Sat TV Getting too complex

[HIPAR]

How much longer will my simple 18 inch dish aimed towards the 101 deg satellite continue to work?

--- CHAS

[DaveTinNY]

I'm guessing until the permanent switch by D* to MPEG4 compression... I, too, have an 18" dish and also the elliptical dish for HD programming. Both of mine will have to be changed out, no doubt. Should be fun trying to schedule with the satellite guy with all the changes they'll have to make to the numerous households.

[KyL416]

Let's just hope they don't pull a Dish Network and put half of their major channels at another orbital slot. What they should do if they are running out of space is remove a transponder's worth of lower ranked market's stations and put them on 119 or 72.5 and use that additional transponder to program more national stations, if it's possible.

[HIPAR]

I hope they leave my Ku band programming just as it is because I can only see 101 plus about 3 degrees to its west here. So one of those big complex dishes is useless here and I guess that will also preclude me from HD service.

I really don't want to deal with the local cable company but that seems to be the only solution if D*splits up standard definition programming between multiple satellites.

--- CHAS

[DTC mac]

If D* shows any common sense MPEG4 will only be used on Ka transponders at 99,103 and possibly 101 ( no effect on Ku 101 ) and 72.5( though it is only temporarily leased ), 101(Ku), 110 and 119 will continue to provide core service using current MPEG2 data streams.

The benefit being no need for equiptment swaps except for HD/HD LiL subscribers.

Both D* and E* have grown beyond what was ever planned for DBS / FSS II services when licensing originated in the late 80's early 90's.