HD DirecTV primer?

[slydog75]

Ok, so I'm getting an HDTV soon (actually a HD Projector) and will be looking into getting aan HD DirecTV reciever.. I've got a number of questions about this.

1. What is the current DirecTV HD DVR? Is it still the Tivo one?
2. What channels are available in HD from DirecTV? Is there a list?
3. For my local stations, if I want HD do I have to get them OTA or are they available in HD through DirecTV?
4. If I have to get the locals OTA do I need a seperate HD OTA reciever?
edit:
5. Anything else I should know?

[Guindalf]

1. There IS only one - the HR10-250 Receiver with TiVo.
2. There's a list on D*'s website. Plus TNT-HD next week and rumors of MHD (music) soon. Basically, it's ESPN 1 & 2, Discovery HD, UHD (Universal), HDNet & HDNet Movies.
3. OTA only at the moment.
4. No, the receiver can decode the signals
5. The world is round and the tooth fairy really doesn't exist - I'm sure there's more, but dinner's ready!

[slydog75]

5. The world is round and the tooth fairy really doesn't exist - I'm sure there's more, but dinner's ready!

NOOOOoooooo!

4. No, the receiver can decode the signals

Does the programming info appear in the guide and will the DVR record the OTA channels?

[cheer]

Does the programming info appear in the guide and will the DVR record the OTA channels?
Yes, and yes.

[davemac]

3. OTA only at the moment.

The channel list for my area (Boston) says I can get HD local channels from DirecTV. Is that correct? Are they MPEG2?

Also, I'm confused about the future of the Tivo unit. If I buy one with, say, a jumbo hard disk, is it going to be suddenly useless one day, soon, and for the rest of my life, when DirecTV switches everything to MPEG4?

[slydog75]

Also, I'm confused about the future of the Tivo unit. If I buy one with, say, a jumbo hard disk, is it going to be suddenly useless one day, soon, and for the rest of my life, when DirecTV switches everything to MPEG4?

Good question.

[spciesla]

I get my locals (LA Feed) in HD from DirecTV. It depends on where you live.

[cheer]

The channel list for my area (Boston) says I can get HD local channels from DirecTV. Is that correct? Are they MPEG2?
No, they are MPEG4.
Also, I'm confused about the future of the Tivo unit. If I buy one with, say, a jumbo hard disk, is it going to be suddenly useless one day, soon, and for the rest of my life, when DirecTV switches everything to MPEG4?
If/when D* switches everything to MPEG4, yes it will essentially be useless. That's not likely to happen for years.

However, the HR10-250 is already useless when it comes to HD-LiL, as those feeds are already MPEG4. So no HD locals via D*.

[HogarthNH]

If/when D* switches everything to MPEG4, yes it will essentially be useless. That's not likely to happen for years.

I beg to differ. OTA locals will be MPEG2 indefinitely.

IF AND ONLY IF you can get OTA locals, the HR10-250 is perfect and will last you a large number of years. If you can't, you'll likely be frustrated within a few months by your inability to get MPEG4 content.

[slydog75]

Is there a way to tell if you can recieve HD OTA locals? I know Pittsburgh broadcasts in HD, but I've never been able to get very good reception on any of the SD analog locals as I'm pretty far out. Some of them will come in OK, but some (like fox) I could barely get anything in but snow.

[rlj5242]

You can buy a receiver and the proper antenna and test it. A cheaper way is to check the Local HDTV section at AVS. Find a neighbor and see how they are getting OTA digital signals. They have already gone through the trial and error portion of this so you don't.

-Robert

[newsposter]

www.antennaweb.org will list the directions of the towers and distances. If the directions are all over the place, you can't get them in with just one antenna likely. Hopefully like philly, they are all in the same place.

http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/tvq?state=PA&call=&arn=&city=philadelphia&chan=&cha2=69&serv=&type=0&facid=&list=1&dist=&dlat2=&mlat2=&slat2=&dlon2=&mlon2=&slon2=&size=9
You need to change this site for a Pittsburgh search, not philly...but this site will tell you the heights and strengths of the DT signals for your area. Higher UHF channels at the same power/antenna heights as lower UHF, will be harder to get by definition. So the upper UHF needs to be higher power or higher tower than lower

also note that everything above ch 51 disappears in 2009. The stations have chosen channels here

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-05-2649A2.pdf

[cheer]

I beg to differ. OTA locals will be MPEG2 indefinitely.

IF AND ONLY IF you can get OTA locals, the HR10-250 is perfect and will last you a large number of years. If you can't, you'll likely be frustrated within a few months by your inability to get MPEG4 content.
Fair enough -- I was thinking purely of D*-provided content.

[newsposter]

here's a bit more on mpeg2 stuff, I wrote about TNT to directv:

Thank you for writing. The programming that we currently offer in HD, not including locals, will continue to broadcast in MPEG-2 format until all of our customers have been converted to MPEG-4 technology. For customers that currently have MPEG-4 technology will still be able to view TNT HD just in the MPEG-2 format.

I hope this information has been helpful to you. Thanks again for writing and stay tuned to DIRECTV.com for the latest in news and information about our service.

---- this confirms all non network stuff HD will be in MPEG 2 so our HDtivos will be useful for years to come

[SpankyInChicago]

OTA locals will be MPEG2 indefinitely.


I highly doubt that.

All future DirecTV boxes will support MPEG4. Once a significant number of MPEG2 only boxes have been switched out through organic attrition it will make lots of sense to move everything over to MPEG4. Choice: send up more sats to double bandwidth or encode everything on the ground in MPEG4 instead of MPEG2 to halve bitrates. Seems an easy decision even when factoring in the cost of replacing boxes that haven't been replaced through organic attrition.

I'd bet that DirecTV will be 100% MPEG4 before the close of the decade.

[AccidenT]

I highly doubt that.

All future DirecTV boxes will support MPEG4. Once a significant number of MPEG2 only boxes have been switched out through organic attrition it will make lots of sense to move everything over to MPEG4. Choice: send up more sats to double bandwidth or encode everything on the ground in MPEG4 instead of MPEG2 to halve bitrates. Seems an easy decision even when factoring in the cost of replacing boxes that haven't been replaced through organic attrition.

I'd bet that DirecTV will be 100% MPEG4 before the close of the decade.

He was talking about local OTA broadcasts, not the MPEG4-transcoded satellite broadcasts of the local channels through DirecTv.

[rexjak]

I have the HR10-250 but no OTA reception other than Fox. *D'OH* I'm thinking of adding Comcast cable, which carries HD locals. Is there any chance the HR10-250 could record HD off Comcast?

[rlj5242]

Is there any chance the HR10-250 could record HD off Comcast? No chance at all.

-Robert

[SpankyInChicago]

He was talking about local OTA broadcasts, not the MPEG4-transcoded satellite broadcasts of the local channels through DirecTv.

Ahh.

My screwup.