Local channels available to everyone by end of 2007?

[cnmsales]

From wikipedia

"In late 2006, DirecTV announced plans to offer local channels in 100% of markets by the end of 2007."

Is this true?

[Earl Bonovich]

Probably not...

I have not heard of any extensive plans to get all the remaining DMA's SD locals up... by the end of the year, if ever.

And I don't remember seeing any such announcement.

[Tom Robertson]

Perhaps the wikipedia author was confusing that directv will have the capacity to do 100%? Not that they expect to complete such an action, the bandwidth cost is too high for those last 30 dma's, each of which might have 50 DIRECTV subscribers.

Cheers,
Tom

[Supervolcano]

Anyone know how many off-air local channels there are in the whole country?

I googled for a bit and can't find the answer.

As for the original topic, I have a feeling bandwidth won't be the problem with getting 100% of the locals after both of the new satellites go up ... but the next problem would be getting all the local affiliates to sign a contract with D* to allow their station to be retransmitted over the satellite.

[Tom Robertson]

Anyone know how many off-air local channels there are in the whole country?

I googled for a bit and can't find the answer.

As for the original topic, I have a feeling bandwidth won't be the problem with getting 100% of the locals after both of the new satellites go up ... but the next problem would be getting all the local affiliates to sign a contract with D* to allow their station to be retransmitted over the satellite.

Contracts and all the cross country linkages to get the locals to the uplink facilities DIRECTV has. That is massive!

I had seen a list of locals nationwide, I'll see if I can find it again.

Cheers,
Tom

[Tom Robertson]

A list from the National Association of Broadcasters: http://www.nab.org/AM/ASPCode/DTVStations/DTVStations.asp

Shows ~1600 stations in 211 DMAs.

Cheers,
Tom

[Supervolcano]

A list from the National Association of Broadcasters: http://www.nab.org/AM/ASPCode/DTVStations/DTVStations.asp

Shows ~1600 stations in 211 DMAs.

Cheers,
Tom
That's all there is?
Not bad, not bad at all.

Bet that doesn't include high def subchannels for each station, like for example my local PBS (WTTW Chicago) has 3 seperate high def channels (11-1, 11-2, 11-3).

D* says that once the 2 new birds go up that they will have the capacity to broadcast 1,500 locals in High Def ... and note that's the HIGH DEF capacity which means even more could be broadcast if they limit some of the independant stations to standard def signal temporarily.

A betting man would say the majority of locals, and hopefully even the subchannels, will probably be put into the stream once both birds go hot ... as long as the broadcasters will sign the contract (like some of those damn CBS stations that are holding out).

[Kevin Dupuy]

Go back and check to see if there is a source for that info...
I do a lot of editing on Wikipedia, and stuff like that happens all the time, people get confused about capacity and actual plans

[Kevin Dupuy]

Go back and check to see if there is a source for that info...
I do a lot of editing on Wikipedia, and stuff like that happens all the time, people get confused about capacity and actual plans

UPDATE: Since the general consensus here was that that was not true, and since the remark was marked as needing a source anyway, I deleted it with a notation on the talk page that if anyone had sources for that info, to put it back, with a source.

[carl6]

That's all there is?
Not bad, not bad at all.

Bet that doesn't include high def subchannels for each station, like for example my local PBS (WTTW Chicago) has 3 seperate high def channels (11-1, 11-2, 11-3).



Note that those are digital subchannels, but they will not all be hi-def, at least at the same time. There is not sufficient bandwidth in an over the air frequency assignment to simultaneously transmit multiple hi-def channels. Typically a station will broadcast one hi-def channel along with one or more standard def sub-channels.

Carl

[Tom Robertson]

Directv is creating bandwidth for 1500 HD locals. If the locals chose to make subchannels out of their 19.2mhz digital channel, that would not affect Directv's bandwidth--they are still reserving 1500 HD slots wide or 4500 HD and subchannel slots (or whatever number reality is.) :)

Cheers,
Tom

[Supervolcano]

Note that those are digital subchannels, but they will not all be hi-def, at least at the same time. There is not sufficient bandwidth in an over the air frequency assignment to simultaneously transmit multiple hi-def channels. Typically a station will broadcast one hi-def channel along with one or more standard def sub-channels.

Carl
Good point, and that IS currently the case with all the subchannels here in Chicago.

So they could mpeg4 the one HD subchannel and mpeg2 the other SD subchannels.

They could ALMOST handle the whole country.

[Supervolcano]

Go back and check to see if there is a source for that info...
I do a lot of editing on Wikipedia, and stuff like that happens all the time, people get confused about capacity and actual plans

UPDATE: Since the general consensus here was that that was not true, and since the remark was marked as needing a source anyway, I deleted it with a notation on the talk page that if anyone had sources for that info, to put it back, with a source.
Your diligence is noted and appreciated.
;)

[MLBurks]

From wikipedia

"In late 2006, DirecTV announced plans to offer local channels in 100% of markets by the end of 2007."

Is this true?

I read on a DirecTV release ("DTV Plans 06-07) that by the end of 2007 that they would have capacity for 150 national HD channels with nearly 100% local HD coverage by year end 2007. As for all locals, I can only hope so. I would think that their goal is to cover 100% of the local market. I hope they do. I could not get a waiver for FOX. And I cannot pick up FOX with an amplified indoor antenna. I hope DirecTV picks up my locals by October (I'm near Jackson TN) so I don't miss the World Series.

[beavis]

D* should be adding Laredo TX locals by April 2007.

[Supervolcano]

D* should be adding Laredo TX locals by April 2007.
Let me guess....
The name of the CSR that told you that was Butthead, right?
:D
You can hope, but don't get your hopes up too high.
Too many locals, not enough bandwidth.
That the current theme until D10 and/or D11 go hot.

[Greg Bimson]

The Laredo locals were reported in SkyReport.com last week, along with the blurb about DirecTV suing bars for unauthorized commercial use. Wasn't a CSR, but was released in the media.

Edit: That is because the spot-beam that carries Corpus Christi and Harlingen/Weslaco/Brownsville is two transponders, and DirecTV hasn't filled those two transponders completely with those markets' local channels. There is room for Laredo, which I believe has either two or three stations.

[JLucPicard]

I read on a DirecTV release ("DTV Plans 06-07) that by the end of 2007 that they would have capacity for 150 national HD channels with nearly 100% local HD coverage by year end 2007.
It may mean providing HD locals to 100% of the areas for which they now provide SD locals. As was mentioned, this is all subject to contractual agreements with all those markets. And I don't think it will be 100% by the end of 2007 (but hopefully close?).

[cnmsales]

So im a bit perplexed, last night I called dtv to ask about locals, now I have called in the past and actually convinced a new rep to add the locls to my package even though im not eligible to get them and they did show up on my reciever, problem was i didnt have the right dish to get them. So that tells me right there I can physically get them. Why then wouldnt I be allowed to have them based on where I live when folks 4 miles east of me are allowed to have them? Can someone please explain how it works?