CBS-HD coming to D* [Archive]

BobMurdoch

01-07-04, 10:02 AM

Hey folks this is good news for E* subscribers too. With another 10 million subscribers having access to CBS-HD, I wonder if it will start impacting the other broadcast nets ratings and convince them to start following suit or risk losing viewers to CBS.

It's bad news for E* management though as another key marketing advantage will disappear.

Chaos

01-07-04, 12:01 PM

My question is why hasn't he announced the availability of Fox-HD under the same terms. C'mon, Rupe!

BobMurdoch

01-07-04, 01:28 PM

And if he does, will he make it available to E* subscribers, or will that be one of the first tests for his ability to hold something back from a "competitor"

wcswett

01-07-04, 02:23 PM

And if he does, will he make it available to E* subscribers, or will that be one of the first tests for his ability to hold something back from a "competitor"

He hasn't held back Fox News, which has a lot of viewers. That would just hurt advertising revenues.

--- WCS

jdspencer

01-07-04, 04:48 PM

So what does this do for me? Will CBS-HD be available by Super Bowl time? And, to who will it be available to?

That press release really didn't say a lot. IMHO.

timf

01-07-04, 08:41 PM

The press release specifically mentions the Super Bowl, so I would expect it to be available by then.

Chuck W

01-08-04, 09:34 AM

Gee, I remember a month or so ago wondering if and arguing for D* doing this(the HD part) and someone telling us "That chance is zero. Less then zero".

Humble Pie anyone ;)

Now hopefully, since I have waivers(even tho I get Hartford locals and my CBS affiliate in Hartford isn't CBS owned) I will get this channel.

paulh

01-08-04, 10:00 AM

:blush:
I was someone who always repeated what reliable posters (with good industry contacts, including a CBS VP) on another forum, and they had always been adamant about no more national HD feeds.
Maby I should start saying "D* will stop charging for TC" :grin:

Chuck W

01-08-04, 10:10 AM

My question is why hasn't he announced the availability of Fox-HD under the same terms. C'mon, Rupe!

Probably because there is no Fox HD yet. Currently they only broadcast in "enhanced widescreen". However they have said HD is coming early this year, so maybe when they do start broadcasting real HD, they will do the same type of thing.

Curtis0620

01-08-04, 10:10 AM

D* to add FOX-HD also.

http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/040108/85448_1.html

East & West feeds for CBS & FOX.

Marcus S

01-08-04, 08:35 PM

This is terrific news. This was the last and only thing I missed leaving E*. Now we get a two fer deal. :)

jdspencer

01-10-04, 08:27 AM

I guess this won't help me since my local CBS affiliate is not Owned & Operated by CBS.

I'm going to use this press release to see if I can pressure my CBS affiliate to get off their butts and get HD up in time for the Super Bowl. Or maybe, they'll give me a waiver. Yeah, right.

BobMurdoch

01-12-04, 11:24 AM

I'll be surprised if they even acknowledge your letter. I've sent about a half dozen letters over the last few years to ABC and CBS with no response. They just don't care. It will take an act of Congress before they do anything different. And with the shovelfuls of cash the NAB spreads around Congress, I wouldn't hold out too much hope for THAT outcome.

jdspencer

01-12-04, 11:41 AM

Yeah, they have ignored me in the past as well. But, with this press release the rules have changed a bit as far as I'm concerned.

paulh

01-12-04, 11:57 AM

I'm wondering if this would allow any other multi-station owner, say Sinclair, to offer their own "national" feed through negotiations with D* or E*. It would probably be great for them, as then for cheap they'd get a HD feed for all of their affiliates. Plus Sinclair once started doing somewhat regional instead of local news, so they likely wouldn't mind a regional feed.

HeavyC

01-12-04, 02:57 PM

So could I "move" to say a city like Chicago and qualify for their locals and their local HD feeds? Can you "move" with DirecTV as easily as you can with Dish? Are there any drawbacks?

inpt4u

01-12-04, 04:02 PM

Does this mean that those folks getting the four nets east & west coast feeds (both CBS O&O's NY & LA) will be able to get CBS HD East & West? Or is this only for local package subscribers?

paulh

01-13-04, 08:13 AM

DCSholtis

01-13-04, 10:51 AM

Heavy,
D* is only offering NY and LA HD feeds for CBS and FOX. (not Chicago). But, since Chicago is a CBS O&O there are many areas in the Chicago DMA that would qualify. However, there are areas of the Chicago DMA that would need a waiver from another CBS station (i.e. Antioch, IL would likely need a waiver from Milwaukee's stations). I've heard that people have easily "moved" with D* (They have a better real movers program than E* anyway), I think you can change your service address online.

"Moving" with D* is no hassle your correct you just need to find a "white" area to get the distants once you find yourself such an area you need to call a CSR to change your service address you cant do it online. Take it from me personally Ive done it myself. :D

HeavyC

01-13-04, 01:36 PM

That's cool. I'm thinking of actually just "moving" to Springfield Illinois after I set up my account sometime this Spring and have had the hardware installed. I'm fairly confident that my antenna can bring in my local HD feeds. I'm in Metamora Illinois right now (just outside of Peoria, only like 80 miles from Springfield). I can get the analog channels right now (for the most part), but the quality isn't exactly what I would call perfect.

Antennaweb.org rates the digital stations as being much easier to receive then the analog ones, so I'm guessing I shouldn't have any problems since I get a semi-decent analog reception. With digital, you either get it or you don't right? You don't have to worry about ghosting and all that crap right?

I would just like to have the SD channels on the dish to, so that my wife can easily record them with a regualr SD DirecTivo I want installed in the other room.

jdspencer

01-14-04, 12:38 PM

Well, I guess I pestered my CBS affiliate enough. They just granted me a waiver to receive E/W feeds of CBS, which means CBS-HD when it becomes available.

Now I really have no need for TWC. :D

What's the latest on CBS-HD from DirecTV? It would be nice if they had it up for the Conference Championships.

Carl

01-14-04, 02:08 PM

Will Fox-D and CBS-HD be offered in D* HD package?

paulh

01-14-04, 03:41 PM

It was stated in the press release that the Fox-D and CBS-HD would be offered for free to users who already qualified and subscribed for the distants / and or locals where there is an O&O exclusive.

jdspencer

01-14-04, 06:23 PM

The CSR at DirecTV indicated that you have to subscibe to the HD package. But, what do they know? :D

Chuck W

01-15-04, 12:21 PM

The CSR at DirecTV indicated that you have to subscibe to the HD package. But, what do they know? :D

They(the CSR's) must not read their own company's press releases. In there it says CBS HD would be included in the locals package(if you qualify) at no extra charge.

jdspencer

01-15-04, 01:36 PM

Chuck W

01-15-04, 03:41 PM

But, not everyone gets locals yet. So that's possibly why the CSR said that to me. I have the HD package and a waiver in place for E/W nertworks. So my qualification must be the waiver. But, they still want you the subscribe to some package.

Yes, if you have waivers, then you would have to subscribe to the distant nets, in order to get CBS-HD. Subscribing to the HD package is unnecessary. I pay $2 a month to get WCBS and KCBS(I have waivers as well). Since I do, I expect to get WCBS and probably KCBS in HD at no additional charge. At least that's the way I understand it.

dishrich

01-15-04, 06:53 PM

I expect to get WCBS and probably KCBS in HD at no additional charge. At least that's the way I understand it.

Didn't anyone else notice this one point in the press release?

Customers in the Pacific and Mountain time zones will receive the west coast feeds and those in the Central and Eastern times zones will receive the east coast feeds.

Guess THAT'S a bummer... :( :( :(

jdspencer

01-15-04, 07:41 PM

I sent an email to DirecTV to verify the qualifications.
I have the distant nets, so I should be just fine.

Chuck W

01-16-04, 10:20 AM

Didn't anyone else notice this one point in the press release?

Guess THAT'S a bummer... :( :( :(

Yes, people who will get CBS HD because they are in 1 of the 17 O&O markets, will only get either East or West feeds, however distant nets and having waivers are different. I pay $2 a month for East and West coast feeds of CBS. If I wanted only 1 feed(either East or West), then it would only be $1.30 a month. So I am paying for both affiliates now, thus I would expect to get both HD feeds when they go live.

But who knows.