Competing with HD locals on cable

[Rod]

How does Dish plan to compete with cable companies that are providing HD Local Channels? The thought of not having to install an antenna sounds appealing.

[DVDDAD]

If you can get your HD locals for free (well almost free after the one time antenna purchase) why would you want to pay your cable company or satellite provider for the same thing? Remember that if you can get the signal from your antenna, you are getting as clear of a picture that you'd get from the cable company, at 1080i and with DD 5.1 too!

The only time IMHO where paying for cable or satellite for your HD locals makes any sense, is when you can't receive your locals by antenna. Here on Long Island we lost many of our HD locals on 9/11 and might not get them back for six months or two years or more.

With that said, HD really won't take off until cable starts to offer your locals, because most people have a hang up about dealing with an antenna installation. Some of the same people have no hang up with putting a dish on their roof, and a dish is just an antenna that receives its signals from satellites, not from towers.

[Mike123abc]

A lot of speculation on what will happen with HDTV still goes on. DBS systems will have a lot of trouble competing if HDTV becomes a demanded factor with consumers. While it is theoretically possible for DBS to do LIL HDTV to all markets in the US, it would probably be prohibitably expensive unless there is a breakthrough in satellite power technology.

DBS HDTV LIL would require a new fleet of satellites, probably operating in the Ka band to have enough room. If it were to be done with today's technology would probably require 4-5X the number of satellites in use now.

Now in theory, with a couple new satellites, Dish could do LIL HDTV of the top 4 networks in the top 30-40 cities (ABC/CBS/NBC/PBS) by putting a new spot beam satellite at 61.5 and one at 148. The difference is that 4 per market for 40 markets is 160 stations vs LIL for 40 markets which is 400+ stations.

[DarrellP]

Depending on how close you are to your towers, you may be able to pickup OTA with a simple loop antenna.

I just moved and have not been able to put my Yagi back up yet so I went to Wal Mart and bought a simple $35 indoor VHF/UHF antenna and get all my locals just fine, except I do have to reposition it for ABC.

This is not a good solution for me, however because I don't like the look of an indoor antenna. I am going to hide my Yagi in the attic out of sight.

[wmayo]

"If you can get your HD locals for free" -
The problem is that MANY of us just cannot get it over the air (distance, mts, etc.). Here is where cable is gonna KILL DBS (thanks to the shortsighted FCC). I like my satellite service, but when local cable offers the local networks in HD, good bye Charlie (now you know which one). Add to all this the "arrangement" that TV makers with cable (built in digital cable adapters), cable will likely end up big time on the top of the hill - just get ready for $100+ monthly bills once they "have us."

[Marcus S]

Well, here is a real easy test. Compare the HD PQ between cable and DBS. No competition, cable compresses their HD to practically SDTV resolution.

[jeffcarp]

You guys are assuming that cable will deliver a 1080i signal without a bunch of compression. Never going to happen. HD over the air, if you can get it will be superior to any HD over cable.