Hello, new member needs advice. Adding HBO/Cinemax/Showtime/Starz in HD.

Baseball_Guy

Active SatelliteGuys Member
Original poster
Aug 19, 2008
15
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Hello, I hope I put this in the right area.

I want to add one or two movie channels to my HD package. I searched google and could not find much information about how good the picture quality is on HBO HD or Showtime HD or Cinemax HD or Starz HD. Is the picture quality as good as local HD with an antenna?

I like action movies the most. I looked at tvguide for the next couple weeks and it appears Cinemax plays the most action movies. Is this generally true all year? If I order Cinemax HD would it be dumb to also order HBO HD because they are owned by the same company? Do they play many of the same movies?

Is there anything I should know before I order? I have Tivo so I can record movies at any hour.
 
:welcometo Satelliteguys!;
Not as good of PQ as Local OTA (depends on your locals and your provider) but pretty good, you might consider HBO and Starz as you are correct that Movies that debut on HBO and Max will eventually be on the other...

Hi dfergie, thanks for the reply.

I'm having a hard time making a decision. I think I want HBO because 20 years ago when I first got cable HBO was the channel that had the newest movies. It also had Dennis Miller and he was hallarious.

Looking at TVGuide I see more movies I like on Cinemax.

I know I don't want to get both of them since they play the same movies. But I can't decide which one to get.
 
He doesn't have a series on HBO anymore. What programming service do you have?

I have package that gets all the HD channels and all the SD channels, but not the one that gets all the premium channels. I think I will add 2 movie channels.

I like the movies on Cinemax, but I like the programs on HBO. I know they are the same company, so it is probably dumb to order both. If I only get one HBO or Cinemax, and another channel, what should it be? I love good action movies. I was looking at Starz and Showtime and The Movie Channel as a possible second channel. I had Showtime 10+ years ago and never watched it. It never seemed to have movies I like. But now that I have a DVR, even if I can find 5-6 movies a month it is cheaper than renting.

One movie I want to see is Miami Vice on Cinemax. Has it been on HBO yet or will it be on HBO in the future?
 
I have package that gets all the HD channels and all the SD channels, but not the one that gets all the premium channels. I think I will add 2 movie channels.

I like the movies on Cinemax, but I like the programs on HBO. I know they are the same company, so it is probably dumb to order both. If I only get one HBO or Cinemax, and another channel, what should it be? I love good action movies. I was looking at Starz and Showtime and The Movie Channel as a possible second channel. I had Showtime 10+ years ago and never watched it. It never seemed to have movies I like. But now that I have a DVR, even if I can find 5-6 movies a month it is cheaper than renting.

One movie I want to see is Miami Vice on Cinemax. Has it been on HBO yet or will it be on HBO in the future?

I guess I'm not the one to advise you, since I have all the movie channels, which I loved, and now that Dish added a lot more in HD, I'm really happy.
 
Hi Baseball_guy and welcome.

You don't mention who your service provider is, but if it is DISH, this doesn't have to be an either/or. Look around the dishnetwork forum for the Cinemax for a penny deal. It's good for two years if you sign up for paperless billing and autopay. Then you can add another premium service at the regular price, or you can evaluate the premium HD quality for no investment before deciding.
 
I guess I'm not the one to advise you, since I have all the movie channels, which I loved, and now that Dish added a lot more in HD, I'm really happy.

ripnbigc, how would you rate the picture quality of the major movie channels?
 
Hi Baseball_guy and welcome.

You don't mention who your service provider is, but if it is DISH, this doesn't have to be an either/or. Look around the dishnetwork forum for the Cinemax for a penny deal. It's good for two years if you sign up for paperless billing and autopay. Then you can add another premium service at the regular price, or you can evaluate the premium HD quality for no investment before deciding.

Hi jayn_j. Sorry I forgot to mention I have comcast. Thanks!
 
Hi jayn_j. Sorry I forgot to mention I have comcast. Thanks!
Not to sound like a jerk, but you should look at Direct or Dish. Unless you are at the beginning of their "deals", Comcast is usually always more expensive than the Sats. And pending you location, you probably will get better PQ. Also MUCH better equipment. And believe it or not, I own Comcast stock.
 
Hi jayn_j. Sorry I forgot to mention I have comcast. Thanks!

I am also forced into Comcast (tall trees in neighbor's yard to South). Service is OK, but I hate their HD DVR after giving up a DISH-622, and as KAB mentioned, the price is generally lower from the satellite providers, especially at the higher tiers.

I suspect it varies from system to system, but Comcast here tries to keep the premium channels at the highest possible quality. I believe they only place 2 digital channels per analog space, instead of the three they do for most of the HD. I noticed significant degradation of the HD signals when Comcast took over from Insight and added more content, but the premiums stayed at the best level.

Of course, forget what I said about the penny Cinemax as Comcast doesn't do deals. And Cincinnati isn't on either provider's radar for HD locals yet.
 
I am also forced into Comcast (tall trees in neighbor's yard to South). Service is OK, but I hate their HD DVR after giving up a DISH-622, and as KAB mentioned, the price is generally lower from the satellite providers, especially at the higher tiers.

I suspect it varies from system to system, but Comcast here tries to keep the premium channels at the highest possible quality. I believe they only place 2 digital channels per analog space, instead of the three they do for most of the HD. I noticed significant degradation of the HD signals when Comcast took over from Insight and added more content, but the premiums stayed at the best level.

Of course, forget what I said about the penny Cinemax as Comcast doesn't do deals. And Cincinnati isn't on either provider's radar for HD locals yet.

I got a good deal and sent you a PM describing what Comcast offered. :)
 
I did a little more research and this might help people who are deciding what movie channels to get (i got it from wiki)-

Max (through HBO) currently has exclusive deals with sister company Warner Bros., DreamWorks (which has been bought by Paramount) and 20th Century Fox. In addition, it holds partial pay-cable rights to movies produced by Sony Pictures Entertainment (excluding those in partnership with Revolution Studios), and Universal Studios (along with Rogue Pictures and Focus Features).

HBO currently has exclusive deals with DreamWorks (which recently was acquired by Paramount/Viacom), Twentieth Century Fox, Universal Studios (along with Rogue Pictures and Focus Features), New Line Cinema, and network sister company Warner Bros. (although recently they passed on a package of recent WB films such as The Polar Express and March of the Penguins due to cost, and therefore have bypassed pay-cable altogether and went straight from pay-per-view to broadcast television).

Showtime has also agreements with MGM Studios, Lions Gate Films, IFC Films (which it shares broadcasting rights with Starz), ThinkFilm, certain films put out by The Weinstein Company (those that are distributed theatrically in conjunction with MGM Studios), and the newly re-formed United Artists (still a subsidiary of MGM). In 2008, the channel signed a deal with First Look Pictures to air their films.

Starz and its fellow movie channels have exclusive film output deals with the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group (including Walt Disney Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, Hollywood Pictures, Pixar, and Miramax Films), Sony Pictures Entertainment (including Columbia Pictures [alongside films produced by Revolution Studios], Sony Pictures Classics, Screen Gems, TriStar), Overture Films (now Starz's in-house production and distribution company), and Warren Miller Films, among other leading distributors.
 
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