Website: We've been making some subtle improvements to
the look and feel of our website. First, we've moved the news
(what you're reading now) to this page rather than have it
clutter up our main page.
Customer info updates: Many of our customers change
email addresses often and a recent experience has shown us that
we need to allow our customers to update their email addresses
so that we can keep in touch. So now, when you fill out our
order form and click the submit button, if your email address
has changed our system will automatically update your customer
account info. You will soon be able to update your phone number
as well however, if you have a change of physical address you
will still need to notify us by email.
Rehit system: Some time ago, we set up the first and
only real, online, live web C-Band rehit system. At the time, it
was experimental because we weren't sure how well or reliably it
would work. While we're still the only ones doing live online
rehits on a website, we've streamlined the way our rehit system
actually works and made it substantially more reliable. While
this change will be invisible to most customer, it helps our system
out a lot and should result in getting rehits to your system
more reliably than ever before and in many cases, faster.
Activation System fully automated: October 21 2003: On
August 1st, we set up the only real, online, live web C-Band
programming activation system. Lots of bugs in the software were
worked out in the following weeks. We tried to make this change as
transparent to customers as possible but unfortunately, about 5 out
of every 1000 activations were delayed though most delays were less
than 15 minutes. The new system is now working very reliably with no
problems or delays seen in the last 3 weeks.
AMC: AMC has moved to G1-1
Bravo: BRAVO moved to W4/S4 – 22
Lifetime: no longer available on c-band
Hbo/Cinemax: HBO 2 East, HBO 2 West, HBO Signature
East, and MoreMAX East will be leaving analog C-Band on May 31,
2004. Customers with 4DTV receivers will be able to receive
these channels on their 4DTV receivers. The remaining HBO/Cinemax
feeds will continue on analog C-Band after May 31.
Fox Movie Channel: The FX Channel located on AMC-7 (W7
at 137W), transponder 7 has been terminated and replaced with
Fox Movie Channel. Fox will dual illuminate Fox Movie Channel on
AMC-7, transponder 7 and AMC-3 (W3 at 87W), transponder 18 until
January 31, 2003. On 1-31-03 the AMC-3, transponder 18 Fox Movie
Channel will terminate, making the AMC-7, transponder 7 the
location home of Fox Movie Channel.
Discovery Channel West / Travel Channel / Animal Planet:
Effective January 1, 2004, Discovery Communications Inc. will
digitize the analog signals of three of its programming services and
move the signals to a new satellite location, as follows:
Discovery
(West Coast Feed) Satcom C4, transponder 14 (previously G5,
transponder 12)
Animal Planet Satcom C4, transponder 14 channel 603 (previously C4, transponder 15)
Travel Channel Satcom C4, transponder 14
Channel 602 (previously C4, transponder 13).
Discovery Channel (Analog East Coast Feed) and The Learning
Channel (Analog Feed) will remain as they are now.
Starz: All of the analog channels of the Starz Movie Pak have moved
to Galaxy 9 (G9) at 127°W on transponders 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20.
Starz HD and Starz Kids: The high def Starz East and West
feeds are viewable with a 4DTV receiver, a high definition TV, and a
HDD-200 Motorola high definition decoder box. Locations are G9/122 &
124. Digital Starz Kids East and West feeds are on G1/157 and
C4/101.
SUNDANCE CHANNEL: To meet the growing demand from
consumers for high definition programming, Showtime Networks plans
to launch The Movie Channel HD on November 1, 2003. To accomplish
this launch, effective October 1, 2003 Showtime will cease
transmitting the analog version of the Sundance Channel, east feed,
C4/20. Sundance Channel subscribers who own a Motorola 4DTV digital
receiver will be able to continue to view the Sundance Channel east
feed, C3/117 and the west feed GO/117. At this time we have no
further information on The Movie Channel
LIFETIME WEST: The Lifetime West satellite feed on Satcom
C3, transponder 4 is changing to PowerVu encryption. This means all
of our customers will no longer receive the West feed. On September
15th they began a simulcast of the PowerVu signal. On October 15th,
2003 the videocipher feed will be terminated. Lifetime's East feed
on Galaxy 5 is not affected by this change.
A&E West: The A&E West satellite feed on Galaxy
10R,transponder 23 is changing to digital PowerVu encryption. This
means that all of our customers will no longer receive the West feed
effective September 30,2003. Customers are currently seeing a
message on this channel stating the West feed will not be available
9/30/03. There is no immediate change with The History Channel East
or West feeds.
DISNEY: Disney West, G1/7 Analog feed has disappeared off
C-Band analog. We have not received any official word at this time
for the change.
CMVT: OnSat Magazine is reporting that Country Music TV
will drop off analog C-Band after the first of the year. We have not
received any official word on this possible change. However, one of
its main shows, The Grand Old Opry, has moved to GAC (Great American
Country) 4DTV on C3/810. CMTV is currently located at F4/24.
