Dish Adds 21 MPEG-4 Markets

By Greg Tarr -- TWICE, 10/23/2008

Englewood, Colo. — Dish Network said Thursday it has expanded the transition to its MPEG-4 platform by 21 markets, to a total of 52 markets in the eastern half of the United States since the transition began in August.

New customers in 52 designated markets in the eastern half of the U.S. who sign up for any Dish Network HD package will receive the system on all televisions connected to Dish Network service, the company said. This includes all standard- and high-definition programming broadcast in MPEG-4 via the service provider’s MPEG-4 HD and HD DVR receivers. Additional markets to receive the update will be announced later.

The newly-added 21 markets include: Abilene-Sweetwater, Texas; Atlanta; Birmingham (Anniston and Tuscaloosa), Ala.; Chattanooga, Tenn.; Columbia-Jefferson City, Mo.; Des Moines-Ames, Iowa; Florence-Myrtle-Beach, S.C.; Ft. Myers-Naples, Fla.; Huntsville-Decatur (Florence), Ala.; Jackson, Miss.; Joplin-Pittsburg, Mo.; Lincoln and Hastings-Kearney, Neb.; Memphis; Mobile-Pensacola (Ft. Walton Beach), Fla.; Omaha, Neb.; Quincy-Hannibal-Keokuk, Ill.; Sherman, Texas/Ada, Okla.; South Bend-Elkhart, Ind.; St. Louis; Topeka, Kan.; and Waco-Temple-Bryan; Texas.

The first 31 markets launched are: Baltimore; Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas; Boston; Chicago; Charlotte, N.C.; Cleveland; Columbia, S.C.; Detroit; Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo-Battle Creek, Mich.; Green Bay, Wis.; Greensboro, N.C.; Greenville-New Bern-Washington, N.C.; Hartford, Conn.; Knoxville, Tenn.; Lansing, Mich.; Madison, Wis.; Milwaukee; Minneapolis; Nashville, Tenn.; Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport News, Va.; New York; Providence, R.I.; Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne, Fla.; Philadelphia; Raleigh, N.C.; Richmond, Va.; Tampa, Fla.; Washington, D.C.; West Palm Beach-Fort Pierce, Fla.; and Wilkes Barre-Scranton, Pa.