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SeattleMatt
Streaming Tech Director
Premium Member
join:2001-12-28
Seattle, WA

SeattleMatt to bohratom

Premium Member

to bohratom

Re: [HD] NEW HD Channels when ???

I can't wait for later this year when all the people that just recently were given 6xxx series boxes can't watch any of the new HD channels.

bohratom
My Jersey Giants finally winning again..
join:2011-07-07
Red Bank NJ

bohratom

Member

said by SeattleMatt:

I can't wait for later this year when all the people that just recently were given 6xxx series boxes can't watch any of the new HD channels.

You like throwing that red meat out there don't ya....

BTW any links for that info or is it just from internal sources?
tennisman94
join:2010-02-18
Palm Harbor, FL

tennisman94 to SeattleMatt

Member

to SeattleMatt
said by SeattleMatt:

I can't wait for later this year when all the people that just recently were given 6xxx series boxes can't watch any of the new HD channels.

YES MPEG 4 FINALLY!
shark2k
join:2008-06-01
West Orange, NJ

shark2k to SeattleMatt

Member

to SeattleMatt
said by SeattleMatt:

I can't wait for later this year when all the people that just recently were given 6xxx series boxes can't watch any of the new HD channels.

How late is later this year? Second half? Second quarter second half? Can you give any idea as to that?

Thanks

-Shark2k
Acct101
Premium Member
join:2011-09-20
Bensalem, PA

Acct101

Premium Member

With all due respect, JeepMatt has doesn't know when we are getting new channels. He was pushing the envelope last summer that we would be getting this massive upgrade. It never came to pass. My personal opinion is, we are stuck with what we have and will have to live with it, unless Fios gives up Fiber Optics which doesn't seem to work as planned.
shark2k
join:2008-06-01
West Orange, NJ

shark2k

Member

said by Acct101:

With all due respect, JeepMatt has doesn't know when we are getting new channels. He was pushing the envelope last summer that we would be getting this massive upgrade. It never came to pass. My personal opinion is, we are stuck with what we have and will have to live with it, unless Fios gives up Fiber Optics which doesn't seem to work as planned.

Not sure what massive upgrade you are referring to, but we got 1.9 last year (it did take longer than anticipated, but we did get it). I don't recall JeepMatt mentioning a massive HD channel add though.

-Shark2k

TitusTroy
join:2009-06-18
New York, NY

1 edit

TitusTroy to SeattleMatt

Member

to SeattleMatt
said by SeattleMatt:

I can't wait for later this year when all the people that just recently were given 6xxx series boxes can't watch any of the new HD channels.

you mean all the new Byron Allen .tv HD channels?

joe01880
join:2007-10-26
Wakefield, MA

joe01880 to SeattleMatt

Member

to SeattleMatt
said by SeattleMatt:

I can't wait for later this year when all the people that just recently were given 6xxx series boxes can't watch any of the new HD channels.

I'll believe when I see it. Think of the mess Vz is creating for itself still giving out 6 series STB's knowing they might be switching to a format those STB wont support.

And if you know something why not just say it inplace of hinting you know something the rest of us dont, if thats the case dont say anything..please!
JPL
Premium Member
join:2007-04-04
Downingtown, PA

JPL

Premium Member

Yes, there will be some growing pains with swapping out the 6xxx boxes, but it's not like this type of stuff doesn't happen. When Comcast all but shut off analog feeds in this area, they made customers get set top boxes. You didn't see a massive implosion of Comcast. When DirecTV went MPEG4 for their HD feeds, again, you saw a massive effort to swap out boxes, but DirecTV didn't seem to suffer for it. In fact, they keep growing like crazy.

That being said, both of those companies did it, I think, the right way. Comcast offered up those very basic STBs really cheap - I think the first was free. And DirecTV kept their legacy HD channels as MPEG2 for quite a while before finally pulling the plug on them, allowing customers some time to get the new boxes. There's no reason to believe that Verizon can't do the same thing. In fact, they DID do the same thing when they shut off analogs too - they offered up those free DCT-700 boxes.

Yes, there will be pain for some group of consumers - there's no totally clean way to get there - but there are strategies you can employ to get you there which minimizes the pain overall.

SeattleMatt
Streaming Tech Director
Premium Member
join:2001-12-28
Seattle, WA

SeattleMatt to Acct101

Premium Member

to Acct101
said by Acct101:

With all due respect, JeepMatt has doesn't know when we are getting new channels. He was pushing the envelope last summer that we would be getting this massive upgrade. It never came to pass. My personal opinion is, we are stuck with what we have and will have to live with it, unless Fios gives up Fiber Optics which doesn't seem to work as planned.

Hey all- was away in Chicago for a few days so haven't had much time to check the threads.

Jeez Acct! A local bashing me? I expected some love from my PA folks.

Actually, I know exactly when we are getting new channels. Out of respect for the folks that provide me this information, I tend to wait until close to the launch to make any mention of it.

As far as last year (and me "pushing the envelope"), if anyone remembers my thread where all of a sudden I noticed my Weatherscan and Music Choice channels had moved to 99MHz (and I subsequently lost all of them on one coax run) - VZ was running tests on expanding the QAM block to include frequencies that fell within the FM radio band. Unfortunately, using me as a prime example - they found way too many signal problems and noise ingress. Once they ran a brand new coax line (the original line was only 2 years old) - I had no signal loss at all. The slightest kink in the line ruined it entirely - and I lived very close to a local Wilmington FM radio tower.

This handful of QAM's was going to be the driver behind the 15+ HD's we were supposed to see (and that Twitter Joe was most likely referring to). Nevertheless, that effort was shelved to my disappointment, but I could only image the increase in service calls it would've caused if they had gone through with it.

This year is onto new initiatives that i've already alluded to - and they are happening. Just know that VZ is actually hard at work right now to satisfy our constant bitching.

Stay tuned all..
FiosTV1080I
join:2010-09-06
united state

FiosTV1080I

Member

Any ideas what HD channels will be receiving and when exactly?
chewypgh
join:2007-12-17
Pittsburgh, PA

chewypgh to SeattleMatt

Member

to SeattleMatt
Since you made mention of it, are we close?

Onedollar
join:2001-08-27
Pomona, CA

Onedollar to SeattleMatt

Member

to SeattleMatt
and once they are added, the bitching will switch to increase prices passed to customers from extra content provided

TitusTroy
join:2009-06-18
New York, NY

TitusTroy to SeattleMatt

Member

to SeattleMatt
how many new channels will we get?...will they include the ones most people have been screaming about for years (Cartoon Network HD, BBC-America HD etc)...summer time frame or later?

joe01880
join:2007-10-26
Wakefield, MA

joe01880 to Onedollar

Member

to Onedollar
said by Onedollar:

and once they are added, the bitching will switch

No one will get exactly what everyone wants and people that bitch about more yesterday will still do so. More of the same.

Zero5
join:2009-07-01
Collegeville, PA

Zero5 to SeattleMatt

Member

to SeattleMatt
said by Acct101:

I have grown to really respect Twitter Joe and the informative information he gives us. He is always spot on and reliable.

I never thought I'd see the day where TJ was considered more spot on and reliable than our own JeepMatt…
said by SeattleMatt:

Actually, I know exactly when we are getting new channels. Out of respect for the folks that provide me this information, I tend to wait until close to the launch to make any mention of it.

I'm sure they appreciate that and I know I speak for most of us when I say that we appreciate you passing along your information when the time is right.
said by SeattleMatt:

This handful of QAM's was going to be the driver behind the 15+ HD's we were supposed to see (and that Twitter Joe was most likely referring to). Nevertheless, that effort was shelved to my disappointment, but I could only image the increase in service calls it would've caused if they had gone through with it.

It's a shame to hear that they shelved the effort to use the FM band QAM block. I remember you mentioning it last year. The biggest problem, as you found out, is that the wiring practically has to be perfectly installed. The slightest imperfection in the wiring will cause signal issues/noise ingress - from a bad end, unterminated splitter port, not enough shielding on the line, or a ever so slightly loose cable. I can only imagine how much of an increase in service calls that would be...
said by SeattleMatt:

This year is onto new initiatives that i've already alluded to - and they are happening. Just know that VZ is actually hard at work right now to satisfy our constant bitching.

Now you use the word initiatives meaning more than one. You alluded to MPEG-4, but what's the status on IPTV? I'm curious to see how far VZ has progressed on it since their launch on the Xbox. Is there any other initiative that VZ is exploring besides these two?