DIRECTV to Deliver Local HD Programming in 67 Markets by Year End

[jtut_nc]

Can sombody PM me the customer retention number now that I'm in line to get the HD locals? Please...

 

[charper1]

There is one positive about being skipped over this time. Maybe the new slimline dish will be available when D* brings the HD locals to my city next spring!

Read here: http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=78484

 

[joedekock]

My Market, (Grand Rapids) was supposed to be up in August... Just like before, I am not holding my breath.

 

[colebert]

Little Rock in da house!!

 

[maleman]

God even toledo gets theirs before Dayton. I thought people were abondoning toledo.

 

[bonscott87]

God even toledo gets theirs before Dayton. I thought people were abondoning toledo.

Toledo might fit on the Detroit or Cleveland spot (or combo of both) thus making it an easy add. Market size at this point has little to do with who gets added and who doesn't. Many other factors are involved.

 

[amp16751]

DIRECTV to Deliver Local HD Programming in 67 Markets by Year End
Eighteen More Local HD Markets Named; Approximately 74 Percent of U.S. Television Homes will have Access to Local HD Channels from DIRECTV
EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Oct 10, 2006 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Already leading the satellite TV industry in the delivery of local HD programming, DIRECTV will offer local HD broadcast networks in 67 markets, representing approximately 74 percent of U.S. TV households, by year end when it rolls out 25 more local HD markets in the fourth quarter.

Local news, sports and popular primetime programming from ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC will be available in HD to customers who subscribe to any TOTAL CHOICE(R) programming package that offers local channels. There is no additional charge for local HD programming.

The 25 local markets to receive HD programming from DIRECTV include:

-- Albuquerque, N.M. -- Mobile, Ala.
-- Buffalo, N.Y. -- New Orleans
-- Des Moines, Iowa -- Norfolk, Va.
-- Flint, Mich. -- Oklahoma City, Okla.
-- Ft. Meyers, Fla. -- Portland, Me.
-- Grand Rapids, Mich. -- Providence, R.I.
-- Green Bay, Wisc. -- Reno, Nev.
-- Greensboro, N.C. -- Santa Barbara, Calif.
-- Greenville, S.C. -- Spokane, Wa.
-- Harrisburg, Pa. -- Springfield, Mo.
-- Jacksonville, Fla. -- Toledo, Ohio
-- Little Rock, Ark. -- Tulsa, Okla.
-- Madison, Wisc.

"With 67 markets receiving local HD channels from DIRECTV by year end, we've set the stage for our historic capacity expansion in 2007," said Dan Fawcett, executive vice president, Programming Acquisition, DIRECTV, Inc. "This will enable us to leapfrog the multichannel video industry in terms of the sheer volume of HD programming available to our customers. With more than 44 million homes projected to have HD TV sets next year, we expect to be the video provider of choice for those consumers, offering the best lineup of HD programming, including local broadcast networks, sports, special events, and national networks, as well as original and exclusive programming."

With the launch of two new satellites - DIRECTV 10 and DIRECTV 11 - in 2007, DIRECTV will have the ability to deliver more than 1,500 local HD and digital channels and 150 national HD channels, in addition to new advanced programming services for customers.

DIRECTV currently offers standard-definition local channels in 142 markets, covering nearly 94 percent of television households in the country, as well as 42 HD local channel markets representing approximately 62 percent of U.S. TV households.

Customers can receive local HD channels by obtaining DIRECTV's H20 HD receiver or its new HR20 DIRECTV Plus HD DVR, which has the ability to record up to 50 hours of programming in the new MPEG4 transmission standard. DIRECTV is offering new customers who purchase a DIRECTV HD or HD DVR receiver a $100 mail-in rebate. (Limit one rebate per customer.) Existing customers are eligible for a $99 upgrade to the new H20 receiver and dish, plus $99 for each additional HD receiver.

About DIRECTV, Inc.

DIRECTV, Inc., the nation's leading satellite television service provider, presents the finest television experience available to more than 15.5 million customers through exclusive content, industry-leading customer service (which has surpassed cable for six years running) and superior technologies. Each day, DIRECTV subscribers enjoy over 250 channels of 100% digital picture and sound; exclusive programming and the most comprehensive collection of sports programming available anywhere including NFL SUNDAY TICKET(TM), and MLB EXTRA INNINGS(TM). DIRECTV (NYSETV) also leads the digital television technology revolution with exclusives such as NFL SUNDAY TICKET SuperFan(TM), US Open Interactive and YES Network Interactive and will soon have the capacity to offer over 150 channels in HD. DIRECTV is approximately 39 percent owned by News Corporation. For the most up-to-date information on the Company, please visit directv.com.

SOURCE: DIRECTV

DIRECTV, Inc.
Robert Mercer, 310-964-4683
rgmercer@directv.com

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=127160&p=irol-newsArticle_print&ID=914114&highlight=

I am in the Harrisburg-Lancaster PA market and was wondering what the status was of when I would be getting local HD programming, so I called DirecTV. The custsomer service rep told me according to the information she had that I would not be getting it until February 2007. While I was on the phone with her I had her go to the posting on their web site where it clearly states that this market would have HD local programming in the fall of 2006. Seems like they are lying once again. I wouldn't have been so annoyed if there was not a posted announcement saying it would happen when in fact they seem to have no clue and don't have the decency to notify a long term customer of the changes.

 

[RockinRight]

Pretty awesome huh - 74% of the US with HD local availability in just over a year from Detroit initial launch (Oct '05). (where exactly is E* with this stuff?).

Obviously the increased market roll out shows they are getting their S**T together.

Let's hear it from the same old negatoids now.

E* still has better non-local HD content thanks to VOOM. Is there a chance D* could ever match that?

 

[charper1]

Not that this hasn't been discussed 1000 times already in as many threads, but I'll take my NFL HD, RSN HD and LIL HD over the voom offering, which I am sure is a Dish exclusive for now. Come 2007 (2 more satellite launches) and you will see an easy DirecTV HD push past the voom offering.

 

[Indiana627]

Not that this hasn't been discussed 1000 times already in as many threads, but I'll take my NFL HD, RSN HD and LIL HD over the voom offering, which I am sure is a Dish exclusive for now. Come 2007 (2 more satellite launches) and you will see an easy DirecTV HD push past the voom offering.

Couldn't agree more.

 

[joedekock]

As far as the Voom HD channels go. I could care less about a bunch of content that was not filmed in HD being upconverted. Monsters movies, anime, international sports, westerns... I do not think there is one channel that the VOOM HD has that I would actually watch.

Live sports, and Primetime Network Programming is where I, and the majority of T.V. watchers are at. And D* is on the right track to meet those needs.

 

[dfergie]

As far as the Voom HD channels go. I could care less about a bunch of content that was not filmed in HD being upconverted. Monsters movies, anime, international sports, westerns... I do not think there is one channel that the VOOM HD has that I would actually watch.

Live sports, and Primetime Network Programming is where I, and the majority of T.V. watchers are at. And D* is on the right track to meet those needs.

Actually they are not upconverts, any more than any movie or showyou see on SHO, HBO, HDNet Movies or UHD...Rave has a lot of PBSHD content (soundstage etc) and Equator pretty much blows away some of the DiscoveryHD content (more selection)World sport has CFL as well as Soccer among other things...

 

[Jimbo]

Interesting, Maybe I'll have to turn on the D* locals (HD) (I get my locals fine over the OTA antenna) until the OTA tuner gets turned on, this way I can then record my OTA chanels in HD, and at the same time verify that my 99 and 103 set up works...

This is "By the end of the year ? "

I'll have to keep my eyes open on this developement.

Jimbo

 

[joedekock]

Actually they are not upconverts, any more than any movie or showyou see on SHO, HBO, HDNet Movies or UHD...Rave has a lot of PBSHD content (soundstage etc) and Equator pretty much blows away some of the DiscoveryHD content (more selection)World sport has CFL as well as Soccer among other things...

Typically anything filmed before 2002, especially if it was not a major production is not filmed in HD. So if it is being shown in "HD", then yes, it is upconverted. You are right about HBO, Showtime, HDNET movies... they show just as much upconverted content as the voom channels.

 

[heels98]

There is no such thing as "filmed in HD." HD is video, whereas almost all Hollywood movies are shot on 35mm film, which has a much higher "resolution" than even HD video. So even a movie from the 1960s or before can be "mastered in HD" from the original film print, which depending on the transfer can look spectacular. Everything shown on Voom's movie channels is mastered in HD from film, not mastered from a video copy, which would then be considered an "upconvert." Spend a little time on the AVS forum.

 

[dfergie]

Agree with the above...

 

[Ramy]

There is no such thing as "filmed in HD." HD is video, whereas almost all Hollywood movies are shot on 35mm film, which has a much higher "resolution" than even HD video. So even a movie from the 1960s or before can be "mastered in HD" from the original film print, which depending on the transfer can look spectacular. Everything shown on Voom's movie channels is mastered in HD from film, not mastered from a video copy, which would then be considered an "upconvert." Spend a little time on the AVS forum.

Unless you throw Television in there. Most of it was on video not film.

 

[joedekock]

There is no such thing as "filmed in HD." HD is video, whereas almost all Hollywood movies are shot on 35mm film, which has a much higher "resolution" than even HD video. So even a movie from the 1960s or before can be "mastered in HD" from the original film print, which depending on the transfer can look spectacular. Everything shown on Voom's movie channels is mastered in HD from film, not mastered from a video copy, which would then be considered an "up convert." Spend a little time on the AVS forum.

Then why are there HD camera's??? How do you "master" anything that was not shot with an HD camera??? They have to fill in the extra lines to make it of higher resolution some how. They up convert it, so they fill in the extra lines with the content of the lines before and after a certain line.

HD cameras film in higher resolutions, and non HD camera's which were standard before HD started taking off filmed in 480i.

When I say "film" I mean "video shot in". "Film" is the term most production studio's use when referring to "shooting" a movie, or show. That has been the term for over a century.

 

[NateCohen]

How about we stay on topic about local Hd channels. Does anyone know how long DirecTV will be until they offer HD locals to Albany, NY?

 

[heels98]

Then why are there HD camera's??? How do you "master" anything that was not shot with an HD camera??? They have to fill in the extra lines to make it of higher resolution some how. They up convert it, so they fill in the extra lines with the content of the lines before and after a certain line.

HD cameras film in higher resolutions, and non HD camera's which were standard before HD started taking off filmed in 480i.

When I say "film" I mean "video shot in". "Film" is the term most production studio's use when referring to "shooting" a movie, or show. That has been the term for over a century.

I'm just wondering what content you think is being shown as upconverts on the Voom channels? The only things from pre-2002 are the films that they show, and trust me, these films were not shot with video cameras (HD or SD.) They were shot on film, which contains more than enough picture information to be converted to HD video. Video and film are not the same thing. HD cameras are video, film cameras are film. Where is the confusion?
BTW, NHK from Japan has been producing HD video content since the 1980s, some of which ends up on the likes of EquatorHD.
Anyway, back on topic, I was just on here looking for information on the next wave of HD locals for a colleague. Good day...