A&E HD To Launch Wednesday

[JimK2]

I'm surprised that the HD channel I watch the most is probably the Monster channel. Old "classics" in many cases that I've never watched before, like House of Dracula

I like Monster too, I wish they had access to the Hammer films collection
http://www.hammerfilms.com/

 

[waltinvt]

I never whoda thunk this thread would go over 200 posts. Just shows to go ya, bring up a compelling topic and the world will talk about it.

 

[lakebum431]

Wow, even movies aren't in HD on this crappy channel. Hunt for Red October is on right now in 4:3. What a crock.

 

[RandallA]

No kidding. How can the call this channel HD, there's hardly any HD content on this channel. The little HD programs that I've seen, don't look good either.

The excuse that Charlie gave us about RSN HD doesn't fly anymore. They added a channel with little HD content, isn't that the excuse he gave us for RSN HD?

Where is my RSN HD?

 

[DWS44]

Wow, even movies aren't in HD on this crappy channel. Hunt for Red October is on right now in 4:3. What a crock.

I just surfed by and found that too. I'm not sure which surprised me more...the fact the the movie was not in HD...or the fact it was the first time since A&E-HD been made available that I didn't surf by and find CSI Miami on.

 

[Hall]

Clearly having an HD channel is the "cool" thing to have nowadays..... A&E figures, slap "HD" to the end of their channel name, update their website, put out press releases, and they're part of the cool crowd now.

 

[ripnbigc]

So far it's a real loser.

 

[MikeD-C05]

My bet is that any new hd channels launched in the next year or two will be just like A&E channels. So when Directv says they will have contracts with the new hd versions of channels like SCI- FI and others it will be just like the A&E channel with very little hd content. It will just be a simulcast of the sd channel. Only if it is filmed in hd will you get it. **OF course they could do TNT hd channel STRETCHOVISION if you want it to fill the screen.

 

[Juan]

My bet is that any new hd channels launched in the next year or two will be just like A&E channels. So when Directv says they will have contracts with the new hd versions of channels like SCI- FI and others it will be just like the A&E channel with very little hd content. It will just be a simulcast of the sd channel. Only if it is filmed in hd will you get it. **OF course they could do TNT hd channel STRETCHOVISION if you want it to fill the screen.

It doesn't have to be "filmed" in Hd. there are hundreds of old tv shows that were filmed on 35mm film that look just as good.. The trouble is that most series (since the 70's" were filmmed on videotape which cant be upgraded to HD

 

[Kirby Baker]

Maybe they could re-size that logo of theirs a bit smaller too. Or maybe its that big to distract one from noticing the 4:3 frame SD shows being aired!

 

[Peter Parker]

FWIW I recordeda n episode of Sell This House. It is not HD but it looks a lot better than the SD Channel. An upgrade I guess but not quite what I had hoped for.

 

[Hall]

I watched Criss Angel Mindfreak on the HD channel and it didn't look any better than on the SD channel.

 

[Peter Parker]

I just tried it again with American Justice swapping backa few times. A substantial difference. Not sure that it si every show and in fact I noticed no difference on another program the other day.

 

[nazz]

We like to watch 48 Hours and I thought it looked better on the new channel but I wouldn't say it's dramatically better. I went ahead and changed the timer to that channel. I'm doing the same with Dog the Bounty Hunter.

 

[MikeD-C05]

It doesn't have to be "filmed" in Hd. there are hundreds of old tv shows that were filmed on 35mm film that look just as good.. The trouble is that most series (since the 70's" were filmmed on videotape which cant be upgraded to HD

Okay , it will either be remastered for HD like they did many old movies on Voom or they will be in sd only. LIke you said most tv shows in the 80s and 90s were filmed in video tape and it will be impossible to remaster that to hd. Either way you will not see many new hd channels pay to remaster old content to hd at first. Maybe once they are established they will try to do this, but my point is I see no new hd channels in the next year having much hd content at first since they will most likely be a simulcast of the sd channel.

 

[nlk10010]

I really think we ought to give the channel a bit of a chance. They just premiered and already people are jumping down A&E/Dish's throat about the lack of content. Even ESPN/ESPN2 lacked content at first and now it's still mostly SD (although the most important events are in HD, granted).

Sometimes I think it's D* diehards who are trying to hold onto their belief that DirecTV is the "best" service. For some it is, but E* (much to my surprise) still has NGC-HD, HGTV-HD, Starz-HD, FoodHD, and now A&ETVHD. I'm watching "King of Cars" right now on the last and, while it's not everyone's cup of tea, I'm enjoying it.

It's like sports: sometimes people prefer to dream about what something WILL BE, EVENTUALLY, because then they don't have to deal with the inevitable warts of realization. Charlie is cheap, true, and disingenuous, but apparently not stupid. Let's not jump on him because he DOES give us some HD channels.

=NLK=

 

[John Kotches]

It doesn't have to be "filmed" in Hd. there are hundreds of old tv shows that were filmed on 35mm film that look just as good.. The trouble is that most series (since the 70's" were filmmed on videotape which cant be upgraded to HD

Juan:

That's not true. Episodic TV shows have been (and are still) shot on film. The telecine is what is used for effects processing which is video tape.

This is how HD Net got TV shows like Charlie's Angels; Knight Rider and even Hogan's Heroes in HD.

Cheers,

 

[Peter Parker]

How long has A&E HD been around? i know that it just launched on DISH but that that it was around before---but for how long/

 

[Tvfan24/7]

How long has A&E HD been around? i know that it just launched on DISH but that that it was around before---but for how long/

It launched on Labor Day last year.

 

[DWS44]

HD ALERT...HD ALERT!!! There is actually something other than CSI:Miami on this channel in HD...some show called "King of Cars" is on right now in HD (not that it appears worth watching, though)

LOL

BTW...Scott and others used to mention that A&E used stretch-o-vision back before it showed up on E*...did they actually change that for E* or was the timing just a coincidence? It is nice that dropped that practice...now if TNT would do the same!