Now I know why Charlie was waiting to add HD stations

[faiello]

Now I know why Charlie was waiting to add HD stations. The picture quality is excellent, but the programing stinks. Would you pay to see the same programing in SD? I know I wouldn't. To bad HDnet and dish could not work something out to have some interesting programs and maybe some newer movies on their station for the first couple of nights. I am to blame as much as we all are, begging Charlie for HD. But I guess he knew that the programing was not so hot and that later would be better than sooner. I will be happy when my local sports teams are shown on ESPN-HD. Right now Comcast Cable has it all over Dish for HDTV in the Boston area. They have ABC-HD, NBC-HD, Fox-HD, ESPN-HD, PBS-HD, INHD, INHD2 (showing Red Sox and Bruins home games in HD), Showtime-HD, and HBO-HD.

[SlicerMDM]

Now I know why Charlie was waiting to add HD stations. The picture quality is excellent, but the programing stinks. Would you pay to see the same programing in SD? I know I wouldn't. To bad HDnet and dish could not work something out to have some interesting programs and maybe some newer movies on their station for the first couple of nights. I am to blame as much as we all are, begging Charlie for HD. But I guess he knew that the programing was not so hot and that later would be better than sooner. I will be happy when my local sports teams are shown on ESPN-HD. Right now Comcast Cable has it all over Dish for HDTV in the Boston area. They have ABC-HD, NBC-HD, Fox-HD, ESPN-HD, PBS-HD, INHD, INHD2 (showing Red Sox and Bruins home games in HD), Showtime-HD, and HBO-HD.

It's not any different than trying to find interesting programming on the (literally) hundreds of SD channels. With HD, there's currently only a dozen (at best) channels to get crappy programming from. :D

[Ron Barry]

Well the programming is not the best, but there is some interesting stuff to see on the channels and a would not base my opinion on a day of programming. Personally I am going to give it a bit more time and I for one is happy to see some additional HD conten. I would think it is a bit premature to say that the programming stinks. Ofcourse this is very subjective and over time it will get better as the HD expands.

We were yelling for additional HD channels now we are going to start complaining about the content. I have had HBO-HD for about a year and Most of the conent that it shows is not the best either. Add the East coast time shift that us folks on the West get and I could say the same about HBO-HD. Well I for one am happy to see it and cant wait for it to expand. I weak ago I only had HBO-HD on the dish and all locals on OTA. I know have 4 additional HD channels to choose from and for one I created an HD Favorites. :D Woo Hoo!!

[Cyclone]

With an OTA antenna in the Wash/Baltimore area, Satellite and OTA together give Cable a very hard time.


Local OTA OTA Wash DC/MD VA Balt
Channel DishTV Direct Comcast StarPWR COX Comcast
-------------------------------------------------------
ABC 2 X X X
NBC 4 X X X X X
FOX 5 X X X X
ABC 7 X X X X X
CBS 9 X X X X
NBC 11 X X X
CBS 13 X X
UPN 20 X X
PBS 22 X X
UPN 24 X X
PBS 26 X X X X
FOX 45 X X
WB 50 X X
WB 54 X X
-------------------------------------------------------

Network Dish Direct Wash Star VA Balt
Channel Network TV Comcast Power COX Comcast
-------------------------------------------------------
HBO-HD X X X X X X
SHO-HD X X X X X X
ESPN-HD X X X X X X
DiscoveryHD X X X X
HDNet X X X
HDNetMovies X X X
CSN-HD X X
CBS-HD NYC X
PPV-HD X X
HDEvents X X
Bravo-HD
INHD X X
INHD2 X X
-------------------------------------------------------

[Geronimo]

Baltimore reception can be problematic in the DC area. Good to greeat for some but unwatchable for others.

[RAD]

I agree with a prior post about giving it more time. I enjoyed watching the original Oceans 11 last night on HDNet Movies. I've liked some of the musical progamming that I've seen so far on HDNet and waiting for Sunday night to catch the NFL Sunday night game. You can't have a gem showing 24x7 but there's a bit here and there that I've liked so far.

[FAUguy]

"Right now Comcast Cable has it all over Dish for HDTV in the Boston area"

In Florida, Comcast has no HD.

"With an OTA antenna in the Wash/Baltimore area, Satellite and OTA together give Cable a very hard time."

What web site is that chart from?

[normang]

I think its ridiculous to complain about the content. Its not like it was a secret, you could go to Hdnet's website to see what was coming.

Its like any other network or channel, sometime there is something interesting on and sometimes there isn't. Most of the time there probably isn't something great on many channels,depends on one's personal interests.

[Cyclone]

I made the chart personally. Using OTA gives greater flexibilty in this area.

The Baltimore ABC station has DD5.1, the DC one doesn't.
The DC FOX & WB stations are HD 5.1, the Baltimore ones are Sinclair SD.
Both PBS affliliates have very different programming lines up. So I have found it very rewarding to go with OTA vs my Comcast (DC lineup). I do miss CSN-HD though.

[DarrellP]

The Miss Hawaiin Tropic pageant is coming up, so unless you are limp wristed, tune in and enjoy some "good" programming.

One man's junk is another man's treasure.

[Jerry G]

Now I know why Charlie was waiting to add HD stations. The picture quality is excellent, but the programing stinks. Would you pay to see the same programing in SD? I know I wouldn't. To bad HDnet and dish could not work something out to have some interesting programs and maybe some newer movies on their station for the first couple of nights. I am to blame as much as we all are, begging Charlie for HD. But I guess he knew that the programing was not so hot and that later would be better than sooner. I will be happy when my local sports teams are shown on ESPN-HD. Right now Comcast Cable has it all over Dish for HDTV in the Boston area. They have ABC-HD, NBC-HD, Fox-HD, ESPN-HD, PBS-HD, INHD, INHD2 (showing Red Sox and Bruins home games in HD), Showtime-HD, and HBO-HD.

I couldn't disagree with you more. The content had absolutely NOTHING to do with the delay in adding channels.

As with any channel, HD or SD, there will be different content that will satisfy different viewers. I find plenty I enjoy on HDNet, HDNet Movies, and Discovery HD. I even find an occasional movie I enjoy on Showtime and HBO. That's the way it is for me and I'll bet that's the way it is for the vast majority of viewers. I don't know what you're looking for, but I don't think you'll ever find it. Why not drop the package and save yourself some bucks and let Charlie know you're not happy with the package? In my case, I've already thanked Charlie for adding the package.

[scottchez]

I think the delay has to do with Strategery.


They are waiting for Rainbow / Voom to announce so they can blow away there HD Package.


And more importanty, waiting for the Hardware to work with few bugs


And a little bit about supply and demand- if they do not have enough Superdishs and receivers in stock to meet the mad rush to go with there Million Dollard Ad compains, the advertising will be a waist.

[Lyle_JP]

It's too bad OTA HD isn't an option in MUCH of the Bay Area, due to the terrain. My only HD choices are satellite and Cable. Unfortunately, neither have everything I want.

Dish has a ridiculously expensive HD-PVR (922) which costs $1,000, and only carries CBS in addition to the cable HD channels. Comcast offers NO PVR, but has every network except CBS in HD as well as the cable channels. DirecTV offers a HD PVR which doesn't actually record HD, and only offers the cable HD channels, but at least the PVR is relatively cheap.

I'm just going to have to sit on the fence awhile longer.

[Cyclone]

And Dignitude. I'm sure E* doesn't want "gold rush" on SuperDish.