NEW HD RUMOR; 24 HD Channels for DirecTV..Bye bye Voom

[slacker9876]

I fear Chris's list may be correct, the only thing that is missing is TNT-HD which I am hearing is a done deal, and that could be the 24th station.

Kind of depressing, but really makes sense considering the NFL stuff in HD.

No need to fear ... It only makes sense if you think they will broadcast the game for a week straight.

If this how HD channels are to be counted, I wonder how they would calculate subs? Either way, until there is another satellite to free up bandwidth I'll not be holding my breath for ANY HD additions and I'll be pleasantly surprised if I am wrong, and I hope I am. Theres is NO WAY D* would try to pass 9 NFL channels as "HD additions."

Scott, anyway to add HD to the spell checker so it doesn't hit every time ... LEARN is not working.

 

[Neutron]

Wait, all the NFL games in HD are available if you don't have ST but do have the HD Pak??

 

[slacker9876]

Wait, all the NFL games in HD are available if you don't have ST but do have the HD Pak??

NO! Sorry about the confusion in my statement there. Any OTA HD and the ESPN HD games are in the HD Pack ... that is still 4 games a week for most of us. Didn't mean to stir up mayhem there.

That is my point though ... there is no value for D* or us by adding 9 NFL ST HD channels.

 

[Alan Gordon]

That is my point though ... there is no value for D* or us by adding 9 NFL ST HD channels.

The first week of ST HD action, there is five HD games that start at 1:00 P.M. and then three games that start at 4:00 P.M. The second week, there is six HD games that start at 1:00 P.M. and two at 4:00 P.M. Now I have just recently started watching football, but wouldn't at least HALF of the games be done in three hours?!

~Alan

 

[mechaley]

That's great, 9 channels of HD NFL. What will they be showing on those channels when there is no football, dead air?

 

[hongcho]

> What will they be showing on those channels when there is no football, dead air?

My guess is that's when they'll add more HD channels (not on Chris's list). I think they are trying to buy some time since they'll have about 6 ~ 7 months (well, more if they've already started) to get additional bandwidth ready by the next NFL season.

This could be done with another satellite, or they could do this with the rumored "superdish" with the Ku-band satellites (with or without new video compression).

Hong.

 

[Alan Gordon]

> What will they be showing on those channels when there is no football, dead air?

My guess is that's when they'll add more HD channels (not on Chris's list). I think they are trying to buy some time since they'll have about 6 ~ 7 months (well, more if they've already started) to get additional bandwidth ready by the next NFL season.

I believe he was referring to Monday through Saturday, and from what it looks like, the answer will be yes, it will be dead air.

~Alan

 

[Carter]

From the CBS press release talking about their NFL-HD plans:

"CBS Sports announced today that Sony Electronics will sponsor the high definition (HD) broadcast of three NFL games each Sunday of the regular-season on the CBS Television Network during the 2004 NFL season. Sony also will sponsor CBS Sports’ HD broadcasts of this season’s AFC playoff games, including the AFC Championship Game on Jan. 23, 2005. By broadcasting three games each week, CBS anticipates that most American households will have access to at least one CBS HD NFL game each week."

Link to the whole press release:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=432654

From Ken H over at AVS:

Regular Season HD Games scheduled:

ABC Monday Night Football - 17 games, Wild Card Playoffs


The NFL On CBS - 51 games, AFC Playoffs, AFC Championship
AVS Exclusive - 2004 NFL On CBS - 3 Games A Week In HDTV, Playoffs, presented by Sony


ESPN HD Sunday Night Football - 17 games


NFL On FOX - 97 games, NFC Playoffs, NFC Championship, 2005 Super Bowl

 

[Alan Gordon]

Link to the whole press release:

?????????????????????????????????????????????????

~Alan

 

[slacker9876]

quite a bit more realistic

Stole this from TCF and this is quite a bit more realistic in terms of D* blowing away Voom. I might add I have read other rumors that indicate D* has already completed negotiations with 8 NEW providers and is working on the others. 2 of then certainly could be FOX (we know) and ABC, 6 would be perfect for premium additions.

[font=verdana, arial, helvetica]I'm the LonghornXP over at AVSForums and at DBSTalk.com and I want to assure you that my contacts are saying that will not be the fall lineup and whatever contact said this would be it has to be clocked around the head for even thinking this. Now what I've said on DBSTalk I will say again and I will make it short.

The NFL Sunday Ticket games are not counted on this list nor are the PPV HD channel or the Special Events channels.

The reason that the NFL Sunday Ticket games aren't counted is because the PPV HD and Special Events bandwidth will be used for NFL Sunday Ticket games. Also the games shown on Fox and CBS NY and LA feeds will be mirrored in the 90s range for NFL Sunday Ticket customers as well. So at 1pm on almost every single week we will have 4 games mirrored and 2 games shown on the PPV and Special Events channel for a total of 6 games at 1pm. Now the fact is that DirecTV may have 10 NFL games at 1pm but in most cases 5 or 6 games will be shown in HD at 1pm while 3 or 4 games will be shown at 4pm. There will be a total of 9 games in HD each week but not all 9 of them will be at 1pm and there will not be more than 6 HD games at 1pm.

Now with that said my contact couldn't tell me what channel they would offer but could only tell me what channels they are working to get.

But with the channels he has told me they are working to get I will put my list again of this information.

1-HBOHD
2-Showtime HD
3-Cinemax HD
4-Starz HD
5-Encore HD
6-Discovery HD
7-ESPN HD
8-HDNet
9-HDNet Movies
10-Bravo HD+
11-TNT HD
12-InHD
13-InHD2
14-NFL Network HD
15-CBS NY
16-CBS LA
17-Fox NY
18-Fox LA
19-NBC NY
20-NBC LA
21-ABC NY
22-ABC LA
23-Unknown
24-Unknown

Now some of those channels we have and had been said and confirmed would be coming soon. But those other channels are the channels that I've been told DirecTV has been working on getting. I was told the HD Package channels had the most people working on getting the deals done.

I was told that if and I said if DirecTV gets deals for TNT HD and InHD 1&2 they would be offering in the HD Package for still 10.99/month and those three channels are being worked on the most and after those channels have got deals done they would move over to the premium movie channels but right now they are working on the HD package because that is where they have got the most complaints from HD Package customers gone and still on.

I mean really fellas, do you think D* plans to "blow away" Voom with thew NFL ST??? Do you think that is realistic?
[/font]

 

[steverobertson]

Longhorn,

I hope this list is accurate as it looks good to me. INHD channels will be the icing on the cake for me. I do have a question on those though I have a friend who has Comcast that gets these channels and watches the NESN HD feed on one of the channels so I guess my question is would this also hold true for D*?

Thanks

 

[vinnyv07]

I would be very happy with Starrz HD and INHD 1 and 2. NBCDT would be a nice addition also...since I cant get NBC OTA from where I am. NBC has been confirmed but I would like to see a confimation on StarzHD and INHD. Directv would get my $$$ for a long time.

 

[slacker9876]

Right! and that is the goal for D* ... to get our money! Now this is just as much a rumor as is the 9 NFL channels but D* has publicly stated they want to "blow away" Voom and LonghornXP's post just falls a little more in line with something like that. None of us will be blown away by 9 NFL channels because we can get like 5 games a week in HD anyway via OTA and ESPN. I also don't see D* duplicating HD channels like HBOHD E/W. I think InHD is a stretch but anyone for the right $ amount would sign on.

We are all aware that come 2006 there will be a HUGE PUSH of HD content and hardware. Affiliates are not likely to use the 5 DTV channels they can fit into the new spectrum they have assigned. 2 tops per station would be my guess since they could do their main channel HDTV (14Mbps) and have room for another DTV translator (3.5Mbps) if they like. It is not a question of if analog will die, just a when. I doubt the FCC will enforce the 2006 drop dead date.

But like we have said ... these are rumors, none of us really knows except for maybe a few D* insiders who can't publicly talk to make such things factual.

 

[pradike]

Stole this from TCF and this is quite a bit more realistic in terms of D* blowing away Voom.

[font=verdana, arial, helvetica]I'm the LonghornXP over at AVSForums ...But with the channels he has told me they are working to get I will put my list again of this information.

1-HBOHD
2-Showtime HD
3-Cinemax HD
4-Starz HD
5-Encore HD
6-Discovery HD
7-ESPN HD
8-HDNet
9-HDNet Movies
10-Bravo HD+
11-TNT HD
12-InHD
13-InHD2
14-NFL Network HD
15-CBS NY
16-CBS LA
17-Fox NY
18-Fox LA
19-NBC NY
20-NBC LA
21-ABC NY
22-ABC LA
23-Unknown
24-Unknown

I was told that if and I said if DirecTV gets deals for TNT HD and InHD 1&2 they would be offering in the HD Package for still 10.99/month and those three channels are being worked on the most and after those channels have got deals done they would move over to the premium movie channels but right now they are working on the HD package because that is where they have got the most complaints from HD Package customers gone and still on.


[/font]

If that's the D*TV lineup by year end or so, they'll be NO REASON to have Voom. That's a ton of HD content right there!

 

[Dvlos]

THat's a big *IF*, now if D* adds all that (dont care for network feed) but adds TNTHD Starz, Encore, and INHD 1/2 with HD Tivo... and Voom's stalled where it is, I'll switch.. I could always switch back if they are still around. I assume that if D* can actually have THAT kind of monster lineup at an acceptable bandwidth, even E* would lose customers... I dont see it happening.

 

[Sean Mota]

Slacker,

out of all these rumors, your explanation is the one the makes more sense. INHD1 & 2 would be a tremendous push towards blowing away VOOM. Since they themselves have not been able to get INHD1 & 2. It will break the "only on cable" rule as well. Now, I hope the "IF" becomes "True" because NFL Ticket along in HD does not blows away the competition since not everybody would pay for it on top of the regular subscriptions. So I am in waiting mode. Right now, I am selling my Dish Receivers to join the D* crowd if it becomes true. I will still keep VOOM to see how they react.

This is good about competition (only customers come ahead). I am just shocked that Charlie is still sitting in the mud doing nothing and waiting for the sky to fall. I really hope the sky falls on him and E*.

 

[andrzej]

If that's the D*TV lineup by year end or so, they'll be NO REASON to have Voom.

Probably so. Alas, at this point this IS NOT the D* linup and that's the reason to have Voom for now.

 

[Hell Raiser]

New HD Channels Showing up on DirecTV the Guide???

Movies for TNT, MAX and TMC now show that little HD symbol next to the listing.

WTF?? can it be true???

 

[slacker9876]

Slacker,

out of all these rumors, your explanation is the one the makes more sense. INHD1 & 2 would be a tremendous push towards blowing away VOOM. Since they themselves have not been able to get INHD1 & 2. It will break the "only on cable" rule as well. Now, I hope the "IF" becomes "True" because NFL Ticket along in HD does not blows away the competition since not everybody would pay for it on top of the regular subscriptions. So I am in waiting mode. Right now, I am selling my Dish Receivers to join the D* crowd if it becomes true. I will still keep VOOM to see how they react.

This is good about competition (only customers come ahead). I am just shocked that Charlie is still sitting in the mud doing nothing and waiting for the sky to fall. I really hope the sky falls on him and E*.

I agree with you Sean, as a former voomer (PQ killed me) if D* uses the ol "Strike First, Stike Hard, No Mercy Sir!" approach they could gain a competitive advantage that might influcence E* & V* customers to defect. However, if they bring 9 NFL channels in ... who cares LOL. Like I said I'll get 5 of those games a week ANYWAY.

Too bad no one has been able to provide a real solid leak to us. The only reason I put Longhorn's post in is becuase he has been pretty "good" in the past and that counts for something.

In all honesty I don't care who provides the HD but someone needs to do it, 2005 will be a big year for television and a true leader will begin to emerge and that leader will be the company the does the most, the best and the quickest.

 

[slacker9876]

Movies for TNT, MAX and TMC now show that little HD symbol next to the listing.

WTF?? can it be true???

Woha! For real?!?! are these logos on the SD channels?