# DirecTV HD - what's coming down the pike?



## rbro (Mar 19, 2004)

Anyone have any ideas what programming may be added to the DirecTV HD lineup in the near future?


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## rminsk (Jun 4, 2002)

Locals, locals, locals, ... DirecTV is concentrating it's current HD bandwidth to adding locals.


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## super dave (Oct 1, 2002)

rminsk said:


> Locals, locals, locals, ... DirecTV is concentrating it's current HD bandwidth to adding locals.


Yes, they are adding locals that cannot be recorded at this time. Yeah! Whoopie!


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## FostersBeerGuy (Jun 9, 2005)

Agreed...and if they could travel back in time and somehow prevent the HD Tivo from ever having the capability to record OTA, I'm sure they would.  

Do you think CSRs get tired of hearing, "I have an antenna...tell me again why I would want to get compressed HD locals off the satellite?"


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## Juppers (Jan 26, 2001)

FostersBeerGuy said:


> Agreed...and if they could travel back in time and somehow prevent the HD Tivo from ever having the capability to record OTA, I'm sure they would.
> 
> Do you think CSRs get tired of hearing, "I have an antenna...tell me again why I would want to get compressed HD locals off the satellite?"


Don't forget the lack of sub channels!


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## SpankyInChicago (May 13, 2005)

Juppers said:


> Don't forget the lack of sub channels!


And lack of PBS.

And lack of independent stations.


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## mikeny (Dec 22, 2004)

rminsk said:


> Locals, locals, locals, ... DirecTV is concentrating it's current HD bandwidth to adding locals.


and rumor mill also says RSNs in HD... (mpeg-4)


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## wje (Jan 8, 2005)

As I was cancelling D* yesterday, the CS rep told me there are no plans for any major non-locals HD rollout until next year, which is why I was cancelling in the first place.

Even if there was, HR10 owners wouldn't be able to participate, because all the new bandwidth is MPEG4 encoded, and the HR10 can only handle MPEG3.


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## vtfan99 (May 19, 2006)

wje said:


> Even if there was, HR10 owners wouldn't be able to participate, because all the new bandwidth is MPEG4 encoded, and the HR10 can only handle MPEG3.


Errr..I think you mean that the HR10 can only support MPEG2.


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## wje (Jan 8, 2005)

vtfan99 said:


> Errr..I think you mean that the HR10 can only support MPEG2.


Of course, you're correct. Typing too fast, or thinking too slow, I guess.


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## tnedator (Dec 4, 2003)

wje said:


> As I was cancelling D* yesterday, the CS rep told me there are no plans for any major non-locals HD rollout until next year, which is why I was cancelling in the first place.


Last time I checked, DirecTV still had 2 satelites to launch. Eventually they are supposed to have the bandwidth for something like 1500 locals in HD and around 200 nationals in HD, but I don't know if they will start putting the nationals up in HD prior to that last satelites being launched. It is unlikely that more than one or two (if any) national channels will switch to HD on the current MPEG2 platform, unless they figure out a way to get more bandwidth, such as cutting other channels.


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## AbMagFab (Feb 5, 2001)

tnedator said:


> Last time I checked, DirecTV still had 2 satelites to launch. Eventually they are supposed to have the bandwidth for something like 1500 locals in HD and around 200 nationals in HD, but I don't know if they will start putting the nationals up in HD prior to that last satelites being launched. It is unlikely that more than one or two (if any) national channels will switch to HD on the current MPEG2 platform, unless they figure out a way to get more bandwidth, such as cutting other channels.


And with no MPEG-4 DVR, and with the R15 still quite sucky, DirecTV has screwed themselves, and their HD customers.

Many of us will happily jump ship when an option is available, such as the Tivo S3 and cable/FIOS TV.

I finally dropped the DirecTV HD package because it's just a waste of money. And I am a TV freak, so that's saying a lot.


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## Adam1115 (Dec 15, 2003)

AbMagFab said:


> And with no MPEG-4 DVR, and with the R15 still quite sucky, DirecTV has screwed themselves, and their HD customers.
> 
> Many of us will happily jump ship when an option is available, such as the Tivo S3 and cable/FIOS TV.
> 
> I finally dropped the DirecTV HD package because it's just a waste of money. And I am a TV freak, so that's saying a lot.


Hmm.. comcast here in Denver doesn't offer much more than DirecTV currently offers in terms of HD, so I'm not quite sure what your talking about... what other options?

Dish is really the only competition in terms of HD.. and I'm not sure what I'd really get out of the Voom channels. (Quanity vs. quality..)

Lets see, Dish has starz HD, thats cool...National geographic HD, NFL HD, that's really it over Direct... I suppose that's pretty big, I wouldn't mind having those channels.. but geez, out of all there channels I only see 3 that would be pretty cool.

I'm pretty sure those 3 will be in DirecTV by year end... lets check Comcast... Over direct, they do have NFL HD, and Starz HD... two channels... wow. Not much to waste money on a series 3 for at this point... (In terms of programming...)


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## jamesbobo (Jun 18, 2000)

I'm wondering how much longer NY will carry locals in MPEG-2. Correct me if I'm wrong, but NY and LA are the only markets with MPEG-2 locals. Everywhere else only have MPEG-4 locals (unless you can get a waiver). So if you can't get locals over-the-air you have no choice but to get an MPEG-4 dish and non-dvr tuner. 
How much longer can I keep getting FOX, CBS, NBC, and ABC in MPEG-2 from NY? I have yet to see a single 5-LNB dish anywhere.


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## rbro (Mar 19, 2004)

It's hard for me to fault DirecTV after getting a free HR10-250 and a free year of the HD package. I figure everythng else is gravy. Eventually they'll upgrade the 250 to MPEG 4 and I'll have to adjust to no more Tivo I guess, but they need to be competitive and they'll need to add more HD programming or they won't survive. Seems like there are alot of DirecTV haters on this forum. I've had cable and Dish Network and I got fed up with both of them over the years for various reasons. A year from now, DirecTV may be king of the hill again.........I can be patient...to a point...


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## AbMagFab (Feb 5, 2001)

In terms of HD content available:
- FIOS TV beats cable and satellite easily.
- Comcast in MD/DC beats DirecTV easily.
- Dish beats DirecTV, and has the Zoom junk

DirecTV's advantage has been Tivo. That will go away when:
- Comcast releases the Moto Tivo HD
- Tivo releases the Tivo S3 HD

Lots of higher-end customers will be leaving DirecTV at that point. But right now, we have no real options.


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## MNTivoGuy (Oct 21, 2002)

AbMagFab said:


> DirecTV's advantage has been Tivo.


Don't forget the NFL ST, in HD. Another advantage for D*.


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## AbMagFab (Feb 5, 2001)

MNTivoGuy said:


> Don't forget the NFL ST, in HD. Another advantage for D*.


Right. But folks like me, who couldn't care less for sports, don't care about ST. And even ST fans aren't happy with SuperFan (or whatever the extra $99 fee is for the HD ST).


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## Todd (Oct 7, 1999)

FostersBeerGuy said:


> Do you think CSRs get tired of hearing, "I have an antenna...tell me again why I would want to get compressed HD locals off the satellite?"


Stable reception dude, stable reception! Except of course during heavy rain or clouds....


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## Nevets140 (Jan 8, 2004)

<< they'll upgrade the 250 to MPEG 4 and I'll have to adjust to no more Tivo I guess,>>

What's going on with TIVO? Directv lost the Tivo contract and then Directv won't be abl eto offer a DVR? Is FIOS the fiber optic line?


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## ebonovic (Jul 24, 2001)

AbMagFab said:


> In terms of HD content available:
> - FIOS TV beats cable and satellite easily.
> - Comcast in MD/DC beats DirecTV easily.
> - Dish beats DirecTV, and has the Zoom junk
> ...


But here in Chicago Area (DMA #3):

FIOS is no where on the horizon (from a TV or Internet format)... And with one major Cable-Co in the City, and one in the burbs, and the ATT (SBC) being the primary land-line carrier in the area... it is not going to be on the horizon any time soon.

Comcast here... Yes has more HD, but there is more to the service provider then how much HD content they have... You have to take the "baggage" along with that choice... Just taking a quick look at the 100 or so homes in my new subdivision (Which was all pre-wired with Cable), I would have to say 3 out of 4 homes have a "Dish" on their home

No arguing that Dish has more HD "content", but all deepends if the Voom stuff interest you or not, on how big that lead is right now.

--------
Even if they do get the Moto TiVo HD out there, you still are going to have to get people willing to switch given their past experiences with cable-co's.

TiVo's Series 3... isn't that going to still be a very pricey unit? And still you have to hope that your Cable-Co's have the cable-cards, don't put up to much of fuss getting them to you, don't charge you for them, and they continue with that technology (re the USA article a month or so that Cable-Co's where looking to go another way that wasn't cable-card compatible)

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The entertainment distribution and methods to view it are going to be in a state of massive flux probably for the next 5-10 years (IMHO)


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## ebonovic (Jul 24, 2001)

Nevets140 said:


> << they'll upgrade the 250 to MPEG 4 and I'll have to adjust to no more Tivo I guess,>>
> 
> What's going on with TIVO? Directv lost the Tivo contract and then Directv won't be abl eto offer a DVR? Is FIOS the fiber optic line?


TiVo is still going their way.... DirecTV is going their.
TiVo and DirecTV just extended their Service agreem till 2010 (or was 2009), but DirecTV still isn't producing any new DTiVo unit or continuing to advertise the DTivos that are still available for sale.

_Edit_
FIOS is the Fiber Optic (Broadband, TV, Phone, Ect)


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## willardcpa (Feb 23, 2001)

ebonovic said:


> ....FIOS is the Fiber Optic Distribution of Information (Broadband, TV, Phone, Ect)


 Well, then why don't they call it FODI??  
Or maybe your answer should have been "Fiber Information Optical Sender"


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## ebonovic (Jul 24, 2001)

Sorry...

I didn't mean the "caps" as the definition of the acronymn

FiOS: Fiber Optic Service
http://www.techterms.org/definition/fios


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## DblD_Indy (Dec 2, 2006)

ebonovic said:


> TiVo is still going their way.... DirecTV is going their.
> TiVo and DirecTV just extended their Service agreem till 2010 (or was 2009), but DirecTV still isn't producing any new DTiVo unit or continuing to advertise the DTivos that are still available for sale.
> 
> _Edit_
> FIOS is the Fiber Optic (Broadband, TV, Phone, Ect)


 Lets just hope that DirecTV and TIVO kiss and makeup! I would guess that this split will be as successful for DirecTV as the IRL / Cart split was for open wheel racing.


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## october271986 (Sep 18, 2005)

AbMagFab said:


> In terms of HD content available:
> - FIOS TV beats cable and satellite easily.
> - Comcast in MD/DC beats DirecTV easily.
> - Dish beats DirecTV, and has the Zoom junk
> ...


Don't forget SundayTicket. That is the only reason I have Directv now.


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