably be similiar. Signal not reaching the people, too close for a digital white area, and no waviers. Not to mention quite a few people don't want to have an antenna. Me, I put up a large antenna with amp to receive 1 HDTV channel...the rest broadcast 480i DTV at 3.6 kw

 

[Pandian]

Even if they can, they will charge a fortune ... considering the bandwidth. Better of OTA, if the locality permits.

How did the Congress and Sat. companies fool everyone into paying for local channels, most of the money going to the local broadcasters who cried "mommy" when we wanted to watch other markets?

If I have to pay I'd rather watch a remote station, and for real local market I SHOULD NOT PAY!

 

[JohnL]

Can anyone explain why DISH doesn't carry local channels on HD? Just curious since I can only get my locals on HD through OTA.

Asdad3,


This is quite simple. Each HD channel takes up the amount of bandwidth it takes to transmit 6 to 7 channels of SD programing. Since Dish doesn't have the bandwidth to carry anymore than one or two markets at best for Local HD carriage, which markets and whom gets lucky.

My guess would be a market with at least 200 thousand Subs, with at least 25 percent that have HD sets. Do you think that Dish is going to give HD locals away for $4.99 per market or even include them to Local into Local subs, ha haaa haaaa haaa. It costs vastly more to even collect and process HD signals over SD for the hardware not to mention the bandwidth costs.

Bottomline HD is a niche product and until more subs have HD sets Dish and DirecTV will contine to roll out HD services slowly. BTW why would you require HD from Dish at an additional cost when you can get them for free in your local market?

John

 

[SimpleSimon]

I'm in that group. The broadcast networks in my DMA have chosen not to serve my area. No antenna reception, analog or digital. I say at this point the local affiliates should have no right to dictate where I receive my programming from. Why should I be subject to the whims of broadcasters 80 miles away that have chosen not to provide service to me? Total f***ing crap.


NightRyder

My situation, too. I will NEVER see OTA here - too much Pikes Peak granite in the way. Ever see a TV signal go UP and then DOWN a half-mile each way on it's trip from the tower? I didn't think so.

JohnL: It doesn't cost much at all to bring up two cities HD feeds of the big-4. They already have CBS, they will have the transponders on 61.5 and 148 now or in the near future - at least if they have any brains at all when they move the locals around due to the 1-dish rule. Unfortunately, your last statement is correct - E* thinks HDTV is only good for stealing money from high-end customers ($1000 921 that will never work properly).