Question about non-simulcasts HD channels

wkomorow

Pub Member / Supporter
Original poster
Jun 7, 2004
756
22
Berkshire, MA
It seems like the HD channels that are not simulcasts of the SD counterparts are mostly commercial free. They have public service announcements (e.g., Foundation for a Better Life, BoysTown, National Arbor Day, etc.) and program previews and PBS-like product highlights, but not commercials.

My understanding was that multicast channels were available a little or no cost to providers (e.g., HBO), except for DiscoveryHD Theatre which clearly was an expensive channel. Dish must be paying for these new channels besides simply uplink costs if there are no commercials. My question is are these really subscription services or do people expect commercials to start to creep in.
 
It seems like the HD channels that are not simulcasts of the SD counterparts are mostly commercial free. They have public service announcements (e.g., Foundation for a Better Life, BoysTown, National Arbor Day, etc.) and program previews and PBS-like product highlights, but not commercials.

My understanding was that multicast channels were available a little or no cost to providers (e.g., HBO), except for DiscoveryHD Theatre which clearly was an expensive channel. Dish must be paying for these new channels besides simply uplink costs if there are no commercials. My question is are these really subscription services or do people expect commercials to start to creep in.

Many of these are subscription services. I know I pay $20 for HD with Dish, for Voom and the other channels in their HD package. HGTV HD is not a simulcast of HGTV, and it has plenty of commercials. Discovery HD has commercials creeping in now. The ones that don't, like Voom, are covered by my subscription fees I am sure.

I also have BHN cable. I pay $7.00 or so for the HD Pak with them. That includes HDNET 1/2, Mojo, and some other junk in a subscription form with no commercials.

So you bet, we are paying for it with or without the commercials. They are making the money. Thanks for bringing this up though, since I now realize I have everything with Dish that I am paying extra for with BHN for their HD Pak. I may need to reconsider this.
 
Many of these are subscription services. I know I pay $20 for HD with Dish, for Voom and the other channels in their HD package. HGTV HD is not a simulcast of HGTV, and it has plenty of commercials. Discovery HD has commercials creeping in now. The ones that don't, like Voom, are covered by my subscription fees I am sure.

I also have BHN cable. I pay $7.00 or so for the HD Pak with them. That includes HDNET 1/2, Mojo, and some other junk in a subscription form with no commercials.

So you bet, we are paying for it with or without the commercials. They are making the money. Thanks for bringing this up though, since I now realize I have everything with Dish that I am paying extra for with BHN for their HD Pak. I may need to reconsider this.

I just checked. The only thing I get on BHN that I don't get on Dish in the extra $6.00 (not $7 as I thought) is Mojo. Dish doesn't have Mojo. I get everything else and much more on Dish. Is Mojo really worth $6 a month. I don't think so since I never watch it. It would be my luck though to drop the HD Pak and then they would add channels Dish doesn't have. I just can't win!
 
I just checked. The only thing I get on BHN that I don't get on Dish in the extra $6.00 (not $7 as I thought) is Mojo. Dish doesn't have Mojo. I get everything else and much more on Dish. Is Mojo really worth $6 a month. I don't think so since I never watch it. It would be my luck though to drop the HD Pak and then they would add channels Dish doesn't have. I just can't win!

Thanks wkomorow

You made me realize I was paying $6/month I didn't need to be paying. I just dropped the HDPak mentioned above since I get those same channels with Dish (except Mojo). They also took off a .95 additional digital outlet charge I hadn't noticed they were nailing me with each month. Thanks for saving me $6.95 a month on my cable bill.
 
cool - glad you are saving money.

Hate to disagree, but there are commercials on HGHD but they are 1 30 second commercial sandwiched among 3 minutes of show promos and public service announcements. This is what surprised me the most about the discovery channels (outside of HD Theater) - the number of commercials on a national hd channel.
 
They're new channels... have have relatively low market penetration. Difficult for media buyers to justify spending advertising dollars on them yet and difficult for media sales people to sell with no ratings information. What ads you do see were probably thrown in as value-added on deals cut with the main network.
 
Commercials none the less, and more and more go online as they get advertisers. Bose is one that comes to mind. Fortunately, Dish has that sexy skip ahead button so I don't actually watch the commercials through. BHN on the other hand, has no skip ahead button on their DVR.

cool - glad you are saving money.

Hate to disagree, but there are commercials on HGHD but they are 1 30 second commercial sandwiched among 3 minutes of show promos and public service announcements. This is what surprised me the most about the discovery channels (outside of HD Theater) - the number of commercials on a national hd channel.
 
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