Thread: MPEG4 Transition - What does it mean for BEV subscribers?

Cablecos have gone from 64 QAM to 256 QAM to better accommodate the HD needs of their subs and is similar to the QPSK to 8PSK migration that *C is currently undertaking.
These are both excellent ways to gain additional bandwidth while preserving the heavy investment in existing MPEG2 compression technology.

MPEG4 is a handy solution as well, but comes with it's own issues.
Just like Bells MPEG4 dilema, other MPEG4 set top deployments are hampered by the massive inventory in MPEG2 STB's.
In addition, a lot of existing infrastructure just doesn't play with MPEG4 at all, particularly for cablecos.

In theory, it should be easier for DTH/DBS providers to do MPEG4 as they need only deal with a single uplink and then user set tops.

Even though the last 2 *C HD units are MPEG4 ready out of the box with many 10's of thousands already deployed, it will be their attachment to the cable world that either delays them are they go the cost alone.
Their 8PSK swap is requiring upgrades to existing headends.

I DO like the idea of moving into 8PSK initially for it's 3/2 gain over QPSK and then later on leveraging MPEG4 for another doubling of B/W once the cost of infrastructure goes down and the selection and reliability goes.

I fear that Bev is being dragged along due to their affiliation with Echostar and hasn't considered all the possibilities and costs.

Customers who have an AIO contract -- almost everyone new since July 2006 and many renewing since -- are locked in to their current hardware for 24 months. There is no option to swap one model for another without paying fees. Bell may relax that rule but that's the official word. Customers who signed up, for example, for a PVR with programming for two years and accepted a second SD receiver "free" for a year, must pay for the second year. You can't downgrade the PVR and, I was told, can't upgrade it either. You can, of course, add some additional hardware -- at full fees. Do you have 3 TVs? Will you pay for the extra install?

Currently the word is once the AIO contract expires -- and this was in the fine print of the Bell World flyer recently -- you have the option to upgrade to the latest model (only at the end of the contract) but you then lock in for a SECOND two year contract. Hmmmmm. Good deal?

If they are still in business as we know them today for the next tidal change.

Competition is GOOD for consumers, otherwise we'd all still have 13 channels of analog cable.

Does anybody know if DN has switched to MPEG- 4

Their formula seems to be working well, with over twice the customer base as Starchoice! Clearly Starchoice could learn a few things about the business from BEV. Too late for them though, SC won't be in business much longer.

-Mike

Bell has been streaming firmware for a EV211 off and on for the past year.

http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/show...ghlight=vip211

I'm so glad people keep pointing that out to the troll. BEV may not be perfect, but they've done something right to have as many customers as they do...

As for this transition - I think part of the real problem is that the voices we hear here are only a very, VERY small portion of BEV subscribers. I'm sure most people will transition rather smoothly when the time comes.

Truer words ....

Hate to speculate... but heard a rumour about the new BEV boxes, and the ethernet ports, and got pretty excited about the possibilities. Bandwidth would certainly be less of an issue if what I heard today was true!

And in the current environment where they don't know who their owner will be next quarter, are they going to "execute" a multi-million dollar upgrade?