ESPN2 HD September 8th

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gwinchilla

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Dec 17, 2004
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ESPN2 HD's Direct Hit

ESPN launched ESPN2-HD with much fanfare last January at the Consumer Electronics Association show (CES) in Las Vegas. Much fanfare, but not many viewers. That changes on Sept. 8 when DirecTV finally delivers the channel to its 700,000 HD subscribers. The companies announced a deal months ago, but never said when the new service would launch on the nation's dominant satellite carrier. Until now, only Adelphia and Mediacom viewers have actually received ESPN2 HD.

The launch is great news for ESPN as the network has been producing ESPN2 events in HD since last January, adding to the cost of those productions, but with little return on investment. The addition of DirecTV's HD subscribers changes that.

"I think we'll have an equal number of event telecasts on ESPN HD and ESPN2 HD from Sept. 1 through the end of the year," says Bryan Burns, ESPN VP, strategic planning and business development.

The inaugural ESPN2-HD event on DirecTV on Sept. 8 is a college football game from Miami between Oklahoma State vs. Florida Atlantic. On Sept. 10 they'll be able to tune into another college game (expect ESPN and ESPN2 to air 70 college games in HD this fall) when Pittsburgh squares off against Ohio University.

Burns believes DirecTV's carriage is a tipping point both for the network and HD in general. And he says those distributors that don't feed HD owners' demand for content will put their customers at competitive risk.

"I'm not sure most in our industry understand what is about to happen in living rooms across America," he says. "I think there is going to be a dramatic increase in consumer demand for 16x9 HD this fall and 2006 is going to be the year we will look back and say, "that's when it turned the corner."
 
Is this for real now? There was a press release last time and it never launched. Where does the source of the article comes from?
 
I'll take any additional HD we can get at this point.......hope they offer lots of NCAA Football in HD.
 
Maybe LonghornXP has some insight on this.
 
OUCH! Sorry I just bumped my head when I fell over hearing this news. A new HD channel on DirecTV! Am I overly optimistic to believe that they'll add TNT-HD at the same time?

-JustBob
 
JustBob said:
Am I overly optimistic to believe that they'll add TNT-HD at the same time?

-JustBob
Yes. We knew that ESPN2 was coming. It has been in press announcements since April (see link below), but there really hasn't been anything more than rumors about TNTHD. It may come by year's end, but probably not on Sept 8th. That's just IMHO. :tux:

Link to April press release.
 
Don't get me wrong, I'll be thrilled to get another HD channel.......

But, I am afraid the honeymoon will probably be very short. Is it just me or does it seem like ESPNHD hardly shows true HD programming? ESPNHD almost always has bars on the sides, ESPNHD2 will probably be more of the same. I think ESPN should have tried to fill the ESPNHD schedule with HD programming before adding ESPNHD2.

At any rate, I hope this post is true, at least it will be a move in the right direction. Personally, I would prefer TNTHD, but who cares what I think? I guess beggers can't be choosers after all.

:deadhorse
 
ESPN can't show two HD games at the same time with only one channel, which is why they have two channels of HD programming.

Chris
 
CRendall said:
ESPN can't show two HD games at the same time with only one channel, which is why they have two channels of HD programming.

Chris


You missed my point, have you ever noticed that some games are not even broadcast in HD? Tonights Baseball game was in HD, but that is not always the case. Way too often games are broadcast in SD.

For example, this past Saturday, the Falcons and Colts played a preseason game in Tokyo, this game was on ESPNHD but it was broadcast in SD. The other night there was different preseason football game on and it was in HD.

All I am saying, is that ESPN should have gotten ESPNHD straight before launching ESPNHD2. I promise, you will see a scenario where both channels are showing a sporting event of some kind and neither will be in HD. I don't need ESPNHD and ESPNHD2 to watch sd games.
 
shugo77 said:
......All I am saying, is that ESPN should have gotten ESPNHD straight before launching ESPNHD2. I promise, you will see a scenario where both channels are showing a sporting event of some kind and neither will be in HD. I don't need ESPNHD and ESPNHD2 to watch sd games.
Maybe this will change your mind! Heres the upcoming HD lineup for ESPNHD and ESPN2HD! Look at all the games announced for September:

9/1/2005 CFB Central Florida Golden Knights vs. South Carolina Gamecocks 7:30 PM ESPNHD (720p)
9/2/2005 CFB Arizona Wildcats vs. Utah Utes 8:00 PM ESPNHD (720p)
9/3/2005 CFB Boise State Broncos vs. Georgia Bulldogs 5:30 PM ESPNHD (720p)
9/3/2005 CFB Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. Auburn Tigers 8:45 PM ESPNHD (720p)
9/3/2005 CFB UCLA Bruins vs. San Diego St. Aztecs 10:15 PM ESPN2HD (720p)
9/4/2005 CFB Virginia Tech Hokies vs. NC State Wolfpack 7:15 PM ESPN2HD (720p)
9/8/2005 CFB Oklahoma St. Cowboys vs. Florida Atlantic Owls 7:00 PM ESPN2HD (720p)
9/9/2005 CFB Pittsburgh Panthers vs. Ohio Bobcats 8:00 PM ESPN2HD (720p)
9/10/2005 CFB South Carolina Gamecocks vs. Georgia Bulldogs 5:30 PM ESPNHD (720p)
9/10/2005 CFB Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles vs. Alabama Crimson Tide 7:45 PM ESPN2HD (720p)
9/15/2005 CFB Utah Utes vs. TCU Horned Frogs 7:30 PM ESPNHD (720p)
9/16/2005 CFB Houston Cougars vs. UTEP Miners 8:00 PM ESPN2HD (720p)
9/17/2005 CFB Wisconsin Badgers vs. North Carolina Tar Heels 7:00 PM ESPN2HD (720p)
9/17/2005 CFB TBD 7:45 PM ESPNHD (720p)
9/22/2005 CFB Air Force Falcons vs. Utah Utes 7:30 PM ESPNHD (720p)
9/23/2005 CFB Iowa State Cyclones vs. Army Black Knights 8:00 PM ESPN2HD (720p)
9/24/2005 CFB TBD 7:00 PM ESPN2HD (720p)
9/24/2005 CFB TBD 7:45 PM ESPNHD (720p)
9/29/2005 CFB Air Force Falcons vs. Colorado State Rams 7:30 PM ESPNHD (720p)
9/30/2005 CFB Pittsburgh Panthers vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights 8:00 PM ESPN2HD (720p)
 
I see several games on that schedule that I can't wait for, but still my point has been missed... I want every game on ESPNHD to be broadcast in HD. It is my personal opinion that they should have accomplished that before adding ESPNHD2.

Answer this question, how many games next month will be broadcast in SD, probably the same amount that are broadcast in HD. It dissapoints me so much when I turn on ESPNHD and, I see a game being broadcast in SD.

There was no excuse for the Falcons / Colts game Saturday afternoon not to be in HD, last night's Miami game was in HD. I am a Falcons fan and that really urked me, especially last night when the Miami game was in HD, why couldn't the Falcons game be HD? Is there no possible way to get an HD camera to Tokyo? Surely ESPN could have rented one for the weekend or something.
 
shugo77 said:
I see several games on that schedule that I can't wait for, but still my point has been missed... I want every game on ESPNHD to be broadcast in HD. It is my personal opinion that they should have accomplished that before adding ESPNHD2.

Answer this question, how many games next month will be broadcast in SD, probably the same amount that are broadcast in HD. It dissapoints me so much when I turn on ESPNHD and, I see a game being broadcast in SD.

There was no excuse for the Falcons / Colts game Saturday afternoon not to be in HD, last night's Miami game was in HD. I am a Falcons fan and that really urked me, especially last night when the Miami game was in HD, why couldn't the Falcons game be HD? Is there no possible way to get an HD camera to Tokyo? Surely ESPN could have rented one for the weekend or something.
I see your point and I too agree! ESPNHD shows more SD programming than HD! I too wish they fill their schedule with "ALL" Hd programming first! I was also upset the Falcons/Colt games was SD and there was no excuse for ESPN not having it in HD! Japan has had HDTV technology before everyone plus they have all the necessary equipment to broadcast it in HD but ESPN made no effort to tap into that link! But, look at the bright side! With ESPN2HD in the mix, we can have more HD to fulfill that HD sport hunger! :hungry:
 
shugo77 said:
I see several games on that schedule that I can't wait for, but still my point has been missed... I want every game on ESPNHD to be broadcast in HD. It is my personal opinion that they should have accomplished that before adding ESPNHD2.

Answer this question, how many games next month will be broadcast in SD, probably the same amount that are broadcast in HD. It dissapoints me so much when I turn on ESPNHD and, I see a game being broadcast in SD.

There was no excuse for the Falcons / Colts game Saturday afternoon not to be in HD, last night's Miami game was in HD. I am a Falcons fan and that really urked me, especially last night when the Miami game was in HD, why couldn't the Falcons game be HD? Is there no possible way to get an HD camera to Tokyo? Surely ESPN could have rented one for the weekend or something.

You have no idea what is involved in broadcasting live sporting events in HDTV. For one mobile trucks with HDTV hardware must be at the stadium. Secondly it costs millions of dollars to just upgrade a truck for HDTV and it costs much much more to build a new HDTV truck. Remember that an HDTV truck must support the ability to crop and downrez in realtime and send out both into their main headquarters all again at realtime so they can be piped down to all local stations. Right now they don't have enough trucks and they take time to build and upgrade and nobody could plan to get this many trucks ready in this short amount of time.

Now also factor in that the Tokyo bowl also needs and truck and I don't think that current mobile trucks can be flown into Tokyo for a preseason game that very few people will watch at 5 in the morning. So the only chance we had of getting this game in HDTV is if Tokyo had an HDTV truck that works with our standards in place onsite which is doubtfull. We must remember that this isn't as simple as converting a movie for HDTV. So the fact is that Starz HD has no excuse to not have 100% of their movies in HDTV while ESPN HD and ESPN2 HD actually have a real excuse.

Now don't get me wrong I'm all for having everything in HDTV on the ESPN channels but I'm still on earth knowing that isn't going to happen real soon not because ESPN doesn't want to but because they can't right now.

What I will say is just about three years ago we didn't have jack in HDTV. CBS was the hotshot with sports in HDTV with very few live sporting events in HDTV. All ABC had was Monday Night Football. Fox never did HDTV but widescreen EDTV. NBC HD didn't do jack. TNT HD didn't even exist so their 40+ games from the NBA didn't exist either. Both ESPN HD channels didn't exist which means that all these sporting games didn't exist in HDTV nor did Sunday Night Football. InHD didn't exist so that means that at least 3 MLB games didn't exist in HDTV for several years. Three years ago we didn't have on NFL from Sunday Ticket in HDTV. The first year we had HD on Sunday Ticket it was just one CBS HD game. Now we have 6 each week from Fox in HDTV plus 3 each week from CBS in HDTV plus more to come as the years go by. All of those games in HDTV on Sunday Ticket will also be in HDTV if they are broadcast on your local Fox and/or CBS HD feeds.

I know I'm going on and on but I'm getting flatout sick and tired of hearing all this bitching about sporting events not being done in HDTV when just three years ago I was suffering with 1-100th of what we have now. I always want more but I and others had a reason to complain three years ago and the fact is you have no reason whatsoever to even hint at complaining.

Your logic kills me in that if ESPN HD and ESPN2 HD don't do all the games in HDTV on their channels that we shouldn't get the 200+ sporting event games they do per year. I would rather have 200+ sporting events being done in HDTV and counting compared to nothing at all. I'm just glad that people like you aren't making these choices because we wouldn't have jack nor would we ever get anything more for our lifetimes.
 
Amen Longhorn,
Add to that the fact that ESPN and ESPN2 are soooooo bitstarved and look like such total garbage that 3 years ago I watched the WorldCUP on Univision rather than ESPN because the PQ was far superior. I didn't have a clue what the heck they were saying other than player names and GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAALLLLLLLLLLL but upconverted games on ESPN HD and 2HD are preferable ANY DAY to the horrid PQ on 206 and 209.
 
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