DirecTV to add 3 HD Channels July 1st

[Scott Greczkowski]

DirecTV today announced the addition of 3 new HD Channels to their lineup effective July 1st!

These new channels include ESPN-HD
DiscoveryHD Theater
HDNet Movies
These channels will be part of a new HD Package which will cost $10.99 a month, it appears that after July 1st HDNet will no longer be free on DirecTV and will be part of the package.

You can read the full press release at http://www.newsalert.com/bin/story?StoryId=CpTWDqbKbytu3ndC&FQ=c%25GMH%20&Nav=qr-re-redigest&StoryTitle=Company+Digest

Now the question is how will Dish Network fight back? Dish claims to be the HD Leader however with this announcement from DirecTV it puts them clearly ahead of Dish.

Dish Network last month announced that it would start carrying HDNet and HDnet Movies sometime this summer on Dish Network, however no firm time was announced, to make matters worse Dish mentioned that customers may need a new SuperDish to view the new channels (after they were already told that a 8PSK module was all they would need to watch all future additional HD Channels.)

[DCSholtis]

Scott, Your correct HDNet is now as of July 1 part of the HD package....Combine this with HBOHD....ShowtimeHD and Direct Ticket PPV movies that makes 7 channels total....though the last 3 are separate from the above mentioned pack..According to D* the NFL Sunday Ticket will also include HD games this coming season. Just as an aside the MSRP for the new HD DirectPVR (Tivo) is rumored to be $799. So this should definately be a great summer with D*.

[avs forum member]

I do not believe the addition of a 24 hour HDnet means the elimination of the free HDnet, I thought that the free HDnet was going to change to a mix of programming from the 2 pay HDnets as well as advertisments and trailers.

[t2]

GOOD BEGGINING D*! This is definetly a good start; now add Cinemax-HD, Bravo-HD, MTV-HD, HDNet Entertainment and Sports and then D* will be on to something. In addition, add around 100 new national channels when D7s launches in July.

[DCSholtis]

I might be wrong but I thought I read somewhere that HDNet will be repackaged soon into HDNet Entertainment and Sport....I cant find the link however......Also I wouldnt be surprise if shortly after Skinemax-HD and Bravo-HD launch that D* will pick them up.

[Horn_Dog]

And then Spice-HD..... :D

[DCSholtis]

Originally posted by Horn_Dog
And then Spice-HD..... :D

Dont forget Playboy-HD and the other 2 Spice Nets....D:

[Nick]

No thanks. I prefer my porn to be a little fuzzy. Actually, I just watch it for the music ;)

[DarrellP]

I hope Dish can match the price and content and include HBOHD & SHOHD.

[MarkL]

Glad to see Direct is trying to catch up with Dish, I guess they didn't like being such a second-rate service and are trying to improve. I give them credit for that. You D* subs will love Discovery-HD, we've had it on Dish for over a year and I find it's the best HD channel by far.

[normang]

What is Direct going to dump to make space for 3-HD Channels, somewhere around here I recall that Direct had virtually no space for new HD channels, let alone 3 of them...

[MarkL]

Originally posted by normang
What is Direct going to dump to make space for 3-HD Channels, somewhere around here I recall that Direct had virtually no space for new HD channels, let alone 3 of them...

I guess they are going to compress the hell out of existing channels. As if D* PQ wasn't bad enough already..

[Karl Foster]

Originally posted by MarkL


As if D* PQ wasn't bad enough already..

..as compared to what? Dish Network? Digital cable? Have you done a side-by-side comparison? How about some basis to this opinion instead of just throwing out FUD. I have done seen a side-by-side comparison and both are about the same. Dish is a little softer, but both are good. Comapred to the crappy cable service in my city, both D* and E* are leaps and bounds ahead of cable. Try posting someing intelligent instead of trying to make yourself look like an a**...

[Greg Bimson]

From what I understand, DirecTV only has Showtime HD and some Chinese channels at the 3 transponders for the 101 slot.

The new encoders DirecTV recently purchased may be able to fit two HD channels per transponder, according to a post by Dan Collins over at DBSForums. If that is the case, most of the HD will be at 110.

[Mike123abc]

I am not really pleased with the price. It is pricing HD at $3.66/channel. That can get awful expensive really fast. I would rather seem them priced at closer to $1/channel. At this price 100 channels would $366/month!

[platinum]

Originally posted by MarkL
Glad to see Direct is trying to catch up with Dish, I guess they didn't like being such a second-rate service and are trying to improve. I give them credit for that. You D* subs will love Discovery-HD, we've had it on Dish for over a year and I find it's the best HD channel by far.

A second rate service my ass....:mad:

[Ken_F]

Mike123Abc,

Of course I would rather pay less than more, but $2.00/mo is my target. For the $10.99/mo, I hope they add Bravo-HD when it is available, as well as InHD when after they move some of those locals onto spots.

[invaliduser88]

Originally posted by DarrellP
I hope Dish can match the price and content and include HBOHD & SHOHD.

HBOHD & SHOHD are included with their respective premium packages at no additional cost. I don't expect this to change for either D* or E*.

[Mike123abc]

Originally posted by Ken_F
Mike123Abc,

Of course I would rather pay less than more, but $2.00/mo is my target. For the $10.99/mo, I hope they add Bravo-HD when it is available, as well as InHD when after they move some of those locals onto spots.

Then why not start it at $7.99 and go up to 9.99 with Bravo and InHD? I think they are going to price HD out of the market. Yes, many will pay now but what happens when HD package gets to $40 for 10 channels?

[Ken_F]

Mike123abc,

That won't happen. The market is willing to bear $10.99 for four HDTV channels. The market is not willing to bear $40 for 10 channels. According to Dan Collins of the DBSForum, the $10.99 price will include future HDTV channels to be added later.

It just wouldn't make sense for DirecTV to introduce the package at $10.99 (or $7.99) for July 1, and then raise it August 1 after Bravo HD is out. Nor are they likely to raise it again September 1 (or January 1, if it takes them four months to add it) when InHD is available. When an additional two HD channels launch next spring on top of those, then you might see a rise to $14.99 or so.

Moving forward, each new HDTV channel will reduce the effective rates that others can charge. The demand for HDTV content among high-def viewers obviously exceeds the supply, which is why they can charge such a high premium. However, once the supply is more in line with the demand (i.e. people feel content with the HDTV they have, and are no longer totally desperate for more content), providers are going to have a difficult time obtaining the same $$$ for each new HD channel.

[DarrellP]

Originally posted by invaliduser88


HBOHD & SHOHD are included with their respective premium packages at no additional cost. I don't expect this to change for either D* or E*.
Exactly, but if I purchase a HD package, I want HBO & SHO HD included. I could care less about the SD fluff that's included with the movie package and do not want to pay $22/month to get the 2 channels that I would watch.

[normang]

Originally posted by Greg Bimson
From what I understand, DirecTV only has Showtime HD and some Chinese channels at the 3 transponders for the 101 slot.

The new encoders DirecTV recently purchased may be able to fit two HD channels per transponder, according to a post by Dan Collins over at DBSForums. If that is the case, most of the HD will be at 110.

How can they use new encoders without modifying the transponders, is this all code and no hardware?

[DarrellP]

Greg, from what I understand they just added some new hardware compression units. At AVS Forum people are reporting that the picture is quite a bit softer since they are compressing it more. They claim the "Wow" & "Window" factors are no longer on HDNET. Bummer. Yay for Dish and the 8psk module.