BBC America HD - Coming This Summer!

schmataboy

Active SatelliteGuys Member
Original poster
Sep 10, 2005
15
0
Bordentown, NJ
I recently saw a teaser on BBCA that BBCA HD is coming this summer, I'm thinking it would be nice if they kicked it off with the airing of "Torchwood: Children of the Earth," however, when the HD channel is launched, would Dish automatically add it or is it something that we'll have to wait for long after it becomes be available?
 
I recently saw a teaser on BBCA that BBCA HD is coming this summer, I'm thinking it would be nice if they kicked it off with the airing of "Torchwood: Children of the Earth," however, when the HD channel is launched, would Dish automatically add it or is it something that we'll have to wait for long after it becomes be available?


Nope. Sorry. If that were the case we would have all the other sd corresponding hd channels.
 
This would require renegotiating rights. We will get MSNBC the day of release, but we haven't got too many others in such fashion.

However, I believe BBCA is a Discovery Network, and Dish does seem to have a reasonable relationship with them.
 
There is a good chance though, BBCA is part of the Discovery Network family in the US. Dish already carries their other channels in HD so, probably not a protracted negotiation.
 
I recently saw a teaser on BBCA that BBCA HD is coming this summer, I'm thinking it would be nice if they kicked it off with the airing of "Torchwood: Children of the Earth,"
NO NO NO NO NO.
BBC hacks up shows for way too many commercials.
I prefer uncut with no commercials on HDNET.
 
Not only that, HDNET is just about the only place you can even read the end credits of any TV show without it being squeezed, run so fast you'd have to use frame-advance, or completely replaced by something else.
 
NO NO NO NO NO.
BBC hacks up shows for way too many commercials.
I prefer uncut with no commercials on HDNET.

In most cases BBCA doesn't usually edit their content and the running times are not affected by the addition of commercials since a lot of shows run less than 30 or 60 minutes in England as they do here, sans commercials.

I actually prefer having a region free DVD player and buying International DVD's over the Internet, the pricing can be pretty reasonable. I bought all 4 seasons of Doctor Who for an equivalent of $160 US.dollars (including shipping) The US versions of the same DVD's would have cost me well over $300 and there are some things that are not available in the US. I have also made a few trips to London and came back with a S-load of British TV stuff that has yet to make it to the States, either on TV or DVD.
 
Spooks is one that doesn't fit. Episodes run 55 minutes commercial free. Not to mention they quit showing it in the US after Series 4. Had to go the proverbial gray area route to get Series 5,6 and 7. I would prefer Torchwood keep the First run of new episodes on HDNet for the commercial free route too. BBC America used to be my favorite for British programming, but they show more repeats of junk now, than they do of the good series.
 
Sadly, BBC-A DOES edit the content, even in a show as innocuous as Ballykissangel when it was on. I emailed BBC-A at the time, and they basically said the US audience is not as open as the UK audience, so they decided to edit content. Fooey!

That said, I would gladly welcome BBC-A HD as soon as possible on DISH!
 
Remember that BBC-UK-HD has very little programming, IIRC they only run it 9 hours a day, and some of it is movies. Many, many BBC programmes are not yet shot in HD, and some of them that are shot in HD are shown only on the SD channel (a good example being the Stephen Fry in America six part documentary that has since been released on Blu-Ray).

In short, expect that BBC-America-HD consists of a lot of upconverted SD (just like many other HD channels) and hope that they don't stretch it. :eek:

Note that the BBC SD channels are 16x9 (roughly) so one can also hope that they at least preserve the whole image...
 
Some of what is on BBC America is not from the BBC, Primeval and Ramsey Kitchen Nightmares for example

It's from the ITV/ch4 channels and they do show commercials so they fit into the same time slots, bbc shows dont show adverts so they may not fit without editing.

That said would love to see this as a "HD" channel , that's the last "sd" channel i watch regularly
 
Not only does BBCA edit TopGear (the best motoring show on TV anywhere IMHO), they also change the music used. The US version is a horribly washed down version of the original.

Ted
 
I recently saw a teaser on BBCA that BBCA HD is coming this summer, I'm thinking it would be nice if they kicked it off with the airing of "Torchwood: Children of the Earth," however, when the HD channel is launched, would Dish automatically add it or is it something that we'll have to wait for long after it becomes be available?

I vote for a Fawlty Towers marathon.
 
Apparently, I made an assumption about BBCA not editing content which might have been incorrect, however in the past, their shows (in prime-time) would run past the hour and the next show would begin 10 minutes or so after the hour. Back when they used to air comedy blocks, they would air 3 shows in a 2 hour period instead of 4.

As a whole, BBCA programing leaves a lot to be desired, it's mostly reality shows and repeats of the same episodes over and over. Once in a while we'll get something new and will run one or two seasons and then it seems they don't air subsequent seasons. (With the exception of a few shows like Torchwood, Doctor Who and Coupling)
 
In addition BBC America does not necessarily run things at the same time BBC UK may. For example, if BBC UK does a new Doctor Who on Dec 1. It does not mean that BBC America will do it the same day.

If it did, I would probably be a "Silver" program subscriber just for BBC; otherwise, I am quite happy with my Bronze package and BitTorrent.
 
Anybody know why BBCA dumped its 3-hour BBC World News block in the mornings? I miss having an International alternative to the Today Show and all the talk/fluff on CNN/FOX. It would have been great to see the news in HD.
 
+1 for TopGear................just awesome

Not only does BBCA edit TopGear (the best motoring show on TV anywhere IMHO), they also change the music used. The US version is a horribly washed down version of the original.

Ted
 
Being that the first season just got done airing over here, bring on the HD for Ashes to Ashes 2nd season next year. That, and the Life on Mars original series, are the two shows I've watched on BBCA.
 
Not only does BBCA edit TopGear (the best motoring show on TV anywhere IMHO), they also change the music used. The US version is a horribly washed down version of the original.

Ted

+2 about TopGear. It is awesome, and I've apparently only seen the hideously disfigured American version.

Any idea if it is or will be produced in HD?
 
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