# DIRECTV and DISH Network Not Ready For DTV Switch (on at least one station)



## cj9788 (May 14, 2003)

http://www.wkrg.com/technology/article/directv_and_dish_network_not_ready_for_dtv_switch/21983/

_The two largest satellite providers in the country are not ready for the DTV switch.

WKRG ran two tests on Tuesday to help viewers know who's ready and who's not. Subscribers of both DIRECTV and DISH Network saw the slate pictured on the right, indicating they are not receiving WKRG's digital signal. That means if the switch happened today, they would only see static._

Wonder if there were any other marets or stations affected?


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

> DISH Network spokesperson Francie Bower told us "we're in the process of converting all the markets, including Mobile." Bower says subscribers don't need to worry. She insists DISH Network will be ready. When asked for a timeline, Bower said "we hope to have everyone done by January."
> 
> DIRECTV also promises to be ready. Spokesperson Robert Mercer said "(Mobile) is handled by a third party provider and has not been converted yet." Mercer says they do not have an ETA on when the conversion will happen. But he says the company will be ready.


Weekly tests are being run in my market ... DISH has been ready since October.

It takes time to upgrade all 178 markets that DISH has locals in. They will get it done on time. (And so will DirecTV in their SD markets.)

They still have 57 days, 23 hours.


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## jclewter79 (Jan 8, 2008)

cj9788 said:


> http://www.wkrg.com/technology/article/directv_and_dish_network_not_ready_for_dtv_switch/21983/
> 
> _The two largest satellite providers in the country are not ready for the DTV switch.
> 
> ...


Good thing the switch did not happen today.


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## Slamminc11 (Jan 28, 2005)

worked fine here when they did the test.


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## fwampler (Dec 2, 2005)

cj9788 said:


> http://www.wkrg.com/technology/article/directv_and_dish_network_not_ready_for_dtv_switch/21983/
> 
> _The two largest satellite providers in the country are not ready for the DTV switch.
> 
> ...


Worked fine for me.


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## scooper (Apr 22, 2002)

Last test on Dec 17, neither provider was ready in Raleigh yet.


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## SaltiDawg (Aug 30, 2004)

cj9788 said:


> http://www.wkrg.com/technology/article/directv_and_dish_network_not_ready_for_dtv_switch/21983/
> 
> _The two largest satellite providers in the country are not ready for the DTV switch.
> ..._
> ...


A companion question might be, "I wonder how many *stations* are not yet ready? "


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## boba (May 23, 2003)

*Wait until the Feb. 17th test that is the only one you really need to worry about. Until then let DISH and DIRECTV worry about it.*


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## BattleZone (Nov 13, 2007)

That article makes a BIG assumption.

Just because DirecTV and Dish aren't *currently* using the digital feed of that one station (and many others) doesn't mean that they don't already have the equipment ready and the feed available. In many cases, they do. But for a number of reasons, the analog feed is still being used until we get closer to the cut-off date.

That may be because the analog and digital feeds are different, it may be because the station hasn't yet determined how they want the SD feed to be created from the digital feed (center cut? letterboxed?), or because there is a contractual or technical reason (equipment issues) for not switching yet.

Regardless, these tests are MEANINGLESS to satellite subscribers, because it is up to the provider, no the end-user, to take care of the switch-over, and in many markets, it was never planned to happen before the cut-over date anyway.


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## DustoMan (Jul 16, 2005)

Some one here posted a schedule on when the DBS providers were switching over to digital signals. I can't remember where I saw it, but everyone was on the list so don't worry about it.

Thanks for the FUD thread.

EDIT: Found it.


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## Sirshagg (Dec 30, 2006)

jclewter79 said:


> Good thing the switch did not happen today.


I would think if the switch was scheduled for today then they would have been ready today.


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## jclewter79 (Jan 8, 2008)

Sirshagg said:


> I would think if the switch was scheduled for today then they would have been ready today.


My point precisely.


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