What happened to being the HD leader?

[nath12]

It amazes me that we went from analog SD 32 channels/transponders (24 on C Band) per satellite to MPEG4 192 -256 HD channels per satellite if it were maxed out. We have come a long way, and up to 600+ possible with all MPEG4 SD. Pretty cool.

 

[Rey]

I am still very surprised they have not done anything with travel or more hbos.

i still don't understand why we still don't have travel HD. can contract negotiations contain conditions on what provider can or can not have this channel until let's say a certain date or time frame?

 

[riffjim4069]

This sucks. I signed up for two years with 2 HD DVRS based on all of the propoganda and now channels expansion has hit a brick wall. FIOS is available to me but I'm screwed. I would like to see FIOS with a better DVR too before I sign up.

You gotta get FiOS...the number and quality of their HD channels is awesome, the broadband is screaming and reliable, and the phone...well, it works but you can now bundle only TV and Internet. The DVR issue still sucks, but the FiOS DVR is tolerable and much better than Comcast. We also have a Tivo HD, but it's not much better than the FiOS DVR in my opinion.

The Moxi HD looks like like an excellent box...would buy one at $599, but not at $800. I would love to see FiOS get the 922. The FiOS service is outstanding, but the DVR is their weakest link.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

Why? Both sat companies have more than 56 REAL HD channels at this point right?

I never said they didn't , But Blue Ridge isn't claiming they have 130 and 120 HD channels when they don't.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

how's the pic quality?

SD is Better HD Not as good. But money and content talks to me.

 

[grydlok]

You gotta get FiOS...the number and quality of their HD channels is awesome, the broadband is screaming and reliable, and the phone...well, it works but you can now bundle only TV and Internet. The DVR issue still sucks, but the FiOS DVR is tolerable and much better than Comcast. We also have a Tivo HD, but it's not much better than the FiOS DVR in my opinion.

The Moxi HD looks like like an excellent box...would buy one at $599, but not at $800. I would love to see FiOS get the 922. The FiOS service is outstanding, but the DVR is their weakest link.

Whoah 800 is high

 

[Tom Bombadil]

I started a thread like this a couple of months ago and the mods moved it off to the war room. Don't know why, because I think this is an extremely viable discussion topic about D*. They have not even come close to living up to their own statements about how much HD they would be providing by this point in time.

And it isn't because the HD channels aren't out there. The list of HD channels not carried by D* is getting to be a long one.

 

[gadgtfreek]

I'd like to know how long it's been and when directv might revamp their packages. The current 3 suck and we need some hd only packages. How directv thinks they can increase prices on already pricey packages in this economy, I dunno.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

Here are some of the currently available HD channels that D* does not carry:

AMC
Comedy Central
ESPNU
Fuse
G4
IFC
Lifetime
Lifetime Movies
Outdoor
Style
Travel
WE
WGN
WFN

Cinemax @Max
5StarMax
ActionMax
MoreMax
OuterMax
ThrillerMax
WMax

HBO Comedy
HBO Zone
HBO 2
HBO Family
HBO Signature
HBO Latino

TMC Xtra
Encore

 

[gadgtfreek]

Ok really surprised no hbos yet.

Here's my pricing idea for hd only:

Family $19
Choice $29
Xtra $39

 

[uncrules]

Here are some of the currently available HD channels that D* does not carry:

AMC
Comedy Central
ESPNU
Fuse
G4
IFC
Lifetime
Lifetime Movies
Outdoor
Style
Travel
WE
WGN
WFN

Cinemax @Max
5StarMax
ActionMax
MoreMax
OuterMax
ThrillerMax
WMax

HBO Comedy
HBO Zone
HBO 2
HBO Family
HBO Signature
HBO Latino

TMC Xtra
Encore

There's about 22 HBO/Max channels that D* doesn't carry. They should at least carry HD versions of the SD HBO/Max channels that do carry. D* promised that almost 2 years ago but nothing so far.

There's also about 3 Movie Channel channels they don't carry.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

The omissions that irritate me are the premium movie channels. I pay a significant premium to purchase those channels, and then pay another premium to get them in HD, and yet there at least 15 premium HD movie channels that D* chooses not to provide. Instead they offer a huge group of HD PPV channels.

I'd be a lot happier if they would add 6 or 7 of the HD premium movie channels that they are presently denying me.

 

[rkr0923]

Whoaaa....what a list
D* u sux!

 

[Woochifer]

Whoaaa....what a list
D* u sux!

Well, then in your view all the other services "sux" as well, given that you could come up with a comparably long list of omitted HD channels for cable, Dish, UVerse, and FiOS. No service out there carries all of the available HD channels. They all leave out something.

It's all a matter of what you must have and what you can live without. For example, Dish doesn't carry any of the Viacom networks (MTV, Nickelodeon, VH1, Spike TV, Comedy Central [which is coming to Directv at the end of the month], et al) in HD. And I watch those channels a lot more than Lifetime, WE, and WGN. But, Directv's omissions of AMC and Travel Channel are rather glaring.

Even when I subscribed to HBO, I rarely if ever watched the Signature, Family, and Comedy multicasts.

 

[DodgerKing]

Even when I subscribed to HBO, I rarely if ever watched the Signature, Family, and Comedy multicasts.

During this 3 day free preview of HBO and the 3 months of Showtime for free, I can now see why I don't and never will sub to premium channels. I have scanned through three days of programming on the guide to see if there are any movies I would like to record, and guess what? There is squat. Probably 2 movies at most that interest me.

 

[gadgtfreek]

During this 3 day free preview of HBO and the 3 months of Showtime for free, I can now see why I don't and never will sub to premium channels. I have scanned through three days of programming on the guide to see if there are any movies I would like to record, and guess what? There is squat. Probably 2 movies at most that interest me.

agreed, why I have netflix and a bluray player.

 

[Ronnie-]

During this 3 day free preview of HBO and the 3 months of Showtime for free, I can now see why I don't and never will sub to premium channels. I have scanned through three days of programming on the guide to see if there are any movies I would like to record, and guess what? There is squat. Probably 2 movies at most that interest me.

I agree for the most part. The only premium I sub to is starz. It has more options for the money, and more HD. Still, I looked as you did, and there really isnt much there that I dont already own on DVD, or dont care about. Why do I sub to Starz again??????? I may have to drop that too!

 

[gadgtfreek]

I had hbo for years just for their series, once the sopranos ended and they cancelled deadwood, I had no use.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

About 80% of my recordings are from the premium HD movie channels. Has been that way for several years now. Netflix doesn't work well for me, as I never know what I'm going to want to watch on any particular night. There have been times when I've purchased a DVD or recorded a movie and then waited 4-6 months to watch it. I quit buying DVDs about 18 months ago.

Having a lot of HD movie channels is perfect for me. That's all I have on my FAV 2 channel lineup. On a typical evening, I watch 2 movies. Usually watch 10-15 movies a week.

Never watched the Sopranos or Deadwood, even though I had HBO during all of those years. Well, I did watch maybe 4 episodes of The Sopranos and parts of 2 episodes of Deadwood.

But D*'s weak lineup does tempt me to drop all of them and see if I could make do with Netflix or a competing service.

 

[Woochifer]

During this 3 day free preview of HBO and the 3 months of Showtime for free, I can now see why I don't and never will sub to premium channels. I have scanned through three days of programming on the guide to see if there are any movies I would like to record, and guess what? There is squat. Probably 2 movies at most that interest me.

The only reason I subscribed to HBO was for their original programming, and that's all on the main feed in HD. Once the Sopranos and Deadwood went off the air, and Big Love went into a prolonged hiatus, we canceled. We'll be watching the freeview premiere of Big Love tonight, and see if that's worth the extra $10/month for the next 10 weeks.

I'm also getting the free three months of Showtime. Recorded a couple of movies that I missed in theaters, but nothing I was dying to watch. Weeds seems interesting, but I have not invested myself in following the storyline from the beginning, so it's no loss if I don't know what I'm missing.