More HD on Shaw Direct before end of 2012? Lets take a look

[bigoranget]

Is it possibel for Shaw Direct to add more HD before the end of 2012? Lets take a look at the traffic as it stands currently.

Anik F1R
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Transponder 1: CLEAR
Transponder 10: 4x HD MPEG-2 8PSK channels
Transponder 13: 3x HD MPEG-2 8PSK channels, 1x SD MPEG-2 8PSK channel

Anik F2
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Transponder 2: 3x HD MPEG-2 8PSK channels, 2x SD MPEG-2 8PSK channels
Transponder 5: 3x HD MPEG-2 8PSK channels
Transponder 7: 4x HD MPEG-2 8PSK channels
Transponder 8: 3x HD MPEG-2 8PSK channels, 2x SD MPEG-2 8PSK channels
Transponder 10: 3x HD MPEG-2 8PSK channels, 1x SD MPEG-2 8PSK channel
Transponder 11: 3x HD MPEG-2 8PSK channels
Transponder 12: 3x HD MPEG-2 8PSK channels, 1x SD MPEG-2 8PSK channel
Transponder 15: 3x HD MPEG-2 8PSK channels, 2x SD MPEG-2 8PSK channels
Transponder 18: 2x HD MPEG-2 8PSK channels
Transponder 20: 3x HD MPEG-2 8PSK channels
Transponder 21: 3x HD MPEG-2 8PSK channels, 1x SD MPEG-2 8PSK channels
Transponder 22: 2x HD MPEG-2 8PSK channels
Transponder 25: 3x HD MPEG-2 8PSK channels
Transponder 27: 4x HD MPEG-2 8PSK channels
Transponder 31: 3x HD MPEG-2 8PSK channels, 2x SD MPEG-2 8PSK channels
Transponder 32: 4x HD MPEG-2 8PSK channels

I've only included the transponders that currently have HD feeds and the one transponder on Anik F1R that is currently empty.
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Okay so if we know for sure that none of the current HD feeds are switching to MPEG-4. Lets assume that they will use Anik F1R, Transponder 1 for MPEG-4 HD. This will allow Shaw Direct to add 6 new HD channels.

Then there is several transponders that have just 2x HD channels or just 3x HD channels. If we assume that Shaw Direct may max out capacity on each transponder by offering 4x feeds per transponder; thats about another 8 chanenls there. There is also some transponders that have 3x HD feeds and 1x SD feeds. They could probably place SD chanenls such as RDS2, TVA Sports and Mille to these transponders (I'm fairly sure that is going to be the case). So with that said; Shaw could feasibly add about another 10-14 HD channels between now and next year.

They could probably also make more room if they move some of the English and French locals to MPEG-4 SD. I believe they are still planning to drop the Spokane feeds at some point, so that will make more room as well.