DirecTV Announces First 12 Local HD Markets

[Gregg Lengling]

Thursday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, DirecTV announced 12 DMAs that will be among the first to receive local channels in high-def sometime in the second half of the year.

The first DMAs to receive local HD channels are New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco, Dallas, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Detroit, Houston and Tampa. The markets represent nearly 36 million homes, or 32.8 percent of all U.S. TV households.

DirecTV said additional markets that will receive local HD programming via satellite this year will be announced at a later date.

DirecTV will expand its capacity for more HD with the planned launch of four next-generation satellites, two of which will fly later this year. The satellites will deliver more than 1,500 local HD and more than 150 national HD channels and other advanced programming services to consumers nationwide by 2007.

In connection with the announcement, DirecTV demonstrated a live MPEG-4 AVC/DVB-S2 high def feed at the show. The new standard in transmission and video compression will be used by DirecTV to expand its video offering, including local and national HD channels, the satellite TV company said.

[russellj]

I read Directv's announcement at their web site. It also stated that new set top box's would be required to receive the new mpg-4 compression. I guess when that happens I will have no choice but to switch to cable tv. I can't afford to purchace 2 new HD receivers to replace the 2 I already have, just to try and keep up with Directv.

[Gregg Lengling]

Don't get bent out of shape...knowing Directv's customer service and retention department they will cut people a deal.  It's not going to cost the viewers an arm and a leg after the initial rollout.

[Bebop]

Yes, tell them you are leaving because of the cost of a new receiver, they will do wonders for you. It's usually in form of credit and free programming.

[FiberOptic]

So dumb question, when this happens will they provide access to the Chicago channels since Milwaukee is not one of the mentioned markets

[Gregg Lengling]

I doubt it, as they will only serve the OTA market for the channels.  Just like they do right now with the SD channels.

[stvnce]

I would hope that they wuold do more than just give me credit or free programming. I can't afford to dish out another $1000 for a new reciever. Heck I couldn't even pay the $400 deal that I paid for my current reciever.

I guess that I'll have to hope that they'll take kind of trade in deal.

[Gregg Lengling]

Actually the last upgrade I did, the receiver cost $350.00 and D* gave me a $250.00 credit.....I don't feel $100.00 bucks was too much for me to pay to upgrade to a HD box that is both sat and OTA.

[russellj]

A credit wouldn't do me any good. It's the initial outlay of money that will make me drop the service. If they can affort to give me a credit (which usually amounts to free service), then why don't they give me a credit that I can use in a store to purchace the 2 new receivers that I will have to buy. Better yet why don't they just swap them out free of charge? I don't want free TV I want new boxes.