Want to know when D* is launching the new HD Channels?

**Paul Wozniak** · 09-10-2007 02:37 PM

Originally Posted by elwaylite

Plus, I wish everyone would realize that DIGITAL does not mean HD.

I understand that, my post stated as much. I'll ask again, why do we have to pay for HD? We are already paying for the channels once.

**ShiningBengal** · 09-10-2007 02:42 PM

Originally Posted by wmj5

I have been with directv 12 yrs. and I'll tell you one thing if they raise the price they can skip me wmj5@aol.com
!!!!!

Where can you get a better deal? DirecTV is almost always cheaper than cable, and Dish won't have most of the new channels for some time yet. They need to launch a satellite first, and why would you assume they would give away free what DirecTV and Cable charge for? Just wondering.

**ShiningBengal** · 09-10-2007 02:49 PM

Originally Posted by Paul Wozniak

When you think about it, why should we have to pay extra in the first place? The government mandated the change to digital transmission, so these channels will be transmitting in HD anyhow. (Don't waste space arguing how they don't have to transmit a HD signal, just a digital one. Eventually they will all be HD regardless). So when everything is HD, whats different (besides HD) from when they were analog or just OTA? I can see paying for the premium packages, we've always done that. It's still the same channels, just broadcast in a different frequency spectrum.

DirecTV (and Dish for that matter) have always been 100% digital. HD takes a LOT more bandwidth than just digital (which we already have on DirecTV). Who do you think should pay for DirecTV's 4 new satellites (2 last year, 1 this year and 1 next year)? The government????

Get real. The people who use a service should pay for it. In the case of satellite TV, there is already plenty of competition to keep prices under control. (I can choose from OTA, Dish, DirecTV and Comcast).

**Paul Wozniak** · 09-10-2007 03:35 PM

Fair enough.

**rkr0923** · 09-10-2007 04:33 PM

Why can't they have a "HD" only package..........................all I want is HD, no SD at all

**ScoBuck** · 09-10-2007 04:37 PM

Originally Posted by rkr0923

Why can't they have a "HD" only package..........................all I want is HD, no SD at all

I think that they plan to offer that to EVERYONE in 2009 or so.

**harshness** · 09-10-2007 05:00 PM

Originally Posted by grydlok

VOL has 1million now.

VOL <> FIOS. Verizon Online includes a substantial number of Verizon DSL subscribers.

The issue here isn't how many customers Verizon's ISP business has. What we're talking about is how many TV customers the FIOS service has and that has very little to do with what's going on a VOL.

**Castlebill** · 09-10-2007 05:08 PM

I'm ready - give me those RSNs asap.

**harshness** · 09-10-2007 05:11 PM

Originally Posted by Paul Wozniak

I'll ask again, why do we have to pay for HD?

Because it costs roughly four times as much money to deliver. The re-transmission rights may be the same or more.

Where you've gone terribly wrong is that you're assuming that bandwidth is infinite and exists solely for your personal TV viewing enjoyment. Nowhere is this driven home harder than at DIRECTV where they had to take several channels (including MLB HD and TNT HD) offline yesterday to service their Sunday Ticket junkies. Bandwidth is precious and must be used to offer the best balance of programming and revenue.

If you can figure out a way to fit the HD version into the same bandwidth as the SD version, I'm betting that DIRECTV would give you a break on the HD channels. Until that time, for each HD channel they offer, they have to choose three to five SD channels to not carry at all.

**Jimbo** · 09-10-2007 05:31 PM

Originally Posted by ShiningBengal

Who do you think should pay for DirecTV's 4 new satellites (2 last year, 1 this year and 1 next year)? The government????

I have been paying for the new sats for the last several years, ever since they decided to charge us $10.99 or 9.99 which ever for the priviledge of watching their 4-5 HD channels.

Jimbo