When will DirecTV go all HD?

[edisonprime]

I hear with the new satellite launched that's the plan (with the exception of the channels not available in HD). But does anybody have an idea when? Will this also include local channels that are available in HD that DirecTV doesn't have in HD?

 

[Aridon]

SD will eventually go away buy that is anyone's guess as to when. I doubt DirecTV really knows the exact date but it's probably on the road map. I'd say no earlier then 5 years.

 

[Jimbo]

That would require swapping out a ton of recvrs that people still are either using or have in other rooms that are not using HD ...
Remember, there are alot of Non HD recvrs still in the system.

The quickest way to do this would be for D* to make in mandatory and for D* to give those with Non HD recvrs a HD recvr, but that would cost them mightily.

 

[Mr Tony]

does directv even allow a new sub to start with SD receivers?

 

[Jimbo]

does directv even allow a new sub to start with SD receivers?

Not that I'm aware of, but they still have plenty of subs out there with SD recvrs on thier accounts that would need to be changed out.

 

[twizt3dsist3r]

does directv even allow a new sub to start with SD receivers?

Only in the event they are a former customer and restarting their previous account and if it had std equipment

 

[lacubs]

didn't i read somewhere Mike White said by 2016 or 18 he expected every channel to be in HD?

 

[Drucifer]

No one can beat my aunt for hanging onto old equipment. She died in '08 with a still working pulse dial phone. She would still be watching a B&W television if I didn't get her a color one for Christmas.

 

[Claude Greiner]

No one can beat my aunt for hanging onto old equipment. She died in '08 with a still working pulse dial phone. She would still be watching a B&W television if I didn't get her a color one for Christmas.

My neighbor got you beat. They still had the original rotary telephone from 1941 when the house was built and was still using it as their only phone up until a few years ago.

It was actually still wired as a party line, and we couldn't even hook a regular phone up to it because they didn't even have touch tone service. It would only work with pulse

 

[raoul5788]

New installs are done with mpeg4 equipment and a ka/ku lnb. That doesn't mean they are getting hd channels however. It's been surmised that the removal of sd channels will be done in stages. For example, anyone with movie channels will have to get mpeg4 boxes and compatible dishes/lnbs. Then maybe everyone with Sunday Ticket or the Sports Pak, etc. At some point, there will be few enough customers with mpeg2 only equipment that they can all be switched over. It will take several years before that all happens.

 

[ejb1980]

New installs are done with mpeg4 equipment and a ka/ku lnb. That doesn't mean they are getting hd channels however. It's been surmised that the removal of sd channels will be done in stages. For example, anyone with movie channels will have to get mpeg4 boxes and compatible dishes/lnbs. Then maybe everyone with Sunday Ticket or the Sports Pak, etc. At some point, there will be few enough customers with mpeg2 only equipment that they can all be switched over. It will take several years before that all happens.

It could be argued that this has already started. Some of the SD channels need HD eqipment. Some markets (including mine) are HD only and EVERYONE has HD equipment, and has for a while. The UEFA, etc channels are only HD. Before they got rid of the Nascar thing, it went HD-only. I am trying not to get my hopes up in regard to the new satellite and how fast things update. Cable where I live now (VT) carries very little HD, but where I lived before (NC), Time Warner had FAR more HD than we did.

 

[raoul5788]

Yes, it has started, like I alluded to, in stages. No arguing about it! They do have a ways to go before those with sd only equipment are so few that they can be changed over in one group.

 

[ejb1980]

Yes, it has started, like I alluded to, in stages. No arguing about it! They do have a ways to go before those with sd only equipment are so few that they can be changed over in one group.

I still think that after the new satellite goes up, Directv finds a clever way to market "modern" TV - start charging for SD equipment and offer strong incentives for a switch to HD. They will lose some people but they will gain those who don't join Directv because they don't have the HD they want.

 

[raoul5788]

I don't see them surcharging for sd, but I agree about the incentive part. How that plays out remains the question.

 

[BlueLemon]

While I'm ready and hoping DTV goes all HD soon, People like my mother and grandparents are not and will not as long as DTV continues to charge $10 for HD. My mother and grandparents don't care if HD is better. They don't a problem with SD so why upgrade and pay more? This is one of the issues DTV has to look at as well.

 

[raoul5788]

Technically they already have addressed the hd charge, since it's rolled into the advanced receiver charge for new customers.