DIRECTV's magical, disapearing high-def station
By Matt Burns 
posted September 25th 2006 8:59AM
posted September 25th 2006 8:59AM
DIRECTV has a crisis goin' on and the only way to resolve bandwidth issues is to turn off high-def stations. Sounds absurd right, but three weeks ago for the first [high-def] Football Sunday of the year, DIRECTV pulled the plug on TNT-HD for a bit. Then last Sunday HDNet drew the short end of the straw and this week Universal was cut during football time. The NFL Sunday Ticket is a major source of revenue for the provider and to be honest, people love the package. Every football game (most of 'em are in glorious high-def now), fast-forward games later in the day, the ability to watch six games at once -- it's the ONLY option for a true football fan but what about the other stations? Not everyone is a football fan and last week TNT-HD featured a NASCAR race, so naturally there were a lot of apprehensive race fans waiting to see if their source for high-def coverage was going to disappear, but instead DIRECTV cut HDNet without warning. DIRECTV has a problem and us, the viewers, are suffering because of it. We just wonder what station will be cut next week?
I'm disappointed to see this post (and other posts from Mr. Burns) filled with typos and grammar mistakes. I expect more from the Engadget blog family.
I do try to fix the more obvious spelling and grammar errors when I find them, although as someone else pointed out, it's more likely that the writers just want to get their story filed than go through a style manual looking for the proper way to italicize movie titles. We also post directly to the site, no editor reviews articles beforehand.
None of us have any sort of background in jounalism, so we do our best to get the information across with as little distraction as possible -- including linguistics. As with Engadget, Digg, Slashdot, or any other site where you can comment on articles, some people enjoy the metacommentary more than the content of the article. Thanks for reading and commenting anyway, and apologies for our mistakes.
Gald I dont subscribe to crappy Directv.. would have missed out on the premiere of firefly in HD (but they did show it later in the evening so Im guessing you could have recorded that timeslot provided the channel came back by then). Still lame of them to do.
This constant slite in quality, and channel blackouts is quickly making me rethink my D* (DirecTv) subscription. I've been an D* subscriber for over 5 years now, and this is the first time I've ever contemplated switching to COX (my cable provider). Of course the fact that I can get a S3 Tivo w/ Dual CableCards, and a full digital channel lineup doesn't help D*'s case.
The Mpeg4 conversion seems to be the only saving grace for DirecTV but the H20(D* branded DVR), ridiculous looking satellite and getting rid of Tivo are more thorns in my side. Sigh.. looks like D* is headed for a rough spot.
The channel (which ever one is chosen for the day) is only blocked until about 6pm. They haven't blocked THTHD when NASCAR is on. As for Firefly, you're right people will get to see it on the reply. Which is something UHD is all about. Repeats.
I wouldn't go back to cable from DTV if the gave it to me FREE. But when Verizon drops FIOS at my home I'm gone.
I have to agree with #1 that this site, while informative and full of great data, is VERY hard to read. The poor grammar, the spelling errors, etc. PLEASE have an editor review this site from time to time so that these types of eyesores can be removed promptly.
Let me guess, you came over from Engadget?
I'd much rather get my HD news fast and quick than have to wait for an editor to read/review every post. Who reads for grammer anyways?
Let me reply - NO. I've been reading this site for a while.
I don't "read for grammer (sic)", whatever that means, but I assume that a professional writer will take some pride and use a spell checker. Just my 2 cents.
As much as I hate Comcraptic and am waiting for the day when Verizon will move into NH for FiOS TV. Their HD coverage is pretty good. I don't get dropped stations and the new HD OnDemand stuff is pretty cool.
Why do they have to cut content at all? Why can't they simply have additional content?
Is there a limitation on how much hi def content you can carry?
ColourSource:
There is a limit to the amount of bandwidth they can send throught the current satellite technology they have. It's the equivilent of saying you want the same amount of water coming out of a fire hose to come out of your garden hose. The hose just isn't big enough to handle the same amount of water. DirecTv is throwing up more satellites, and converting to Mpeg4 compression to try to get more bandwidth, but it takes time, and until it happens they will continue to have thes issues.
Yes this week they took off UHD and it caused the season passes to go away for shows like Firefly and Battlestar Galactica and if you didn't notice it then the shows would NOT record later on that night like they were supposed to. DirecTV has given no notice on which channel they will kill nor are they providing any compensation in spite of the fact that customers pay $10 extra a month for the HD package and the reason these channels are taken off for a day is so they can resell the bandwidth for football in HD. I will definitely consider switching to cable once the HD TiVo 3 comes down in price.
I hear you. I've already written them a letter and threatened to cancel my subscription if something isn't done to remedy the situation. I've had it up to here with D*.
Mark
If they would quit broadcasting NY and LA locals in HD nationally in MPEG2, that would free up 6 HD Stations. They have MPEG4 for local in NY and LA. Seems like a logical solution for there current problem and add StarzHD and CinemaxHD. As soon as FiOS TV is turned on (already have FiOS Internet) I'm ditching D* and going Series 3 Tivo. (I can't stand D* home brewed DVR.)
I wish the anal grammar-fanatics would go off and get a life. Bring on the news and bring it quickly, I don't care about the correct usage of grammar, nor do I care about the odd typo. This is a tech-blog, not the BBC. If it means that much to you, bugger off and get your news elsewhere.
I agree with Simon P on this issue.
Oh yeah, by the way we hate typo freaks like u
on this side of the pond, too!!!!!!!