AVS Exclusive - Bell ExpressVu to add more HDTV!

Is this going to be like the Nimiq 3 bird so us in the deep south and California cannot get a signal? I sure hope not! This is geat news! Thanks for the info Ken!

I'm getting BEV next week(well once I figure out how to install it). I almost went with Starchoice but figured I'd get more HD from Bell. Looks like I did the right thing

Outstanding!!! Let's see I get east and west feeds of networks, Canadian HD programming, WGN in HD, the NFL package in HD, MHD, TSNHD.....I'm watching this provider on a 10 to 1 basis over *E right now!!!!!!!!

As far as receiving the HD channels in far west and southwest, I used a 90 CM (36") dish GeoSatPro 90cm Dish (GeoSatPro 90) and my signal level jumped from 50 to 80 and has worked fine ever since. A google on GeoSatPro 90 will find prices/retailers.

10-13 more HD Channels?...other than CBC West, Global West and Sun HD, what other Canadian HD channels could they add? Hopefully the rest will be American HD channels like HDNET, InHD, KTLA HD, TNT HD, etc...

Exactly the issue isn't it - the smoke and mirrors at Expressvu continue. At the present time Expressvu only offers 31% more programming in HD with 28 channels vs SC with 11 channels. This gap will be even smaller when CBC and CITY HD are added to SC later this fall.

Add 10 more channels but no new HD programming, as their parent company Bell Canada keeps blocking HD applications at the CRTC.

There are only 6 transponders at 82 degrees that are not being used - so one is looking at 12 additional services at 2 HD/transponder. The satellite in question is a Directv satellite - so the answer to the question "Will it be another Nimiq3" is yes, it will be tilted so the footprint covers as much of Canada as possible

Another thing I hope they don't move over any existing channels to the new bird, esp. if this new satellite cannot cover all North America. Any more details on exatcly what satellite we are talking about here and its beam pattern?

I would really hate to lose TSN-HD, Sportsnet HD or the CBC HD!!

Is Sportsnet HD on the 82 degrees satellite? I stopped receiving it several months ago and cannot get an explanation out of my provider. I do not focus on the 91 degree bird that BEV uses.

I'm going to use this week old FCC story to get started:



The International Bureau at the Federal Communications Commission granted DirecTV authority to operate its DirecTV 5 satellite at the 109.8-degree orbital location and to relocate the DirecTV 6 satellite to the 109.7-degree orbital location.

Eventually, the satellite TV company will hand off customer traffic from DirecTV 6 to DirecTV 5, and place DirecTV 6 at the 109.5-degree orbital location, where it will reside as an in-orbit spare. The FCC authorization will allow DirecTV to maintain continuity of service for customers receiving signals from the orbital location, the FCC said.

The DirecTV 6 satellite currently serves customers from 109.8 degrees. The satellite has experienced solar array failures that cause a continuing decrease in operational capacity, which compelled the company to replace the spacecraft with the DirecTV 5 satellite.




So going by notes & theory, I think I have the order correct -

72.5 D5 replaced with D1
110 D6 replaced with D5
82> receives D6

Will the extra 82 degee Nimiq sat do the same as Nimiq 3?
I think we can all answer that question= Certainly
Using the same Nimiq 3 theory, powering 8 transponders, equal three channels
per transponder; 3x8= 24 HD channels go to the extra satellite for exclusive
hi powered Northern coverage.
18 month process to add new HD, which means per Ken, a couple of West Coast Feed HD channels.

This is a front to park Directvs satellite for them;
Add transponders to regain the permanent payload damage, of complete loss
to run a full 32 tp load,
(Currently 27 HD channels: 27-24=3) Custom pick three HD channels for their Southern snowbirds subs.

Although not official, Lyngsat is showing Sportsnet HD on Nimiq 2 (82 degrees) at frequency 12370 right polarization, but this information is as of May 25, 2005. http://www.lyngsat.com/packages/expressvu2.html

On Nimiq 3 (91 degrees) they show the regional Sportsnet stations (Ontario, East, West and Pacific) but not the HD station. http://www.lyngsat.com/packages/expressvu1.html.

Again, this information may be out of date.

As for where the new HD stations will be carried, Telesat Canada recently launced a replacement for Anik F1, but what I understand is this will carry Starchoice stations, not ExpressVu. There appear to be a fair number of available channels on Nimiq 3, however.

Ross

HD channels can't launch without distribution, after all, and they're a major piece of the digital pie. I'd like to see an HD version of Showcase. There's also TVA and TQS HD to come and they could add WSBK-HD.

I'm sure they didn't get a new (old) sat just on the chance that there may be channels to fill it.

I'm in the deep south and I can get all HD channels on BEV....Sportsnet included.....small dish

Yes, because the HD are currently on 82W with a full signal.

Most in the USA cannot get some of the SD channels on 91W which is aimed at Canada. Remember there are currently 2 birds in the 91W slot. You can pick up the signal from one, but not the other.

What they seem to be implying here is the same type bird that currently does not serve the entire US is being moved to 82W and will replace some of the capacity there.

If they position the footprint the same as the last Directv bird now at 91W, it means anything moved to that new bird will not be available over a large portion of the USA.

Can someone dig up the links to pictures of the Canadian providers' satellite footprints?

I know I saw that online sometime in the past...

Nimiq 3 is the one at 91W that does not cover the USA entirely. It was an old D* Bird that is similar to what they are moving to 82W - so this is the concern one would have if the footprint is adjusted to skew towards Canada as they did with the 91W bird.

From user reports:

http://mrda.ca/N3_files/image_map.gif

Its fairly accurate

This is another one:

http://img202.exs.cx/img202/1898/exp...overage4sa.jpg

Thanks for digging those up!

If for whatever reason a BEV dish would end up, say, here in this part of the world... there'd be no problem, as we're fairly close to Canada. But I was curious about other parts of "The Southern Provinces"...it'd mostly impact the West and Southwest, it looks like.

Napa_Newbie,

What channel do you receive Sportsnet HD on? Do you subscribe to a "Sports Pack" in order to receive it?

Jack

A good site for Canadian telecommunication satellites is their controller's website, http://www.telesat.ca/

Start with the overview page here: http://www.telesat.ca/satellites/index.htm

Footprints of the Anik birds here: http://www.telesat.ca/satellites/footprints/index.htm (Nimiq seem to be missing, however, but Nimiq 2 footprint is here: http://www.geo-orbit.org/westhemipgs/fnimiqp.html)

Anik and Nimiq channel charts here: http://www.telesat.ca/satellites/harts/index.htm

While I'm in the FAQ mood, FYI, Nimiq is an Inuit (i.e., Eskimo) word used for an object or a force which binds things together. Anik in Inuit means "little brother."

Wow, thanks for the information!

Well, as I said, here, just across Lake Erie from southern Ontario, I'm sure signals are strong out of the Canadian birds.

And unfortunately Nimiq 3 is the signal that does not get to a lot of the Southern USA.

i believe if you sub to the sportspak 1 you receive tsnhd ch.850 and sportsnethd ch.851.

Jackb,
yes...sportspack 1 and HDTV pack. That is on top of the basic package. This is huge in allowing me to watch a variety of HD NFL games on east and west coast feeds of the locals. I also have Directv and don't need NFL season ticket. Additionally, I like watching Alias and other shows earlier than the west coast feed.

Do you have BEV and have a huge dish? Do you get every channel clean? no Southern province BS?

I'm anything but a math professor, but isnt this about 200 percent more HD for Bel vs. SC or am I missing something here?

254% to be exact but whose counting.

Now I understand why info on Nimiq 3 is tough to find... it wasn't launched under that name. A history of the ExpressVu service is here: http://satellitetv.digitalinsurrecti..._expressvu.php

"In 2004, Bell Expressvu acquired use of an older Directv DBS class satellite, which was re-named Nimiq 3 and located it at the 91° orbital location, to operate with Nimiq 1. This would allow Expressvu to strengthen its reception in Canada by increasing the power on the satellite by removing 8 active transponders on Nimiq 1 and using Nimiq 3 to transmit these instead. This re-allocation had a negative effect for some Canadians living in the USA, as it caused a loss of signal in many southern US states, that had previously enjoyed excellent reception."

Ross

And that is the concern for the new bird coming to 82W

napa_newbie,

I have BEV on small dish focused on 82 Degrees and have no problem with picture. It looks like my problem is that I don't subscribe to the Sportspack. Sportsnet used to be free but I guess that has changed. I may be discontinuing my BEV for awhile as my Direct TV HD networks have survived an audit when the east coast was eliminated. I lost ASC for a few weeks when I changed receivers and the computer decided ABC should be eliminated. But I got it back.

Do you know if there are any problems getting new southerly connections to BEV if I should cancel it for a while. When Direct TV tries to ship me a new MPEG4 box and find I don't respond to their mail I might have a problem.

Gee! Didn't know Napa, CA was in the deep south! Anyway, I see you got an answer why you get the BEV's HDs with no problem from Nimiq 2. I'm on DirecTV and Star Choice 100 mi. NE of you. Granted, I don't get as many HDs on *C, but combined with D*, it's a pretty complete package. *C is supposed to be adding 4 or 5 more HDs this month. No one knows for sure what they'll be, but "beggars can't be choosy". Nearly all their HD is available at no extra charge.
For your sake, I hope BEV doesn't move much HD programming to their new bird at 82 degrees. Consensus on this forum is that the footprint in the US will be similar to Nimiq 3 (bad in the west and southeast).
Good luck!

Yeah, I'm holding out as long as possible. As long as they don't take away my current HD channels, I'm happy. But at this point, I'm willing to cancel BEV and start over with *C if necessary. I'm just sitting here in Napa, crossing my fingers. Please preserve my HD, please BEV. Your sub fees depend on it, and I'm not the only one in the deep south singing that tune. I really don't want to install another dish, my roofline takes the whole 28 ft ladder, and I ain't going up there again. (The pro installer will have to do it next time.)