Comedy Central HD by January 2009

[FCom911]

I queried Viacom's MTV Networks in regards to their Comedy Central brand in HD, in relation to Dish Network's HD Only content packages...

Their response as follows...

'We are currently looking at presenting all our shows in HD by Jan. of 2009.'

Viewer Services @ Comedy Central​

Now the question... when will Dish add it?

 

[HDRoberts]

Maybe sooner? That talks about shows in HD. As MTV, VH1 and CMT show, you don't need HD programming to be an "HD" station. I for one would love this addtion as I miss it since going Absolute.

 

[kstuart]

I queried Viacom's MTV Networks in regards to their Comedy Central brand in HD, in relation to Dish Network's HD Only content packages...

Their response as follows...

'We are currently looking at presenting all our shows in HD by Jan. of 2009.'
​

Viewer Services @ Comedy Central
​

Now the question... when will Dish add it?

On or after the channel actually launches.

PS Do you watch anything on it other than the Daily Show ??

 

[HDRoberts]

PS Do you watch anything on it other than the Daily Show ??

The Colbert Report

 

[jerryez]

Was any of it even filmed in widescreen HD? OR is it going to be another TBS? Stretchovision! I think "stretchovision" should be added to the dictionary. Or is it stretch-o-vision

 

[Sammy033]

PS Do you watch anything on it other than the Daily Show ??

Dont forget the roast of Pam Anderson. I will watch it again in HD

 

[M Sparks]

Was any of it even filmed in widescreen HD? OR is it going to be another TBS? Stretchovision!

Has anyone here actually seen any of the other Viacom "HD" channels? What are they doing? As we've seen, each group seems to do the same thing across the board.

In my opinion, from best to worst...

-ABC-Disney/NBC Universal/ all movie channels...black sidebars, picture untouched.

-ESPN / CNN/ Hallmark/NFL/NHL/others...picture untouched, distracting graphic bars

-Discovery...Picture zoomed. Looks good, no distortion, but top/bottom is cropped.

-Turner/A&E Networks...picture stretched evenly, can be corrected by some TVs.

-Scripps...picture distorted while stretched. No correction possible.

I have not seen what Lifetime is doing...amazingly, it's always been in HD the couple times I checked. Lifetime is co-owned by Disney and Hearst, so I guess it could go any way. (Hearst co-owns A&E and ESPN.)

 

[HDRoberts]

Was any of it even filmed in widescreen HD? OR is it going to be another TBS? Stretchovision! I think "stretchovision" should be added to the dictionary. Or is it stretch-o-vision

I could not care less if Comedy Central HD ever showed a single HD program. Their content isn't geared such that HD is required for enjoyment. However, I have the DishHD Absolute package, and will likely be going Turbo as soon as I'm forced out of that pack. But if it were made HD, I'd get them again, so I want Comedy Central HD. I wouldn't mind E! HD just for The Soup, too. I decided that Stewart and Colbert and McHale were not worth the extra $23 I was paying for an SD package with HD added.

 

[FCom911]

... However, I have the DishHD Absolute package... But if it were made HD, I'd get them again... I want Comedy Central HD. I wouldn't mind E! HD just for The Soup, too.

I decided that Stewart and Colbert and McHale were not worth the extra $23 I was paying for an SD package with HD added.

Exactly !!!

 

[Miggity]

Has anyone here actually seen any of the other Viacom "HD" channels? What are they doing? As we've seen, each group seems to do the same thing across the board.

In my opinion, from best to worst...

-ABC-Disney/NBC Universal/ all movie channels...black sidebars, picture untouched.

-ESPN / CNN/ Hallmark/NFL/NHL/others...picture untouched, distracting graphic bars

-Discovery...Picture zoomed. Looks good, no distortion, but top/bottom is cropped.

-Turner/A&E Networks...picture stretched evenly, can be corrected by some TVs.

-Scripps...picture distorted while stretched. No correction possible.

I have not seen what Lifetime is doing...amazingly, it's always been in HD the couple times I checked. Lifetime is co-owned by Disney and Hearst, so I guess it could go any way. (Hearst co-owns A&E and ESPN.)

I agree with your rankings 100%. Well except that The History Channel HD is BY FAR the most f'ed up channel out there. It's like they don't even know what they're doing half the time. Food Network HD also sucks ever since they went to a simulcast. NO THANKS!

 

[dennispap]

Has anyone here actually seen any of the other Viacom "HD" channels? What are they doing? As we've seen, each group seems to do the same thing across the board.

In my opinion, from best to worst...

-ABC-Disney/NBC Universal/ all movie channels...black sidebars, picture untouched.

-ESPN / CNN/ Hallmark/NFL/NHL/others...picture untouched, distracting graphic bars

-Discovery...Picture zoomed. Looks good, no distortion, but top/bottom is cropped.

-Turner/A&E Networks...picture stretched evenly, can be corrected by some TVs.

-Scripps...picture distorted while stretched. No correction possible.

I have not seen what Lifetime is doing...amazingly, it's always been in HD the couple times I checked. Lifetime is co-owned by Disney and Hearst, so I guess it could go any way. (Hearst co-owns A&E and ESPN.)

The one or two times i watched lifetime hd they were stretching Frasier

 

[ka1z0ku]

Has anyone here actually seen any of the other Viacom "HD" channels? What are they doing? As we've seen, each group seems to do the same thing across the board.

In my opinion, from best to worst...

-ABC-Disney/NBC Universal/ all movie channels...black sidebars, picture untouched.

-ESPN / CNN/ Hallmark/NFL/NHL/others...picture untouched, distracting graphic bars

-Discovery...Picture zoomed. Looks good, no distortion, but top/bottom is cropped.

-Turner/A&E Networks...picture stretched evenly, can be corrected by some TVs.

-Scripps...picture distorted while stretched. No correction possible.

I have not seen what Lifetime is doing...amazingly, it's always been in HD the couple times I checked. Lifetime is co-owned by Disney and Hearst, so I guess it could go any way. (Hearst co-owns A&E and ESPN.)

Personally, I like the ESPN/CNN style logos, makes it look like they are putting effort into their HD channels even though they don't have their actual studios set up for HD yet...

The only thing that really bugs me is stretch-o-vision for an already 16x9 image, i.e. most everything on Adult Swim on Cartoon Network HD. Yknow, the wide-widescreen image. Would it really be so hard to stretch the image height as well as the width?

Also, LifetimeHD seems to have TBS-style stretching for non-HD programming.

 

[TenaGoble]

I don't care too much when Comedy Central goes HD, I'm waiting for BBC America and Boomerang to go HD so I can change my programming package and hopefully save some money. I heard late last year that BBC America was going HD this year, any word on that? I'd like to see reruns of Doctor Who in HD.

 

[Miggity]

The only thing that really bugs me is stretch-o-vision for an already 16x9 image. Yknow, the wide-widescreen image. Would it really be so hard to stretch the image height as well as the width?

This is why I can't watch History Channel anymore. You never know if that show you recorded is going to be watchable or not. You can record new episodes of The Universe or Evolve or whatever and its still always a gamble if they aired it correctly or not. Once again there is NO EXCUSE for this whatsoever. So now I just don't watch at all.

 

[Rey]

The Colbert Report

i like the colbert report too and south park. south park looks really good in HD

Food Network HD also sucks ever since they went to a simulcast. NO THANKS!

i agree! throw hgtv in there too. ever since the change to simulcast i see some shows originally for the sd version of these channels now in stretch o vision.

 

[jlong27]

This is why I can't watch History Channel anymore. You never know if that show you recorded is going to be watchable or not. You can record new episodes of The Universe or Evolve or whatever and its still always a gamble if they aired it correctly or not. Once again there is NO EXCUSE for this whatsoever. So now I just don't watch at all.

This thread has gone a little off subject. I have figured out how stretch it vertically, though it involves changing the resolution to 480P. And my system reboots sometimes when changing to 480P.

 

[ka1z0ku]

According to Wikipedia:

BBC America HD

An HD version of BBC America is slated to debut in 2008, per promos now airing on the network.

Hard to say when Dish will actually pick up the HD version, maybe "by the end of the year"?

Er, and to get on topic, I am looking forward to Daily Show/ Colbert Report in HD. Also, it would be nice to have Comedy Central Presents and other stand-up specials in HD, i.e. Dane Cook's Vicious Circle. :up

 

[rjf13]

I don't care too much when Comedy Central goes HD, I'm waiting for BBC America and Boomerang to go HD so I can change my programming package and hopefully save some money. I heard late last year that BBC America was going HD this year, any word on that? I'd like to see reruns of Doctor Who in HD.

Sorry, Doctor Who was not filmed in HD.

 

[jlong27]

I don't care too much when Comedy Central goes HD, I'm waiting for BBC America and Boomerang to go HD so I can change my programming package and hopefully save some money. I heard late last year that BBC America was going HD this year, any word on that? I'd like to see reruns of Doctor Who in HD.

Sorry, Doctor Who was not filmed in HD.

I wonder if Top Gear will be. I love that show!

 

[ka1z0ku]

I wonder if Top Gear will be. I love that show!

Top Gear seems to air in 16x9, but in standard PAL format (576i), although they have had one special (the Polar Special? must've missed it...) filmed in 1080i.