1st HD CH> to AIR

[EaglePC]

what was the very 1st channl of HD to air on directv and was there only 1 to start ?
DATE:?

[Baxter Mccloud]

I remember back in the day around 98-99' I belive, being so happy to see HBOHD and some part time documentary channel that had Discovery HD/ HDNET type stuff on it. Then came Showtime.
We've come a long way.

[Steve Mehs]

DirecTV's first HD channel was HBO HD, it was launched in 1999, not sure when DirecTV picked it up, but doing a few minutes of searching through DirecTVs press releases yields the following:

10/1/01 - HDNet
4/30/02 - Showtime HD
7/1/03 - ESPN HD
7/1/03 - Discovery HD Theater
7/1/03 - HDNet Movies
7/28/04 - Bravo HD+ (Universal HD)
9/9/05 - ESPN 2 HD
2/17/06 - TNT HD

[Stuart Sweet]

Wow! What DIRECTV receiver even decoded HD in 2001?

[Herdfan]

Wow! What DIRECTV receiver even decoded HD in 2001?

RCA DTC-100. (DirecTV, ATSC & NTSC)

[Herdfan]

7/1/03 - ESPN HD

This means my HR10 is almost 4.5 years old. Got it early May a couple of months before the HD package was created. Its been a good machine.

[vxman007]

The first channel was HDNet. That's the only HD channel that was available when I got my HDTV and my first HD receiver (RCA DTC-100) back in late 2000 or within the first two months of 2001. At that time, HDNet showed mostly demo programs that repeated over and over so that they could demo the HD equipment in stores. They also showed some hockey games in HD. I signed up for the HBO package after they started offering one HD channel of HBO. So, at that point I had two HD channels. I was a little upset when they finally added a few additional channels in 2003 and then stopped giving HDNet for free. We'll see what they start changing now that they are going to add additional HD programming.

[borghe]

This means my HR10 is almost 4.5 years old. Got it early May a couple of months before the HD package was created. Its been a good machine.
pretty sure the HR10 is only 3.5 years old. I got mine in the second shipment from VE and I'm pretty sure I didn't have it when my TV was calibrated as part of my first year anniversary present (2003).

[Stuart Sweet]

I don't remember seeing the HR10 around my area until early '04, I don't think it's much older than that.

[forecheck]

Before HDNet, there was a 24 hour HD preview channel. Although it just played the same shots over and over again, many of us kept on watching it since it was all the HD we had, and it was beautiful.

[dbmaven]

The first channel was HDNet. That's the only HD channel that was available when I got my HDTV and my first HD receiver (RCA DTC-100) back in late 2000 or within the first two months of 2001.

Exactly.

I just retired my faithful DTC-100 this spring. A bit bulky by today's standards, but a good box.....

I even got a call back from Corporate Communications in 2002 or 2003, before locals were HD, when I bitched up a storm that I wouldn't be able to see the Super Bowl in HD (since the local CableCO was pushing the fact that they would have it !).

[VeniceDre]

I don't remember seeing the HR10 around my area until early '04, I don't think it's much older than that.

April/May 2004 Is when the first HR10-250s where available... I have a a receipt showing May 2004 for my first HR10-250 and that was from the first Best Buy shipment.

[Herdfan]

April/May 2004 Is when the first HR10-250s where available... I have a a receipt showing May 2004 for my first HR10-250 and that was from the first Best Buy shipment.
Yep. I was wrong. It was May '04. But somehow I thought I remembered getting it BEFORE the HD package went live. I do remember that the first thing I recorded on it was the last few episodes of The Sopranos that season.

So its been a good machine for 3.5 years.:)

[Herdfan]

I just retired my faithful DTC-100 this spring. A bit bulky by today's standards, but a good box.....

Sold mine in '04 on ebay to a Canadian for $400. Then D* shut off the Hu stream a couple of months later.:eek2:

[RAD]

I had a Mist 400 HD receiver back on January 2001, I remember HBO-HD and the D* Demo/PPV channel (PPV's were sort of useless unless you lived on the west coast since they didn't start until 11PM central time).

[forecheck]

According to Wikipedia, HD Net launched on Sept 6, 2001. Before that, Directv just had HBO-HD and the demo/ppv channel on 199. Can't find the start date for HBO, but looking through the posts on Google Groups, it looks like sometime in mid 1999.

[Smthkd]

Back then I had Panasonic's TU-HDS20 HD receivers. I bought 2 of them @ $799 each! I still got them too! Here a pic of one of them. The other is in the attic somewhere! :lol:
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m313/Smthkd/IMG_1749.jpg

[Steve Mehs]

The first channel was HDNet. That's the only HD channel that was available when I got my HDTV and my first HD receiver (RCA DTC-100) back in late 2000 or within the first two months of 2001. At that time, HDNet showed mostly demo programs that repeated over and over so that they could demo the HD equipment in stores. They also showed some hockey games in HD. I signed up for the HBO package after they started offering one HD channel of HBO. So, at that point I had two HD channels. I was a little upset when they finally added a few additional channels in 2003 and then stopped giving HDNet for free. We'll see what they start changing now that they are going to add additional HD programming.


Nope, HDNet was added to the DirecTV lineup on 10/1/01. HBO HD was launched in 1999 and added prior HDNet. Forecheck is correct, it was HBO HD and the HD Demo channel at the beginning.

Channel 199 is currently used by DirectTV dealers as a "demonstration channel" for high-definition programming, which uses digital technology to produce a more life-like picture than standard analog signals, which are widely used now.

The channel shows "loops" of film and music videos that are used to sell the DirectTV system. DirecTV also broadcasts high-definition fare from HBO on channel 509.

Article from August 31, 2001

http://www.bizjournals.com/dallas/stories/2001/09/03/story1.html?t=printable

[mcbeevee]

Back then I had Panasonic's TU-HDS20 HD receivers. I bought 2 of them @ $799 each! I still got them too! Here a pic of one of them. The other is in the attic somewhere! :lol:
Spending $299 to lease an HR20 seems like a bargain compared to buying the early HD receivers.
I paid $499 for a Hughes HIRD-E86 in 2003!

:rolleyes:

[Smthkd]

HDNet used be be channel 199 in 2001 !

- http://digitalcontentproducer.com/news/video_hdnet_launches_directv_3/

HDNet, the world’s only all-high definition national television network, debuted Thursday, Sept. 6, on DIRECTV channel 199 with a broadcast of the Minnesota Twins at Texas Rangers at 8:05 p.m. (ET), the first of 15 Major League Baseball games to be aired throughout the month. Founded by Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and Philip Garvin, HDNet will expand in October from a limited schedule to a 16-hour-per-day, seven-day-per-week schedule of sports and entertainment programming, all broadcast in high definition

Before then it was Directv HD PPV on channel 199 back in 1999 and HBO HD launched in 1998 on channel 509!

[VeniceDre]

Yep. I was wrong. It was May '04. But somehow I thought I remembered getting it BEFORE the HD package went live. I do remember that the first thing I recorded on it was the last few episodes of The Sopranos that season.

So its been a good machine for 3.5 years.:)

It's kind of crazy but I never had a HD receiver before the HR10-250... I had a HDTV since 2000 but I never got a receiver due to price and limited channel availability... When I heard of the HD Tivo it made me wait a little longer.

Looking back I can't believe I had such patience!!! I want everything now, now, now!!!

[PersMD]

Well, I don't know which one was first... But I purchased a Hitachi 61" Widescreen HDTV (61HDX98B) with a built-in DirecTV receiver on November 7, 2000. At that point in time, HBO HD and what was to become HDNET were the only HD channels available.

I don't know which of those channels was first, but HDNET-to-be offered a 1 minute (or so) advertisement of an NFL clip of the Giants and the Patriots (I believe) in High Definition. That was the only thing showing on the channel that was to become HDNET (frequency-wise). I still have that set, and reception on it is still fantastic.

Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, and Philip Garvin of Colorado Studios founded HDNET in September 2001. And to the best of my knowledge, HDNET is the only station in the US that transmits 1080i 24/7 (as of today).

[ahintz]

I still have fond memories of watching that demo channel on our trusty DTC-100! Since we were one of the few people to have an HDTV at the time, I can't tell you how many times we turned on the demo channel to show people some HD. I think the Peter Frampton song from the demo channel is still burned into my brain.

--Andrew

[Nick]

When did Discovery HD Theater start on D*?

[Steve Mehs]

July 1st 2003, it was introduced with the HD Pak

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=127160&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=570807&highlight=

[borghe]

Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, and Philip Garvin of Colorado Studios founded HDNET in September 2001. And to the best of my knowledge, HDNET is the only station in the US that transmits 1080i 24/7 (as of today).
UniversalHD and Discovery HD Theater are both 1080i 24x7 AFAIK. HBO is getting REALdamn close to 24x7. You can probably count the number of upconverted showings on HBO in a given week on two hands..

[PersMD]

I stand corrected.

[mtnagel]

Great history lesson. I feel like such an HD noob since I only get my HD set about a year ago (Oct 06). I just couldn't justify the cost of the HD Tivo and a new tv.