National Geographic HD coming to D* early '07

[dishrich]

I know this was posted in a list of channels on a D* press release here, but thought this sounded a little more concrete:

According to an article here:

http://www.cable360.net/cableworld/d...mer/21241.html

The ink is drying on its first MSO deal, with Comcast, which began adding the channel in late November, and DirecTV, which will roll it out in early 2007.

Sorry if this was posted before, but I didn't see it posted anywhere.
Wonder if this means they might be making this MPEG2 on the legacy birds.

[Earl Bonovich]

I wouldn't expect it, until at least the first SAT is launched.
As the current SAT's at 99 and 103, can not do CONUS beams.( IIRC )

[seanb61]

I wouldn't expect it, until at least the first SAT is launched.
As the current SAT's at 99 and 103, can not do CONUS beams.( IIRC )


Earl,

Technically, can’t any of the existing national birds handle a MPEG4 stream, or are the new birds required for to send a MPEG4 stream? What I am getting at is with Sunday ticket over couldn’t the bandwidth used on a national level for that service be used to provide a few MPEG4 channels whilst D* waits for the launch of the new birds. When the new birds are up and running couldn’t they just migrate these MPEG4 streams over to them. This would allow them to provide MPEG4 HD channels nationally, now. I think I am correct that the compression scheme they send to the bird doesn’t matter.

[Earl Bonovich]

Earl,

Technically, can’t any of the existing national birds handle a MPEG4 stream, or are the new birds required for to send a MPEG4 stream? What I am getting at is with Sunday ticket over couldn’t the bandwidth used on a national level for that service be used to provide a few MPEG4 channels whilst D* waits for the launch of the new birds. When the new birds are up and running couldn’t they just migrate these MPEG4 streams over to them. This would allow them to provide MPEG4 HD channels nationally, now. I think I am correct that the compression scheme they send to the bird doesn’t matter.

Yes, technically the existings ones can send the MPEG4... As the compression, has nothing to do with the transmission.

But with Sunday Ticket, they re-allocated resources on Sundays, to make the room necessary.

So yes... I bet if push came to shove, they could find space on the existing SATs, but at what sacrafice to other channels and/or resolution of those channels.

[harsh]

But with Sunday Ticket, they re-allocated resources on Sundays, to make the room necessary.

So yes... I bet if push came to shove, they could find space on the existing SATs, but at what sacrafice to other channels and/or resolution of those channels.Especially if they do any EI stuff in HD. Baseball is every day as opposed to three or four days a week.

[harsh]

Technically, can’t any of the existing national birds handle a MPEG4 stream, or are the new birds required for to send a MPEG4 stream?The limitation isn't about the compression method. The issue is whether the stream is HD or SD. One HD channel should take as much bandwidth as about six SD channels.

They aren't likely to shut down six SD channels to bring up one HD channel; even temporarily.

[seanb61]

The limitation isn't about the compression method. The issue is whether the stream is HD or SD. One HD channel should take as much bandwidth as about six SD channels.

They aren't likely to shut down six SD channels to bring up one HD channel; even temporarily.

I believe the 1 to 6 ratio applies to HD channels using MPEG2 under MPEG4 there would be a savings, how much is unkown to me, I know it is not the full 50% yet.

[Earl Bonovich]

I believe the 1 to 6 ratio applies to HD channels using MPEG2 under MPEG4 there would be a savings, how much is unkown to me, I know it is not the full 50% yet.

The 1:6 ratio is SD-MPEG2 comparedto HD-MPEG2

I don't think we have an MPEG-4 ration yet, except driven off the record capacity changes on HR20... which is about 3:2 (3 MPEG-4's in the same space as 2 MPEG-2's)

[NYHeel]

The 1:6 ratio is SD-MPEG2 comparedto HD-MPEG2

I don't think we have an MPEG-4 ration yet, except driven off the record capacity changes on HR20... which is about 3:2 (3 MPEG-4's in the same space as 2 MPEG-2's)

Based on that ratio of 1 Mpeg-4 channel to 2/3 of an Mpeg-2 channel the ratio of Mpeg-4 HD to SD should be 4 to 1.

[Earl Bonovich]

Based on that ratio of 1 Mpeg-4 channel to 2/3 of an Mpeg-2 channel the ratio of Mpeg-4 HD to SD should be 4 to 1.

That sounds about right.... (Sorry, my 3:2 ration was comparing the two HD's)

Bottom line... they just are REALLY tight on bandwith right now.

[RAD]

According to Lyngsat, E* puts 4 MPEG4 channels per transponder. And if I remember correctly, when D* first lit up the Chicago LIL HD channels (4 at that time) only one transponder at 103 was showing a high signal reading.