MPEG 4 Equip D*

[tjolsonmcse]

Has anyone tried to get an upgrade of their equipment to handle the LIL HD MPEG 4?

[Robbiee19]

What do you mean? I have the h20 and AT9 Antenna with the LIL from D*

[gruxx]

looking at your other posts, you have an H10?

I don't think there is any way to get an mpeg4 decoder soldered onto the hardware to allow for the H10 to get mpeg4 signals. Even all the HR10 hacks/software only have to do with the tivo software, not obtaining a signal from the two new mpeg4 satellites.

At some point you can call D* and complain about how you want LIL HD. Maybe they will hook you up with an AT9 dish and an H20 at some cost/lease.

Personally, unless your OTA signals are crap. don't go with the mpeg4 compression. the OTA on mpeg2 is the better way to go on the H10 and HR10. It's why D* will only get my HR10 is to pry it out of my dead hands.

Wait until the tipping point is reached and all the SD networks start producing HD content. Once networks like USA, OLN, TBS, Comedy Central, bravo, etc... start going HD, then D* will need to go mpeg4 to reduce bandwidth to broadcast them.

Look at the list of channels Dish offers now in mpeg4, over D* and look for any "big" network:

Animania HD
Family Room HD
GamePlay HD
Equator HD
National Geographic Channel HD
Film Fest HD
Kung Fu HD
Monsters HD
World Cinema HD
HDNews
Rave HD
NFL Network HD
Rush HD
WorldSport HD
Gallery HD
HGTV HD
Treasure HD
Ultra HD

Other than HGTV, NGC HD and NFL network, you are not really missing out on a lot of material on an mpeg4 stream. The mpeg2 HD streams from D* should last through their tivo commitment in 2008, maybe by then a lot more mpeg4 material will be available and an upgrade would be prudent to the new dish/tuner. Plus there are others on the fence who believe that mpeg4 is only for LIL HD. That D* will keep stealing bandwidth from the current national SD streams to push more national Mpeg2 HD content out. It wouldn't surprize me. D* has about 30million boxes in the wild. It would seem insurmountable to start swapping even a sixth of them out for people to get HD mpeg4. I would guess that until 2010, only a few National Mpeg4 channels will exist.

Don't take my word for it: http://library.corporate-ir.net/library/12/127/127160/items/202028/61306Deutsche.pdf

A pdf from the latest D* investor briefing. Page 8 says they're only attepting 50 LIL markets this year, only getting 66% of US households. It will take all of 2007 just for them to reach 90% of households with LIL.

so, if you need LIL HD because your OTA stinks, call D* and get an H20. columbus is lucky, you can get those signals now.

otherwise, don't bother.

[tjolsonmcse]

Thanks for the replies. Since I originally posted I was able to get D* to get me a H20 and a HR10-250 for $20. Granted it's leased eqipment now. But I'll have the option of going to the MPEG4 DVR when it's released. They also installed the AT9 Dish, so I get a LIL HD channel for the times my OTA signal gets funky (sort of weak signals in S Delaware).

[nakedeye]

you should be okay in delaware

[Steelthumb]

Hey, just wanted to chime in and give an update on my install that was done on Sunday (today). I was originally supposed to get an HR10-250 and 5LNB (no cost), but the installer (not very professional at all) brought the newly released HR20-700S and 5LNB (he said that is the HD-DVR that is going to be installed, and there was a date of Aug. 31, 2006 stamped on the boxed so they are hot out of the oven:eek: ). Fabulous picture quality. My Mits WD-52525 (720P native) looks gorgeous with the HD content. HD channels/locals were crisp just like the OTA content. Now I know why I bought this TV quite awhile ago. It is finally earning its keep. I connected the HR20 with the HDMI cable (doesn't come with one) and freed the back from all of the cable clutter. 1 HDMI cable (HR20), and 1 DVI cable (Denon DVD) makes it simple to eliminate the mess.

[Scott]

So it's official. Perhaps you could post a detailed review of the new HR20? I'm curious about the networking features (if they're viewable, disabled, etc.).

Feel free to start a new thread about it.

Thanks!

[Robbiee19]

Yep let's get a thread going on it.