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DirecTV launches MPEG4 locals in Butte-Bozeman, Montana
Under a month after DirecTV announced that it would be migrating West Coast locals to MPEG4, the satellite provider is rolling out locals for the first time (in SD only for now, it seems) in Butte-Bozeman, Montana. Aside from giving residents of the area and visitors of beautiful Big Sky Resort a taste of KWYB / ABC, KBZK / CBS, The CW, KBTZ / FOX/ MNT, KTVM / NBC and KUSM / PBS, DirecTV also makes sure to point out that reception of said stations requires "MPEG4 equipment and a 5LNB satellite dish." So, the countdown to HD locals begins now, eh?
DirecTV migrating West Coast locals to MPEG4 only
Shortly after getting word that Palm Springs, California residents can now look forward to getting their locals via DirecTV (if only in MPEG4 SD, for now), it seems that the satellite provider is urging all West Coast residents to make the switch to MPEG4. According to a note received by DBSTalk's Chris Blount, "customers with HD DNS channels will start to see crawls," which will purportedly encourage them to contact DirecTV in order to arrange for a 5 LNB dish and an MPEG4 HD receiver. Furthermore, we're also told that the new lineup will consist of CBSWHD on channel 391, NBCWHD on 393, ABCWHD on 397 and FOXWHD on 399. For whatever it's worth, the message will supposedly only reach those "in the Western half of the US" for now, but who knows when said alert will make its way east.[Thanks, Earl]
DirecTV adds HD locals in Austin, Cincinnati and Las Vegas
Sure bandwidth issues are forcing DirecTV to play musical chairs with its HD channel lineup, that hasn't stopped it from adding local stations in several areas recently. Austin, Cincinnati and Las Vegas are all among the cities to get MPEG-4 local broadcasts. As with the others, to get the new stations you'll need a new dish and receiver. According to the press release, this brings the count of cities with local HD via satellite to 42, covering 62 percent of US households, and contiuing on track to provide 150 national HD stations plus 1,500 local in 2007. The new stations are: Austin, Texas KEYE/CBS, KVUE/ABC and KTBC/FOX Cincinnati, Ohio WKRC/CBS, WCPO/ABC, WXIX/FOX and WLWT/NBC Las Vegas, Nevada KTNV/ABC and KVVU/FOX
