DIRECTV to have 50 LIL HD markets by year end!!!!

[lee espinoza]

DIRECTV said in there Quarter conference call they will have 50 mpeg 4 LIL HD markets by year end!!!!

[Guindalf]

Great - as long as we have a DVR to go with it!

[disco]

Any word as to when the next 12 or so get rolled out?? E* is claiming March for Minneapolis, etc., yet D* has said (via CSR..I know, I know...) April...

[lee espinoza]

they said 36 by mid year by no note on the name of the next 12

[DTV TiVo Dealer]

It looks like end of May 06 for the HR20.

-Robert

[Kamakzie]

Grand Rapids, MI is #39 on the DMA list. So maybe good news for us?

[Paperboy2003]

Robert,

Any more to report on the swap out of our HR10's, or when they'll upgrade to mpeg 4 in the NY/NJ area?

Are you still 'excited' about the features of the HR20?

Thanks,

Doug

[bigpuma]

It looks like end of May 06 for the HR20.

-Robert

Good to know. I am moving in October and it will be more difficult to pull in OTA.

[Aquatic]

figures... Jacksonville is DMA #52. Top 50, schmop 50. Call me after the first of the year.

::yawn:: :)

[herdfan]

It looks like end of May 06 for the HR20.
I see you put the year on there. You're learning. ;)

[herdfan]

figures... Jacksonville is DMA #52. Top 50, schmop 50. Call me after the first of the year.
Doesn't mean squat. Fresno at #54 is scheduled to go up in May. Once they get past #40, a lot will depend on market penetration.

[MichaelK]

someone posted at AVS that Fresno might have been boosted up so they could concentrate on the mountain and pacific regions to shut off the LA MPEG2 big 4 sooner.

Not sure if that makes sense or not just figured I'd toss it out there...

[Kamakzie]

Is there a list of the 50 DMA's that are scheduled to go up this year?

[herdfan]

someone posted at AVS that Fresno might have been boosted up so they could concentrate on the mountain and pacific regions to shut off the LA MPEG2 big 4 sooner.

Not sure if that makes sense or not just figured I'd toss it out there...
Sure does. Fresno is an ABC O&O.

[srt]

someone posted at AVS that Fresno might have been boosted up so they could concentrate on the mountain and pacific regions to shut off the LA MPEG2 big 4 sooner.. .
I don't exactly know what you are saying, but I live in far nor cal and have the la hd. While I was talking w/ csr he definately said, something to the effect, ohhh, you have L.A. feed you will be getting an upgrade soon, I pressed him a little and he had mentioned he was just in a staff meeting (this was 2 weeks ago) and he thought sometime in March, no later than May.
I am totally confused. I just bought a hr10-250 activated in dec. and I do not want to have obsolete equip. I further asked him about equipment upgrade and he said that he was not sure what they would be doing, but not to worry about it, I would be taken care of. btw, I do have the service planon our unit.
Refreshing, or a line?

[lee espinoza]

Is there a list of the 50 DMA's that are scheduled to go up this year?
No, DIRECTV did not say the name of the 50 or 30 or 12 or 5 DMA's going up next.

[Bitz69]

Grand Rapids, MI is #39 on the DMA list. So maybe good news for us?

Wont be real good news For GR either way, No Tivo Device Will be available that can recieve it.

[Mark Lopez]

Slightly off topic question.

When DirecTv adds a DMA to the new satellite, are all of the folks that are currently receiving their SD locals over the old sat going to loose those SD feeds and be forced to switch dishes and receivers? In other words, are the SD feeds going to go away?

[itsmeitsmeitsme]

No, DIRECTV did not say the name of the 50 or 30 or 12 or 5 DMA's going up next.
I was also interested in a list. Someone mentioned Grand Rapids being #39 and Jacksonville being #52. You that mentioned those numbers, where are you getting them?

[Mark Lopez]

I was also interested in a list. Someone mentioned Grand Rapids being #39 and Jacksonville being #52. You that mentioned those numbers, where are you getting them?

I believe they are using this

http://www.nielsenmedia.com/DMAs.html

[itsmeitsmeitsme]

Thanks so much. Looks like I'm at #59. Yuk.

[DavidS]

Thanks so much. Looks like I'm at #59. Yuk.I'm in Dayton, too, but I get a very good OTA signal, so the sat. HD locals are not important to me. Are you in a bad location for OTA? If so, the Cincinnati HD locals will probably be up this year in the first 50. Perhaps you could "move" to Springboro or Franklin and be in the Cinci. DMA. (I actually get Cinci SD locals by sat. even though I'm closer to Dayton.)

[dswallow]

Slightly off topic question.

When DirecTv adds a DMA to the new satellite, are all of the folks that are currently receiving their SD locals over the old sat going to loose those SD feeds and be forced to switch dishes and receivers? In other words, are the SD feeds going to go away?
The SD locals aren't going away anytime soon. To do that would require an equipment swap for every old receiver and every dish in each market. That'd be financially huge. It's certainly possible they might do it eventually, or ween themselves towards it by making all new receivers support MPEG4/Ka-band and downconvert HD material even on SD receivers, but even that approach would not mean SD locals could end anytime soon.

[Aquatic]

How does DTV do the swaps? Just contact the people most affected ( HR10-250 or HD receiver owners?) and offer up a swap out of dishes? Or do we have to be proactive and keep calling for availability and then get on the schedule for upgrade? Just curious, especially if they might "play" with the DMAs in favor of market penetration.

Lots of dishes in Jacksonville--least that I see. Something to do with having generators and hurricanes I think :) either way, I'm likely not doing anything until the HR20 is announced and available for free swap out.

[itsmeitsmeitsme]

I'm in Dayton, too, but I get a very good OTA signal, so the sat. HD locals are not important to me. Are you in a bad location for OTA? If so, the Cincinnati HD locals will probably be up this year in the first 50. Perhaps you could "move" to Springboro or Franklin and be in the Cinci. DMA. (I actually get Cinci SD locals by sat. even though I'm closer to Dayton.)
I don't have an HD tv yet but was curious where we fell in this scenario. I am in Springfield so could possibly get Dayton and Columbus HD ota. Probably going to take the HD tv plunge this year or next.

[Mark Lopez]

The SD locals aren't going away anytime soon. To do that would require an equipment swap for every old receiver and every dish in each market. That'd be financially huge.

True, but it seems that it would be more cost effective to do a swap than keep running 2 feeds of each local. However, I have no idea what it costs them to do that. Also one would think it would significantly reducing the different types of receivers they have to support and thus the costs associated with that.

[newsposter]

someone posted at AVS that Fresno might have been boosted up so they could concentrate on the mountain and pacific regions to shut off the LA MPEG2 big 4 sooner.

Not sure if that makes sense or not just figured I'd toss it out there...

wont shutting off LAmpeg2 force those on waivers to get a 'free' upgrade?

[dswallow]

True, but it seems that it would be more cost effective to do a swap than keep running 2 feeds of each local. However, I have no idea what it costs them to do that. Also one would think it would significantly reducing the different types of receivers they have to support and thus the costs associated with that.
Consider the costs of

1) Replacing 28 million receivers.
2) Shipping 28 million receivers.
3) Installing 28 million receivers.
4) Visiting 15 million customers to replace their dish and possibly rewire/replace things related to multiswitches.

[Mark Lopez]

Consider the costs of

1) Replacing 28 million receivers.
2) Shipping 28 million receivers.
3) Installing 28 million receivers.
4) Visiting 15 million customers to replace their dish and possibly rewire/replace things related to multiswitches.

Yes, but without knowing the costs to bounce the SD feeds off of the sat, those numbers numbers are meaningless. And keep in mind not everyone is receiving SD locals (even if it's available). Where did the 15M figure come from?

[lee espinoza]

Yes, but without knowing the costs to bounce the SD feeds off of the sat, those numbers numbers are meaningless. And keep in mind not everyone is receiving SD locals (even if it's available). Where did the 15M figure come from?
DIRECTV has 15million subs and only 5.334% of them have HD.

[Mark Lopez]

DIRECTV has 15million subs and only 5.4% of them have HD.

Actually the question would be how many are receiving SD locals as those are the ones that would need to be swapped so the SD local feeds could be turned off.

[dswallow]

Certainly there is a cost for those SD feeds to get to a DirecTV control center and be uplinked to the satellites so we subscribers can get the signal. I think that's one issue cable and satellite companies are trying to sort out in the sense of are they allowed to use the HD/digital signal and downconvert it instead of carrying the separate but usually identical SD feed. THat would essentially keep the costs minimal for distributing it. The satellite operational costs associated with it are probably incidental at this point -- they are paid for, and they really don't need the bandwidth that might be available if they weren't using the spot beams.

[Mark Lopez]

The satellite operational costs associated with it are probably incidental at this point -- they are paid for, and they really don't need the bandwidth that might be available if they weren't using the spot beams.

I'm not sure what can be used for what, but couldn't they reallocate those spot beams for DirecWay Internet services?

[lee espinoza]

I'm not sure what can be used for what, but couldn't they reallocate those spot beams for DirecWay Internet services?
No because DIRECTV no longer owns DirecWay.

[Mark Lopez]

No because DIRECTV no longer owns DirecWay.

What would be stopping them from leasing them?

At some point they will stop the SD feeds and I doubt they will just leave the those spot beams unused.

[dswallow]

What would be stopping them from leasing them?

At some point they will stop the SD feeds and I doubt they will just leave the those spot beams unused.
Technology-wise I'm not sure they'd be usable for DirecWay without new equipment. But rest assured the bandwidth won't go unused. I'm sure there's a market for private video services that DirecTV would use it for, if not to add more subscribable channels.

[JimSpence]

So at that rate I can expect my HD locals in early 2009. (DMA = 156)

[dswallow]

So at that rate I can expect my HD locals in early 2009. (DMA = 156)
There will come a point when they'll start skipping all around because there'll be excess bandwidth in some spot beams where they'll be able to fit the stations of a smaller market but not a larger one.

[herdfan]

At some point they will stop the SD feeds and I doubt they will just leave the those spot beams unused.
Also remember that satellites like 7S have both CONUS and Spot capability, and more than they are using now. So even though 7S is mainly used for LIL's via its spot beams, nothing stops D* from moving those transponders to CONUS and adding more shopping channels.

[Mark Lopez]

....... nothing stops D* from moving those transponders to CONUS and adding more shopping channels.

:eek: Noooooooooooo.................

:)

[JimSpence]

I forgot to add a :D to my post. :)