If you're a soccer fan in the U.S. --

[Ed Campbell]

-- you know why I didn't title this "HD football should be available for next season". In any case, we need to keep the pressure up on Fox and Setanta. I wouldn't count on any easy transition.

I saw the news notes, this morning, about Sky beginning shipments of their HD box in the UK in May. Seven channels of HD coming and you know a chunk will be football. UK members of the AVS forum are already hot into discussions about pricing, etc..

This afternoon, saw my first commercial for Sky HD. Halftime while watching Championship League football: Burnley 2 -- 0 Norwich City final. This was on Setanta. So, they're rolling.

I sent an immediate email to Steven and Nick at Fox Football Friday with a cc to Nick Webster. And another email to Setanta -- who've previously said, "if it's available, we'll show it!" But, I don't know where they're at for hardware.

Anyway, push, push, push. The EPL and the Championship in HD would be a great follow-on to the World Cup HD coverage. Sounds like Germany plans to be rocking by next season as well.

btw -- Sky prices look worse than D*.

[JoelCFC25]

I saw the news notes, this morning, about Sky beginning shipments of their HD box in the UK in May. Seven channels of HD coming and you know a chunk will be football. UK members of the AVS forum are already hot into discussions about pricing, etc..

This afternoon, saw my first commercial for Sky HD. Halftime while watching Championship League football: Burnley 2 -- 0 Norwich City final. This was on Setanta. So, they're rolling.

Anyway, push, push, push. The EPL and the Championship in HD would be a great follow-on to the World Cup HD coverage. Sounds like Germany plans to be rocking by next season as well.

Just so I'm clear (since your description fits me to a T), you are hoping for D* to offer Sky HD at some point in the future? And do you have Setanta all the time or was it a PPV event you were watching?

I'm probably only a couple weeks out from deciding on an HDTV, and the D* HD DVR will follow on shortly after that. Hoping to have all the pieces in place by mid-May at the latest so there is time to work out the kinks (I anticipate some, HDTV pessimist until reason to believe otherwise) before June 9.

[Ed Campbell]

Sorry to be late responding, Joel -- even though we're having the ABC/ESPN mafia offer the World Cup in HD Stateside -- Sky is now promising HD for the UK for the cup, as well. BBC is pissed about that; so, they're promising to be ramped up in time, as well. it all should do us good, long range.

I'm presuming Sky HD football will come to us via Fox Soccer Channel. Steven and Nick [and Nick Webster] aren't letting out a peep, yet -- which probably means no one has a clue.

Setanta has promised me [whatever that's worth] that if Sky offers them HD -- they'll pass it along. Must mean they think they have the hardware here.

Yes, I do the monthly sub for Setanta. In fact, it's the deal-breaker for NOT even thinking about Comcast as an alternative. $12/month and I watch at least 12-20 matches a month with them: EPL [ManU, Chelsea, Liverpool stations], Championship and even FA League 1, some Euro stuff + Champions League, etc., friendlies. All terrific. I keep the sub going 9 months/year -- I have to call D* to cancel it during the summer; but, sign back up again online.

[JoelCFC25]

Hm, that sounds awfully tempting. I bought the HDTV a couple weeks ago and am on the verge of getting the HD-DVR box. Setanta for $12/month just during the season would almost certainly be worth it to me--I can show matches every weekend, invite the guys over, they chip in a couple bucks or bring breakfast, etc.

[socceteer]

even though we're having the ABC/ESPN mafia offer the World Cup in HD Stateside -- .

Don't forget ESPN2 also will be transmitting the World Cup in HD

[JoelCFC25]

I'm sure he knows that, he was just referring to them collectively since it's all the same company.

[Art]

Sky HD would be awesome. Ed, how can we push the agenda? Just by e-mailing Setanta?