Screwing Around With HDTV

[Gregg Lengling]

Last Month, HDTV viewers on DirecTV got a little present:  flashes and dropouts on HBO HD and a noticeable lowering of visual quality on HDNet.   This occurred for just over two weeks.  DirecTV's initial response to its high-quality desireable demographic HD viewers was:  Reset your receiver, we'll need to send you a new access card.  They also apologized for the problems.
The technical issues were resolved but the problems still exist.
Read the AVS Forum and you'll see pages of posts about these problems.  But there are bigger problems than what DirecTV is doing to HBO HD and HDNet.  It's what DirecTV is not doing which is the real problem.
Sure, maybe DirecTV has HDNet and HBO HD on the same transponder (which is neither good nor bad itself).  Maybe DirecTV's engineering department is trying to find a way to squeeze more channels through their transponders to their customers (which could be both good or bad depending on what you watch).  Maybe it's no one's fault, as some speculate that the problems are due to electromagnetic discharges from the sun.
What is bad is that DirecTV's HBO HD viewers (who pay for the privilege) have been complaining via the Web, email , and phone since this started and DirecTV isn't addressing the problem.  In fact, they called it an "unknown" issue.
Screwing around with HBO HD's technology is the exact same thing as screwing around with HBO HD viewers...their customers.
So what?  It's just a handful of geeks that watch that HD stuff.  But as HD becomes more commonplace, a lot of your viewers will become those geeks.  Regardless of the fact that a STB says it's outputting 1920x1080_with enough filtering and compression even HD can look like crap (hell, most upconverted HD looks like crap).
Some DirecTV viewers have started to compare HBO HD's 1080i quality to ther 480p DVD players, saying the DVD's look better.  They also compare HDNet to NTSC.  It's not an issue of lines of resolution, it's what the compression is doing to the picture..and what the service provider is doing to its customers.
For the record, a DirecTV public relations psokesperson told DigitalTV-Television Broadcast that there were two technical issues the last full weekend in May, and that both issues have been resolved.  But those are technical issues.
The DirecTV spokesperson also acknowledged that DirecTV's HD viewers are a huge priority and that they know those customers have spent a great deal of money to receive and watch high definition.  Strange..DirecTV doesn't act like their HD viewers are a huge priority.
DirecTV might not have to worry about those customers for much longer (the majority of whom pay more than $100 a month).  soon Echostart's DISH network will have another satellite and the new elliptical 26-inch/66-centimetere dish that will allow its subscribers to receive up to 50 HD channels (the SuperDish will be avilable this summer , acording to Echostar).  Of course "up to" is an annoying phrase, but a large number of DirecTV HD subscribers have siad they will be moving to DISH once SuperDish becomes available.
HD viewers want more HD channels, but not at the expense of quality.  And they want real customer service, not excuses and the royal runaround.
Here's my suggestion to DirecTV, Echostar, cable headends, and broadcast stations:
If you're conducting tests (via a STB message or a lower third), tell us for how long and when (overnight might make less viewers angry), and we'll be okay.
Just don't treat HD viewers like crap.  They're your prime customers and demographic...and they know it.

Jonathan Bellows is a contributing editor to DigitalTV. He can be reached at jbellows@uemedia.com

[gparris]

It is only a few days away from me disconnecting my DIRECTV service as I begrudgingly move into a hopefully temporary apt. and use only TWC for DVR (if it works for me for a change) and HD service. Tonight was the last straw with Directv HD service...around 6:30 tonight my HBO HD signal got frozen, then scrambled, then HDNET appeared as if I had changed the channel and of course, did not....:bang: :mad:

What the .... is going on with us HD customers? Don't they care about us? Is this what we will continue to expect once Murdoch controls Directv? :confused:

Why must they mess with the HD sat configurations during the primetime viewing? I turned and unplugged the box to no avail. This, mind you, has NEVER happened to me in the 3 years I  have had this RCA DTC-100!
Maybe I won't miss Directv at all, after all...You were right, Gregg.  by inputting that article about Directv messing with its best customers!!

Maybe when the house is ready I will get DISHNetwork instead;)