# All DirecTV HD will be in MPEG-4 by month's end



## TomF (Apr 13, 2001)

As reported on dbstalk.com, DirecTV will launch 30 new HD channels on August 14.

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=134302

Significant to HD DirecTiVo owners, the press release also contained this announcement:

*"DIRECTV will also transmit all of its HD programming in the MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding standard, by the end of this month."*

The MPEG-2 versions of some channels will continue to be available, as per Chris Blount, founder of dbstalk.com: http://www.dbstalk.com/showpost.php?p=1701623&postcount=8. (Post #8 in the above thread.)


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## bigpuma (Aug 12, 2003)

Just to clarify current HD channels that are Mpeg-2 will continue to be simulcast in Mpeg-2, at least for a while.


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## newsposter (Aug 18, 2002)

so this means all the 119 stuff i'm having issues with ( likely tree issue) will be ok on the HR20 off the new bird right?


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## bigpuma (Aug 12, 2003)

newsposter said:


> so this means all the 119 stuff i'm having issues with ( likely tree issue) will be ok on the HR20 off the new bird right?


I would assume so.


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## TyroneShoes (Sep 6, 2004)

"All DirecTV HD will be in MPEG-4 by month's end" implies that none of their HD will be in MPEG-2, which is both misleading and not accurate.

"30 new channels" implies that typical customers will have the opportunity to receive 30 more channels than they do now. Also misleading and inaccurate.

It seems as if DTV has capacity available, but the bottleneck is in reaching appropriate agreements with existing channels. ABCF, RSNs, PPVs and SHOX? Not much I would care about.

But its progress, I guess. Another baby-step in the right direction.


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## gio1269 (Jul 27, 2006)

and goodbye Tivo. MPEG-4 simulcasts are *live*!

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?p=1707738#post1707738

http://www.engadgethd.com/2008/07/3...roadcasting-hd-simulcast-of-mpeg2-hd-channel/

Days are really numbered now...


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## MikeekiM (Jun 25, 2002)

TyroneShoes said:


> "All DirecTV HD will be in MPEG-4 by month's end" implies that none of their HD will be in MPEG-2, which is both misleading and not accurate.
> 
> "30 new channels" implies that typical customers will have the opportunity to receive 30 more channels than they do now. Also misleading and inaccurate.
> 
> ...


I agree that the comment on all HD being available in MPEG-4 could be misleading...

However, I am not clear on the 30 new channels... Are these simply MPEG4 versions of channels already broadcast in MPEG2? Or are they really new channels? From what I am reading from the OP's post, they are really new channels.... But I could be reading wrong...


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## newsposter (Aug 18, 2002)

Among the new HD channels that DIRECTV will launch next month are Showtime
Extreme HD, Showtime Showcase HD, Planet Green HD, ABC Family HD, additional
DIRECTV HD pay per view channels and an additional 23 Regional Sports Networks
(RSNs) in HD 24 hours a day.


those arent HD now so are 'new'

the simulcasts are in the 70s and on the other upper numbers per the link above in post 6

* ESPN-HD (206)
* ESPN2-HD (209)
* HD Theater (281)
* HBO-HD (501)
* Showtime HD (537)
* TNT-HD (245)
* Universal HD (259)


In addition, the following channels have new channel assignments:

* HDNet (306)
* HDNet Movies (552)
* WCBS-HD (390)
* WNBC-HD (392)
* WABC-HD (396)
* FOX NY HD (398)


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

Don't mix up the new channels with the movement of MPEG2 to MPEG4, though. Two different events enabled by the turning on of D11 satellite.

Meanwhile, DirecTV is also rearranging the RSNs in the 600s. Many of them include -1 HD channels which will disappear into regular numbers when those RSNs (mostly Fox Sports Net channels) go full time HD as part of the new channel rollout beginning August 14.

Lots of action going on.

Oh, and the additional RSNs in HD was a misprint. It is actually a TOTAL of 23 that includes those that are full time now and it is an addition of 12 to go full time.

So, we know only about half the new channels thus far.


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## TyroneShoes (Sep 6, 2004)

I find the entire thing confusing. You would not think it would be difficult at all. First you don't have them, they launch them, and then you do. Isn't that how things are supposed to work?

If so, there are NO NEW CHANNELS. I went through the list of available channels and saw absolutely nothing I could add to my custom lists on my HR20. To me, that means there was a launch of a bunch of channels except customers like me got nothing.

They've moved the friggin' date about 4 times. Maybe it just never happened yet. What am I missing here?


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

TyroneShoes said:


> I find the entire thing confusing. You would not think it would be difficult at all. First you don't have them, they launch them, and then you do. Isn't that how things are supposed to work?
> 
> If so, there are NO NEW CHANNELS. I went through the list of available channels and saw absolutely nothing I could add to my custom lists on my HR20. To me, that means there was a launch of a bunch of channels except customers like me got nothing.
> 
> They've moved the friggin' date about 4 times. Maybe it just never happened yet. What am I missing here?


I will try to clear this up. The first launches on D11 involved no new channels at all. What it did involve was a move of all MPEG2 HD channels to the new satellite and in MPEG4. The MPEG2 versions will stay up for a while but all DirecTV HD is now available in MPEG4. This happened Thursday. All the MPEG2 channels that were in the 70+ range are in their new homes (in the case of ESPN, HBO, Showtime, that is their original homes for SD, others are in new places like HDNet Movies).

Starting on August 14 (and maybe all on August 14) will be the new channels. The list is not yet public but it does involve moving 11 part time RSNs to full time plus a few Showtimes and some other stuff. There are about 12 unknown new channels on that list. They will probably all be new in the sense that they were only in SD previously. And, for sure, not everyone will get them all. I will as I have Premium but the RSNs will not be for everyone or Showtime, for instance. (Also, we should have the Olympic channels by August 7 or 8.)

It is assumed there will be more as the year goes on. But details are sketchy.

I suggest hanging out at dbstalk as a DirecTV employee (satelliteracer) lets the cat out of the bag early pretty often (and hints at other times).

So, you should have gotten nothing new except a few channel movements if you subscribe to those packages (and you should have no favorites in the 70-80 range anymore as they will go away sometime in the relatively near future).


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## nrc (Nov 17, 1999)

Wait. Does this mean MPEG2 HD channels are still available? Some folks swore it would be off by now.


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## newsposter (Aug 18, 2002)

nrc said:


> Wait. Does this mean MPEG2 HD channels are still available? Some folks swore it would be off by now.


dont listen to them


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## stevel (Aug 23, 2000)

The MPEG2 HD channels are still there - for now. But they won't be forever. That said, DirecTV has not yet announced a timetable for their removal. I would guess their life is in months, not years.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

nrc said:


> Wait. Does this mean MPEG2 HD channels are still available? Some folks swore it would be off by now.


There was no way they were going to turn them off the same day they turned on the MPEG4 versions. That would be a mess as there would be folks who need their dishes tweaked and other possible issues (they did not do the same user testing they did with D10 where they had test channels up and had users give reports of issues via dbstalk...and maybe satelliteguys).

I doubt the fact that the MPEG2 versions are still live has much to do with HR10 users as much as being available as a fallback. Could you imagine if ESPN had problems and they lost ESPN HD for a day or two? Absolute chaos.

They will probably shut them off soon as the new bird seems to be working fine. I'd guess maybe around the time they add other networks and finish moving things around. They are busy folks at DirecTV right now. They launched D11 successfully, they added MPEG4, they are reorganizing the sports channels in the 600s, the Olympics start this week with the temporary channels, they are adding more HD starting next week, the NFL starts at the end of the month with more HD than ever and they are launching new LiLs.


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## RS4 (Sep 2, 2001)

TonyD79 said:


> ...
> 
> Starting on August 14 (and maybe all on August 14) will be the new channels. The list is not yet public but it does involve moving 11 part time RSNs to full time plus a few Showtimes and some other stuff. There are about 12 unknown new channels on that list. They will probably all be new in the sense that they were only in SD previously. And, for sure, not everyone will get them all. I will as I have Premium but the RSNs will not be for everyone or Showtime, for instance. (Also, we should have the Olympic channels by August 7 or 8.)
> 
> ....


Wow... it must be exciting for the part time RSNs to be full time. Just think, the viewer will see the 7:00 PM message that they can't view that show because of league restrictions again at 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning - and they get to see it all in HD


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## JimSpence (Sep 19, 2001)

The MPEG2 channels that will be sticking around for a while are the NYC DNS ones in the 80s. These need to remain as not all people have their locals from DirecTV and may have the DNS versions (like me). So these co-exist with the MPEG4 channels in the 390s.


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## TyroneShoes (Sep 6, 2004)

TonyD79 said:


> I will try to clear this up...


And clear it up you did. Thanks so much, T. I knew I could count on you.


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## TyroneShoes (Sep 6, 2004)

RS4 said:


> Wow... it must be exciting for the part time RSNs to be full time. Just think, the viewer will see the 7:00 PM message that they can't view that show because of league restrictions again at 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning - and they get to see it all in HD


And with your scary-wonderful HR10, you will miss out on all of that excitement. In fact, you might even die wondering what you're actually missing, instead of knowing first-hand.


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## TyroneShoes (Sep 6, 2004)

JimSpence said:


> The MPEG2 channels that will be sticking around for a while are the NYC DNS ones in the 80s. These need to remain as not all people have their locals from DirecTV and may have the DNS versions (like me). So these co-exist with the MPEG4 channels in the 390s.


That may be true, but I can't imagine why anyone in any location might not get the NDS channels even if they are also available in the 390's as MPEG-4. It's just a matter of upgrading DVR and antenna.

In LA they moved everything to the 390s and changed them to MPEG-4, but interestingly enough kept them on the older Ku sats. The strategy was to force everyone to the new DVR, yet not force them to the new dish. The reason for that was that there was a problem getting the MDUs to upgrade their dishes fast enough.

So they were on a mission to force everyone to MPEG-4 in LA, but maybe they didn't want to force all of the NDS folks just yet. Maybe that is a similar strategy for NYC. Either way you look at it, forcing subs to MPEG-4 and forcing subs to the new dish became separate technical hurdles independent of each other. Keeping them also up in MPEG-2 may indicate that there are a lot of NDS folks out there that have yet to convert, and that DTV could not handle the weight of that changing suddenly.


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## TonyTheTiger (Dec 22, 2006)

TyroneShoes said:


> And with your scary-wonderful HR10, you will miss out on all of that excitement. In fact, you might even die wondering what you're actually missing, instead of knowing first-hand.


He doesn't have (or use) an HR10. He went to cable long ago, but can't stop riling everyone in the D* forums!


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## sjberra (May 16, 2005)

TonyTheTiger said:


> He doesn't have (or use) an HR10. He went to cable long ago, but can't stop riling everyone in the D* forums!


But according to him this is a TIVO forum..just secondary that the TIVO he now owns will not recieve the directv signal. Mute point now since it seems like the MPEG2 channels have just had the death knell sounded and Amazing Grace is being piped in the background


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

TyroneShoes said:


> That may be true, but I can't imagine why anyone in any location might not get the NDS channels even if they are also available in the 390's as MPEG-4. It's just a matter of upgrading DVR and antenna.


I think they will be gone. They moved the LA DNS networks to MPEG4 but kept them on the old satellite because of MDU problems (getting the new MDU equipement in place to get the new satellites working) but they did force customers to MPEG4. I don't see why they wouldn't do that with the NY networks (although I haven't heard about the same push they made to transition customers as they did with LA).


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

RS4 said:


> Wow... it must be exciting for the part time RSNs to be full time. Just think, the viewer will see the 7:00 PM message that they can't view that show because of league restrictions again at 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning - and they get to see it all in HD


Uh, I don't get that message because all the sports packages are available in HD. How's that HD baseball package on Comcast? PQ good enough? What's that? Comcast has EI but no HD games? How can that be, they are perfect because every company that can work with a Tivo must be perfect.

Oops, sarcasm mode was set on by mistake.

Oh, and I just love the way you don't give a damn about any customers other than yourself. Nice that you don't care if other regions get their RSNs in HD fulltime. You are such a generous and caring person.

Oh, that damned sarcasm mode is stuck on ON.


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## TyroneShoes (Sep 6, 2004)

sjberra said:


> But according to him this is a TIVO forum...


At the top of the page it says "DirecTV HDTV Tivo Powered PVRs", which AFAIK means there is only one Tivo box, the HR10, that fits the category (with a sticky that says HR2x posts are welcome...S3 conspicuously absent) which could be why I made the rookie mistake of thinking he had a HR10. I guess all the anti-DTV ranting should have tipped me off.


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## TyroneShoes (Sep 6, 2004)

TonyD79 said:


> ...Oops, sarcasm mode was set on by mistake...


Tony, you're allowing yourself to sink to a "different" level. This is so wrong, but I kind of like it


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## RS4 (Sep 2, 2001)

TyroneShoes said:


> Tony, you're allowing yourself to sink to a "different" level. This is so wrong, but I kind of like it


Well - you should know, because your arrogance reins supreme


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## sjberra (May 16, 2005)

TyroneShoes said:


> At the top of the page it says "DirecTV HDTV Tivo Powered PVRs", which AFAIK means there is only one Tivo box, the HR10, that fits the category (with a sticky that says HR2x posts are welcome...S3 conspicuously absent) which could be why I made the rookie mistake of thinking he had a HR10. I guess all the anti-DTV ranting should have tipped me off.


QFE


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## JimSpence (Sep 19, 2001)

TyroneShoes said:


> That may be true, but I can't imagine why anyone in any location might not get the NDS channels even if they are also available in the 390's as MPEG-4. It's just a matter of upgrading DVR and antenna.
> ...
> Keeping them also up in MPEG-2 may indicate that there are a lot of NDS folks out there that have yet to convert, and that DTV could not handle the weight of that changing suddenly.


And there's the rub. Not everyone can just drop some $ into getting the MPEG4 equipment. 
And, as we all know the CSRs aren't really up to speed regarding the new equipment and be able to handle the calls that could occur if DirecTV did a major swap out. Do they even have enough stock to swap/upgrade the MPEG2 subs? Let's not even discuss the installers that would need to be used.

Just how long the 80s *DNS* channels remain is still a guess.


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## TyroneShoes (Sep 6, 2004)

RS4 said:


> Well - you should know, because your arrogance reins supreme


Wow. Evolution is full of surprises.

In case you hadn't noticed, the quote of mine you lifted begins with the word "Tony". IOW, you were not invited in to that particular conversation. I think constantly inserting yourself wherever you think you belong without anyone else agreeing that you belong there might just be the height of arrogance.

And nice spelling, d-bag. Let me guess...community college?


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## newsposter (Aug 18, 2002)

JimSpence said:


> Do they even have enough stock to swap/upgrade the MPEG2 subs? Let's not even discuss the installers that would need to be used.
> :


self installs!


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## JimSpence (Sep 19, 2001)

Only if DirecTV allowed them.


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## newsposter (Aug 18, 2002)

i really try to think of how a customer could mess up a replacement...maybe put the SAT line into the OTA..maybe switch RCA cables with composite

if you are color blind i can see you would have issues. Otherwise, i dont see how you would really mess up?


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