Anchorage, Alaska is uplinked now!!!

[Darkman]

7030-7038 channel range, at 119 bird, spot tp 9...

More likely not available yet to "mere mortal" subscribers...

But should be coming Aug 28, 03

[Chris Blount]

That's very cool! I visited Anchorage a while back and I remember while watching TV all of the shows would run late because extra commercials were inserted. Do they still do this? I remember by the end of the night prime time would run a half hour longer.

[Darkman]

Regardless if or how many of the uplinked channels will be available to subscribers, - 7 local channels for Alaska were uplinked (or made the EPG at the least) anyhow :)

[Jim Parker]

If they have all of the locals, then they will get $4.99 from me starting Aug 28th!

The local cable company has both analog and digital converter boxes, but the analog has a poor picture and the digital box is terrible. Takes about 3 seconds to change channels and no way to set up the box to skip over all of the unwanted channels.

I'll pay the 5 bucks just to have the 501 PVR over a VCR.

[JohnH]

Yeah, it will be at least $5.99 though. :)

[Jim Parker]

I can live with $5.99.

[Darkman]

Yeah, it will be at least $5.99 though. :)

if or when all Major ones will become available to Subscribers...

Here what's reported to be uplinked to the EPG so far to date:

7030 KIMO
7031 KTVA
7032 KTUV
7033 KTBY
7035 KYES
7036 KAKM
7038 KDMD

[Jim Parker]

Darkman
Thanks for the info. How are you getting this info? Is the EPG that you are looking at the same one that us "mere mortals" see?

Chris
The local stations are on a "tape" delay to adjust for the 1 hour time difference from the west coast, so they can insert extra ads when ever they feel like it. It gets really bad around election time. Good thing that the PVR has an "add extra time" to the record option.

[Darkman]

It's been "reported" to me, etc :)

besides - some people with FTA receivers, big dish, "other tricks", etc and over all experienced ( as JohnH for example :) - just look at his signature what he has for the equipment :) ) can often access the EPG, SID, etc information...

[JohnH]

Yeah well, none of that equipment shows the info you have listed. :)

[JohnH]

Is anyone in Alaska seeing signal on 119 Spotbeam/Tp 9?

[Darkman]

JohnH - OK...i am not that experienced with your listed equipments..

But you do often list the uplinked locals and the SIDs for them :)

John - reported to me, someone was seeing signal at 119/tp 9 (yesturday), and at those channels it said something like: "We are experiencing Tech difficulties, Please stand by" (or something like that) - which is common with the newly launched locals..

[Zach2]

| | |




Local channels added to satellite TV
COMPETITION: Dish Network, ACS team up to challenge GCI's dominance.


By RICHARD RICHTMYER
Anchorage Daily News

(Published: August 14, 2003)



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The troops are lined up, weapons are locked and loaded and an alliance has formed in Southcentral's battle for the remote control.

On Aug. 28, satellite television provider Dish Network plans to add most local Anchorage stations to its channel lineup, shoring up a big competitive weakness.

At the same time, Alaska Communications Systems will begin selling Dish Network service to its customers, offering it as part of a bundle that could also include local, long-distance and wireless phone connections and high-speed Internet access.

Both companies are fierce competitors of General Communication Inc., the state's largest cable TV company. The Anchorage-based company provides telephone and Internet access services as well.

Local Dish Network retailers say they have been hamstrung in their efforts to woo customers away from GCI because they couldn't offer local stations. They expect a surge in business at the end of the month once they can.

For its part, ACS says adding satellite TV to its offerings will give the company the flexibility to offer more combinations of services and prices, a marketing method known as bundling.

"The focus is really to offer a broader selection of services and to provide an alternative to the cable monopoly," ACS spokeswoman Mary Anne Pease said.

Currently, Dish Network's standard service package with 50 channels costs $24.99 a month. A more comprehensive package with 100 channels is $33.99. Adding local channels will cost an additional $5.99. The local channels alone will cost about $11.

GCI's standard service has 53 channels, including all the locals, for $42.75. On the high end of GCI's cable TV packages is its digital service, 152 channels for $65.48. GCI's lowest-cost package has 18 channels, including local network affiliates, for $19.70.

Both have installation and other up-front costs.

ACS and GCI have been bitter rivals for years, slugging it out on several fronts, including local phone service, Internet and more recently, yellow pages advertising.

ACS will sell the Dish Network service through its ACS Wireless stores beginning at the end of the month, around the same time the local channels become available, which Pease said will be a strong selling point.

But it's not certain all the local channels will be available, said Mark Lumpkin, a spokesman for EchoStar Communications, Dish Network's Littleton, Colo.-based owner.

As of late Wednesday, the company had not gotten permission to air the signals of NBC affiliate KTUU-Channel 2 or ABC affiliate KIMO-Channel 13, he said.

"We're continuing to negotiate, but if we are unsuccessful, we will launch the local channels without them," Lumpkin said.

Local stations that are on-board include: Fox affiliate KTBY-Channel 4; KTVA-Channel 11, a CBS affiliate; KYES-Channel 5, affiliated with the UPN network; PBS station KAKM-Channel 7; and KDMD-Channel 6, which carries programming from the Pax Network.

Dish Network has been trying in earnest to add local channels to its lineup in Alaska since February 2002, when it launched new satellites that provide a stronger signal and allow it to carry more stations.

Andy MacLeod, KTUU's general sales manager, wouldn't talk about the specific discussions the station has had with Dish Network or the status of the negotiations.

"The ball's really in their court at this point," he said.

Meanwhile, Sean Bradley, KIMO's general manager, said he walked away from a Tuesday discussion with Dish Network "cautiously optimistic" that his station's signal could be part of the satellite company's lineup soon.

"We've been talking about this for years, and this is the closest it's ever been," he said.

Even with some stations in the undecided column, Jason Gardner, president of The Satellite Guy, an Anchorage Dish Network retailer, said his company is girding for a rush of new business.

"It's going to be full-blown competition with GCI," he said. "Not having local channels has been the only real hindrance."

Gardner said his company has a list of about 600 people who have asked to be notified when local channels become available so they can make the switch from cable. He said they've also been adding staff, recently hiring two sales people and three installers.

"We're really excited about the locals coming on-board," Gardner said. "It's going to generate a lot more interest."

GCI has acknowledged satellite-provided entertainment services as a serious competitor to cable and recently has taken steps to counter it, like distributing Anchorage channels to smaller communities where it previously had been delivering signals from network affiliates in Lower 48 cities.

But GCI's range of communications services and its pricing flexibility sets it apart, said David Morris, a spokesman for the Anchorage-based company. In addition to cable TV, GCI provides telephone and Internet service and offers package deals.

"It's competition, and we take that at full face value," Morris said. "But at the end of the day, you make your decision based on more than one product. We have very compelling bundled offerings."

Dish Network and ACS aren't the only ones with their sights set on GCI. Matanuska Telephone Association recently announced plans to offer digital television programming over its local telephone lines using the same networking technology that powers its high-speed Internet service.

That service is expected to be available in parts of the Mat-Su area and Eagle River late this summer. MTA has not said what channels will be available or much it will cost.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Local channels coming to Dish

Channel 4 (Fox), KTBY

Channel 11 (CBS), KTVA

Channel 5 (UPN), KYES

Channel 7 (PBS), KAKM

Channel 6 (Pax), KDMD

Local channels on the fence

Channel 2 (NBC), KTUU

Channel 13 (ABC), KIMO

[Darkman]

Yes that is True (re: the last part of above/long post)..

At today's Retailer Chat it was clearly stated - that Alaska's locals will start of at $4.99 per month... And 5 local channels will be offered to Subscribers, ..with 2 locals still at "Dispute" state...

So what was discussed above before - it is actually vice versa:
"5 down and 2 to go" and not "2 down and 5 to go" :)

[AkShark]

Is anyone in Alaska seeing signal on 119 Spotbeam/Tp 9?


Oh Yea, Signal strength at max (125)

This spot has been here for months (years?)

It looks like they are finally going to use it :D

[Darkman]

AK,
See... and you were considering cancelling :)

[AkShark]

The key for me is that they secure the NBC feed, with out it, I doubt I will jump on board!

[Jim Parker]

I have been doing some research, and I may not be screwed on HD after all. 105 is at an elevation of 11.6 deg, and if my home made sextant is right, then it is about 2 deg above the Chugach Mountains from my house. The mountains run north/south on the east side of Anchorage, and I may be just far enough way from them to look over them. I talked to the company that I bought my dish from and he can see 105, but he is in a better place to see over the mountains than I am.

I will have to remove the tops off of some of the trees on my lot, but I will if that's what it takes.

The dealer is pretty sure that the superdish will not have a enough signal strength as it takes a 48" dish to get 105 now. He will know more in mid Oct when he can actually test the signal strength. I may be able to use the 48" dish that I now have to look at 105 and buy an new 1 meter dish to look at 119.

Charlie said in one of his chats that it would require superdish to get HD, (something about comparing AM and FM radio) but maybe the lnb off of a superdish can be used on something other dish. Anybody think this will work?

[AkShark]

Just spoke to a Dish retailer at the local home show. He said there is a chance that ABC will be included by launch date or shortly thereafter. :)

The NBC station apparently wants the same amount (for retransmission) that Atlanta stations are getting. LOL :lol: .......Dudes, we only have 300K bodies in the local area, Not millions....Get a clue.... :confused:

[AkShark]

AK,
See... and you were considering cancelling :)


HMMMM! not holding my breath! :sure:

[Zach2]

I have been doing some research, and I may not be screwed on HD after all. 105 is at an elevation of 11.6 deg, and if my home made sextant is right, then it is about 2 deg above the Chugach Mountains from my house. The mountains run north/south on the east side of Anchorage, and I may be just far enough way from them to look over them. I talked to the company that I bought my dish from and he can see 105, but he is in a better place to see over the mountains than I am.

I will have to remove the tops off of some of the trees on my lot, but I will if that's what it takes.

The dealer is pretty sure that the superdish will not have a enough signal strength as it takes a 48" dish to get 105 now. He will know more in mid Oct when he can actually test the signal strength. I may be able to use the 48" dish that I now have to look at 105 and buy an new 1 meter dish to look at 119.

Charlie said in one of his chats that it would require superdish to get HD, (something about comparing AM and FM radio) but maybe the lnb off of a superdish can be used on something other dish. Anybody think this will work?

I heard from Dish Network that Superdish WILL NOT work in Alaska. I currently have Directv and Dish and can get 101 w/ my 6' directv dish....well not all the time I lost a few channels lately.
I hope Dish offers us a good deal when the superdish comes out, personally I would love for them to mirror HD on 148 but I know that won't happen.

[Jim Parker]

Zack
I'm right next to Klatt Elementary school, what part of town are you in?

I got up on the roof yesterday and adjusted the dish to 110. The tree tops on my property block the signal. It looks like the trees on my neighbors property are going to block 105. 2" electrical rigid steel conduit is a perfect fit for the clamp on a 48" dish so with some guy supports, I should be able to extend the mast arm enough to look over them.

I understand that Direct has the HD on 110. Changing to Direct is a possiblility, but I would rather stay with Dish if I can.

[Zach2]

If you want Directv in Alaska w/ HD it's tough. You need 3 six foot dishes because they have core programming on 101, and HD on 110 and 119. I tried using a 1 meter dish on 119 for Directv when there HD was only on 119 but it only worked in the winter for some reason. If I lived in the lower 48 I would for sure have Directv and that's it I don't know why anyone would do any different.

[Jim Parker]

3 six foot dishes on 10 ft mast arms above the roof is not practical. :( Back to waiting for the next Dish chat.

[AkShark]

Aw. Come on Jim, don't you want you own antenna farm? (all the really cool kids are doing it) Your neighbors would love it? LOL

[Jim Parker]

Maybe I will sneak over to the neighbors and cut down all of the spruce and birch trees then tell him that the Park service did it to get rid of the spruce bark beetles and the birch tree leaf miners. He might believe it. You know what they say about it being easier to blame it on somebody else than get permission. (or something like that). :lol:

[James Hill]

The folks that run KTUU, starting with John Tracy on down, genuinely believe that their station is on par with the Atlantas (and on up) in the world.

My better half was a producer at KTVA. The KTUU folks would always break down when "Alaska's 11" trumped them on anything.

James Hill

[Darkman]

Jim Parker - ask the Neighbors politely to cut down the tree...
If they do not go for it - offer them some money as a compensation or bribe them with something else :) LOL

[AkShark]

The folks that run KTUU, starting with John Tracy on down, genuinely believe that their station is on par with the Atlantas (and on up) in the world.

My better half was a producer at KTVA. The KTUU folks would always break down when "Alaska's 11" trumped them on anything.

James Hill


With that attitude we will probably never see KTUU on Dish! :mad:

[Jim Parker]

Darkman
Nah, he would never go for it. Tree hugger aging hippie type. He found an eagle feather on the ground one day and had a spiritual awakening. He's firmly convinced that the eagle dropped it for him so that the eagle could be his "totem". He has it enshrined in a glass box above the mantle. OOOKAY :rolleyes: Probably did too many drugs in the 60's.

I could tell him that if he cut the tops off of the trees, the eagle would build a nest there. He might fall for that. :lol:

Actually, there are probably about 10 trees on my property and his that are in the way. It would be better for me to raise the dish and look over them. I have been planning on building a deck on the roof so I can get up and away from the mosquitoes in the summer and someplace to put my telescope in the winter. I can attach a mast arm to it.

[AkShark]

Probably did too many drugs in the 60's.

ummm. Could you define too many!! :icon_peac

[Cotter Pin]

It's about frickin' time Anchorage got up. Been waiting for it ever since E-7 shot up into space and I told my wife "Well honey, won't be long now". And that transponder 9 with the strongest signal I've ever seen is just a tease. Screw channel 2, I'll just watch the channel 13 news.

If any of you Alaska guys or gals want a swingin deal on a 6' Channel Master dish, check the buy/sell area.

Cheers

[AkShark]

Screw channel 2, I'll just watch the channel 13 news.
Cheers

Ummmm...... you will have to watch channel 11 news, channel 13 ain't on board yet either! :nono2:

[Cotter Pin]

Right you are AkShark. Channell 13 is just rumored for now, but may be on board. But when the locals do come I won't use over the air anymore. With distant nets and the locals that I will recieve by satellite, the hold outs will be history for me. I'd rather just use my 508. Maybe next spring if all locals do go digital as advertised, and if I have a 921, then mabey I'll go back to OTA. In the meantime it will be just satellite (unless something REALLY special is on an OTA channel not on satellite).

[James Hill]

Now is 13 having problems because they want more money, or because they consider themselves a "Superstation"?

They are still doing that thing, where its the same channel in Fairbanks and Juneau as well, correct?

James Hill