What are the data rates and native resolution for Dish's HD channels

[jeburnett]

Does anyone know or can point me to a source that will tell me how much bandwidth is allocated to the many and different HD channels on DISH? Since my 6000 outputs a signal as either 720p or 1080i by setting, I'm also curious as to what is the native resolution for these different channels.

Any assistance or pointers will be appreciated!

Thanks,
Jonathan

[Ken_F]

jeburnett,

All channels are 1080i except ESPN-HD (http://espn.go.com/espnhd/schedule.html) which is 720p.

The channels on 110 and 61.5/148 use the full available bit rate -- Dish has almost 40Mbps usable per 8PSK modulated transponder which they use to deliver two HD channels.

[jeburnett]

Thanks Ken. Is it an oversimplification to say then that each HD channel is about 20mbps in bandwidth? Somewhere I had read that the SD channels are about 2 or 3mbps. Does this sound right also?

Thanks,
Jonathan

jeburnett,

All channels are 1080i except ESPN-HD (http://espn.go.com/espnhd/schedule.html) which is 720p.

The channels on 110 and 61.5/148 use the full available bit rate -- Dish has almost 40Mbps usable per 8PSK modulated transponder which they use to deliver two HD channels.

[Ken_F]

Is it an oversimplification to say then that each HD channel is about 20mbps in bandwidth?Yes, it is.

The HBO and Showtime HDTV movie channels use repeat flags and variable bit rate encoding, which means content is generally sent at 24fps (as you would expect for film), and bit rate will vary depending on the intensity of the scene or action. The signal is sent VBR by Showtime and HBO, this is not processing that Dish Network applies themselves.

Past observations have shown HDTV Showtime and HDTV HBO to use in the neightborhood of 10Mbps to 14Mbps, depending on the content. The HD demo channel uses closer to 18Mbps while the PPV channel varies from 16Mbps to 19Mbps, depending on the film.

Specific data rate information for the 8PSK channels, like ESPN-HD, Discovery, and the Hdnets isn't as readily available. Hdnet does reportedly distribute their feeds at 19.4Mbps. In general, HDTV channels with 30fps video require more bandwidth than those based around 24fps film. But all we know for certain right now (barring some new information) is that two channels are on each transponder, and each 8PSK transponder has about 39.6Mbps available for use.

Thanks Ken. Is it an oversimplification to say then that each HD channel is about 20mbps in bandwidth? Somewhere I had read that the SD channels are about 2 or 3mbps. Does this sound right also?On average, yes. Dish Network generally allocates 10-11 channels to each QPSK transponder, and each transponder has roughly 30.7Mbps available for use. They use stat mux for SD channels, which is essentially a form of channel load balancing; at times, some SD channels may use under 2Mbps, while at other times, a SD channel may use 4Mbps or more, depending on the action and movement.