Smithsonian Channel HD on Demand

[jamieh1]

A new HD dod channel is now up 1267 Smithsonian HD.

[ccr1958]

excellent...thanks for the info :)

[convem24]

It is nice to have some additional HD content via DOD. I will have to get an external drive now for my HR21. Yahoo!

[Drew2k]

I'll add this to my Favorites. Thanks!

[jacmyoung]

Thanks for the headsup, just downloaded two free HD shows.

Did anyone compare HD VOD to the regular HD? I assume overcompression will not be an issue?

[davring]

I see very little or no difference in VOD or standard HD. Download speeds are strange though, most DOD SD downloads at about 2 mbps and the HD downloads at 4 mbps. If I give an HD download(30 min show) a 8-10 minute head start I can watch it without delay, I think that to be quite acceptable. Some people have complained of it not being a true on-demand, but a few minute delay is not bad. Glad to see more choices, nice when the networks get on board.

[chris8796]

Can you download SMC shows if you don't subscribe to the channel? I don't have the HD extra pack.

[jamieh1]

You must subscribe to the package that the channel is offered in. To get the DOD version.

[sbelmont]

Now that there is some decent HD programming available, it would be nice to be able to sort the list of programming by availability date. No need to load up the disk with items that will be available for another month or so when there is other content that will disappear soon.

[tcusta00]

I watched the Air & Space program last night - it looked just fine to me. Additionally, I started watching it 10 minutes after starting the download and it never caught up to the end - So I got that going for me... which is nice. :D

[jamieh1]

I watched the show AMERICAS HANGER off SMTHD on Demand last night, its about the Smithsonians Air and Space museum, Im going to DC next week on vacation and will be going to the Smithsonian.

[tcusta00]

I watched the show AMERICAS HANGER off SMTHD on Demand last night, its about the Smithsonians Air and Space museum, Im going to DC next week on vacation and will be going to the Smithsonian.

A tip.... don't waste your time on the Spy Museum if you were planning on it... it was between that and the new Air and Space exhibit at the airport last time we went down and I chose wrong - big bucks for little substance. :(

[Dr_J]

It's nice. It just takes so long to download HD over DSL. A 27-minute show took about two hours. Not a big deal; I just watch it later.

[jdspencer]

Has anyone else noticed the discrepancy between the listed
length of a show in the guide and the playlist once the download is complete? The playlist is about three times longer than what is listed in the guide.

[Earl Bonovich]

Has anyone else noticed the discrepancy between the listed
length of a show in the guide and the playlist once the download is complete? The playlist is about three times longer than what is listed in the guide.

Yes, I have seen that on the recordings.

[gpg]

Has anyone else noticed the discrepancy between the listed
length of a show in the guide and the playlist once the download is complete? The playlist is about three times longer than what is listed in the guide.

The guide length of time is correct based on the two shows I've downloaded.

[jdspencer]

Well, I downloaded Project My World #205. The guide showed it as 24 minutes. The playlist has it listed as 1:15 once downloaded. It does play as only 24 minutes.

HR20-100s.

[gpg]

Yep, in my case a 53-minute show (per guide) appeared as a 2:24 in the playlist. It was only 53 minutes when played. Another that had about an hour's length in the guide appeared as over 2 hours in the playlist. Once again, the guide was right.

[jdspencer]

I think it is a case that the HR20 doesn't compute the length correctly for VOD content. It should just use the length from the description instead of using the amount of space used for the download. or the length of time the download took. Anyone know what is used?

[Earl Bonovich]

I think it is a case that the HR20 doesn't compute the length correctly for VOD content. It should just use the length from the description instead of using the amount of space used for the download. or the length of time the download took. Anyone know what is used?

With regards to space... it calculates actual hard drive usage.
It doesn't add-up runtimes.

[harsh]

A new HD dod channel is now up 1267 Smithsonian HD.Is this new content or does this draw from the channels standard library of 72-100 hours of programming?

[Earl Bonovich]

Is this new content or does this draw from the channels standard library of 72-100 hours of programming?

I haven't seen the entire "100 hours" of programming...

But I guess it draws from their existing library.

[jacmyoung]

We still need more HD VOD content, come on DirecTV, who cares about SD VOD?

BTW I don't know if this is just me or it has been mentioned else where, I just noticed if I started downloading an SMTVHD HD VOD program, I would not be able to play any recorded HD content, only SD content, until the download was complete?

[Golfman]

Can anyone tell me if there are any free HD dod downloads available or if D* is planning on providing any free HD dod downloads in the future. I'm paying for a bunch of premium channels, HBO, SHO, etc. and the $9.99 a month for HD service but all the premium downloads shown in the dod listings are SD and all the HD listings to date are either PPV or part of that squirrelly $4.99 4 or 5 channel HD add on package that in my opinion isn't worth it.

This dod beta is a bust in my view if all you can download without paying extra is a bunch of SD content. I thought that D*s dod would be similar to what the cable operators offer but if I have to pay an additional charge to download HD content that I'm already paying extra for in the first place I'm not going to be a dod user for sure. They just jacked up my Premier service $5.00 a month without even the courtesy of a heads up which kind of leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

[jacmyoung]

Well it is all gone now, did not last long, why?

[Drew2k]

Yup ... 1267 is gone. :(

[drx792]

DOD channels have been known to disappear for some time when the page is being worked on. Back when DOD just started Starz would be out for days at a time.

[sbelmont]

DOD channels have been known to disappear for some time when the page is being worked on. Back when DOD just started Starz would be out for days at a time.

Well let's hope that is the case here. I'd like this one back.

[Golfman]

Can anyone tell me if there are any free HD dod downloads available or if D* is planning on providing any free HD dod downloads in the future. I'm paying for a bunch of premium channels, HBO, SHO, etc. and the $9.99 a month for HD service but all the premium downloads shown in the dod listings are SD and all the HD listings to date are either PPV or part of that squirrelly $4.99 4 or 5 channel HD add on package that in my opinion isn't worth it.

This dod beta is a bust in my view if all you can download without paying extra is a bunch of SD content. I thought that D*s dod would be similar to what the cable operators offer but if I have to pay an additional charge to download HD content that I'm already paying extra for in the first place I'm not going to be a dod user for sure. They just jacked up my Premier service $5.00 a month without even the courtesy of a heads up which kind of leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

[Steve615]

Channel 1267 is back in the guide now. :)

[tonyd79]

This dod beta is a bust in my view if all you can download without paying extra is a bunch of SD content. I thought that D*s dod would be similar to what the cable operators offer but if I have to pay an additional charge to download HD content that I'm already paying extra for in the first place I'm not going to be a dod user for sure. They just jacked up my Premier service $5.00 a month without even the courtesy of a heads up which kind of leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

What part of "beta" do you not understand?

Beta doesn't mean it is what the service will be for all time or even after full release.

Beta has nothing to do with content. They just added HD stuff (and it looks like the Beta has led them to increase the bandwidth for HD, so it isn't a bust).

Beta is to test out the concept, not to have all the content already there.

Complain if they don't have more HD (and more free HD...there is the 101 stuff, too) in six months or so.

[sbelmont]

Channel 1267 is back in the guide now. :)

I noticed it there last night. Looks like the same episodes.

[harsh]

I noticed it there last night. Looks like the same episodes.How many shows do you think there are on Smithsonian?

[Jeremy W]

How many shows do you think there are on Smithsonian?
Don't worry, Dish will carry the channel one day.

[Golfman]

What part of "beta" do you not understand?

Beta doesn't mean it is what the service will be for all time or even after full release.

Beta has nothing to do with content. They just added HD stuff (and it looks like the Beta has led them to increase the bandwidth for HD, so it isn't a bust).

Beta is to test out the concept, not to have all the content already there.

Complain if they don't have more HD (and more free HD...there is the 101 stuff, too) in six months or so.

Tonyd79, I understand all parts of beta and I guess you don't understand that beta connotates something that is close to commercial release. DOD is nowhere near that.

How can one be expected to have to subscribe at additional cost to participate in a beta test? The whole point of the first part of my comment was that if the only HD content that can be tested requires me to pay additional subscriber costs then I don't elect to participate and it's unreasonable to expect anyone to do so.

I already have a significant investment in HD equipment and broadband connectivity and don't appreciate being nickeled and dimed to test this capability out for the D*.

Now, since my original post, D* has included some free HD content that I've been able to download and view. The quality is fine but the download time is excessive and would require me to upgrade my ISP bandwidth capability at additional cost to effectively utilize it.

I'm not a fan of cable but in the area of DOD they are well in front of D* and thats based of course on the technology.

I won't pay any additional fees to view over DOD anything that I already pay a premium to subscribe to. I didn't have to do that with COMCAST and when I utilized their DOD years ago I could view it immediately.

I may be willing to upgrade my Internet connectivity bandwidth to utilize D*s DOD but it would have to demonstrate a clear advantage in HD which this so called beta doesn't.

[Drew2k]

There is HD on On Demand Channel 1101 - no fee required.

On Demand > High-Def > All

Scroll through the results.

[Trurida18]

KOOL, this is in my favorites!

[newsposter]

i'm convinced smith has tons of HD dod because they want me to pony up the 5 bucks for it!