Just wondering if anyone had any info on the latest DISH Network Rumors? New channels coming up (in HD)? Anything? HD is great and it is hard for me to watch regular DISH channels now... Especially after watching Firefly in HD and then switching to standard channels... It's like someone through water on the screen and made everything blurry... :)

The current Dish rumours are that Dish will convert all of the remaining Voom Channels to MPEG4 in Mid August. Also that Dish will being launching two satellites by the end of the year to keep up with Direct TV. While D* will have their birds up first, Dish says that they currently have enough room on their current fleet to carry most of the HD channels which are expected to launch by the end of this year.

On the Charlie chat on Monday night, they said that there will likely be more HD channels by the end of summer (which translates to mid September if history holds true).

The current Dish rumours are that Dish will convert all of the remaining Voom Channels to MPEG4 in Mid August. Also that Dish will being launching two satellites by the end of the year to keep up with Direct TV. While D* will have their birds up first, Dish says that they currently have enough room on their current fleet to carry most of the HD channels which are expected to launch by the end of this year.

On the Charlie chat on Monday night, they said that there will likely be more HD channels by the end of summer (which translates to mid September if history holds true).

With MPEG4, Dish should indeed have plenty of room.

If E* actually has two more birds in orbit by year's end, though, won't that actually be before D*? I thought D* has one scheduled for next month and the other for early next year.

From what I understand:

D* will have one of their sats up by the end of summer and will be finally able to offer new HD.
E* already has some room on their sats, so they too can offer new HD.
E* has two new sats going up by the end of the year, but they likely wont' be used until 2008.
E* may use those two new sats for a new MPEG-4 only network requiring us to repoint our Dishs, but will offer many more channels with better PQ (for SD).
D* will bring up their 2nd sat online in 2008.

Many of those 100 new HD channels will not actually exist by the end of 2007 in True HD form. Some may just be SD channels which are up converted to HD resolution as a place holder until their True HD counterpart is on the air.

Will these new sats also allow E* to expand the # of markets that could get their HD locals over sat instead of OTA?

Was once a relatively happy E* customer. Ended up w/ Comcast since (at the time) their HD locals and "free" (at least no upfront cost) HDDVR was the way to go. D* still wants $200 to LEASE theirs. Sorry, not paying it!

The cable bill has gone up twice since then, but convenience and OnDemand keep me around. I know at some point both satcos will likely rival Comcast in VOD.

With their free HDDVR deal, I'm willing to give E* another shot and ditch Comcast (although I am happy with cable service, not so on price). Only hangup is that OTA reception is bad where I'm located. Network HD makes up most of the viewing here.

Also used to be an actual VOOM subscriber back in the day. Wouldn't mind having some of those channels back.

Will these new sats also allow E* to expand the # of markets that could get their HD locals over sat instead of OTA?

The Echostar annual report says they will have HD local channels for 50% of the country by the end of 2007. Don't think that will include Visalia, CA however but maybe.

Rick R

The Echostar annual report says they will have HD local channels for 50% of the country by the end of 2007. Don't think that will include Visalia, CA however but maybe.

Rick R


For Visalia, CA, the "locals" would be from Fresno. D* carries the "big 4" local HD signals over sat.

If E* can manage to grab Fresno up as a sat-carried local (there are quite a few E* folk in these parts), they'll get my attention.


EDIT: Just spoke with a E* online CSR--who was surprisingly helpful.

Turn out that Fresno, CA is on the list of market areas scheduled for HD locals expansion in 2007. As soon as they actually light 'em up on the sat signal (and if they at least carry the "big 4"), I may pry myself from the clutches of Comcast.

The only thing Dish has announced is the possiblility of 6-8 HD channel additions this year. Nothing specific on the exact channels.

Echostar (Dish) is sending their own sat up and leasing all of AMC14. E11 is going up via Sea-Launch as is the other DirecTV satellite. Anyone know what order they are in? I thought the DirecTV satellite was first? Maybe they are letting Charlie send up E11 first as a test. :D

Just as a supplement to what CycloneGT and others have said.

I also watched the Charlie Chat the other night. As I understood Charlie's comments, Dish Network currently has capacity for 8 to 10 new HD national channels, and Dish is negotiating with various content providers for carriage; some of these channels will be carried by this fall.

Regarding the other issues, I also understood that the new capacity would be used for MPeg 4 networks, and that "most" HD locals would be carried by the middle of 2008. Charlie was emphatic that "Dish will continue to lead the way with carriage of hd content."

(Although Charlie did say that providing HD carriage of "talking heads" [perhaps a reference to discussion of carriage of CNN in HD] did not excite him.]

If Dish would provide my locals in HD and Golf/Versus in HD i would probably be a Dish customer for life. May be anyway, I'm pretty happy with Dish HD picture quality. (I use the VIP-622.)

Best regards,
Fitzie

Charlie Ergen also says Directv is full of crap saying they will have 100 channels by the end of 2007.

Charlie Ergen also says Directv is full of crap saying they will have 100 channels by the end of 2007.

Well I'm sure charlie is praying they don't. He has already lost the HD-LiL battle

The only thing Dish has announced is the possiblility of 6-8 HD channel additions this year. Nothing specific on the exact channels.

Logic tells me they will be some of the more popular new HDs first, before they will consider counting the 5 Starz and 11 HBO HDs, after they get the two new sats up.

My contract with E* is up in a few months, I fully expect to blow the D* and Comcast hot air at the E* "account specialist department" to get programming discount or free newer hardware just to stay with them.

I don't need Starz, HBO nor HD LIL but can certainly use those 8 new HDs in time and keep the cost down. Perfect situation for folks like me who don't need those high cost sports and movie channels.

The Echostar annual report says they will have HD local channels for 50% of the country by the end of 2007. Don't think that will include Visalia, CA however but maybe.

Rick R

Thats 50% of the population.

And Dish HD locals currently serve 51% of the population so they made that goal. :)

Of course both E* and D* are cranking out HD Lite, so neither really has any HD channels. :D

Thats 50% of the population.

And Dish HD locals currently serve 51% of the population so they made that goal. :)
I just watched the Charlie Chat and they said 100 cities and 85% of the population by early 2008. They also mentioned that by early 2008 (when their two satellites that will launch later this year should be operational) they should have the capability for 200 HD channels.

Charlie also noted that there are not that many HD channels available and probably will not be then either... in spite of what DirecTV says.

Rick R

A quick check at Lyngsat the E* 11 is scheduled to go up on 10/01/07, to "replace" E*8. Anyone know what that means? Did they just change the intended use of the E*11 since I doubt if it is a replacement sat it can be used for totally new MPEG4 channels?

Also where is the second sat? I don't see it scheduled.

A quick check at Lyngsat the E* 11 is scheduled to go up on 10/01/07, to "replace" E*8. Anyone know what that means? Did they just change the intended use of the E*11 since I doubt if it is a replacement sat it can be used for totally new MPEG4 channels?

Also where is the second sat? I don't see it scheduled.

I believe E*8 will then move to one of the 2 new slots they are putting in place with an all MPEG4 offering of channels (including SD channels). I don't remember the exact locations though but somewhere in the 70 to 90 degree range. Or E*8 could go to 129 to replace the SAT there which is limping in space.

I also believe that Dish has already leased space from a different SAT for one of those MPEG4 slots.

Regardless, the plans are there to offer 2 new SATs of all-MPEG4 service... so, instead of the 12-13 SD channels they can put on a TP, they could do in theory 30+... and they are already doing 5-6 HD MPEG4 channels per TP.

Dish is going to have to do something at 129 until Ciel 2 goes up to replace it. Ciel 2 is 18 months away. They're going to have to park something at 129 to "help out" Ciel 1.

Unless they have a plan to convert every HD sub to mpeg4 it would seem a waste to try and tag a satellite for carriage of the mpeg4 system.

I'm all for a complete mpeg4 solution. There's so many plusses to it but right now the more dire emergency is the sad state of Ciel 1.

Unless they have a plan to convert every HD sub to mpeg4 it would seem a waste to try and tag a satellite for carriage of the mpeg4 system.

Already started. All the subscribers to the old "Voom" package, who do not have MPEG4 receivers, will get free replacement receivers by August 15, when all the Voom channels go MPEG4.

Most of Dish's HD subscribers already have MPEG4 receivers, as they have been selling and leasing them for something like 18 months now.

( To give all 12 million subscribers new MPEG4 receivers would cost billions of dollars, but early adopter HD subscribers are exactly the sort of people who already upgraded to MPEG4 to get the HD channels that were added in MPEG4 only. The number who still only have MPEG2 HD receivers is quite small. )

I have a 622 MPEG4 HD DVR in my family room. I moved my old 6000 MPEG2 only HD receiver to my bedroom. Got a 37" VIZIO LCD HDTV for the bedroom. What are they going to do for me? Will they replace my 6000 for free? I suspect the best I can hope for is to replace my 6000 that I own for a leased 211.

Rick R