Comparing the Proposed Direct vs. Dish HD Channels

[shorrock]

So I ran down the list comparing d* to E* and here it is

x = dish currently has

50 channels without the regional sports, 14 on dish.
How quickly do you think these will really be HD vs upconvert, and how quickly will we get?


9800 CSTV
9804 Disney Channel
9805 x Animal Planet
9808 FX
9809 Toon Disney
9810 ESPN News
9813 CD USA "The 101"
9814 x Cinemax HD
9815 x National Georaphic
9818 MTV
9819 HBO West
9820 NBA TV
9823 x A&E
9824 Starz Edge
9825 x NFL Network
9828 Starz West
9829 x Starz East
9832 x Science Channel
9833 x History Channel
9834 Showtime West
9835 Outdoor
9838 x Discovery
9839 x Movie Channel
9840 Tennis Channel
9842 Speed
9843 Fuel
9844 x HGTV
9845 Spike
9847 Starz Comedy
9849 CNN
9852 Sho Too
9853 The Weather Channel
9854 TBS
9855 Cartoon Network
9857 Starz Kids & Family
9858 Bravo
9859 Comedy Central
9862 x TLC
9864 Versus
9866 Altitude
9867 Cinemax West
9863 Sci-Fi
9869 x MHD
9871 Chiller/ SAC MNT
9872 ABC Family
9873 USA Network
9874 Nickelodeon East
9877 CNBC
9878 x The Food Network
9879 VH1

 

[Stacy A]

I don't see anything.

 

[Stacy A]

Dish has the Versus channel, but its listed as VS/Golf in HD guide.

 

[garys]

So I ran down the list comparing d* to E* and here it is

x = dish currently has

50 channels without the regional sports, 14 on dish.
How quickly do you think these will really be HD vs upconvert, and how quickly will we get?


9800 CSTV
9804 Disney Channel
9805 x Animal Planet
9808 FX
9809 Toon Disney
9810 ESPN News
9813 CD USA "The 101"
9814 x Cinemax HD
9815 x National Georaphic
9818 MTV
9819 HBO West
9820 NBA TV
9823 x A&E
9824 Starz Edge
9825 x NFL Network
9828 Starz West
9829 x Starz East
9832 x Science Channel
9833 x History Channel
9834 Showtime West
9835 Outdoor
9838 x Discovery
9839 x Movie Channel
9840 Tennis Channel
9842 Speed
9843 Fuel
9844 x HGTV
9845 Spike
9847 Starz Comedy
9849 CNN
9852 Sho Too
9853 The Weather Channel
9854 TBS
9855 Cartoon Network
9857 Starz Kids & Family
9858 Bravo
9859 Comedy Central
9862 x TLC
9864 Versus
9866 Altitude
9867 Cinemax West
9863 Sci-Fi
9869 x MHD
9871 Chiller/ SAC MNT
9872 ABC Family
9873 USA Network
9874 Nickelodeon East
9877 CNBC
9878 x The Food Network
9879 VH1

Dish has Showtime in HD not the Movie Channel.

 

[Voyager6]

Many of the channels listed will not start HD operations until 2008 or later. The west coast feeds for the movie channels are duplicates of the east coast only 3 hours later. E* may add them later when tp space is available as it seems very easy to do. Several channels on the list have not even announced any plans to go HD - MTV, VH1, SciFi, etc.
HDTV FAQ - HDTV World - CNET.com

Which TV and cable networks are available in HD?
More and more television shows are being produced in high definition. For starters, all the major broadcast networks, including ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, PBS, and the CW produce at least some of their schedules in HD. The "big four" networks broadcast almost all of their scripted shows, including comedies and dramas, in high-definition. Sports fans will be happy to hear that their favorite events, such as the NFL, MLB, the NBA, and NASCAR, are well represented in HD. News and reality shows are typically standard-definition, although Fox's American Idol and a few other reality programs are exceptions. Meanwhile, cable networks such as HBO HD, Showtime HD, TNT HD, Universal HD, ESPN, and ESPN2 HD offer at least some of their shows and movies in high-definition. There are also a handful of all-HD networks, including HDnet, HDNet Movies, and Discovery HD Theater that run high-definition programming all day, every day. Finally, more and more regional sports networks are showing your local teams in high-def, although they're often restricted to cable.

Back to top​

What about CNN, MTV, and the SciFi Channel--are they in HD?
If not yet, they're probably coming soon. MTV already has an HD channel, called MHD. A high-def version of CNN may launch as soon as the fall of 2007, along with The History Channel and others. The Food Network, A&E, HGTV, The National Geographic Channel, and the NFL Network all have their own HD channels now. As for the SciFi Channel, Comedy Central, FX, IFC, Lifetime, and Sundance, they're not in HD yet, but don't be surprised if you hear of them launching soon. And while some cable networks don't offer HD versions, they hand off individual shows to other high-definition networks for the full HD treatment. For example, there's no SciFi HD, but second-run episodes of the SciFi Channel-produced Battlestar Galactica appear in high-def on Universal HD.

 

[Widescreen]

I'm not sure what Spike is going to show in HD other than MMA stuff. Most of their content is in SD. I have a feeling that D* is going to throw a bunch of upconverted channels up on their satellite and say "look at us, we're #1!". Probably a good marketing strategy as the average customer probably doesn't know any different.

 

[RockinHARD26]

I'm waiting for Dish or Direct to upconvert the adult channels. lol

 

[Sean Mota]

I'm not sure what Spike is going to show in HD other than MMA stuff. Most of their content is in SD. I have a feeling that D* is going to throw a bunch of upconverted channels up on their satellite and say "look at us, we're #1!". Probably a good marketing strategy as the average customer probably doesn't know any different.

That is the sad part of it. Because even if the channel does exist as a HD channel (independent of the SD channel), it will take the channel a very long time to start delivering HD content. Look at the current channels like TNT HD, A&E HD, and even Universal HD. Is there enough HD to cover the channel 24/7. The answer is no.

This is why D* offers will not move me because E* and Cable will catch up and we the consumer be able to watch the HD content without missing much of it. There won't be much of it at the start. That's a fact that the Discovery Channels have shown. Most of it is upconvert.

P.S. Some may be happy watching the upconvert stuff but I am one person that do not waste my time with upconvert programming. To me watching those programs is a waste of projection lamp life.

 

[Widescreen]

One thing that's nice about the upconverted channels, though, is that the picture quality is generally better than the corresponding SD version (less artifacting, etc). So even though it's not really HD, there is some benefit.

 

[Juan]

One thing that's nice about the upconverted channels, though, is that the picture quality is generally better than the corresponding SD version (less artifacting, etc). So even though it's not really HD, there is some benefit.

If like stretched contourted pictures

 

[mdonnelly]

If like stretched contourted pictures

I don't like stretching either, but I do like the PQ of the SD programs that NGHD shows in 4x3, compared to their SD channel.

 

[wknd_warrior]

x = dish currently has



9800 CSTV
9804 Disney Channel
9805 x Animal Planet
9808 FX
9809 Toon Disney
9810 ESPN News
9813 CD USA "The 101"
9814 x Cinemax HD
9815 x National Georaphic
9818 MTV
9819 HBO West
9820 NBA TV
9823 x A&E
9824 Starz Edge
9825 x NFL Network
9828 Starz West
9829 x Starz East
9832 x Science Channel
9833 x History Channel
9834 Showtime West
9835 Outdoor
9838 x Discovery
9839 x Movie Channel
9840 Tennis Channel
9842 Speed
9843 Fuel
9844 x HGTV
9845 Spike
9847 Starz Comedy
9849 CNN
9852 Sho Too
9853 The Weather Channel
9854 TBS
9855 Cartoon Network
9857 Starz Kids & Family
9858 Bravo
9859 Comedy Central
9862 x TLC
9864 Versus
9866 Altitude
9867 Cinemax West
9863 Sci-Fi
9869 x MHD
9871 Chiller/ SAC MNT
9872 ABC Family
9873 USA Network
9874 Nickelodeon East
9877 CNBC
9878 x The Food Network
9879 VH1

Now I'm not sure if I want to get hd yet. The bold channels are the ones I watch and only 2 are in hd right now.

 

[Widescreen]

If like stretched contourted pictures

Many of them show it in 4:3.

 

[RockinHARD26]

All I know is, if Direct does come up with 100+ hd channels by the end of September.... I'll be switching. SD channels suck compared to HD or HD wannabe channels on my big screen TV.

 

[Voyager6]

All I know is, if Direct does come up with 100+ hd channels by the end of September.... I'll be switching. SD channels suck compared to HD or HD wannabe channels on my big screen TV.

I think D* is "promising" about 70 HD channels by the end of September (counting all PPV, RSN, Premium sports & movie channels). It is supposed to have about 100 HD channels by year end (depending on channel availability).

 

[voomvoom]

The History Channel is not in HD on Dish.....

Al

Edit: Made a mistake, Science Channel is on Dish....

 

[JH1949]

Hey voomvoom,

CH 9490 = Science Channel HD on Dish

 

[voomvoom]

Hey voomvoom,

CH 9490 = Science Channel HD on Dish

OK, excuse me. It's not in my package and I wasn't thinking. Sorry!

Al

 

[JH1949]

Hey shorrock,

Dish does not have History HD yet, but it may be coming soon per the 2 previous posts:

September 5th is the release date for History Channel HD.

This channel is a 720p channel, not full 1080i.

.....it is uplinked for testing to channel 9491.

 

[dlsnyder]

eh, in 10 years SD will have gone the way of b&w television. All programming will be produced and transmitted in HD, whether your set is capable of displaying it or not. I know programmers are trying to maximise the visual impact of SD versus HD programming right now with the separate channels, but ultimately (and sooner rather than later) that's all going to change. When the day finally comes that Dish discontinues all SD-only receivers, then we will know that they are seriously committed to HD.