DirecTV expanding HD channel selection

[jermwhl]

Has anyone else seen the commercial from DirecTV claiming that "soon" they will be offering 150 HD channels?
I don't see how this is possible, being that there isn't 150 companies offering HD feeds. I know A&E is a new HD feed, and courtv, cartoon network, CNN and a few others are launching HD feeds this year, but are we really going to be up to 150? Exciting if we are, but I contacted Time Warner and they told me they would be offering 30 channels by years end. That seems alot more doable!!!

[theknub]

who knows, maybe all the movie channels, more ppv, usa, tbs, national geographic, learning channel... it's possible. im just curious to see as to what.

[GoldenRedux]

This is actually quite old news. They had a press conference sometime around the end of 2005 announcing this and the launch of their new satellites, the switch over to Mpeg4 from Mpeg2, and that they were dropping Tivo for their own Mpeg4 HD-DVRs. They are currently still in the process of the switch over, though I do believe that all the new satellites may already have been launched.

The 150 HD channels, if I am not mistaken, will include national cable networks, local HD channels, HD PPV channels, and sports packages such as NFL Sunday Ticket. So it is not as far fetched as it may sound.

[jermwhl]

I know the channels add up, but they aren't nowhere near 150 correct?
The satellites have been launched, that I know of, I remember reading those press releases you were talking about. I just didn't expect to see them advertise it on national television so soon.

A&E HD
MTV HD
CNN HD
courtv HD
cartoon network HD
national geographic HD
discovery HD
NBC HD
ABC HD
Fox HD
CBS HD
PBS HD
In HD
INHD movies
universal HD
HBO HD
Cinemax HD
Encore HD

=18
That's all I can think of right now! Let's add to this list and see if we can come up with 150! U.S. broadcasts only.

[BigRick]

Well I Have Direct Tv And They Sent Us A New Satalite Dish Couple Months Back For The New HD Programming. It Has 5 LNB's And The Old Ones Had Three. The Satalites They Luanched Up Are For HD Only. Man Im So Exited Cant Wait

[Zvi]

AFAIK that's the ususl marketing terminology play. They have CAPABIILTY to offer 150 HD chanels, not actual broadcasts. I doubt there's even 50 HD chanels today. There is more about that on dbstalks forum. But simply put that will have bandwidth for 150 HD chanels (still unclear what bitrates can they offer, because dish sux a lot lately, so overcompressed...), but not actual HD broadcasts.

[jermwhl]

Originally Posted by BigRick

Well I Have Direct Tv And They Sent Us A New Satalite Dish Couple Months Back For The New HD Programming. It Has 5 LNB's And The Old Ones Had Three. The Satalites They Luanched Up Are For HD Only. Man Im So Exited Cant Wait

Those 5 LNB dishes have been out for at least 18 months. They gave me one when I had directv almost 2 years ago.
There is a newer LNB coming out that looks like a single LNB, but is long and narrow. I will try and find a photo of it.

[inaz4sun]

Originally Posted by jermwhl

I know the channels add up, but they aren't nowhere near 150 correct?
The satellites have been launched, that I know of, I remember reading those press releases you were talking about. I just didn't expect to see them advertise it on national television so soon.

A&E HD
MTV HD
CNN HD
courtv HD
cartoon network HD
national geographic HD
discovery HD
NBC HD
ABC HD
Fox HD
CBS HD
PBS HD
In HD
INHD movies
universal HD
HBO HD
Cinemax HD
Encore HD

=18
That's all I can think of right now! Let's add to this list and see if we can come up with 150! U.S. broadcasts only.

Dish has like 15-20 Voom HD channels and a total lineup of about 30+ not including locals, those don't count, c'mon.

TNT HD
ESPN HD
ESPN2 HD
FOOD HD
HDNET
HDNET Movies
HGTV HD
Starz HD
NBA HD
Versus HD

[jermwhl]

A&E HD
MTV HD
CNN HD
courtv HD
cartoon network HD
national geographic HD
discovery HD
NBC HD
ABC HD
Fox HD
CBS HD
PBS HD
In HD
INHD movies
universal HD
HBO HD
Cinemax HD
Encore HD
TNT HD
ESPN HD
ESPN2 HD
FOOD HD
HDNET
HDNET Movies
HGTV HD
Starz HD
NBA HD
Versus HD
=28

[GoldenRedux]

Originally Posted by jermwhl

I know the channels add up, but they aren't nowhere near 150 correct?
The satellites have been launched, that I know of, I remember reading those press releases you were talking about. I just didn't expect to see them advertise it on national television so soon.

A&E HD
MTV HD
CNN HD
courtv HD
cartoon network HD
national geographic HD
discovery HD
NBC HD
ABC HD
Fox HD
CBS HD
PBS HD
In HD
INHD movies
universal HD
HBO HD
Cinemax HD
Encore HD

=18
That's all I can think of right now! Let's add to this list and see if we can come up with 150! U.S. broadcasts only.

Well, they can count HBO East and HBO West as two, if they finally start carrying both in HD, the same for Showtime East and West and the Starz channels. You also left off

HDNet
HDNet Movies
Food Network HD
ESPN HD
ESPN2 HD
ESPN College(?) HD (Can't remember the exact name, but I know they have an HD channel dedicated to college sports).
TNT HD
USA HD
They could also add more PPV channels in HD. Right now, they only offer one. Then, as I said, there are the sport subscriptions which take up many channels, in addition to any other national HD channels that may launch in the future.

[haiku_aubade]

isn't the government imposing that all broadcasts will have to convert to HD by like 2009? I read that somewhere, but it's been a long time ago so I don't have the link on hand. I hope this gets implemented.

[inaz4sun]

Read between the lines on this, its just total marketing BS. It says that they "soon" will have the "potential" to have "as many as" 150 HD channels.

Soon meaning when? Within 10 years? Before the medium for delivery of television totally changes to the internet? Soon means nothing.

Potential. Well potentially we will all have flying cars. Again it means nothing.

Up to. Like you could win "up to" a million dollars, but you will actually most likely only win $10. Its marketing BS. There aren't 150 HD channels. They were once including all the locals in that number too, like there are 5 HD locals in each market x 100 markets etc... = wow we will have 500 HD channels. Total BS, you can only get 5 of those.

Never fall for hype like this and read between the lines. How many channels do they have and does their DVR actually work. Right now I believe Dish leads the pack in actual HD channels offered to date, and for any one person I think the max is in the 30s. Someday when all channels are offered in HD then maybe some technology will be able to deliver them all.

[BigRick]

its Not BS As Of 2010 I Believe All Networks Will Be Required To Have HD Feeds

[inaz4sun]

Originally Posted by BigRick

its Not BS As Of 2010 I Believe All Networks Will Be Required To Have HD Feeds

By 2010, my bet is that most "TV" will be downloaded from the internet in some fashion or another, making broadcast companies obsolete (e.g. cable, sat, etc...)

As soon as my PS3 allows me to download HD movies from the web at a decent price, I'll be canceling my movie channels.

[devonthedude]

According to a leaked internal document the new D-TV HD lineup (mpeg-4) begins broadcasting tomorrow 9/19/07. The channel numbers have not been released yet. Rumors said that Sunday 9/16 was supposed to be the launch day but new information says Wednesday 9/19.

Heres the Link:
http://www.engadgethd.com/2007/09/10...h-on-the-19th/

Can't wait for the new HD channels, by the way I saw a Comca$t commercial that said they are going to have more HD channels than D-TV or Di$h Net, I think its BS since they are reaching their maximum bandwidth. If anyone provide more info that would help. Maybe they meant as of right now, they have about the same amount of HD cable broadcast channels (not including Sunday ticket HD broadcasts)

PS D-TV's On Demand is still in beta and is expected in December here's a link about D-TV On Demand:
http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/27/f...ctv-on-demand/

[cpgator]

Great news!

[spam.curitiba]

bout damn time someone started competing with Dish on HD channels.

[mechagrover]

I actually came here to post this. I finally stopped procrastinating and signed up for the HD package today, and was shocked when the guy told me that tomorrow was launch day for a bunch of channels, and they'd be adding more weekly.

150+ HD channels by the end of the year.

[GarettP]

Waiting as patiently/inpatiently as I can!

[ruvic2007]

I wonder what COMCAST is doing about this one