DISH Network Charges Forward With Another Round of National HD Channel Launches

[8bitbytes]

Everything I watch on Dish IS in native HD, not stretched SD. That's why I pay less than you (electricslim) with the HD Only Package. Sure there's still some pseudo-HD programming on some of the channels I get but at least I'm not paying for the 200 SD channels and music I never watched / listened to.

Nothing in SD looks that good on my 8 FOOT SCREEN

 

[atlind01]

Hello... I can watch most of these channels in standard def. All you are paying for is maybe one third of real, native HD programming on SOME of the channels. Everything else badly upconverted, it looks better in SD. I'm not bitter, I just don't understand paying more for maybe 30% of real HD programming. WHy is everyone here so excited about coughing up 10 to 20 bucks for a sham? You should all call Dish and say, when you offer more than 50% real HD, I'll gladly pay for it.

Some comments are actually happy about watching Full House unpconverted. Upconverts are grainy and have poor resolution. They look worse, but hey, bring em' on and take my money while you do it. More Kool Aid gang?

Are you sure you are using a HDTV? You are the first person that said SD looks better than upconversion.

 

[sammy4041]

Hello.... Some of us sub to the dishHD (only) package and don't pay for SD period So even new HD channels w/ a lot of up-converted SD are a lot better than a blank screen.

Talon Dancer

+1

you beat me to the punch.

 

[kstuart]

Surprised that the Travel channel has HD content on it.

You shouldn't be - the logo in the corner occasionally changes to the phrase:

Some things were meant for HD.

And it's true, travel photography is ideal for HD and the channel looks really good.

This despite the fact that it is simulcast with the SD channel, so they must have tossed all their old 480i programming. (I just checked the SD channel and the content is letterboxed to keep the AR of the program within the 4:3 box)

I'm really liking some of these new channels:

- Travel-HD is like the old Travel Channel before it became all infomercials and reality shows (I stopped watching and hadn't noticed it had better content now)

- Smithsonian-HD is like Discovery before it became almost entirely reality shows.

- CNBC-HD+ gives you more info at once, and is better because the little video boxes in 480i were very low res.

- Weather-HD just waiting for June 2nd for their HD studio to go live.

- The new movie channels just add more opportunities for something good to be available in HD more often.

( BIO-HD looks like the only turkey so far - A&E-HD is the worst HD channel ever - did we need a second A&E ? )

 

[aperry]

Hello... I can watch most of these channels in standard def. All you are paying for is maybe one third of real, native HD programming on SOME of the channels. Everything else badly upconverted, it looks better in SD. I'm not bitter, I just don't understand paying more for maybe 30% of real HD programming. WHy is everyone here so excited about coughing up 10 to 20 bucks for a sham? You should all call Dish and say, when you offer more than 50% real HD, I'll gladly pay for it.

Some comments are actually happy about watching Full House unpconverted. Upconverts are grainy and have poor resolution. They look worse, but hey, bring em' on and take my money while you do it. More Kool Aid gang?

You don't have to pay anything if you don't feel like the HD package is worth the money...

 

[ghia]

They've also mapped down all the HD-Only channels (UNI, HDNet, etc.) into the 300 range...all except the Vooms. I'm liking it, now if only they'd do the Vooms then i could be done with the 9000 range...

I'm use to looking in the 9000's guess I will have to change the guide around, it looks like MGM and Smithsonian do not show up in the 9000 range.

 

[ghia]

Hello.... Some of us sub to the dishHD (only) package and don't pay for SD period So even new HD channels w/ a lot of up-converted SD are a lot better than a blank screen.

Talon Dancer

Yes, the HD only package is sweet. Now if there was a way to subscribe to an HD-only premium package. It would be nice to have a way to get all the Movie premium w/o having to pay for the SD stuff that I don't watch.

 

[vegassatellite]

Absent of a real quality HD set and not being calibrated, HD can look awful for some. My suggestion is that electricslime buy his HDTV from somewhere other than WallyWorld and pay to have it calibrated.

 

[Dishlover]

Now we need the info to say if the program is in HD. I have to go to Zap2it right now.

 

[Cameron3395]

Yes, the HD only package is sweet. Now if there was a way to subscribe to an HD-only premium package. It would be nice to have a way to get all the Movie premium w/o having to pay for the SD stuff that I don't watch.

I thought a couple of months back they said they were going to offer a HD Movie pack where it's just the HD versions of the premium channels for $10 a month?

 

[mpl692001]

yup guess I should fire the first or maybe second whiney strike can we anticipate anything for Weds....???????

 

[Poke]

Yeah like I said TDisney got a show now and the PQ looks really good.

 

[Poke]

CNBCHD looks really good to

 

[DWS44]

Absent of a real quality HD set and not being calibrated, HD can look awful for some. My suggestion is that electricslime buy his HDTV from somewhere other than WallyWorld and pay to have it calibrated.

He'd have to give up his little 12" B&W set if he did that. Besides, this whole Color TV stuff is just a sham...it'll never catch on!

 

[DodgerKing]

Even thought TWC and CNBC do not have HD content they still look really good with the graphics and the better PQ.

I am impressed all around. Good job Dish!

They do during primetime. The Weather channels special such as Weather Ventures and Epic Conditions are shown in HD.

 

[Poke]

ESPNNEWSHD looks really good and like the new layout as well. Smith's Channel looks good as well and MGM HD looks really good as well. WFN is not bad either have not seen anything in HD yet but not bad so far.

 

[DodgerKing]

- Travel-HD is like the old Travel Channel before it became all infomercials and reality shows (I stopped watching and hadn't noticed it had better content now)

I can't wait for Direct to add this one

- Smithsonian-HD is like Discovery before it became almost entirely reality shows.

This is a nice channel, but one can only watch Panda's in the Wild and America's Hanger a finite number of time.

 

[mike123abc]

toon is stretch o-vision... down and out... what else to expect from the creators of tnt and tbs. boooooo...

The head of programming must wear coke bottle thick distorting glasses to think that stretch-o-vision looks right.

 

[DodgerKing]

The head of programming must wear coke bottle thick distorting glasses to think that stretch-o-vision looks right.

At least cartoons don't look as bad in stretch-o-vision as other content since animated figures are already distorted.

 

[NightRyder]

I thought a couple of months back they said they were going to offer a HD Movie pack where it's just the HD versions of the premium channels for $10 a month?

No that was some posters wish or misunderstanding - The premiums would never allow such a package.

NightRyder