Anyone know when we are getting HD locals

[socceteer]

It has been about 6 months since the last time I asked this question...!

Does anyone know when Dish will be offering local HD local channels not OTA.

I know that Direct TV offers them and in all honesty, even though Dish offers the VOOM channels I rather have HD locals. I am considering switching to Direct TV if Dish does not offer them soon.

Does anyone know when this will happen

[Mike D-CO5]

I wouldn't look for any hd locals until after the next echostar 10 satellite is launched and up and running. Sometime in the first quarter of 2006.

Dish still has to address "the one dish for locals" problem that must be solved by June of 2006. That affects up to 36 markets.

Then there is the mpeg4 problem. They now admit they are not getting what they want in regards to bandwith increases with mpeg4. That is why they are now trying to implement turbo 8spk which will improve bandwith by 30 - 40 %.

I think you will see the rest of the Voom channels either by X-mas( Please Dish for X-mas) or by January in regular mpeg2 . Maybe even Espn 2 in hd. But locals are not on the horizon till the other things are fixed first.

OF course their is plenty of spotbeams on Rainbow 1 that could accomodate the hd locals on the east coast , so there is room if they wanted to do it. THe Fcc is also restricting who can get the hd signal on the distants even if they wanted to add them.

Maybe by the summer?

[Ghostwriter]

I agree from what I have read on the forum I would think that E10 will be the HD local provider. Considering its target date to get online is in May I doubt anything will happen until Mid 2006.

Just my $.02

[Gary Murrell]

What about those HD locals from NY/LA for us poor rural guys with zero OTA ??, I love my CBS-HD from Dish but would love to have the other 3 also, any word on those??, they were up testing a few months back weren't they

-Gary

[socceteer]

WOW ..That is very disappointing...! I do have VOOM and I rather have locals if they had the choice.

Thanks for the information

[BobMurdoch]

According to an uplink report two weeks ago they are uplinking three HD channels adjacent to the CBS HD feed. They also have ESPN HD2, the missing 11 Voom channels, and a few other internationals. They can't be seen yet, but the fact they are testing them is promising. It will only affect those living in O & O markets but it is a start. I hope they get their act together by the Super Bowl at least.

[waltinvt]

According to an uplink report two weeks ago they are uplinking three HD channels adjacent to the CBS HD feed. They also have ESPN HD2, the missing 11 Voom channels, and a few other internationals. They can't be seen yet, but the fact they are testing them is promising. It will only affect those living in O & O markets but it is a start. I hope they get their act together by the Super Bowl at least.

How do you know it will only affect O&O markets?

I (and others) have Dish's CBS-HD feed and are not in O&O. "E" has always been less restrictive about implmenting SHVIA / SHVERA rules that "D" but of course that doesn't have anything to do with CBS because it's a contract deal anyway.

"E" has avoided going the same route as "D" regarding HD DNS and I'm not sure they'd bother now unless they thought they could market them to more viewers.

Maybe they know something we don't (like an upcoming FCC rule change regarding the "digital white area" or something) or maybe they've decided to just "push the envelope" a little.

In any case, I just don't see Dish putting up the rest of the HD DNS for only O&O. If that were the case, they'd have done it when "D" did.

[BobMurdoch]

Apologies, I meant O & O's AND white areas....

With all of those markets getting local channels now, there are a lot less people considered white areas these days....