[Steve615]

Press release from DirecTV today,announcing that locals in HD are now available in 100 markets,83% of U.S. TV households.

http://investor.directv.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=339229

DIRECTV, Inc., the nation's leading satellite television service provider, is now offering
local HD programming to customers in 100 markets following the launch today of HD
local channels in the Columbia-Jefferson City, Mo., and Evansville, Ind., designated
market areas. DIRECTV now offers access to local HD broadcast channels to more
than 83 percent of U.S. TV households.

By the end of 2008, DIRECTV will provide local HD broadcast channels in more than
121 cities, representing approximately 88 percent of U.S. TV households.

 

[inkahauts]

I think the key words where... more than 121 markets... They sound like they want to simply add as many as possible as fast as they can, but other things may keep them from adding more than the 121, like facilites and contracts...

 

[Doug Brott]

Thanks Steve .. I was just going to post this as I've been away from the computer for a while.

 

[Steve615]

You're most welcome Doug.

 

[kevinwmsn]

Time to pop the cork.


:blowout: :blowout: :blowout:
:goodjob: :balloons: :icon_band

 

[dwrats_56]

So, which markets gets the credit for being number 100??

 

[MIKE0616]

Press release from DirecTV today,announcing that locals in HD are now available in 100 markets,83% of U.S. TV households.

http://investor.directv.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=339229

That press release should be rephrased to say that they now carry at least one station in 100 markets, not imply that the major networks are carried in all of them.

 

[EVAC41]

I'm wondering when they will add Fargo

 

[Juppers]

Also left out they are missing markets in the top 100 DMAs, starting at DMA 63.

 

[Newshawk]

That press release should be rephrased to say that they now carry at least one station in 100 markets, not imply that the major networks are carried in all of them.

Not true, Mike. If you don't believe me, look at my HD LiL lists. I show 101 HD markets, while DirecTV claims only 100. The point of disagreement? Tri-Cities TN-VA, which has only one channel in HD. I've been told by Satelliteracer that DirecTV will not count the Tri-cities market as an official market until they have at least two channels in HD.

Now, I know what you're going to say... "Yeah, but DirecTV is counting the Alaskan markets, where Fairbanks and Juneau only have one channel." Well, actually, Juneau now has two channels in HD, so the only other single channel market is Fairbanks. Also, the rules for Alaska (and Hawaii) are different-both DirecTV and Dish are mandated to provide HD LiL service to the 49th and 50th states by Federal law. Maybe I'm a fanboy, but I think both DBS services should get a pass on counting those markets-that is, be allowed to count them, no matter how many stations they provide in HD-since they are forced to carry them.

 

[mxd]

That press release should be rephrased to say that they now carry at least one station in 100 markets, not imply that the major networks are carried in all of them.

Yes it should, very misleading. I was very happy with my switch from E* to D* until they added my HD locals, South Bend, IN, and left out CBS and ABC. I guess I'll watch and see what happens when E* adds them, and if they add all four networks, and I keep getting the same "soon" response from the local station and D*, I'll eat the cost and switch back. I want the COLTS in HD!!!!!!

 

[joshjr]

Yes it should, very misleading. I was very happy with my switch from E* to D* until they added my HD locals, South Bend, IN, and left out CBS and ABC. I guess I'll watch and see what happens when E* adds them, and if they add all four networks, and I keep getting the same "soon" response from the local station and D*, I'll eat the cost and switch back. I want the COLTS in HD!!!!!!

Happy to say with SuperFan I am a avid watcher of Colts games in HD.

 

[MIKE0616]

Not true, Mike. If you don't believe me, look at my HD LiL lists. I show 101 HD markets, while DirecTV claims only 100. The point of disagreement? Tri-Cities TN-VA, which has only one channel in HD. I've been told by Satelliteracer that DirecTV will not count the Tri-cities market as an official market until they have at least two channels in HD.

Now, I know what you're going to say... "Yeah, but DirecTV is counting the Alaskan markets, where Fairbanks and Juneau only have one channel." Well, actually, Juneau now has two channels in HD, so the only other single channel market is Fairbanks. Also, the rules for Alaska (and Hawaii) are different-both DirecTV and Dish are mandated to provide HD LiL service to the 49th and 50th states by Federal law. Maybe I'm a fanboy, but I think both DBS services should get a pass on counting those markets-that is, be allowed to count them, no matter how many stations they provide in HD-since they are forced to carry them.

Out of the 10 SD channels that are carried by D* locally, we now have 5 in HD, with one of them added very recently. 5 is not all that bad, but the press release implies that D* covers a bit better than they really do. (See below)

Wonder what the "real penetration" is ..... hmmmmm ... the number of HD LILs carried vs. SD LILs carried by D*. Any idea of where that info may be available?

Yes it should, very misleading. I was very happy with my switch from E* to D* until they added my HD locals, South Bend, IN, and left out CBS and ABC. I guess I'll watch and see what happens when E* adds them, and if they add all four networks, and I keep getting the same "soon" response from the local station and D*, I'll eat the cost and switch back. I want the COLTS in HD!!!!!!

That is one of the examples I was thinking of. Daughter and her hubby live in MI with SB being their "local" feed for network TV. When up there a few weeks ago, was wanting to get them a HDTV and upgrade them to at least one HR2x, but s-i-l said it was a waste, as only 2 of 6 "local" channels are coming in HD via D*. Called the CSR and he was right, the announcement of that market had not said how many stations were available, just that some were.

Happy to say with SuperFan I am a avid watcher of Colts games in HD.

Don't move to SB area, or you won't be able to, without ST + SF.

 

[JerryElbow]

If I was in a market not yet covered for HD LIL from DirecTV, I would be eager for DirecTV to continue to add markets at the expense of adding nationally available channels (several of which have been mentioned in other threads). I know friends and family around the country who would like to jump off cable and into DirecTV that are waiting because they would lose their HD locals (and a lot of people still mostly watch the "big" networks of ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox). For them, the number of national HD channels we get on DirecTV is already amazing.

Being in a market already covered, I'm eager for more nationally available channels. It seems like I remember reading a press release from DirecTV talking about jumping the number of nationally available HD channels to something like 130 by this fall but I'm sure not seeing any of that action. For now, I'd just be grateful if DirecTV would start adding the local PBS stations in HD (or at least a nationally available PBS HD feed) that they also promised in a press release some time back. I keep looking on this site every Thursday morning, hoping for some news along these lines but have been disappointed for quite a while. C'mon, DirecTV, toss us a bone!

 

[juventuz]

Congrats to those people, but I'm still waiting for D* to add our locals in SD... I've been repeatedly told by various people at D* for over a year that it would be soon. Now I don't even bother asking since SD is worthless to me.

 

[tkrandall]

Why does the Roanoke-Lynchburg DMA, #67 or #68 in size, not get included in the 120 local markets DTV serves/will serve by the end of the year?

 

[apace]

Time to pop the cork.

:blowout: :blowout: :blowout:
:goodjob: :balloons: :icon_band

Unless you live in the Huntsville DMA

 

[MalibuRacing]

X2!

 

[bigwad]

Why does the Roanoke-Lynchburg DMA, #67 or #68 in size, not get included in the 120 local markets DTV serves/will serve by the end of the year?

I'm in the Roanoke DMA and they've been telling me its coming soon for over a year now. I was really disappointed we weren't added this last go around. The years end we MIGHT see it is probably the end of 2009, if not even later than that!

 

[jcdUCLA]

I hope we are next, SW Louisiana - Lake Charles.....
Please.....