JPLPremium
join:2007-04-04
Downingtown, PA
kudos:2 | reply to Greg2600
Re: October is here.. Are those dozen HD channels coming?!?! said by Greg2600:It's either MPEG-4 or IPTV, there's no other choices. Given Verizon's absurdly slow roll out of their 26-channel IPTV solution for Xbox and we assume iPad, I'm not confident it's a solution they can use in the home.
Again, I'm aware of that. I was simply answering the question that was asked: if we have iptv, then why do we need mpeg-4? That's all. I threw out a list of hypotheticals to back it up, as in: if we shelve IP, what else is there for expanding bandwidth? I thought I was pretty clear in making the case that those other options weren't in the cards for Verizon (e.g. I talked about the cost of 1GHz QAM, and how if you're going to go through the exercise of replacing equipment anyway... why not go with mpeg-4, and I also mentioned that the mpeg-2 compression was tried and rejected).
I don't mean to pound on this, but I get it. I do.
BTW, as for the slow rollout of their IPTV solution, I think the reason for that is their new home media DVR (or whatever its called). Because that's basically what that is - IP distribution of video throughout your home network. I would like to see Verizon pick up the pace on this as well, but I can also see the point of putting it all together under a single architecture. |
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| reply to jodhak
I've begun to consider that as well, the home media server concept is the wave of the future. However, we're talking far more equipment change-outs than MPEG-4 would need! Unfortunately I don't think it helps the QAM problem either.
What has annoyed me was the insider info we heard here that Verizon will not be moving ANY of the existing channels, which care delivered to VZ via MPEG-4, from MPEG 2 to 4. Completely stupid. |
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| reply to JPL
Additional MPEG-2 compression is NOT being rejected. In the last year, all HBO and Cinemax HD channels have been transitioned from 2 channels per QAM to 3 channels per QAM using MPEG-2 encoding. In addition, the .TV HD channels have been switched from 2:1 to 3:1 MPEG-2 compression. And most recently, in order to make room for the temporary Olympic HD channels, BBC America HD, and the Spanish HD channels which require MPEG-4 Fios 7000 series boxes, Hallmark Movie Channel HD, QVC HD, MavTV HD and several others have been switched to 3:1 MPEG-2 statmuxing.
The initial batch of channels that were switched to 3:1 statmuxing such as HBO and Cinemax are sent as MPEG-4 from the provider and had to be re-encoded to MPEG-2 anyway. Reported MPEG-4 bit rates were on the order of 6 MB/sec. Placing only 2 of these channels on an MPEG-2 QAM carrier was wasteful. With more channels switching to an MPEG-4 delivery system, look for additional 3 to 1 MPEG-2 channel loading.
If half of the existing HD channels are switched from 2:1 to 3:1 statmuxing, this opens up another another 6 QAM slots, providing between 12 to 18 additional MPEG-2 HD channels. The key is to select the right channel for 3:1 MPEG-2 statmuxing. Shopping channels such as HSN and news channels tend to feature talking heads and less quick action scenes. |
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JPLPremium
join:2007-04-04
Downingtown, PA
kudos:2 | reply to Greg2600
said by Greg2600:I've begun to consider that as well, the home media server concept is the wave of the future. However, we're talking far more equipment change-outs than MPEG-4 would need! Unfortunately I don't think it helps the QAM problem either.
What has annoyed me was the insider info we heard here that Verizon will not be moving ANY of the existing channels, which care delivered to VZ via MPEG-4, from MPEG 2 to 4. Completely stupid.
First, I agree with you - they should be considering the migration of existing channels to mpeg-4. I think the premiums would be ideal for this.
Second, on the home media server, let me expand on what I meant. I didn't mean to say that it would help the QAM problem. It clearly won't. It does seem pretty coincidental that they're dragging their feet on what they've talked about before with IP distribution at the same time that they're unveiling the home media server. Even if a swap-out of equipment will be necessary for that, though, I don't think it would be on par with the mpeg-4 conversion. For the mpeg-4 conversion of a channel, you're talking about swapping out boxes in every house that receives that channel. With the streaming option, while I think it'll be popular, I have to believe that only a small portion of the households have any desire, right now, to do it.
Even in my house, where I love the option to stream content, it's used fairly infrequently right now. I may stream a movie from Epix onto my laptop, e.g., but I can probably count on 2 hands the number of times I've done that in the last 2 years. All that being said, I think this is the architecture that everyone's been pushing to for a very long time. Glad to see that it's finally coming. Now I just have to convince my wife why we NEED to swap out our DVR... again  . |
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 NezmoThe name's Bond. James Bond.Premium,MVM
join:2004-11-10
Coppell, TX
kudos:1 | reply to bsangs
said by bsangs:said by Mac973:Good luck watching them. With signal loss every time it rains there is no way I would go back to satellite. I was at my uncle's house a couple weeks ago and a thunderstorm rolled in. They lost service for at least 15-20 minutes until the storm passed, and that was in the middle of a football game. No thanks.
I'm really starting to think it's a NJ thing. I know people that swear they never get signal loss from D*, yet the two times I've had it, the HD has been terribly effected by rain fade. I switched back to it for a short while last year (because I prefer pretty much everything about D* on the TV-side) after being led to believe it was a thing of the past. Took me less than two weeks to realize my mistake and went back to FiOS. I believe the north east and north west parts of the country are on the fringes of the satellite footprints. Perhaps you are more susceptible to rain fade as a result?
I live in north central TX but I still got it bad when I had DTV years ago.
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My Gallery
Formerly Nezmo  |
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I just want Cartoon Network HD this month! |
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UnnDunnPremium
join:2005-12-21
Brooklyn, NY Reviews:
 ·Verizon FiOS
| reply to Mac973
said by Mac973:said by celticpride :On top of that i just read an article where directv said they hope to carry ALL HD CHANNELS ONLY by 2016 NO MORE SD CHANNELS!!!
Good luck watching them. With signal loss every time it rains there is no way I would go back to satellite. I was at my uncle's house a couple weeks ago and a thunderstorm rolled in. They lost service for at least 15-20 minutes until the storm passed, and that was in the middle of a football game. No thanks. [/BQUOTE Then the dish was aimed improperly. Yes, DirecTV is susceptible to weather, but in West Orange, a properly-aimed dish should get good signal (assuming relatively calm winds) though all but the heaviest rainstorms. |
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 KCrimsonPremium
join:2001-02-25
Brooklyn, NY
kudos:1
·Verizon FiOS
| said by UnnDunn:Then the dish was aimed improperly. Yes, DirecTV is susceptible to weather, but in West Orange, a properly-aimed dish should get good signal (assuming relatively calm winds) though all but the heaviest rainstorms.
Bad weather and sporting events often occur simultaneously, as do opportune times to watch TV - when you're indoors finding alternate entertainment due to those inclement conditions. Outages tend to be noticed. I know they were during the years when my family had a professionally installed and serviced DirecTV system. |
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Strommy
join:2010-04-23
King Of Prussia, PA | reply to UnnDunn
said by UnnDunn:said by Mac973:said by celticpride :On top of that i just read an article where directv said they hope to carry ALL HD CHANNELS ONLY by 2016 NO MORE SD CHANNELS!!!
Good luck watching them. With signal loss every time it rains there is no way I would go back to satellite. I was at my uncle's house a couple weeks ago and a thunderstorm rolled in. They lost service for at least 15-20 minutes until the storm passed, and that was in the middle of a football game. No thanks. [/BQUOTE Then the dish was aimed improperly. Yes, DirecTV is susceptible to weather, but in West Orange, a properly-aimed dish should get good signal (assuming relatively calm winds) though all but the heaviest rainstorms. We had the DISH people out at TWICE to correct the problem and they never did fix it. And of course they charged us for each visit. It was professionally installed and calibrated (aimed or whatever you want to call it) and the problem was only fixed by getting rid of them. I'll never ever go back. --
Verizon is becoming the new Comcast
Those .tv channels have got to go!!!!!!!!!! |
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tnsprin
join:2003-07-23
Bradenton, FL
kudos:1 | reply to nottrue
"ESPN supplied Motorola DSR-6100 integrated receiver/decoders to eligible affiliates." FIOS may or may not been eligable, and may have chosen to use another solution (they had other channels to convert as well and using lots of different equipment costs. And it costs to install and operate them. The ongoing operating costs is not necessarily negligable. |
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| reply to jodhak
The info I got is that 75 new channels are planned in 2013. Didn't get to see what they were or if HD or not. Will have to what 2013 brings. |
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skohly
join:2009-08-19
Township Of Washington, NJ | said by KillABrew:The info I got is that 75 new channels are planned in 2013. Didn't get to see what they were or if HD or not. Will have to what 2013 brings.
ON FIOS? |
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said by KillABrew:The info I got is that 75 new channels are planned in 2013. Didn't get to see what they were or if HD or not. Will have to what 2013 brings.
ROFL!!!!! |
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 aaronwtPremium
join:2004-11-07
Woodbridge, VA
·Verizon FiOS
| said by Greg2600:said by KillABrew:The info I got is that 75 new channels are planned in 2013. Didn't get to see what they were or if HD or not. Will have to what 2013 brings.
ROFL!!!!! WHy? They will probably be channels added to the international tier. |
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| reply to skohly
Yes, FIOS.
Was on a slide presentation for the plans for FiOS in 2013. Not saying that it will happen, just was presenting what they want to get done. |
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said by aaronwt:WHy? They will probably be channels added to the international tier.
I'm still laughing. Maybe they're considering VOD channels as channels? |
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| reply to KillABrew
said by KillABrew:The info I got is that 75 new channels are planned in 2013. Didn't get to see what they were or if HD or not. Will have to what 2013 brings.
LOL. Time to invest in a Rosetta Stone set. |
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Reviews:
·Verizon FiOS
| said by knarf829:LOL. Time to invest in a Rosetta Stone set. No need to do so;
My understanding is that the Ouija Board is a multilingual device.
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"My hat, my cane, Jeeves". |
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| reply to KillABrew
said by KillABrew:The info I got is that 75 new channels are planned in 2013. Didn't get to see what they were or if HD or not. Will have to what 2013 brings.
only way this happens is if FiOS removes 75 channels from the current lineup...no space for 75 new additions |
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| reply to jodhak
I say they have something up their sleeve. |
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