New HD with The Family Pac with the Old HD Pac Question?

[caeboy]

I got the Old HD pack with the Family pac over a year ago. As a result I get all the MPEG2 HD (HDNET, HDNET Movies, TNTHD, DiscoveryHD, Universal HD, ESPN HD, ESPN2 HD) I also get my locals in HD MPEG4 (OKC)

My Problems is that the new HD stations are not Authorized from me (I have an HR-20-700 and an HR-20-100)

My question is what will happen if I call to get the new HD stations Authorized?

Will I lose the the MPEG2 HD (HDNET, HDNET Movies, TNTHD, DiscoveryHD, Universal HD, ESPN HD, ESPN2 HD) I currently have immediately?

Will I lose the MPEG2 HD (HDNET, HDNET Movies, TNTHD, DiscoveryHD, Universal HD ESPN HD, ESPN2 HD) I currently have after Dec, 15th?

Will I lose TNTHD, DiscoveryHD,ESPN, ESPN2 immediately and the rest after Dec 15th?

Anyone in the know please help me out so I know what to do. There are only 2 HD channels out for the Family pac (Weather HD, and The Science Channel HD) I would hate to lose 7 HD channel to get 1.5 Channels (Weather HD is not really HD yet)

Thanks for the advice

[JDubbs413]

In order to get the other new HD channels you'll need to upgrade to a different package. You won't lose any channels you'll simply be gaining them.

[powerswitch]

I got the Old HD pack with the Family pac over a year ago. As a result I get all the MPEG2 HD (HDNET, HDNET Movies, TNTHD, DiscoveryHD, Universal HD, ESPN HD, ESPN2 HD) I also get my locals in HD MPEG4 (OKC)
... I would hate to lose 7 HD channel to get 1.5 Channels (Weather HD is not really HD yet)



I'm on this same package: Family Choice plus the old HD tier -- it's a great bargain. It's under $40 a month for all those HD channels (72-79) plus all my kids' and wife's favorite channels.

I think we're sort of grandfathered-in. Any new family package subscribers would NOT get HD ESPN/Discovery/HDNet/etc. Now you have to subscribe to a package that includes the SD versions of all those channels in order to get them.

It looks like I'd have to just about double my monthly programming fee if I wanted to upgrade to get these new channels ... I'm just not sure that HD A&E, CNN, History, and a handful of other new (non-premium) channels are worth an extra $40 a month basically ...

[caeboy]

I'm on this same package: Family Choice plus the old HD tier -- it's a great bargain. It's under $40 a month for all those HD channels (72-79) plus all my kids' and wife's favorite channels.

I think we're sort of grandfathered-in. Any new family package subscribers would NOT get HD ESPN/Discovery/HDNet/etc. Now you have to subscribe to a package that includes the SD versions of all those channels in order to get them.

It looks like I'd have to just about double my monthly programming fee if I wanted to upgrade to get these new channels ... I'm just not sure that HD A&E, CNN, History, and a handful of other new (non-premium) channels are worth an extra $40 a month basically ...

Are you seeing the Science Channel HD and the Weather HD? I get not authorized.

[powerswitch]

Are you seeing the Science Channel HD and the Weather HD? I get not authorized.

I get error 721 on Science/284, and error 771 on Weather/362.

Based on a tip from another thread, I checked SmithsonianHD/267 -- that comes in crystal clear and error-free! I guess we Family/HD subscribers do get at least something new this week :-)

[caeboy]

I get error 721 on Science/284, and error 771 on Weather/362.

Based on a tip from another thread, I checked SmithsonianHD/267 -- that comes in crystal clear and error-free! I guess we Family/HD subscribers do get at least something new this week :-)

Just checked and I have the same case here with the SmithsonianHD/267.

Does anyone know what will happen if I call to get the Science channel and Wearther channel added what will happen to the rest of the HD channels I am currently getting because I subscribed to the old HD pack?

Earl???

[powerswitch]

Does anyone know what will happen if I call to get the Science channel and Wearther channel added what will happen to the rest of the HD channels I am currently getting because I subscribed to the old HD pack?

I don't know what will happen. I'd guess they'd tell you that to get the new HD versions of the family choice pack channels you'd have to drop your old grandfathered HD access tier (with HDNet and ESPN, etc.) and switch to the new HD access tier (in which you pay extra but only get the HD versions of the channels you already get in your base package. Basically you'd have to give up several very good IMO channels to get a few marginal channels -- it all depends on your preferences: science and weather, or sports/movies/Discovery HD, etc. Note that since this thread was started there are now more HD versions of family choice channels, e.g. HGTV/229 and Food/231 ... I guess for those too we'll have to decide whether exchanging for HDNet/ESPN/DiscHD/etc.

On a side note, just to update this thread -- it seems that we've also gotten access to a few new channels with our Family/Old HD packages: check MGM/255, and MHD/332. There might be more but I haven't found them.

Is there a list somewhere of all the "HD Extras" that we should be getting right now, at least until December 15? I take it we're going to lose the HD Extras unless we pay more starting in December ... I wonder if we'll also lose HD-ESPN+/2??

[Redlinetire]

Is there a list somewhere of all the "HD Extras" that we should be getting right now, at least until December 15? I take it we're going to lose the HD Extras unless we pay more starting in December ... I wonder if we'll also lose HD-ESPN+/2??

I just got an email today from D* telling me to enjoy the 'free preview' of the HD Extra packages. The email lists these channels:

Smithsonian Channel™ HD
MHD Music High Definition
MGM HD
HD Net®
HD Net® Movies
Universal HD

It looks like everyone will lose these come Dec. 15 unless you sign up for them.
No grandfathering.

Don't know about the grandfather of the HD ESPN...