They’re calling it EchoStar XIV, but for most DISH Network viewers, it simply means more channels. More specifically, more high-definition channels, which HD junkies like myself cannot seem to get enough of.
The brand-new satellite has been shipped from its manufacturer, Space Systems/Loral, and is on its way to Kazakhstan, where it will boosted into orbit atop a Proton Breeze M rocket. Yeah, I know. What the heck is that? I’ll just assume – safely I believe – that it is a big old rocket that is going to deliver the new satellite to its new home, some 23,000 miles above planet Earth.
The new satellite is being described as “a direct broadcast satellite designed to provide expanded high definition (HD) services and flexibility for DISH Network’s more than 14 million direct-to-home (DTH) television subscribers. The satellite is based on SS/L’s 1300 platform, a decades-proven modular bus with the world’s highest power capability and the flexibility to support a broad range of applications and technology advances.”
Yeah. OK. As long as it means I’ll be getting more HD channels to watch, I’m a happy camper.
I didn’t see any indication of the planned launch date, but I know that DISH Network likes to run various tests on new satellites when they are safely in orbit, so it will probably be a while before we can actually view programming from EchoStar XIV.
DISH Network Cambridge, Massachusetts
Tags: 14, dish network, EchoStar VIX, HD Channels, Kazakhstan, Launch, New Satellite