D* acknowledges partial sat. failure

From the PR: "While testing of DIRECTV 10's capability continues, it appears that a portion of the anticipated spot-beam capability may not be fully available. The investigation to determine the cause of the reduced capability and potential means to mitigate its effect is on-going. However, we currently believe our planned expansion of HD local programming as previously announced will not be materially affected."

Translation: we'll just crank up the compression until the signal fits the reduced bandwidth

Just means that people wont be able to get their local channels

You had me scared there for a while, until I saw that this would only affect local channels. This only means that Directv will be able to rip off fewer People by charging them for Local HD channels that they could get for free by Hooking up the HD box With HDMI or Component, and then hooking up an Antenna to the Coax Input. Seriously are We really that Lazy In this Country that we'd Rather Pay Directv For Local Channels we can get for FREE. I know I'm not that Lazy If I ever got Directv I would never order the Local Channels.

You're both wrong. It means that some local channels won't be available, and those that come will be macroblocked to all hell.

Are we all really as ignorant as you? I hope not. I may be 6-7 miles as the crow flies from the transmission towers, but there is the pesky problem called LINE OF SIGHT, which I don't have. I am on the back side of a hill, there is no way for me to get HD locals without DirecTV or Comcast.

All right yours is a special situation, but I still don't understand why someone who can get Get the local HD Channels would choose to pay Directv More for something they can get for FREE with an Antenna. With the Cable Companies you don't have a choice They send you the Local Channels anyway.
Also have you tried putting up an Outdoor Antenna, Or Did Directv tell you this and you just believed them.

In order hopefully to bring a little levity here in what could be not a real good situation for some of us, there's a joke going around that D* needs to get a refund from Boeing. But only if they bring in the box and the receipt!

Did Boeing build it, or just launch it????

Doesn't matter, if you want a refund, gotta have the box and the receipt!

Hills are not necessarily the "Kiss of Death" for DTV reception. Signals knife edge over hilltops. Have you tried a proper antenna?

Another reason is quality. Most of my local HD OTA channels are multi-casting, which reduces their signal quality appreciably. If the MPEG-4 Directv broadcast of my local HDTV stations takes the HD feed before it is down-rezzed by the local affiliate to send OTA, (and I think this is the case most of the time), I'll gladly pay extra for the Directv HD locals.
Bish

The satellite companies get the same "HD" signal as you do. Off an antenna, in most cases. Stations aren't shelling out the kind of money it would take to provide a special, higher-quality feed to the sat company competitors.

LOL ... yep definately some wishful thinkin' goin' on. It would seem that you'd need to invest in a separate encoder (or three) ... fiber feed ... yada, yada.


BTW ... Is the sky falling yet? I heard a rumor somewhere.

I think misinformation and consumer ignorance maybe be to blame here. Some satellite customers might not be as knowledgeable as we are when it comes to Digital TV. They may have never seen how good OTA Digital TV looks. They don't know that with Digital TV you either get a Perfect Picture or no Picture at all. Some of them may still be thinking in an Analog way. They may think "what if put up an antenna and Get the HD channels with a lot of Snow, might as well pay Directv and not risk it." I've seen some Online Reviews for So Called HD antennas where they say, "This antenna gets a perfect picture on all the HD Channels" when the the truth is that even a cheap antenna will get a perfect digital picture as long as the signal is strong enough.

They should Demand a replacement part from Boeing and then have them pay to send it on the Space Shuttle along with instructions for the Astronauts on how to repair it.

Most viewers have never seen how good ANY OTA signal can look, analog or digital.

I don't think the Shuttle can reach geosync orbits. The Shuttle typically orbits only a few hundred miles up. The satellites are about 26,000 miles out.

But, it was a nice thought.

Have you tried an antenna tower?