# Your remaining 'wish list' for Dish programming?



## pmjones (Aug 3, 2012)

With the PAC12 and BIG10 deals ironed out, what is left for Dish to get done to improve your customer experience?

We can say AMC, for one.

In my opinion, the really big enchilada hanging out there is the Disney mess. I would like ESPNU in HD, as well as the Disney 'family' (Disney, Disney XD, etc.) in HD.

Any others that Dish should be working on?


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## sliderbob (Aug 10, 2007)

Dish needs to get FEARnet.


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## dishrich (Apr 23, 2002)

Need to finally add (back) Smithsonian HD...


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## ATARI (May 10, 2007)

All my family needs (or wants) is the Disney channels in HD.

I would pay $1 more a month for this, gladly.


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## boba (May 23, 2003)

ATARI said:


> All my family needs (or wants) is the Disney channels in HD.
> 
> I would pay $1 more a month for this, gladly.


Why should I pay for Disney? Disney/ABC/ESPN are already the most expensive services.


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## djlong (Jul 8, 2002)

My personal "not usually in the discussion" channel that I'd like to see in NASA HD. 

I certainly have some interest in ESPN and Disney but there are plenty of people carrying those banners.


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## eclipsetrb (Jan 19, 2005)

The new bein Soccer channel in HD


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## jagowar (Jan 8, 2008)

the only "must have" channels for me are amcHD, espnUHD and nflnetwork... on at120. I understand it amc was on the at200 package before but hopefully a new deal would bring it to their lower package.


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## epokopac (Aug 8, 2007)

pmjones said:


> With the PAC12 and BIG10 deals ironed out, what is left for Dish to get done to improve your customer experience?
> 
> We can say AMC, for one.
> 
> ...


MLB Extra Innings. I believe the original 7 year deal with D*, etc. is up for renewal in 2014.


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## dewzan (Nov 7, 2009)

replace all the crapy news channels with porn, make people buy news ala carte. porn is useful info, news is all the opinions of fools. or maybe just bring back smithsonian ch. either way.


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## tymekeeper (Jan 11, 2008)

NFL Network on the 120 package.


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## azjimbo (Jun 4, 2010)

I'd love to see Dish add both MBC and SBS (Korean Language channels). I'd be willing to to pay an upgraded package fee for them as well. 

This is especially true and necessary as my current Korean language channels (Tiger Pack) are now advertising (in the EPG) that I've lost 2 of the 8 channels that are (were?) in it as of last week: WOW-TV and ONGameNet. The package still shows them there, but the guide says they're gone effective 9/19...

So, I've lost 25% of my channels any chance of my International Package bill going down 25%? - Didn't think so.

The current Tiger Pack is 19.99, add these two channels for a "Tiger Plus Pack" at 24.99 and I'm there.


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## sregener (Apr 17, 2012)

A national CW affiliate in HD. The only CW in my market is a secondary channel that is not even carried by Dish. I'd qualify for superstations, but they are not in HD nationally, so they're a no-go for me.


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## habsfan66 (Mar 25, 2010)

Everything in HD. Period.


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## tcatdbs (Jul 10, 2008)

Remove all SD Channels, and drop costs 25%.
Add:
BBC One
BBC Two
BBC Three
BBC Four
BBC HD
CBBC
BBC News Channel
BBC Parliament


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## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

"tcatdbs" said:


> BBC One
> BBC Two
> BBC Three
> BBC Four
> ...


...not even possible.


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## jbeers65 (Mar 11, 2006)

YES
SNY
MSG
&
TVLand HD


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## altidude (Jan 13, 2010)

Time Warner Cable SportsNet


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## runner861 (Mar 20, 2010)

NASA HD, C-SPAN 1, 2, and 3, all in HD, and the superstation pack in HD. All RSN's in full-time HD. The MLB Extra Innings pack, in HD, and Disney Channel in HD and ABC Family Channel in HD. Me and RTV in HD (in case any of the old shows get remastered). CNN International in HD.


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## Jhon69 (Mar 28, 2006)

habsfan66 said:


> Everything in HD. Period.


I totally agree,with DirecTV adding more basic HD channels it's time for DISH to make their basic channel HD offerings better with even more HD channels.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

Jhon69 said:


> I totally agree,with DirecTV adding more basic HD channels it's time for DISH to make their basic channel HD offerings better with even more HD channels.


DISH's biggest hole at the moment is 24/7 regional sports. Even though I don't watch mine not having them has become an issue. It was OK a couple of years ago when the channels themselves lacked 24/7 HD content but it is time to catch up.

I'd also like to see some of the specialty channels like NASA go HD ... but I realize with limited bandwidth the decision on what to fill that space with will likely come down to contracts (where a renewing network refuses carriage without a HD channel) or how much money DISH can make off of the addition.


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## inazsully (Oct 3, 2006)

How about less compression? Blow everybody else out of the water.


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## sregener (Apr 17, 2012)

"inazsully" said:


> How about less compression? Blow everybody else out of the water.


+1

And do away with HD-Lite.


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## MCHuf (Oct 9, 2011)

sregener said:


> +1
> 
> And do away with HD-Lite.


All providers broadcast in "HD Lite" If you want real HD, then you have to watch Blu-Rays.


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## inazsully (Oct 3, 2006)

MCHuf said:


> All providers broadcast in "HD Lite" If you want real HD, then you have to watch Blu-Rays.


Hence the wish for less compression. Let Dish lead the way with the least compression resulting in the best PQ. Sort of like a price war but in this case a PQ war. And the winner should reap the spoils.


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## pfred (Feb 8, 2009)

tcatdbs said:


> Remove all SD Channels, and drop costs 25%.
> Add:
> BBC One
> BBC Two
> ...


Yeah right. 
And I want 
The Caribbean Fly Fishing Channel
The Mississippi Fly Fishing Channel
The Australia Fly Fishing Channel


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## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

"MCHuf" said:


> All providers broadcast in "HD Lite" If you want real HD


False.


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## satlover25 (Jan 3, 2006)

TvOne. I've been asking for it for years. I've waited patiently and I would hate to leave because of one channel, but as my signature shows, it's happening.


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## MCHuf (Oct 9, 2011)

Hoosier205 said:


> False.


Great explanation! Now tell me who, outside of some PPV movies, broadcast in 1080p?


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## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

"MCHuf" said:


> Great explanation! Now tell me who, outside of some PPV movies, broadcast in 1080p?


720p, 1080i, and 1080p are all real HD. HD-Lite is a specific term used to describe Dish Network's downsampling of all 1080i channels and reducing their picture quality. What you are thinking of is the marketing term "full HD" and that refers to 1080p.


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## fudpucker (Jul 23, 2007)

Maybe a better way to put it: the HD picture you get from OTA is visually better than what you get from the same show on satellite.


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## sregener (Apr 17, 2012)

"MCHuf" said:


> All providers broadcast in "HD Lite" If you want real HD, then you have to watch Blu-Rays.


All providers down-scale 1080i (which is 1920x1080 interlaced lines) to 1440x1080? That is what Dish appears to do, and that was the HD-Lite I was referring to.

What I would like to see is the full resolution provided by the network in question, but also use enough bandwidth to provide a signal as artifact-free as the original.

It simply makes no sense for Dish to provide channels in 1080p that are sourced to them as 1080i. Calling such a failure "HD Lite" robs the definition of meaning.


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## sregener (Apr 17, 2012)

"fudpucker" said:


> Maybe a better way to put it: the HD picture you get from OTA is visually better than what you get from the same show on satellite.


I get a much better picture from ESPN via satellite than OTA.

Local-into-Local is way over-compressed, at least what I've seen of it. But this was not the HD Lite I was referring to. LiL is bandwidth starved, and that is unlikely to change.

Comparing apples to apples, Dish's picture should provide as much detail and color depth as cable or DirecTV do, and it is here that I think Dish is failing to deliver.


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## inazsully (Oct 3, 2006)

I have read that FIOS utilizes the least amount of compression. I don't know if that's true. When it comes to compression of signals does anyone really know who does what? Are signals compressed equally on a night to night basis or a channel to channel basis? How about a show to show basis on the same channel? Also, at what distance from a 50" screen can the human eye tell the difference between 1080i at Full HD and HD Lite?


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## domingos35 (Jan 12, 2006)

Hoosier205 said:


> 720p, 1080i, and 1080p are all real HD. HD-Lite is a specific term used to describe Dish Network's downsampling of all 1080i channels and reducing their picture quality. What you are thinking of is the marketing term "full HD" and that refers to 1080p.


funny thing is dish's HD looks better than directv's


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## Hoosier205 (Sep 3, 2007)

"domingos35" said:


> funny thing is dish's HD looks better than directv's


If only that were possible


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

Please take your personal battle over HD quality to PM. That isn't what this thread is for.


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## sregener (Apr 17, 2012)

"inazsully" said:


> How about a show to show basis on the same channel? Also, at what distance from a 50" screen can the human eye tell the difference between 1080i at Full HD and HD Lite?


I watched Frozen Planet on Discovery during my transition from DirecTV to Dish. I did not have both services simultaneously, so I could not do a true A/B comparison, but I think the comparison I made was valid. I used a 50" 1080p plasma television. Detail was visibly less on Dish, viewed at 8'. I also had to significantly boost color in my television settings to get a proper picture from the Hopper. Boosting leads to an increase in artifacts, in my experience, but sports like football appear totally washed out with settings that look correct for both Blu-Ray and DirecTV. In other words, color depth (which is an easy way to overcompress a signal) is very lacking on Dish. Another channel I frequently watch is the Tennis Channel, and again, my opinion was that Dish lacked that sharp-as-a-tack picture I had seen on DirecTV.

I don't think color depth would be viewing distance dependent. And a wall prevented me from viewing further away than 8' but I could see that the picture detail was less on Dish. Others have asserted the opposite - that Dish's picture is more detailed, but I haven't seen it. Some have argued that I was sitting too close to the television, but I was actually at the outside edge of THX's recommended viewing distance.

So my programming wish for Dish is not more channels (I have plenty, thank you) but a higher quality on existing channels. This obviously means dedicating more bandwidth, and since they are unlikely to be tossing bandwidth they have, would mean they must eliminate duplicate SD channels to create the space. I'd also 
Ike to see a tuner for the Hopper, as local channels are terrible.


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## clotter (Apr 12, 2008)

AMC AMC AMC
Smithsonian HD
All the encore channels in HD


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## fudpucker (Jul 23, 2007)

sregener said:


> I get a much better picture from ESPN via satellite than OTA.


How do you get ESPN with an OTA antenna?? I was talking about watching the local HD networks via OTA antenna -you get ESPN OTA?


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## inazsully (Oct 3, 2006)

fudpucker said:


> How do you get ESPN with an OTA antenna?? I was talking about watching the local HD networks via OTA antenna -you get ESPN OTA?


Because I record so much content on a weekly basis I find myself recording at least 20 hours using OTA. Being the nosy person I am I can't help but compare OTA vs "E" PQ. Comparing nightly broadcasts like NCIS, Bones, Vampire Diaries, Blue Bloods, Castle, as well as NFL games on ESPN, CBS, and FOX, baseball games on FSNAZ and PAC-12 Channel, boxing on HBO and ESPN 2, I see no noticeable differences between OTA and "E". I really expected to and actually was hoping I would. I've asked my wife many times for her opinion and she agrees with me. Sony 60A3000.


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## sregener (Apr 17, 2012)

inazsully said:


> I see no noticeable differences between OTA and "E". I really expected to and actually was hoping I would.


Many people cannot see the differences. I wish I was one of them. And it no doubt varies by market - if the local spot beams are full, then they have to compress more than an area where the local spot beams have plenty of bandwidth.

The two things to look for are 1) color depth - how rich and vibrant are the colors? An overcompressed picture will look dull. And 2) pixelization - parts of the screen going to blocks. The blockiness is temporary, and almost always on visually busy screens, so it can be hard to detect.

I recorded the finale of American Idol last year, and as the confetti flew, the screen was a horrible mess of large pixels on Dish, but OTA was nearly perfect. Quite often on close-ups of performers, their faces had obvious lack of color depth - there were distinct visible lines from one color to the next making it almost look cartoonish. Honestly, it was quite hard for me to watch. I've seen less evidence of trouble in NFL broadcasts, so maybe things have improved.


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## Jim5506 (Jun 7, 2004)

I want Dish to start fighting to drop the trash channels with which the providers pack their programming packages. 

We don't need more channels, we need fewer channels of better quality.

Heaven knows we have more channels than we can watch and it is no longer anything to brag about that you have 250 channels of garbage.

Quality, not quantity.


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## tampa8 (Mar 30, 2002)

inazsully said:


> I see no noticeable differences between OTA and "E".





sregener said:


> Many people cannot see the differences. I wish I was one of them. And it no doubt varies by market - if the local spot beams are full, then they have to compress more than an area where the local spot beams have plenty of bandwidth.
> 
> The two things to look for are 1) color depth - how rich and vibrant are the colors? An overcompressed picture will look dull. And 2) pixelization - parts of the screen going to blocks. The blockiness is temporary, and almost always on visually busy screens, so it can be hard to detect.
> 
> I recorded the finale of American Idol last year, and as the confetti flew, the screen was a horrible mess of large pixels on Dish, but OTA was nearly perfect. Quite often on close-ups of performers, their faces had obvious lack of color depth - there were distinct visible lines from one color to the next making it almost look cartoonish. Honestly, it was quite hard for me to watch. I've seen less evidence of trouble in NFL broadcasts, so maybe things have improved.


I too have gone back and forth, closely looking at the same program, when possible same scene, looking at fine details like hair on arms, facial details, looking for artifacts. I look standing at the 55" LG screen, and at viewing distance,for me about 10 feet. I _may_ see the most extreme slightest of difference as far that criteria goes, meaning no clarity or pixelization differences worth mentioning.

There is a slight, but a little more difference in the color saturation. Enough to set the OTA input with just a little less color saturation. Now that may mean there is a little less detail also, but I just can not see it.
We too have the last episode of American Idol on an EHD, so I looked at it. On the EA anyway, it has none of the problems noted. I can't compare it to OTA since I did not record it from there.

I can honestly say from normal viewing distance especially there is virtually no difference, or certainly not enough to be noticed. Different inputs have separate settings specifically for the things like different color saturation from different sources, so in the end, the color saturation is the same for both.
I don't doubt however it can be different on both sides for some people, satellite with maybe fuller HD spotbeams, or OTA with more or less sub channels. Screen size and quality of the TV also play a role. But I would say it is fair to say generally the Dish signal is at the least very close to OTA . If OTA is at this time the gold broadcasting standard, Dish is just about there. It's the end result, what you see that counts more than the technical numbers. 
Contrast all that to Charter, many of my friends in Ct. where I am have, and you can most definitely see the difference. It's not subjective.


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## bnewt (Oct 2, 2003)

AMC, Smithsonian, ESPNU, Disney, ABC Family, Fox Movie


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## PBowie (Jan 4, 2006)

Fox Soccer + AND BEIN in HD !


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## siwsiw (Aug 15, 2007)

beIN HD, ESPNEWS HD, ESPNU HD, FXM HD


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## jajone13 (Oct 2, 2012)

ESPNU HD


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## blackhillsjk (Mar 2, 2012)

ESPNU HD.....HHHMMMMMM, seems like a trend. Dish are you listening ?


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## satcrazy (Mar 16, 2011)

Local OTA is not always HD.

MLB always looks great during a game. So did the world series on the local fox channel.

I believe it is all source stuff.

I noticed yesterday after Sons of anarchy was over on FX,[ picture was just fine] they ran "rescue me" [ I think that's what is was] and the picture was obviously compressed. I had to flip channels to see if there was a problem, but nope, the guide bar read HD, even though it wasn't.

Wish Dish would add all the Encore channels to HD. It's not much of a bonus of subbing to 250 if the picture is crappy.


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## sregener (Apr 17, 2012)

satcrazy said:


> I believe it is all source stuff.


And that's why my comparison of a recorded program from Dish with the same program recorded OTA using a DTVPal DVR was relevant - the source was the same in both cases, but the quality of the picture was positively, definitively different. But I also believe that bandwidth limitations are addressed differently by Dish in different markets, and thus it is entirely possible that Dish is not bandwidth starving your OTA locals, while they clearly are mine.


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## clotter (Apr 12, 2008)

Now that the new season of Supernatural has started I have to add the OTA tuner for Hopper to the list. I know it's not exactly a programming wish, but my local CW through DISH is not HD and it was PAINFUL to watch last night.


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## ggotch5445 (Sep 27, 2009)

I have previously suggested elsewhere that I also would like to see NASA-TV in HD, but I have just become aware of the fact that NASA has several different TV feeds. I was looking to catch a press conference the other day, and found that it was not broadcast on the feed that we get on Dish.

I would suggest/request that Dish carry all of the NASA feeds on Dish online, enabling subscribers to view all of the NASA feeds including the HD one.


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## satcrazy (Mar 16, 2011)

sregener said:


> And that's why my comparison of a recorded program from Dish with the same program recorded OTA using a DTVPal DVR was relevant - the source was the same in both cases, but the quality of the picture was positively, definitively different. But I also believe that bandwidth limitations are addressed differently by Dish in different markets, and thus it is entirely possible that Dish is not bandwidth starving your OTA locals, while they clearly are mine.


easy enough to figure out.

My plasma is also hooked to an antenna as a alternate to dish for OTA.

I really don't watch locals too much, [ local news mostly, some PBS but, that's never compressed] and the next time I do, I will flip between the two inputs to see the difference. I suspect however, it is source compression, but I could be wrong.


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## satcrazy (Mar 16, 2011)

OK,
flipped between dish and antenna on locals.

Definately source based, at least for OTA.


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## Paul Secic (Dec 16, 2003)

pmjones said:


> With the PAC12 and BIG10 deals ironed out, what is left for Dish to get done to improve your customer experience?
> 
> We can say AMC, for one.
> 
> ...


Hopfully Disney will settle soon. I want ESPNU-HD & the Living Well Network which is a sub channel on ABC7 in San Francisco.


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## jamelar (Dec 30, 2010)

*BBC WORLD*
A 24 hour world news channel that is available in most the world and a few cable systems in the US. Reports on world events that is ignored by the US media.

*CNN INTERNATIONAL*
Is also available in most the world and a few cable systems in the US.


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## NightTimeHD (Nov 24, 2009)

PBS in HD


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## greatwhitenorth (Jul 18, 2005)

"jamelar" said:


> BBC WORLD
> A 24 hour world news channel that is available in most the world and a few cable systems in the US. Reports on world events that is ignored by the US media.
> 
> CNN INTERNATIONAL
> Is also available in most the world and a few cable systems in the US.


One idea I have always thought would be great was an English Language International package. The 2 channels you mentioned plus maybe CBC, the real BBC, any other english speaking channels out there.


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## Mark Martin (Nov 12, 2009)

ESPNU in HD
My local CW channel in HD

I was with DirecTV for almost ten years and I think the one major area that DTV has the advantage is they carry more locals in HD. Dish on the other hand can be easier on your wallet.


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## PBowie (Jan 4, 2006)

Can we get Voom back??


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