The argument that the channels that are in HD are unimportant is a Red Herring. What matters is whether or not that channel has programming in HD that interests a large number of people.
Clearly, most of the posters complaining about Sci Fi were complaining about particular programs, NOT THE ENTIRE SCHEDULE 24 HOURS A DAY! If you watch BSG it is going to piss you off that you don't have Sci-Fi in HD. It would not matter if that was the ONLY thing on the schedule in HD. It would still piss you off.
Same thing for Monk on USA.
(For the record, I don't watch either channel much).
I would bet that if you look at all the Commercial (as opposed to pay, like HBO) channels that broadcast in HD, you would be hard pressed to find many that broadcast more than 50% of their schedule in HD. Does that mean that Dish should not carry Discovery, or TLC, or ESPN, or ESPN2 in HD because most of those schedules are NOT in HD?
About the only channels that broadcast 100% HD programming are ... wait for it ... the voom channels. As well as the other HD specialty channels like Discovery HD theatre, MHD, Universal HD, HD net etc. The only "Mainstream" cable channel that I am aware of that produces nearly all of its programming in HD is National Geographic.
In short, if you follow the logic that a channel is not worth carrying in HD unless its schedule is predominantly in HD, then we can roll back the clock to 2006 and go with Voom and Discovery HT and HDnet and be happy.
Hear's the way I see it: If there are programs on a channel that I watch that are produced in HD but not carried by Dish (the HD Leader) in HD, then I feel I have, as a long time Dish subscriber, a right to complain about it.
So I don't care if most of the stuff on Spike is NOT in HD. Some of the Powerblock shows are now and all of them will be by fall. And I don't care if most of the stuff on Speed is not in HD. Almost all of their north american racing coverage is or will be, and that's the stuff I watch. Same for Bravo. And ESPN News.
Of course it is also my right to switch, which is the plan. And I will post about it when that day comes. Judging by the state of the leaves on the trees, I would say May 15 is about right. As it happens, Uverse should be available to me about the same time, so I might look at that as well.
What matters to me in the end is that I am now convinced that Dish will be behind in HD for the foreseeable future. And that there are things that I will want that will be available on D* and Not on E*. I have no confidence that E* will carry the Olympics package from NBC, for instance.
So my contract is up with Dish. I need another receiver for another HD TV. Do I do a 2-year committment with D* or do I sign up for two more years of Wednesday frustration from Dish?
It's not a hard call to make.
Clearly, most of the posters complaining about Sci Fi were complaining about particular programs, NOT THE ENTIRE SCHEDULE 24 HOURS A DAY! If you watch BSG it is going to piss you off that you don't have Sci-Fi in HD. It would not matter if that was the ONLY thing on the schedule in HD. It would still piss you off.
Same thing for Monk on USA.
(For the record, I don't watch either channel much).
I would bet that if you look at all the Commercial (as opposed to pay, like HBO) channels that broadcast in HD, you would be hard pressed to find many that broadcast more than 50% of their schedule in HD. Does that mean that Dish should not carry Discovery, or TLC, or ESPN, or ESPN2 in HD because most of those schedules are NOT in HD?
About the only channels that broadcast 100% HD programming are ... wait for it ... the voom channels. As well as the other HD specialty channels like Discovery HD theatre, MHD, Universal HD, HD net etc. The only "Mainstream" cable channel that I am aware of that produces nearly all of its programming in HD is National Geographic.
In short, if you follow the logic that a channel is not worth carrying in HD unless its schedule is predominantly in HD, then we can roll back the clock to 2006 and go with Voom and Discovery HT and HDnet and be happy.
Hear's the way I see it: If there are programs on a channel that I watch that are produced in HD but not carried by Dish (the HD Leader) in HD, then I feel I have, as a long time Dish subscriber, a right to complain about it.
So I don't care if most of the stuff on Spike is NOT in HD. Some of the Powerblock shows are now and all of them will be by fall. And I don't care if most of the stuff on Speed is not in HD. Almost all of their north american racing coverage is or will be, and that's the stuff I watch. Same for Bravo. And ESPN News.
Of course it is also my right to switch, which is the plan. And I will post about it when that day comes. Judging by the state of the leaves on the trees, I would say May 15 is about right. As it happens, Uverse should be available to me about the same time, so I might look at that as well.
What matters to me in the end is that I am now convinced that Dish will be behind in HD for the foreseeable future. And that there are things that I will want that will be available on D* and Not on E*. I have no confidence that E* will carry the Olympics package from NBC, for instance.
So my contract is up with Dish. I need another receiver for another HD TV. Do I do a 2-year committment with D* or do I sign up for two more years of Wednesday frustration from Dish?
It's not a hard call to make.
