DIRECTV Remains Clear HD Leader with 130 HD Channels

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And I have no problem with additions of that nature. They actually have watchable sports programing, not duplicative programming of programs and blacked out games.

If they have a capacity problem for sports package premiums, they should simply dedicate some feeds to them they can share across the packages rather than put up a bunch of garbage feeds just to claim 130 channels. They can make money of them with PPV or whatever, I don't care. It would be far better to claim 100 channels and actually have 100 channels, then it would be to claim 130 and not have them. If you're not a sports fan, like I am, then today E* is the leader in HD, not D* simply my the mass of channels they offer. Heck, U-Verse here offers a better variety of HD than does D*.

Go count E*'s channels and let me know how many you count. They are far from 100 channels.
 
Why did we get the green planet over Travel channel hd .The next big move should add Travel HD and Fox news HD. Those are big name channels. Dish has Travel HD and Comast has Fox news HD.
 
If you're not a sports fan, like I am, then today E* is the leader in HD, not D* simply my the mass of channels they offer.

There we go... the truth comes out. You are mad because they are adding sports related HD channels.

1. Obviously they already had the contracts signed for the part time RSNs, so no new contracts were needed to go full time.

2. The bread and butter for D* has always been sports fans. Even more so now that E* doesn't have the MLB Extra Innings package, and cable doesn't have all the HD broadcasts for their subscribers.

3. The PQ on D* is lightyears ahead of E*. As a new convert, I was shocked to see the PQ be so much better quality on ESPN2, HDNet, etc. (mpeg4 vs mpeg4). It was like seeing HD for the first time again it was so good.
 
!sadroll

While you split hares to prop up D*, the rest of the planet gets my point.

Propping or not, that is not my intention. I am simply trying to bring clarity.

I also hear enough whining from my students. I come here to relax and discuss issues, not to read post by others full of whining. Especially when it is not really justified. I can understand if Direct promised more and did not deliver. They did EXACTLY what they said they were going to do, people on here knew this ahead of time as well, and yet they still complain.

BTW, for clarity, I am not calling you a whiner. I am refuring too all of the whining on this site and others by many many people.
 
If you're not a sports fan, like I am, then today E* is the leader in HD, not D* simply my the mass of channels they offer. Heck, U-Verse here offers a better variety of HD than does D*.
This is also not true. Look at my sig. Minus PPVs, premiums, sports packages, VOD, Direct has 4 more national HD channels than Dish. The only thing Dish has more of is premiums in HD. If one likes premiums, then Dish is the leader there. If one likes HD programming at a low price, then Dish beats Direct in this department as well. As far as everything else in HD, including basic HD channels, Direct still leads.
 
I don't know about any of you but I am very happy, just for the fact that D*converted all the MPEG 2 channels to MPEG4. I remember last year when they did the rollout we were complaining about the MPEG 2 quality. I can wait for new channels as long as the quality is there. IMHO
 
I'm glad to see that the staff of this site isn't afraid to call this morning's HD roll out disappointing instead of spinning it.

Even though the roll out is exactly what we expected, it doesn't make me any less disappointed now than I was when this plan was announced weeks ago. It was lame then and it is lame now.

And I would say the same thing whether they added 0 PPVs or 100 PPVs. After all this time with the preparation that has been going on for months, to only get 4 new channels so far is bad. I don't count the new full time RSNs as new channels since any HD game content was available already. However, I do agree with counting them on the official channel count since they are now 24/7. I just don't consider them new.
 
Hype? Their PR said this is exactly what they are going to be doing. The only ones to have hyped this up are those that were expecting more despite what the release stated or those that love to complain just of the sake of complaining?
EXACTLY....
Thats what I dont get. They said what was coming, and thats what they put up. Thats the only thing that baffles me about the complaints. Some make it sound like they promised more, and delivered less.
 
Lame roll out

I give Directv a C- for this roll out. Why green planet over Travel HD.I think Dish had a better roll out with the new Turbo pack.If you take out the sports Hd Dish has better Hd channels package. All they need is Fox news HD I came over from dish when they lost MLB package.Dont get me wrong i love Directv. But if Dish every picked up the MLB pack look out.( over all HD package is better and the HD DVR are better i have had both DVR.
 
I'm glad to see that the staff of this site isn't afraid to call this morning's HD roll out disappointing instead of spinning it.

Even though the roll out is exactly what we expected, it doesn't make me any less disappointed now than I was when this plan was announced weeks ago. It was lame then and it is lame now.

And I would say the same thing whether they added 0 PPVs or 100 PPVs. After all this time with the preparation that has been going on for months, to only get 4 new channels so far is bad. I don't count the new full time RSNs as new channels since any HD game content was available already. However, I do agree with counting them on the official channel count since they are now 24/7. I just don't consider them new.
Well put and valid point.
 
There we go... the truth comes out. You are mad because they are adding sports related HD channels.


No I am a sports fan. The issue is does the channel have value? RSNs do not add value because the programing that has value is blacked out unless you pay more for it. And, in markets such as my own where D* does not carry a local baseball sports feed, I gain nothing from having the channels or paying for the package (like EI). Not a fan of Travel Channel, but it adds value. Where's Fox News? Where's AMC HD?
 
I give Directv a C- for this roll out. Why green planet over Travel HD.I think Dish had a better roll out with the new Turbo pack.If you take out the sports Hd Dish has better Hd channels package. All they need is Fox news HD I came over from dish when they lost MLB package.Dont get me wrong i love Directv. But if Dish every picked up the MLB pack look out.( over all HD package is better and the HD DVR are better i have had both DVR.

DISH won't be getting the Baseball channel in January either.
 
I don't count the new full time RSNs as new channels since any HD game content was available already. However, I do agree with counting them on the official channel count since they are now 24/7. I just don't consider them new.
Sort of. But in reality, how many people are really helped by this where out of market RSNs are concerned? The bottom line, IMO, is that blackout rules of all the sporting events worth watching on the out-of-market RSNs makes them all but useless for most people, since the only time most people would want to watch them is when there is a game that's blacked out out-of-market.
 
Since when is HD a luxury? Maybe 5 years ago, but not today.

Yes, the digital transition is the only requirement, but local networks and the majors have opted to make HD a component of that transition, something we ironically pay an additional sum of money for. In other words, we are in fact paying extra for what is standard fare come February.

The only way for cable networks to compete with the majors is to offer an HD feed of their channel, which effectively makes thier SD versions obsolete, and again we pay a premium so that we no longer have to watch an obsolete channel.

The point being, we're paying for a premium which is no longer a premium at all. Digital transition is no longer the benchmark standard, HD is and will be in the future. To pay "extra" for what is now the industry standard is absurd.

At the end of the day, many of us have been forking over $10 a month for HD for going on 8 years for some of us. We have funded D's ability to grow in the HD arena. And this is the best they can do? You must be joking.


Until every channel is in HD, it is a luxury not a requirement. Just as DK said, D* did what they said they were going to do. I, too, wish they would have added more channels today, but they didn't. They did light up the ones they said they were going to, so I am okay with it. If you were expecting more than that, it is your fault and not D*'s. I am sure we will get the other channels soon.
 
Sort of. But in reality, how many people are really helped by this where out of market RSNs are concerned? .
During the college sports seasons they offer far more non blacked out content than when pro games are on. DK has already covered how to get around the pro blackouts, so I wont get into that.
 
I'm glad to see that the staff of this site isn't afraid to call this morning's HD roll out disappointing instead of spinning it.

Even though the roll out is exactly what we expected, it doesn't make me any less disappointed now than I was when this plan was announced weeks ago. It was lame then and it is lame now.

And I would say the same thing whether they added 0 PPVs or 100 PPVs. After all this time with the preparation that has been going on for months, to only get 4 new channels so far is bad. I don't count the new full time RSNs as new channels since any HD game content was available already. However, I do agree with counting them on the official channel count since they are now 24/7. I just don't consider them new.
Good points, but I do have to say one thing.

Insiders/sources have indicated that this is just the first step. There are technical issues that need to be resolved before more channels are launched to avoid the PQ and sound issues we got last year with the big roll out. According to them we will not be getting a "big roll out", instead we will be getting a couple of channels every few weeks. Don't expect any BIG launches., but in the end we will still have a lot of new channels.
 
No I am a sports fan. The issue is does the channel have value? RSNs do not add value because the programing that has value is blacked out unless you pay more for it. And, in markets such as my own where D* does not carry a local baseball sports feed, I gain nothing from having the channels or paying for the package (like EI). Not a fan of Travel Channel, but it adds value. Where's Fox News? Where's AMC HD?
This is where you are wrong. They don't have value too you, but they do have value to Direct and many subs with sports packages and those within the RSN markets (which is why Direct is doing this). Sports packages are a huge revenue source for Direct so value they do have.
 
Why did we get the green planet over Travel channel hd .The next big move should add Travel HD and Fox news HD. Those are big name channels. Dish has Travel HD and Comast has Fox news HD.
I too would prefer Travel over Green. But now that it is in HD it is the only channel I have watched so far this morning. I didn't think I would be watching it much at all, but I do like the show Renovation Nation.

They should change the name of Planet Green to the Living With Ed channel. :D
 
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