DirecTV Plans 1500 HiDef Channels by End of 2007 295
doormat writes "DirecTV plans on launching four Ka-band satellites by 2007. This means local HiDef channels over satellite for the biggest markets by the end of 2005, with room for 500 HD channels. Plus 1000 more HD local channels and 150 national HD channels by the end of 2007. Thats a total bandwidth of 34Gbit/s, which is about 10 times the bandwidth they currently have in the Ku band (the band they use now for direct-to-home TV service). The bandwidth crunch for satellite providers is over, and the Ka band is the answer."
Ka-Band Report (Score:5, Informative)
# They will lead to a fundamental restructuring of the world's communications satellite industry and lead to the development of global satellite operators with integrated L-band, C-band, Ku-band and Ka-band systems, using geostationary and low and middle earth orbits.
# This will reinforce the dominance of the United States in the provision of space and ground infrastructure, information technology and services.
# It looks likely that either low earth or middle earth orbiting satellite systems will have a major competitive advantage over geostationary systems. Such Ka-band networks will, in the long run, be integrated with Big LEO mobile satellite networks.
# Geostationary Ka-band satellites will be ineffective in providing a platform for ATM services because of the time delay in a signal being transmitted from one ground station to another through such a satellite. The problem is likely to be addressed by using low or medium earth orbit satellites.
# Current regional or major domestic satellite operators will only survive in this market if they tie closely to the dominant global operators. Use of inter-satellite links will facilitate this.
# If they do not cooperate, they are faced with the option of getting into the US marketplace or getting out of the satcoms business altogether.
# There is no one clearly identified "killer application" for Ka-band satellites but provision of high speed Internet and associated services is likely to be a major short to medium term lead market. Ka-band satellites can provide the cheapest and most quickly available of all options (high speed cable modems, ADSL and ISDN) in providing such high speed access.
# Ka-band satellites are likely to find a role in the mass consumer markets with "Home-use VSAT" sales running into, perhaps, millions per year. Consumers are also likely to be offered combined Ku-band/Ka-band dishes capable of receiving digital satellite television services and providing two-way services.
# Ka-band satellites will offer the best of 21st Century communications services to underdeveloped regions of the world.
# The policy and regulatory issues behind Ka-band satellites are far more complex and demanding than those that have hitherto faced any form of satellite communications including DTH and DBS TV, VSATs and PCS mobile communications satellites.
# The United States is arm twisting the rest of the world to open up the global telecommunications market place to allow Ka-band satellite operators to compete with local telecoms and satellite interests.
# The Ka-band Report contradicts the conventional wisdom that Ka-band satellites will come later rather than sooner. Behind closed door developments facilitating Ka-band communications are happening right now - with the satellite operators, the
# European Commission, the World Trade organisation and elsewhere.
# The first orders for broadband Ka-band satellites are likely to be placed this year.
# There will be a considerable shakeout of the current number of plans for Ka-band satellite systems with only the stronger or more entrepreneurial projects surviving. Even so, some major satellite operators remain woefully unprepared for the Ka-band era.
# The world's satellite operators should be looking to Ka-band services, not digital satellite television, as their next great market opportunity.
# They will need to develop new marketing policies and customer bases and cultivate new partners both amongst existing and new telecoms operators.
# Europe remains way behind the United States in developing the appropriate satellite technology (on-board processing, switching, antennas) and ground stations (phased array antennas) needed for the Ka-band environment.
Source: http://www.mindbranch.com
Ah! (Score:5, Informative)
Don't know if people said this... (Score:5, Informative)
Re:DirecTV will compress the hell out of them (Score:5, Informative)
Estimates put the total capacity for SPACEWAY at around 500 full-bitrate HD channels. Multiply by two satellites (the third is a spare), and that's 1000 HD channels (note that this figure is based on a 25/75 mix of 720p to 1080i).
There are around 1800 channels in the country, but at least half of those (religous channels, shopping channels, etc.) have no plans to broadcast HD in the immediate future.
Re:DirectTV HDTV (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Rain Fade (Score:5, Informative)
So, I think it's fair to assume that they spend most of their time in the light soaking up power. Also, solar cell panels on large expensive satellites are usually computer guided. They deploy and then track the Sun so they'll get most of the power most of the time.
The link you gave only mentions the three existing satellites. They generate 4.3kW of power. Those sats, however, are almost 10 years old now. The article doesn't say, but I would guess that these new sats generate even more power (more efficient and/or bigger cells).
Re:DirectTV HDTV (Score:2, Informative)
also, if you are an NFL Sunday Ticket subscriber, you get access to over 100 HD football games this year, even if you don't subscribe to the HD package.
Re:Rain Fade (Score:5, Informative)
Actually, the primary reason for C band's superior performance w.r.t. rain fade is the reduced atmospheric attenuation associated with lower frequencies, in general, and, in particular, with C band's frequencies vs. K band's frequencies. The atmosphere has different effects at different frequencies. The reduced attenuation at C band allows for greater link margin and, therefore, greater link robustness vs. rain.
The gains of a 1.8m dish at C band and a DirecTV dish at K band are similar. (Higher frequencies require smaller dishes for the same gain.)
If you aimed a 1.8m dish at one of the DTV birds, you wouldn't have a problem with rain fade either. (you'd have a bigger problem keeping it properly aimed, btw.)
Very true. Of course, the dish (antenna, in general) would have to be designed to operate at K band frequencies. It's not a given that you can just swap reflectors around. Antenna design at microwave frequencies is complex.
Re:Rain Fade (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Rain Fade (Score:4, Informative)
(DTV/DISH dishes larger than 18" are available -- up to 35" as I recall. But the aiming sensitivity makes them less desirable for general use.)
Re:Rain Fade (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Playboy in Hi-Def...... (Score:3, Informative)
When will we get Hustler TV? Or SCORE TV? A real, no holes barred, hardcore porn channel with closeups, penetration and moneyshots?
How about a 24hr Pussyman marathon?
Why is it that a $10 PPV version of a porno shows almost nothing, when a $3 rented dvd version of the same porno is a full blown version that shows everything?
Since when do the FCC decency regulations apply to closed circuit PAID TV? And on that subject, who's idea of decency is the gold standard? What happened to the 1st Amendment?
What's wrong with these people?
If I want to watch boring softcore crap, I can turn on Cinemax...
Re:Rain Fade (Score:5, Informative)
Nominal power ratings for satellites assume sun-normal orientation of the solar arrays, which is actively maintained by the satellite. The satellite receives 100% illumination by the sun during most of the year, the exceptions being the spring and fall eclipse seasons, when the satellite transits the Earth's penumbral and umbral regions for up to a couple of hours per day. During these events, solar array power is augmented with battery power. Bus voltage drops and current draws increase, but transmitted powers generally stay the same. Yes, over the life of the satellite (10-15+ years) batteries degrade somewhat, though battery reconditioning techniques are employed to mitigate this. With today's designs, running out of fuel is usually what limits mission life.
The reason terrestrial radio stations require the power levels they do is that they typically transmit more or less omni-directionally (or at least toroidally), as opposed to how geo satellites use highly-directional (high gain) antennas for CONUS (or whatever) coverage. The effect of the differences between these two antenna types (tens of dB in gain) far outweighs the 20 dB power difference you mention (1 kW vs. 100 kW). The high gain antennas for DBS allow multiple channels of high bandwidth at reduced power vs. their terrestrial brethren. They're really two totally different kettles of fish.
Finally, thermal management is an important part of modern satellite design. Heat pipes, thermal radiators (mirrors), finishes, and other techniques are all used to collect, distribute, and reject heat. The effectiveness of these techniques can limit a design, and how capable a company is at dealing with thermal problems can determine the capabilities of its offerings relative to those of its competitors.
BTW, the current commercial satellite models offered by Boeing are based on the 702 bus, which supercedes the 601. Both of these designs were the product of Hughes Space and Communications Co. (part of the old Hughes Aircraft Company), now Boeing Satellite Systems (Boeing bought HSC in 2000).
Re:Scientific Satellite Interference (Score:4, Informative)
Many techniques exist for reducing or eliminating interference, not just frequency separation. Polarization schemes are a big part of the solution, but there are others (spatial isolation, of course, and coding schemes with digital systems).
If your data transmission is at all on the radar, so to speak, I think it'd be safe to say people are designing new systems to be compatible. Or so we think.
Re:Ahat about (Score:3, Informative)
"Plus 1000 more HD local channels and 150 national HD channels by the end of 2007"
Wrong! (Score:4, Informative)
ostiguy
Re:I hope there’s not a market for these new (Score:3, Informative)
Which shows that you are confused on the issue.
You see, you aren't getting 1500 channels when you get DirecTV. In fact, most of them I wouldn't call "channels" so much as "placeholders". I say that because a great number of these channels are Pay-Per-View stations. They are nothing but placeholders because they are blank 99% of the time, and only once a week or so will you see any programming on one particular PPV channel.
In addition, a great deal of these channels are different areas' local stations. If each 100 miles have 5 local over-the-air broadcasts, well, you can see how that would add up to a huge number of total channels, but of those hundreds and hundreds of local channels, you are only recieving 5 of them.
There are quite a few that are 100% music channels. There are many that aren't even available to the public at all, but are used to relay video from the head office to branches of a major company. A satellite feed where you can pay a fee to DirecTV, rather than operating your own satellite, and contributing to the space junk...
Re:No No NO! (Score:3, Informative)
Oh yeah, cable also gives me a cheap HD DVR box. That'll trump the $1000 HD Tivo anyday.
Re:DirectTV HDTV (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Screw DirecTV (Score:1, Informative)
German shieser movies are zee best...
Re:Screw DirecTV (Score:3, Informative)
No, although it is pricey.
By extortion, I mean that they are suing owners of certain programmable PC smart cards that can be used to hack a DTV receiver box to pirate the signal.
They are doing this with no regard to the actual use of the card. They've sued actual pirates, they've sued loyal customers who have always paid for their service and they've sued people who have never used DTV service at all, paid or pirated.
The card in question is perfectly legal and has numerous legitimate uses. Ownership or use is not a crime in any jurisdiction in the world (as far as I know), but DTV will sue anyone whose name/address they can find who has purchased one.
They start with a demand for money that is slightly less than the cost of defending against the lawsuit, with a promise that the "damages" they'll seek will be much more if it goes to court. That's pure extortion and I don't know why the FCC/FTC are letting them get away with it.
Read this site for more information about it [directvdefense.org]