More detail from MDU on proposed HDTV upgrade at Marina City

21-Feb-08 – About 30 people gathered Thursday evening to hear a proposal by MDU Communications Inc. to upgrade high-definition television service to residents at Marina City.

Steve Moore, General Manager for MDU’s Mid-West Regional Office, says with prices coming down, more people are buying HDTV sets and demand is increasing for high-definition channels.

With some financial backing from DirectTV, MDU wants to upgrade equipment at Marina City to accommodate 150 new HD channels. Anyone who wants HD service would then have to purchase a new receiver. However, Moore says he is working with residential property management to determine how much, if anything, existing HD customers would have to pay for new receivers.

The changes would not affect DirectTV customers who do not want HD channels, except for a small increase to the condo association that Moore estimates will be about $1 per unit per month.

The plan still has to be approved by the MTCA board of directors, but Moore is hoping to start on April 1.

Relaying these new channels are two new satellites, one of which is currently in orbit. Back on the ground at Marina City, new dish antennas on the penthouse roof of each tower would have to be installed, and the fiber optic cables that lead from them would be upgraded. New electronics would distribute satellite channels more efficiently and only as needed by in-unit receivers. The upgrades would take 4-6 weeks to complete.

Moore says the price for standard HD service, about $10 per month, would not change and that the majority of the new channels, along with local stations, will be included in the standard HD package.

Right now, only about 80 Marina City residents have HD service, but Moore expects this to change. “More and more people are going out and buying high-definition televisions. Some sets that three years ago were $4,000 are now below $1500. When we launched the property, we were selling a high-def receiver for $299, and now a high-def receiver is 99 bucks. You’re really going to see this service take off.”

Moore says the DirectTV channel lineup will change dramatically within 4-6 months. The second of the new satellites is launching in March and it generally takes 4-6 months to get it properly tested.

The first place to get the new service could be the meeting room on the concourse level. Moore says MDU will bring in a big-screen tv and have demonstrations of HDTV. “A live demonstration later in the year will really help educate the residents as they can see, touch and feel the real service.”