Thread: What's Happening on the HD Channel Front?

Since D11 launched this year all D* has done with it for national HD channels is give us MPEG4 versions of the old MPEG2 HD channels, added 6 new national HD channels (ABC Family, Planet Green HD, Crime Scene and Investigation HD, Fox News HD, Showtime Extreme HD and Showtime Showcase HD) converted some part time RSNs to full time and a gazillon HD PPVs.

To me that is very disappointing. While the conversion of the old HD channels is appreciated, to only add 6 new channels while there are over 40 currently available channels is pitiful.

I think since Malone and Liberty took ownership of D*, they have gone down hill. Some people warned everybody to the poor way Malone has run TV providers before and he seems to have done the same to D*.

D* has capacity left on D11 to add more channels and are suppose to launch D12 late next year but what is the point. They have capacity that they aren't even using so they shouldn't waste their time and money launching D12.

HDTVTechno, you're right, satelliteracer did say a few weeks ago that some would be coming around Thanksgiving but he has since changed his tune to now say December/January. However, apparently people are now longer allowed to speak to the great and sacred SatelliteRacer even though he is just a D* employee who is trying to calm down angry subscribers who are disappointed with how D* is progressing.

The D* apologists are full of excuses. Contracts ("takes two to tango") or technical or concentrating on locals are the normal excuses. However, if you look at the facts you'll see that is just BS. Other providers have come to terms with some of the missing channels, like ESPNU, Travel, Encore and HBO/Max so that proves that deals can be made. But instead D* has taken a penny pinching approach or as Bob says a lazy approach. The main excuse you hear about the missing HBO/Max channels is that D* is working on technical issues so that they can deliver the newer MPEG4 delivered HBO/Max channels without any kind of conversion. But that is BS too because FiOS, E* and U-Verse have all been delivering some of the newer MPEG4 HBO/Max channels. So if those providers can do it why can't D*? And last year D* was able to add both national and local HDs so why can't they do it now.

However, for all my complaints about D* they are still my best bet and I'm stuck with them for better or worse although lately it's been more worse than better. My local TWC has far fewer HD channels than D*. FiOS will never come to my area because we are getting the lesser of the two IPTVs, U-Verse. U-Verse's limited number of video streams to the house aren't enough for me. I currently have 9 tuners active (4 HD) in my house. Also E* limits the number of tuners that can be leased. That prevents me from going to E* since I don't want the extra cost needed to buy the extra receivers that can't be leased. I also don't like the way E* implements the dual room DVRs. The shared tuners and hard drives I find limiting. I rather have 2 hard drives and 4 tuners for two rooms instead.

As far as the threads over at DBSTalk ("D11 disappointment" and "D* forgetting premium subscribers") those threads just annoy the crap out of me. 95% of the people over there are D* lemmings (led by the staff) and if anybody dare criticizes D*, they jump on you like sharks in a feeding frenzy. I haven't posted there since August and I don't plan on anytime soon because of the way the lemmings over there treat dissent. As of today, I've logged out my account over there and I will never visit that web site again.