On January 21, 2006 at 00:31, jfetter said...
I have to challenge your bandwidth facts. Granted,
the content is and will always be an issue, DirecTV
doesn't control how the networks record their
shows and it wouldn't be all HD just because the
satellite bandwidth was available.
My assertion is that there is no such bandwidth available. The content issue is an afterthought, although it matters just as much.
The current sats do not have nearly the bandwidth to provide anything like you suggested. They are using 2 bigger ones (Spaceway 1, 2 -- total 500 HD channels between them) that are in the sky right now and 2 more MUCH bigger (Directv 10, 11 -- 1150 HD channels) sats that will be going up this year and next. And these are only to cover most locals and 150 other HD channels. There is no way the old sats could've transmitted an HD version (if they existed) of every current SD channel that D* provides. Not even close. Not even using MPEG4.
I'm sorry I don't have numbers on the old sats' bandwidth in my head or in front of me to quote to back this up. They could only handle something like 1/5th or less the capability of one Spaceway sat.
