[fpd917]

I am not sure if this is brand new or not, I just got the update today! This would be a nice thing for D* to do!

News
DIRECTV to Air 'NFL Network' Games In HD
The network's regular season contests will air on a special high-def channel.
By Phillip Swann

Washington, D.C. (October 18, 2006) -- DIRECTV will carry the NFL Network's 2006 regular season games in High-Definition TV, two industry sources tell TVPredictions.com.

For the first time, the NFL Network has the rights to broadcast regular season games, starting with the Thanksgiving night contest between the Denver Broncos and the Kansas City Chiefs. The channel will air seven more games after that; four on Thursday nights and three on Saturday nights.

The eight games will be shown on NFL Network HD, the channel's high-def feed, as well as its non-HD channel.

However, DIRECTV currently does not carry NFL Network HD, leaving many fans wondering if the satcaster would either fail to offer the games in HD or perhaps include them in its NFL Sunday Ticket pay package. (DIRECTV charges an extra $99 for access to each Sunday's package of NFL games broadcast in high-def.)

But sources say DIRECTV is planning to show the games in high-def on channel 95, the satcaster's channel for special HD events.

EchoStar, DIRECTV's main satellite rival, added NFL Network HD to its lineup of high-def channels earlier this year.

Mod Edit:
Source Link: http://www.tvpredictions.com/nflhd101806.htm

 

[Larry G]

I wonder if they will be available to all, or just to NFLST subs?

 

[fpd917]

They should be available to everyone I would think!

 

[Indiana627]

MPEG2 or MPEG4?

 

[fpd917]

Maybe Earl can shed light on this, he always can.

 

[TimGoodwin]

When has channel 95 been just Mpeg 4? They will be available to every one.

 

[Earl Bonovich]

I will try to find out about the specifics...

My gut tells me it is going to be MPEG-4, but I wouldn't be too shocked if it is MPEG-2

 

[wmschultz]

It will be MPEG 2.

95 Is MPEG 2 and they can't even upgrade all NFL ST Subs to MPEG 4.

 

[bidger]

They should be available to everyone I would think!

Agreed. These are Thursday and Saturday games AFAIK and that would mean they're not part of Sunday Ticket.

 

[EJB]

Will DirecTv ever offer the NFL Network in HD fulltime? Is it in the "future" plans for 2007?

The kids and I pretty much watch sports all the time. I am now spoiled with HD and find myself watching hockey (which I never did before) because it is in HD and the constant repeats of ESPN on channel 72/73 because it looks better. Would be nice to have the NFL Network in the mix.

ejb <-- a spoiled HD junkie

 

[Earl Bonovich]

Will DirecTv ever offer the NFL Network in HD fulltime? Is it in the "future" plans for 2007?

The kids and I pretty much watch sports all the time. I am now spoiled with HD and find myself watching hockey (which I never did before) because it is in HD and the constant repeats of ESPN on channel 72/73 because it looks better. Would be nice to have the NFL Network in the mix.

ejb <-- a spoiled HD junkie

I am sure you will see NFL Network-HD full time next season (or earlier), once the new sats are available.

 

[EJB]

I am sure you will see NFL Network-HD full time next season (or earlier), once the new sats are available.

Sweet! If you hear of a rough date for the offering, please let me know. My wife really gets a kick of me and the kids and our HD addiction. We will sit there and watch stuff on in the 72-79 range just cuz its in HD. When we switch over to NFL Network to watch the NFL Replays, all we do is complain about the picture quality even though to us, the SD picture quality on the HR20 is much better than we had on the old DirectTivo unit (yea, I know some people say PQ should not change).

Thanks!

ejb

 

[MnGuy]

No chance it will be MPEG-4. Zero. The games will be available to all TC subs (for which NFL Network is part of package), as a special event, on channel 95, just like MLB EI, NHL CI and NBA TV games, MPEG-2.

 

[John W]

Sweet! If you hear of a rough date for the offering, please let me know. My wife really gets a kick of me and the kids and our HD addiction. We will sit there and watch stuff on in the 72-79 range just cuz its in HD. When we switch over to NFL Network to watch the NFL Replays, all we do is complain about the picture quality even though to us, the SD picture quality on the HR20 is much better than we had on the old DirectTivo unit (yea, I know some people say PQ should not change).

Thanks!

ejb

There really isn't much HD on NFL-HD at this time.

 

[EJB]

There really isn't much HD on NFL-HD at this time.

True, but at least on my TV, the picture quality looks much better even if they show is not in "HD". For example a lot of the shows on ESPN channels 72 and 73 are not in widescreen. Not sure if that means they are non-HD shows, but they certainly look better than what is on channels 206-209.

Can a show be broadcast in HD (i.e. greater than 480 scan lines), but not be in widescreen? I "think" the answer is Yes and assume that is what we see on channel 72 and 73, but I don't know for sure. My hope is that if/when the NFL Network moves to HD on DirectTv, it will also look better.

ejb

 

[upnorth]

There really isn't much HD on NFL-HD at this time.

Thats what I have heard also I also heard that they don't even show there highlights of the Sunday HD games in HD.
So with the little HD content they have it would be a waist of bandwidth to go fulltime.

 

[ktabel01]

Great news, thanks for the update!

 

[Tran Sponder]

Only the HD locals are using MPEG4 right now. The only MPEG4 capable boxes are the h20 and the HR20. 9S will help kick a lot of load off the 101.

I'll get back to you on NFL Network in HD...

 

[Tran Sponder]

OK, NFL Network in HD in Q3 2007.

 

[Jeremy W]

9S will help kick a lot of load off the 101.

That doesn't make any sense. 9S is a backup, and the Ka transponders are only for internal backhaul.