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E! HD

42K views 256 replies 86 participants last post by  Paul Secic 
#1 ·
E! HD will be available on DTV starting April 25th:)
 
#229 ·
"Coca Cola Kid" said:
I think Sixto is employed by D*. Why else would they let him have an engineering card???
Anyone with the capability and Deere to do what sixto does can do it. I, for one, am just glad he does it.
 
#231 ·
E! HD is on D12 Tp 15 right?
That puts it with these guys:
131/1030 Cinema HD 1080p
307/1020 WGN HD
521/1050 Cinemax WMax HD
548/1010 Showtime Showcase HD
619/1040 Fox Soccer HD

Fox Soccer is 720p. Cinemax and Showtime usually run more compression and some 24 fps material right?

So if your blaming the 6 channels per TP for E!'s fuzzyness, then those 5 other channels above would be pretty bad too.

Remember TruTV HD is 6th channel on a TP as well, I don't see the quality suffering on there. TP3 on D11 right Sixto (your master sheet isn't updated - just trying to piece together the info)?

397/1030 DNS ABC West HD
549/1040 - Showtime Extreme HD
649/1050 RSN SportsSouth HD
681/1010 RSN Altitude HD
686/1020 RSN Arizona HD

ABC is 720p, I wouldn't be surprised if those RSN's were 720p, and Showtime compresses their feeds at the distribution facility to hell and high water (just like Max, Starz and HBO do). Maybe its some 24 fps content.

6 channels per transponder work as long as the right content is paired together where nothing would be bitstarved.
 
#233 ·
cypherx said:
E! HD is on D12 Tp 15 right?
That puts it with these guys:
131/1030 Cinema HD 1080p
307/1020 WGN HD
521/1050 Cinemax WMax HD
548/1010 Showtime Showcase HD
619/1040 Fox Soccer HD

Fox Soccer is 720p. Cinemax and Showtime usually run more compression and some 24 fps material right?

So if your blaming the 6 channels per TP for E!'s fuzzyness, then those 5 other channels above would be pretty bad too.

Remember TruTV HD is 6th channel on a TP as well, I don't see the quality suffering on there. TP3 on D11 right Sixto (your master sheet isn't updated - just trying to piece together the info)?

397/1030 DNS ABC West HD
549/1040 - Showtime Extreme HD
649/1050 RSN SportsSouth HD
681/1010 RSN Altitude HD
686/1020 RSN Arizona HD

ABC is 720p, I wouldn't be surprised if those RSN's were 720p, and Showtime compresses their feeds at the distribution facility to hell and high water (just like Max, Starz and HBO do). Maybe its some 24 fps content.

6 channels per transponder work as long as the right content is paired together where nothing would be bitstarved.
Well... I guess I won't be doing a very thorough examination of the channels since I only get TWO of them per transponder (E! & WGN America and TruTV and DNS ABC West). I watch ABC regularly... sometimes the West Coast feed, and I haven't noticed anything up with it... I'll do further comparisons tomorrow on it and the rest of them.

As I stated, I'm not putting the blame on DirecTV at this time...

~Alan
 
#234 ·
cypherx said:
E! HD is on D12 Tp 15 right?...
I do need to update the map. Will do this weekend.

A number of channels have moved around.

In the meantime ...

D11 3 FT 246 TRUTVHD 1060 PID822
D11 3 FT 397 ABCwHD 1030 PID824
D11 3 FT 549 EXTRHD 1040 PID824
D11 3 FT 649 SPSOHD 1050 PID824
D11 3 FT 681 ALTHD 1010 PID824
D11 3 FT 686 FSAZHD 1020 PID824

D12 15 FT 236 E!HD 1060 PID823
D12 15 FT 254 AMCHD 1030 PID823
D12 15 FT 307 WGNHD 1020 PID823
D12 15 FT 521 WMAXHD 1050 PID824
D12 15 FT 548 SHO3HD 1010 PID823
D12 15 FT 619 FSCHD 1040 PID823
 
#235 ·
Coca Cola Kid said:
Well what do the latest customer surveys and ratings say you should add next?
I think you missed what else SR said. Ratings, surveys, etc, etc.

It's more than just that which goes into putting channels on the air. Capacity, cost, contracts, ratings, surveys.

As I sarcastically said the other day here, DTV adds a channel that was on the top 10 of those surveyed according to this site and a whiners convention breaks out. We're at the point now where the bottom of the barrell in channels are not offered in HD on DTV so whatever is added is not going to have universal appeal. Some will like it and others will mock it. They are damned if they do and damned if they do.
 
#236 ·
There is no issue with 6 channels on a transponder as some of you have correctly pointed out. None. If there were, you would see issues with the other five as well. DTV is known in the industry to be a pain in the arse when it comes to HD signal quality and they aren't going to jeopardize that by squeezing more in there without a proper solution. They have that solution, but it is expensive as hell to utilize new expensive hardware to allow them a greater compression level without a drop off in bit rates, pixel rates and all the fun stuff that goes into a nice HD picture.
 
#237 ·
ChicagoBlue said:
I think you missed what else SR said. Ratings, surveys, etc, etc.

It's more than just that which goes into putting channels on the air. Capacity, cost, contracts, ratings, surveys.

As I sarcastically said the other day here, DTV adds a channel that was on the top 10 of those surveyed according to this site and a whiners convention breaks out. We're at the point now where the bottom of the barrell in channels are not offered in HD on DTV so whatever is added is not going to have universal appeal. Some will like it and others will mock it. They are damned if they do and damned if they do.
I don't appreciate that term. Just because you don't watch a channel doesn't mean it's "bottom of the barrel". I'm so sick of the "my channel is better than yours" statements on here. I don't care what Nielsen says either, that's just a very small percentage of American viewers. Why can't everyone have the channels they want?
 
#238 ·
Coca Cola Kid said:
Why can't everyone have the channels they want?
Because they have to come up with the money for Mike White's salary and bonuses?

Actually, I do have all the channels I want. Anyone can. Just takes two providers to get them. Programmers are happy because they are getting paid twice for 80% that are on both providers. Programmers other than MLB and NFL, since I had to drop those to pay for the basics.
 
#239 ·
Davenlr said:
Because they have to come up with the money for Mike White's salary and bonuses?

Actually, I do have all the channels I want. Anyone can. Just takes two providers to get them. Programmers are happy because they are getting paid twice for 80% that are on both providers. Programmers other than MLB and NFL, since I had to drop those to pay for the basics.
Some of us can't afford to pay 2 providers, and it's a dumb idea anyway if 80% of the channels are duplicates. Any other ideas?
 
#240 ·
Coca Cola Kid said:
Some of us can't afford to pay 2 providers, and it's a dumb idea anyway if 80% of the channels are duplicates. Any other ideas?
Well, to be honest, if I wasnt in a two year contract, I would just cancel DirecTv right now, since the only channel they have that isnt on my other provider is Audience and HDNet, and I never watch HDNet.

I am hoping DirecTv adds the missing channels before my special promo with the cable company expires, or I will have to choose one or the other. I cant afford to pay both full price, thats for sure.
 
#241 ·
Coca Cola Kid said:
I don't appreciate that term. Just because you don't watch a channel doesn't mean it's "bottom of the barrel". I'm so sick of the "my channel is better than yours" statements on here. I don't care what Nielsen says either, that's just a very small percentage of American viewers. Why can't everyone have the channels they want?
I don't think the bottom of the barrel comment was meant to be denigrating, just accurate. There aren't any channels left in sd that have a broad based appeal, regardless of who wants them or what they are. I'd like to see DIY and H2, but in a survey they wouldn't be high on the overall list of hd channels. Not ones that aren't up yet, all hd channels. The same would be true for any that aren't in hd yet. That would put them at the bottom of the barrel! And why can't you have the channels you want? There are too many to expect any one provider to have them all. There are bandwidth limitations you know.
 
#242 ·
studechip said:
I don't think the bottom of the barrel comment was meant to be denigrating, just accurate. There aren't any channels left in sd that have a broad based appeal, regardless of who wants them or what they are. I'd like to see DIY and H2, but in a survey they wouldn't be high on the overall list of hd channels. Not ones that aren't up yet, all hd channels. The same would be true for any that aren't in hd yet. That would put them at the bottom of the barrel! And why can't you have the channels you want? There are too many to expect any one provider to have them all. There are bandwidth limitations you know.
It doesn't matter what channels won a popularity contest on here. It's been said here a million times, DBStalk members are a very small portion of all D* customers. Plus there's plenty of room for more HD. They just started finding space for a 6th HD channel on each transponder recently (TruTV HD and E! HD are 2 of them), and apparently it doesn't affect PQ at all.
 
#243 ·
Coca Cola Kid said:
It doesn't matter what channels won a popularity contest on here. It's been said here a million times, DBStalk members are a very small portion of all D* customers. Plus there's plenty of room for more HD. They just started finding space for a 6th HD channel on each transponder recently (TruTV HD and E! HD are 2 of them), and apparently it doesn't affect PQ at all.
You just proved my point on the popularity of certain channels. As to the bandwidth, there may be more than there was not too long ago because of being able to fit more on each transponder, but the resources are still limited. It's going to be a while before D14 is launched.
 
#244 ·
studechip said:
I don't think the bottom of the barrel comment was meant to be denigrating, just accurate. There aren't any channels left in sd that have a broad based appeal, regardless of who wants them or what they are. I'd like to see DIY and H2, but in a survey they wouldn't be high on the overall list of hd channels. Not ones that aren't up yet, all hd channels. The same would be true for any that aren't in hd yet. That would put them at the bottom of the barrel! And why can't you have the channels you want? There are too many to expect any one provider to have them all. There are bandwidth limitations you know.
Exactly. Bottom of the barrell in terms of what people watch. Not disparaging, they are just niche channels. If they were critical channels, DTV would lose customers for not having them and other providers would gain customers for having them. Yet, DTV continues to add customers, DISH and cable continues to LOSE customers despite having them.
 
#245 ·
Coca Cola Kid said:
It doesn't matter what channels won a popularity contest on here. It's been said here a million times, DBStalk members are a very small portion of all D* customers. Plus there's plenty of room for more HD. They just started finding space for a 6th HD channel on each transponder recently (TruTV HD and E! HD are 2 of them), and apparently it doesn't affect PQ at all.
:confused::confused::confused:

Didn't several people here say that there were multiple surveys done and not just at DBS Talk? Secondly, a survey or poll is used to extrapolate larger findings. You don't need many people to make it statistically valid.

Finally, adding HD channels to transponders is not the simple push of a button, at least not to do it right. Very expensive and massive labor undertaking. You typically have to rip out all the old stuff and put in the new stuff to gain just that one channel. Months of work and plenty of expense. When we're talking bottom of the barrell channels, a decision has to be made whether it is worth spending millions and millions of dollars to add some HD channels that very people are watching. Those are the realities of business.

More than likely they are adding HD capacity to add a few of the remaining HD channels that are coming up like the Pac 12 Network plus the handful of channels that other providers have (Lifetime Network, DIY, and who knows what).
 
#246 ·
ChicagoBlue said:
:confused::confused::confused:

Didn't several people here say that there were multiple surveys done and not just at DBS Talk? Secondly, a survey or poll is used to extrapolate larger findings. You don't need many people to make it statistically valid.

...
Just to expand here for others ... DirecTV and other big companies who do surveys (or hire firms to do them) typically know exactly what they're doing. There's a very intricate science to surveys and polls. They know how to get cross sections of subscribers to know what's popular.
 
#248 ·
ChicagoBlue said:
When we're talking bottom of the barrell channels, a decision has to be made whether it is worth spending millions and millions of dollars to add some HD channels that very people are watching. Those are the realities of business.
You also have to take into account that some channels... while not popular in the grand scheme of things, do have financial benefits in that they appeal to certain demographics.

I've gone on record to state that I only know a SINGLE person who watches programming on E! and they're on another side of the country... yet every single person I know will watch programming on DIY for instance.

~Alan
 
#250 ·
Coca Cola Kid said:
With all the people who think BBCA is this greatest channel ever, how can you call it bottom of the barrel?
While BBCA is one of my most wanted channels (for one, I'm a sci-fi fan... and if you like sci-fi, BBCA is on your list), and object to it being call bottom of the barrel, I understand his point.

My personal opinions of E! aside, it's clear from the ratings that there are more individuals out there who watch it than they do BBCA. Why that is is one of the great mysteries of life, but it doesn't change the fact.

~Alan
 
#251 ·
sigma1914 said:
Because it's ratings are extremely low. Only one show makes a blip on the ratings radar...Dr. Who.
Actually BBC America has the original Top Gear. Top Gear is one of the most watched TV programs around the World. The original Top Gear airs in Dozens and Dozens of countries and is within the top 10 shows in most of those countries.

I do also like Dr. Who but its ratings pale in comparison to Top Gear.

John
 
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