I hate to ask - when will here be some more DirecTV HD channels? (1 Viewer)

[Kenneth Harden]

Isn't OLN about to roll one out? I also head rumors that FoxNews was in the process of going to HD.

 

[Rachael B]

I expect a very slow growth for HD channels until home recording, permanent, can be stamped out.

 

[Dave Scarpa]

No Fox News on Direct geez I gotta consider switching back.

 

[Kenneth Harden]

Ummm, WTF are you talking about? There is FoxNews, I said there are rumors of a *HD* FoxNews channel coming soon.

 

[Rachael B]

Kenneth, I could care less if Fox News goes hi-def anytime soon. I wish they'd make their regional sports channels hi-def though.

I way I look at it, it wouldn't help much now to have many more hi-def Direc channels because there isn't all that much great programming to put on them. ...unless, a flood of newly HD mastered films came down the Hollywood chute, IMO. ...or, somebody started making more new stuff...besides Discovery or PBS. The UHD channels seems rather under-utilized when they're stille rerunning the Olympics quite frequently. They have alot of movies they could show but they're holding back. A good, hard to see one comes along from time to time there though. I saw The Last Remake Of Beau Geste with Marty Feldman on there when they first came on. I hate they're doing so much TV and the commercials seem to be increasing.

IMO, what would really start pushing the HD transition over the top would be for the big 4 networks to go all HD, all 16 x 9, even if local's stuff is 480i, for now, for some affiliates. It's gettin' old for the whole lot to be cheapin' out! If one of 'em took the plunge...the others would have to swim too, me thinks.

If Fox News goes HD, don't you think CNN would too in short order...? I do! ...more of my ole domino theory.

 

[chris*b]

The amount of available content as compared to the amount of content actual broadcast via sattelite and cable sucks. OLN as previously mentioned has a lot of their shows in HD. HD bass fishing would be the ultimate for me!

 

[LewB]

D* is in the process of a 'soft rollout' of their MPEG-4 HD content. I think it's available in Boston,Detroit and Atlanta now (there may be more cities). This involves a new 5-LNB dish and a receiver that is MPEG-4 capable. I think that the local HD stations are available in cities where this is being tested. Not sure if there are any more 'national' HD stations involved. You might want to check other sites like:
AVS or Satellite Guys or DBS Talk for more info.

 

[Dick Boneske]

Direct TV and Dish are crazy if they think the average person will shell out for a five-LNB satellite dish! We just got done installing our three-LNB dishes and they are assuming we all will buy the five-LNB ones. Their aim is for HD to become mainstream. If the satellite companies keep changing equipment, many people will figure out over-the-air antennas work fine for HD reception and may skip the satellite systems altogether. Many of the new HDTV's have built-in OTA tuners, which gives free HDTV to anyone with an antenna.

As more HD programming is available, they certainly could utilize existing equipment for HD channels. I believe they now have nine HD channels if you include HBO, Showtime, etc.

But I could be wrong. Many of my friends with HDTV receivers and a DVD player think they are watching HD when they play a DVD or watch satellite digital TV. I thought by now, people would figure out sporting events and network show in HD are available and far better than SDTV digital programs.

 

[Dick Boneske]

A quote from Rachael B:

"I expect a very slow growth for HD channels until home recording, permanent, can be stamped out."

Despite the best efforts of studios, filmakers, etc., recording HD copies will NEVER be eliminated. Even now, HD DVR's are relatively cheap and many have figured out how to download the HD content from the DVR hard drive to their computers. Once HD DVD's are here, exact duplicates of any program will be possible. Even though they are illegal now, there are millions of people with programs to copy DVD's now, and it won't take long for tweakers to develop software for HD DVD's.

There has never been a time when we are so close to being able to make perfect copies of audio or video files. It's too bad for the artists, but control is not possible.

 

[Charlie Campisi]

Directv has a history of upgrading the equipment for free or a nominal charge for existing customers when an upgrade was necessary. If I need a new dish to get the NFL ST in HD and a new HD DVR, I suspect I won't be paying much at all.

 

[Kenneth Harden]

DirecTV gave us the three LNB dish AND installation - for free.

I was no buden at all.