What if I decide to NOT upgrade?

[RedskinsForever]

Since the beginning, I got DTV ONLY for NFL ST. Since then (2000) it has blossomed to the complete package. I have a neighbor that just activates for football season and has cable for everything else. I know that time is limited for MPEG-2 and that all of the HD programming will be moved to the new sats.

So here is my question. If I decide to not upgrade, will I still be able to get SD programming from the oval multisatellite dish When they stop pushing HD through that dish?

[Earl Bonovich]

Ultimately, you will stop getting SAT based HD.

You are probably looking at maybe mid 2007 at the earliest.
I would pretty much expect definently by the end of 2008

MPEG2-SD is not going anywhere.

[RedskinsForever]

Football in HD is absolutely incredible, but for 8 weeks out of the season, I'm at the Redskins games. I could still get ST in SD and watch national games in HD through my cable provider (just thinking out loud b/c of all that needs to be done to swap equipement). We'll see

[Earl Bonovich]

Baseball, Golf, Tennis, AutoRacing, and other sports are equally amazing in HD.. and more and more live events are going to be in HD over the comming years.

Then you mix in the Primetime programming, and other programs that are now being offered in HD....

HD has arrived, and is now starting to make it's presence very well known

[wipeout]

Ultimately, you will stop getting SAT based HD.

You are probably looking at maybe mid 2007 at the earliest.
I would pretty much expect definently by the end of 2008

MPEG2-SD is not going anywhere.

When you say SAT based HD will be stopped does that include my New York Distant Lovals? I too plan to stay with MPEG2 because of not wanting to lose Tivo STB's.

[Earl Bonovich]

Yes... your HD New York Distant Locals (DNS) will eventually go away as well.

Will then start to offer MPEG-4 based distant HD locals... time will tell.

[ScoBuck]

Yes... your HD New York Distant Locals (DNS) will eventually go away as well.

Will then start to offer MPEG-4 based distant HD locals... time will tell.

I would think they will have to - doesn't the regulations require them to 'only' provide HD in the not to distant future?

I am sure (IMHO) that the big 4 is going to provide DNS - my question would only be how a person will qualify.

[Earl Bonovich]

No. The regulations are just to require a digital signal.
Has nothing to do with the format or the content of what is inside that signal.


Probably the DNS qualifications will mirror that of today's SD DNS qualifications.