So, are we ever going to have more then 4 hbo hd channels and 2 max? :\

[Zellio2008]

What is the hold up exactly? The best premium movie channels and we have this crap selection.

And they choose to have hd ppv... Which begs the question of what is the point of having multiple ppv channels WITH THE EXACT SAME MOVIE, when if someone buys a ppv show, they can pick from any of the ppv channels...

And it's not like you can't pick another ppv channel when others are using it...

It's absoloutely brilliant business to have useless ppv channels while making sure no one buys your premium hbo and cinemax channels. Friggin' brilliant.

Not to sound like I'm complaining TOO much... I'm very happy that they boosted up national hd. But the hbo selection is a joke.

 

[NGeorge]

At least we *finally* got HBO Zone... something I've wanted for 10 years--here's hoping we get HBO Comedy in the next 10..... Why 2 feeds of HBO Family I've never understood.

Other than a few Starz tweaks when Liberty purchased D*, this is the first premium channel upgrade since the USSB days.
--Nat

 

[cfb]

Its pretty easy math. Most people wont spend $12 a month on a 'premium' channel that shows the same crap over and over again along with 3-5 sort-of-new-releases every month when you can walk into a store and get 12 new releases from redbox or sit at home and get them in the mail from netflix, so premium channels are declining in subscribers.

At the same time, you can net $5 a pop from PPV's. Directv is all about short term, immediate revenue, not long term high monthly fee subscribers. If they can get 3-4 PPV's a month out of a subscriber (without having to pay a monthly fee back to a premium channel provider), thats way better. But if the movie they want to watch isnt on today or isnt on until later, there goes your $5.

 

[TomCat4680]

Its pretty easy math. Most people wont spend $12 a month on a 'premium' channel that shows the same crap over and over again along with 3-5 sort-of-new-releases every month when you can walk into a store and get 12 new releases from redbox or sit at home and get them in the mail from netflix, so premium channels are declining in subscribers.

Are you aware that premium channels have dozens of multiple award winning original shows, specials and sports, as well as HD movies that aren't available on Bluray? That's the reason I get them anyway (yes I have all 4 of them, plus HD Extra, and I'm on a very limited budget) in addition to the so called "new releases." You like math here's some math: 50 million cable/satellite/IPTV subscribers in the US alone times hundreds of thousands of movies made in the last 100 plus years. Show your work.

 

[TomCat4680]

What is the hold up exactly? The best premium movie channels and we have this crap selection.

And they choose to have hd ppv... Which begs the question of what is the point of having multiple ppv channels WITH THE EXACT SAME MOVIE, when if someone buys a ppv show, they can pick from any of the ppv channels...

And it's not like you can't pick another ppv channel when others are using it...

It's absoloutely brilliant business to have useless ppv channels while making sure no one buys your premium hbo and cinemax channels. Friggin' brilliant.

Not to sound like I'm complaining TOO much... I'm very happy that they boosted up national hd. But the hbo selection is a joke.

Three words: DirecTV hates puppies.

 

[charper1]

Are you aware that premium channels have dozens of multiple award winning original shows, specials and sports, as well as HD movies that aren't available on Bluray? That's the reason I get them anyway (yes I have all 4 of them, plus HD Extra, and I'm on a very limited budget) in addition to the so called "new releases." You like math here's some math: 50 million cable/satellite/IPTV subscribers in the US alone times hundreds of thousands of movies made in the last 100 plus years. Show your work.

Just so I can know; what original shows are we missing from the yet to be added premiums?

 

[TomCat4680]

Just so I can know; what original shows are we missing from the yet to be added premiums?

HBO Comedy re-airs lots of standup specials they no longer air on the other HBO's. I'd love to see them; I've only had HBO for less than 2 years.

 

[KyL416]

The HBO selection is okay outside of the lack of HBO Comedy and the lack of HBO Zone for non-HD customers. The real joke is having to pay extra for 3 channels of Cinemax when many other providers (who carry ALL the channels) now lump HBO and Cinemax in one package.

The point of multiple PPV channels with the same movie starting nearly every 30 minutes is something called "Near Video On Demand", something Digital Cable did too prior to the widespread availability of Video On Demand. Since satellite requires a HD DVR and an Internet connection for their On Demand, they still have the near video on demand so non-DVR viewers can see latest movies without having to wait 2 hours.

 

[dcowboy7]

Maybe directv is punishing them because hbo/max arent fans of OAR.

 

[charper1]

I think HBO Comedy SD or HD has always been a call out, but its just one channel of glaring omission. ...and it is long over due.

 

[sudnshok]

I seriously doubt we will be getting these HD channels anytime soon so don't hold your breath. Unless people write/complain to DirecTV, they will DEFINITELY not add them. So, please write or call them, and do it regularly, like I do. Give them a list of the things you want.

Here is my list...

Networks:
BBCA HD
Outdoor Channel HD
G4 HD
Cooking Channel HD
fuse HD
truTV HD

Movies:
AMC HD
HBO Comedy HD
HBO Signature HD
HBO Family HD
ActionMAX HD
MoreMAX HD
ThrillerMAX HD
@MAX HD
5StarMAX HD
OuterMAX HD
IFC HD

Don't forget about HBO on demand, which we don't have either.

The bottom line is, if you are looking for sports, DTV is the company to go with. For all else, they are not. Despite their marketing declaring themselves #1 in customer satisfaction and HD content, they are not. And, they KNOW that, which is why they lock you into a 2yr contract whenever they can (like just wanting to upgrade a receiver).

 

[cfb]

Are you aware that premium channels have dozens of multiple award winning original shows, specials and sports, as well as HD movies that aren't available on Bluray? That's the reason I get them anyway (yes I have all 4 of them, plus HD Extra, and I'm on a very limited budget) in addition to the so called "new releases." You like math here's some math: 50 million cable/satellite/IPTV subscribers in the US alone times hundreds of thousands of movies made in the last 100 plus years. Show your work.

Gosh, I can only think of a handful of award willing original shows and the dang providers keep canceling stuff that I like.

Besides, you seem to be missing the ten year trend away from subscribing to 500 channels (with nothing on) towards everything being a pay-per-view.

In case you've missed it, I'd be dumping my stock in the premium channel providers and picking up netflix, redbox, amazon, etc.

There is really very little point in having millions of cable and satellite hookups trying to catch an airing of a show on a box thats perfectly capable of downloading the same shows on demand over the internet.

Plus once you have one or two 'premium' channels and a dvr, you arent going to miss much. Adding 6 more of the same channels airing 95% of the same material probably isnt going to be worth it.

 

[aa9vi]

Frankly I'm glad HBO is $12 and they're not adding more channels. Screw them and I hope more people cancel their service. They are a biggoted network with Larry David and Bill Maher taking shots at anything religious in a very offensive and brazen way.

[SIZE=+1]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35ixBASYA9c


[/SIZE]

 

[dlma1]

Switch to FiOS!

D*'s lack of premium content is one of the major reasons I switched to FiOs. FiOs has all of the HBO and Cinemaxes in HD. FiOs has most of the Showtime and Starz channels in HD as well as Epix HD. Epix HD offers additional HD movie choices with the extra benefit of on-demand service on your computer and the ability to watch with up to 4 friends who don't have to subscribe to FiOs. As a previous poster said. D* is biased towards sports fans, while FiOs offers more balanced approach by offering enough sports for most casual fans and a great selection of premium channels. I have attached a comparison spreadsheet of HD choices for anyone interested. Oh, and as for a previous posters comments on Netflix, etc. I have Netflix as well as FiOs. Netflix offers good choices but it can't offer movies that are not available in HD yet. For example, the Cinemaxes are offering the major Hitchcock movies in HD, while only North by Northwest and Psycho are available in HD right now. And I just finished watching Temple of Doom in stunning HD on Epix - again not available on blu-ray yet. Also the FiOS devices have a firewire connection that allows me to archive the movies to computer or DVHS VCR (yes, I still have one!). Finally, I enjoy the convenience of having one provider for 35 MBs upload/download speeds, phone, and TV. The bottom line is that is unless you simply must have Sunday Ticket or some other exclusive D* product, FiOs offers a better overall value than D*. And if you live in Philly and want CSN-Philly, you have to pick FiOS or Comcast (yes I know a case is pending but who knows when/if it will be settled).