# PBS in HD



## sabucat (Mar 10, 2007)

I've seen several threads about this, with various theories as to why there are no PBS-HD channels available. Then I came across this post:

http://www.dbstalk.com/showpost.php?p=881910&postcount=9

It says that the national feed is available on Dish in HD. It is? Where?

There seems to be no simple way to see PBS in HD (I do not get OTA at all). Am I missing something?

thanks,

Jeff


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## bairdjc (Sep 22, 2005)

http://www.pbs.org/aboutpbs/aboutpbs_prog_dish_faqs.html

DISH NETWORK FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q. I currently subscribe to the local channels package. Do I need to do anything to activate the PBS station on my DISH Network service?
A. No. Your local PBS station(s) will be automatically included as part of your local channels package. If no local PBS station is part of you local channels package, you are still eligible for the PBS National Feed. Please visit DISH Network's local channels page for more information on local channels available in your area.

Q. How much does the local channels package from DISH Network cost?
A. The cost varies depending on your location. Please visit DISH Network's local channels page for more information on costs in your area. Some local channels are only available to customers with newer hardware. Others require a second DISH, which is available at no cost.

Q. What other PBS services are available from DISH Network? 
A. For no additional cost, you will have access to PBS YOU, an educational channel featuring for-credit telecourses as well as a variety of informational programming. This includes an afternoon program block for teachers and teens and an evening lineup of public affairs and how-to programming. To view the schedule, visit www.pbsyou.org.

Q. When will local channels on DISH Network be coming to my area? 
A. DISH Network expects to offer more local channels as technology advances and its capacity expands. Contact DISH Network at (800) 333-3474.

Q. If I receive the PBS National Satellite Service, can I still be a member of and contribute to my local PBS station?
A. Absolutely. The PBS National Satellite Service is made possible in part by your support of your local PBS. To find out more on how to contribute, visit Support PBS.


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## garys (Nov 4, 2005)

No, there is no PBS HD available yet on Dish. Dish would like it, but no contract with PBS to do it.


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## sabucat (Mar 10, 2007)

garys said:


> No, there is no PBS HD available yet on Dish. Dish would like it, but no contract with PBS to do it.


But why? The SD signal is available....and we taxpayers pay for quite a bit of what's on PBS. I don't see why there's a problem here.


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## FTA Michael (Jul 21, 2002)

Most of PBS stations' revenues come from local supporters. So PBS wants you to support your local station and then get your PBS HD signal that way.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

I do wish PBS would get on the ball with satellite.

In my area, PBS OTA multicasts... so for most of the day we have 4 SD channels... then at night from 8-11pm we get PBSHD and they drop a few of the subchannels.

BUT... Time Warner gets a separate 24/7 HD feed from the local PBSHD in addition to the subchannels.

I recognize the bandwidth crunch for OTA... but since PBS is providing a 24/7 HD feed to our cable it seems unfair they are unwilling to provide that to Dish or DirecTV as well.


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## Renoathf (Nov 1, 2007)

I live in Austin, Tx and right now i was able to turn on PBS and there is an HD channel. Our PBS is channel 18 and then there is 18-01 and 18-02. 18-01 is up right now showing HD programming. Don't know why it wouldn't be available in all markets.


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## BillJ (May 5, 2005)

Renoathf said:


> I live in Austin, Tx and right now i was able to turn on PBS and there is an HD channel. Our PBS is channel 18 and then there is 18-01 and 18-02. 18-01 is up right now showing HD programming. Don't know why it wouldn't be available in all markets.


You're getting it OTA, right? PBS-HD is not available to those who get their locals from the satellite.


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## whatchel1 (Jan 11, 2006)

I formerly worked for a PBS affiliate. They get much less $$ from national than most think. The taxes that go to PBS covers less than 40% the rest has to come in from local. The local PBS station has to pay extra to receive the national PBS feed. So it is simple economics that to have a national HD channel given to everyone will kill a large number of local stations. This is the reason that PBS has to run the "beg-a-thons" to bring in the money to operate. BTW most of those programs that are run during pledge cost the local station additional to buy them from Corporation for Public Broadcasting, & other providers that resell thru the PBS system. So it is unlikely that there will be any deal made for the carriage of the PBS HD program national. What goes into PBS national IS NOT distributed to the local stations. As far as the TW or other cable companies supplying the HD feed 24/7 in certain areas again that is "local" so it is an advantage for the local station to provide it when the cable co provides the equipment to take the feed (been there done that - the "local cable" co provided the fiber equipment we just gave them the output from the receiver). In conclusion PBS local stations have to get local money to survive so it would be contra-indicated to their operations to allow a national HD feed of PBS for most areas. PBS is national but not in the same sense as the big 4. One last FYI the Republican administration has tried 2 times in the past 6 years to cut the funding even more for PBS, Corp for Public Broadcasting, & NPR. Outcry from supporters of PBS to congress has barely kept what funding they have from taxes alive.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

I hear you on the funding front... that's why I'd like to see my local 24/7 PBS HD feed that cable gets on Dish rather than a national generic one. Be nice to see all the ares get their PBS feed up in HD. There really is a lot of HD on PVS that many haven't even seen. Stuff like Nova comes to immediate mind... then there are the concerts that sometimes are picked up by Rave a year or two later but are on PBS brand new.


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## whatchel1 (Jan 11, 2006)

Soundstage 2007 season was showing on RAVE before it went to PBS. Got a feeling that is a funding issue for the Boston station as well. 2 revenue streams is always better than one. Wonder if PBS just wasn't able to come up w/ enuff $$ to fund the HD conversion that the studio in Boston needed. We will see what happens in January. That is when the new season is set to start. It maybe that both or gettting it at the same time and since that is when I moved from on city to another when I changed jobs. I went from PBS to a CBS station better $$ & job for me.


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## whatchel1 (Jan 11, 2006)

Sorry guys I accidentally said Soundstage was out of Boston when it is based in Chicago. Boy did I F- that one.


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## TNGTony (Mar 23, 2002)

whatchel1 said:


> They get much less $$ from national than most think. The taxes that go to PBS covers less than 40%


I wish I could have the government pay 40% of my expenses! When the number drops to zero, then knock on my door for money. Until then I contribute enough... I help fund about 40% of PBS's costs!

See ya
Tony


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

> As far as the TW or other cable companies supplying the HD feed 24/7 in certain areas again that is "local" so it is an advantage for the local station to provide it when the cable co provides the equipment to take the feed (been there done that - the "local cable" co provided the fiber equipment we just gave them the output from the receiver). In conclusion PBS local stations have to get local money to survive so it would be contra-indicated to their operations to allow a national HD feed of PBS for most areas.


We pay an extra $1.50 per month for the National PBS feed even though we get KQED-San Francisco, KRCB-Cotati, KCSM-San Mateo, and KTEH-San Jose. I know E* giving us that feed when we get the locals violates some regulation, but it's our contribution to PBS and the schedule differences give recording flexibility. I recognize there is a problem here for PBS HD. It would be asinine to waste HD bandwidth on 4 HD PBS stations for one "local" area (it is no more local for us than Los Angeles (800 miles away) would be, but that's another issue). We'd be happy to divert the $1.50 to one station for HD. But in the San Francisco Bay Area, PBS has ended up being run like any other long term government subsidy program - wasteful and stupidly territorial.


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## whatchel1 (Jan 11, 2006)

phrelin said:


> We pay an extra $1.50 per month for the National PBS feed even though we get KQED-San Francisco, KRCB-Cotati, KCSM-San Mateo, and KTEH-San Jose. I know E* giving us that feed when we get the locals violates some regulation, but it's our contribution to PBS and the schedule differences give recording flexibility. I recognize there is a problem here for PBS HD. It would be asinine to waste HD bandwidth on 4 HD PBS stations for one "local" area (it is no more local for us than Los Angeles (800 miles away) would be, but that's another issue). We'd be happy to divert the $1.50 to one station for HD. But in the San Francisco Bay Area, PBS has ended up being run like any other long term government subsidy program - wasteful and stupidly territorial.


What $1.50 are you referring to? I don't pay an extra $1.50 for a national PBS that I know of.


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## TNGTony (Mar 23, 2002)

Some local packages have PBS national included. Most don't. The $1.50 is an a la carte fee for adding PBS National when 1) it is not included in the local package 2) you don't have distant networks package.

See ya
Tony


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## Chris Nick (Jul 25, 2006)

TNGTony said:


> Some local packages have PBS national included. Most don't. The $1.50 is an a la carte fee for adding PBS National when 1) it is not included in the local package 2) you don't have distant networks package.
> 
> See ya
> Tony


I got excited and logged into the customer service section both on the dish receiver and then online. I saw a few a la carte choices, but not pbs. Is the only way to do this over the phone, or is that option only available in some markets?

Is this only available in some markets or am I just not looking in the right place? Please advise.

BTW, I'm in the Denver DMA. OTA signal here for PBS is spotty depending on where you live. For me, sometimes it just doesn't come in at all, and other times it is weak, but doesn't break up if you mess with the antennae for a while.


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## FTA Michael (Jul 21, 2002)

The good news is that Denver has two PBS stations. The bad news is that we cannot buy the PBS national feed from Dish.


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## TNGTony (Mar 23, 2002)

Sorry. I didn't mean to give anyone false hope. I guess I should have added that the PBS national channel is NOT available in areas where a PBS affiliate is available on the local package or where a local PBS affiliate can be received with an outside antenna.

See ya
Tony


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## BillJ (May 5, 2005)

TNGTony said:


> Sorry. I didn't mean to give anyone false hope. I guess I should have added that the PBS national channel is NOT available in areas where a PBS affiliate is available on the local package or where a local PBS affiliate can be received with an outside antenna.
> 
> See ya
> Tony


I must be grandfathered then. I had PBS national before my locals were available and still have it. Keep hoping they'll make it HD. If my local PBS went HD, I'd probably drop the national feed.


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## scooper (Apr 22, 2002)

BillJ - you just haven't been hit yet. If you ever move, be prepared to lose it.


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## BillJ (May 5, 2005)

scooper said:


> BillJ - you just haven't been hit yet. If you ever move, be prepared to lose it.


I've had it this way for several years. Plan to die in this house so I guess I'm safe.


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## Donp (May 2, 2006)

I just get one PBS local SD channel with E*. With my OTA I get that one and 5 more sub channels including PBSHD after 8:00 on WKPC KET-4. It would be nice if E* would show KET-2 and 4 along with KET-1 just as the local cable (Insight) does.


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## TNGTony (Mar 23, 2002)

OTA with a 622 you would ket KET1, 2, 3 and 4 along with KET Senate and KET House of Reps. I get WCVN 54 here on the other side of the river no problems with a $39 rabbit ear antenna!

See ya
Tony


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## phrelin (Jan 18, 2007)

> What $1.50 are you referring to? I don't pay an extra $1.50 for a national PBS that I know of.


Many moons ago, we were distant network qualified. So among other things we got PBS National. When E* had to stop feeding distant networks apparently we could continue to be charged $1.50 and get the PBS channel. So, hoping PBS gets maybe $1.00 of that, we just kept paying.


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