News Digest
Will DIRECTV Have Room For New HD Channels?
TVPredictions.com
Washington, D.C. (March 6, 2010) -- DIRECTV is planning to store a significantly larger PPV movie service on its new D12 HD satellite, company CFO Patrick Doyle said this week at the Morgan Stanley investors conference.
The announcement is important because the new PPV service is expected to offer up to 400 titles, compared to DIRECTV's current PPV lineup which features fewer than 20 movies.
With the expanded PPV service -- and DIRECTV's upcoming 3-D channels -- set for the new D12 satellite, there might be little room for the addition of new HD networks such as AMC HD, BBC America HD and WGN America HD.
Some industry observers have suggested that DIRECTV might use a different satellite to store the new PPV lineup, leaving space on the new D12 satellite for additional high-def networks. But Doyle said the PPV service would be on the D12 satellite, which is expected to be operational in late spring.
Doyle also said the new PPV service, called DIRECTV Cinema, will be launched in about two months.
This doesn't give me much hope for new HD. I may end up going back to Dish if this turns out to be true.