D** HD locals by end of year

[danko]

looks like hd locals that were sch for the end of the year.... are not happening since this is Dec 29th (I am totally shocked) maybe by the end of 2007. Why set a date when they have no clue or intension of keeping it or a half ass attempt to reach it

[harsh]

looks like hd locals that were sch for the end of the year.... are not happening since this is Dec 29th (I am totally shocked) maybe by the end of 2007. Why set a date when they have no clue or intension of keeping it or a half ass attempt to reach itYou're being generous by giving them an extra day; today is the 30th.

I think a large part of this stems from the fact that DirecTV isn't particularly good about keeping its subscribers informed. Some of it is intentional and other problems are caused by not updating the website. Other disinformation comes from the subscriber community trying to piece things together from "mistaken" spoken or published information

The nature of negotiations with the media is pretty sneaky. A local may agree to the idea of being redistributed, but they like to hold certain conditions secret (like that they want all digital subchannels carried also) until the final negotiations. This puts the distributor in an awkward bargaining position when they've already announced a "projected" availability.

DirecTV has another problem and that is the marketroids overpromising what the rest of the company can deliver. There was a lot of this done to try and drive the stock price up for the Liberty deal. Things will hopefully settle down in the new year and as more precedents are established in the retransmission agreements, things will hopefully go quicker.

[markrubi]

I emailed them 3 times last week. I finally got a canned response. Had they read my email and comprehended it they would have realized it (canned response) wasn't worth sending me. Awhile back when D* announced locals where coming to town for me by years end I mailed them asking for a date and they told me first part of December.

[markrubi]

3 different reps in different departments have told me Oklahoma won't be getting HD locals until July or August now. I wonder if they are going to get the last two sat's up before adding many more HD channels. I bet they will get it all online then flip the switch and have a huge offering all at once. Should do wonders for stock price and hype. Then alot of people will abandon their current cable/DBS and flock to DTV. Resulting in a huge shortage of DVR's (again) and install dates. Kinda like the day when AOL went unlimited dial up for $19.95.. I could see this happening.

[lwilli201]

Check out this thread:
http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=68497

noneroy has documented some DMA's where there seem to be contract problems. He may be able to see if that is the problem in OKC. Otherwise it is probably tech problems.

[myselfalso]

Out of the list D* announced, how many did get HD?

[markrubi]

goto dtv website and punch in the zip for those cities and see. I doubt any of them got turned on...

[Newshawk]

goto dtv website and punch in the zip for those cities and see. I doubt any of them got turned on...

Or use the HD LiL here: http://www.dbstalk.com/hr20/html/DIRECTV_lil_list.html
or here: http://www.dbstalk.com/hr20/html/DTV_HDLIL_DMA.html

[Greg Bimson]

Out of the list of 25 markets, seven were turned on.

Oklahoma City appears to be a rather easy add for DirecTV. They have contracts with three of the four big networks, and the CBS in OKC also owns the CBS in Tulsa. All DirecTV needs is to come to an agreement with Griffin and that is all for both Tulsa and OKC.

[kevc66]

Greg,
What's up with the Harriburg,PA market? Why no love for the "D"!!!!

[Greg Bimson]

There are retransmission agreements in place with all of the broadcast groups that own a major affiliate in Harrisburg. So, it is unknown why there is a delay starting Harrisburg in MPEG4 HD.

[Terry K]

There's an issue in Springfield MO with the DT feeds. Currently, KSPR is only available on cable in HD, the DT feed OTA viewers get is low power SD.

KOLR and KSFX as of this moment have not signed full power DT on either.

[harsh]

Out of the list D* announced, how many did get HD?Depends on which list you're talking about. Of the latest list on the D* HD LIL web page, I don't think any of the eight markets slated for Fall 2006 have been turned up.

[Greg Bimson]

That is correct, harsh.

DirecTV, when they placed the last four markets online in mid-November, said they would add eight more by year's end. None were added. And it is assumed the eight on the DirecTV page were the eight DirecTV wanted to add by the end of 2006.

[DawgLink]

I give D* credit that Katrina has really put some of our locals down here in severe financial trouble thus it has taken a little while longer.

They say end of Feb 2007 the locals will be up but honestly...i would be shocked if they were by that time