[CapeCodder]

Sky Report says this morning that DISH has hit the 100 HD channel mark (see below). Considering the competitive environment, Dtv must feel disadvantaged at only 95. With DT11 coming on line shortly, every available HD channel is likely targeted for inclusion. And with DISH ahead, the pressure for an earlier rather than later activation must be building at Dtv. Now the question is "will we have to pay more?" Or instead perhaps, "how much more will we have to pay?"

http://www.skyreport.com/
DISH Reaches 100 HD Channel Goal
On Thursday, DISH Network announced plans to launch 17 national HD channels, a move that puts the DBS service past its year-end goal of reaching 100 national HD channels, five months ahead of schedule.

The new HD channels that will be added are: ActionMax HD, CBS College Sports HD, Lifetime HD, Lifetime Movie Network HD, Planet Green HD, Encore HD, HBO 2 HD, HBO Comedy HD, HBO Family HD, HBO Latino HD, HBO Signature HD, HBO West HD, HBO Zone HD, Starz Comedy HD, Starz Edge HD, Starz Kids and Family.

Also, DISH took the wraps off TurboHD, an all-HD programming package that comes with advanced equipment that works on all TVs. TurboHD offers the most-watched HD channels in four separate tiers and can be viewed on analog, digital and high-def TVs. The product is aimed at consumers who have or are considering an upgrade to HD programming.

All TurboHD packages can include HD locals where available.

 

[tcusta00]

Why are you assuming we'll have to pay more? I don't understand the logic.

Being discussed over here, too: http://dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=132917

 

[Sixto]

Sky Report says this morning that DISH has hit the 100 HD channel mark (see below)...

No "goal" has been reached yet. The date is 8/1.

D11 may go "live" prior. If not, E* will have the lead for literally days.

BTW, the DirecTV "goal" is up to 150 by year-end.

 

[CapeCodder]

Why are you assuming we'll have to pay more? I don't understand the logic.

Being discussed over here, too: http://dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=132917

TCUSTA00 - No special reason for the assumption, just a sense that the 10 buck, 3 buck deal is relatively cheap, and that some of the new channels might want some compensation. Could (hopefully) be wrong. The big driver, of course, is how much DISH will get for their new HD service.

 

[QuickDrop]

Sky Report says this morning that DISH has hit the 100 HD channel mark (see below). Considering the competitive environment, Dtv must feel disadvantaged at only 95. With DT11 coming on line shortly, every available HD channel is likely targeted for inclusion. And with DISH ahead, the pressure for an earlier rather than later activation must be building at Dtv.

Personally, I would be surprised if DirecTV plans were so knee-jerk that they would be scurrying around to get the channels up a couple days before Dish. I do think there is added pressure for an HD only tier, though I don't believe that would appeal to the great majority of subscribers to any service.

 

[scrybigtv]

The competition between D*, E* and cable is understandable. These guys are all competing for a share of the same TV viewing dollar. But what I find amusing is the apparent competition between message board posters who favor either D* or E*. It always seems to offend one group if someone has something good to say about the other.

I was a longtime customer of E*. I changed to D* because Dish no longer could offer MLB EI. In my opinion, both are great services and each has certain advantages over the other. I obviously now favor D*, as I'm a customer of D* and proud of it. It doesn't offend me, however, when I hear that E* has added some HD channels. I'm glad they were able to do something good for their customers.

 

[Visman]

I think there will be allot of upgrades and improvements in DirecTV programing and services after the Olympics and the start of the NFL seasons and the Fall TV schedule. D* will at least have over 125 national channels in HD, their will be many different packages the we can choose from. We just need to be a little more passionate.

 

[Steve Robertson]

The competition between D*, E* and cable is understandable. These guys are all competing for a share of the same TV viewing dollar. But what I find amusing is the apparent competition between message board posters who favor either D* or E*. It always seems to offend one group if someone has something good to say about the other.

I was a longtime customer of E*. I changed to D* because Dish no longer could offer MLB EI. In my opinion, both are great services and each has certain advantages over the other. I obviously now favor D*, as I'm a customer of D* and proud of it. It doesn't offend me, however, when I hear that E* has added some HD channels. I'm glad they were able to do something good for their customers.

This has been going on for years on these message boards it really is comical

 

[cartrivision]

Personally, I would be surprised if DirecTV plans were so knee-jerk that they would be scurrying around to get the channels up a couple days before Dish. I do think there is added pressure for an HD only tier, though I don't believe that would appeal to the great majority of subscribers to any service.

What makes you think that DirecTV would have to scurry around in a knee-jerk attempt to get D11 online before DISH lights up their new channels on August 1? DirecTV has been taking a slow and methodical approach to getting D11 online and last week before DISH's announcement, all indications were that DirecTV was wrapping up the testing of D11 at 100.7W, meaning that it could be ready to go online within weeks.

I suspect that DISH's announcement of adding more HD channels is more a reaction to DirecTV's impending debut of D11 rather than the other way around.

 

[mystic7]

If they're including CBS College Sports HD, then technically Dish is still at 99 channels. That channel doesn't even show upconverted SD. It's no better than Fox News SD.

 

[bruinfever]

I read this report and its unbelievable....Where in the hell are they getting the capabilities to add so many HD channels? For the past six months they keep adding channels and they have no new birds in the sky. I kept thinking compression but there is no way they can compress this much....

 

[tcusta00]

I read this report and its unbelievable....Where in the hell are they getting the capabilities to add so many HD channels? For the past six months they keep adding channels and they have no new birds in the sky. I kept thinking compression but there is no way they can compress this much....

It's likely a combination of compression and desperation. DirecTV could probably add a ton more HD right now without the new bird, but they aren't because they want to have space available "just in case" something happens. Desperate times call for desperate measures:

 

[merchione]

It's likely a combination of compression and desperation. DirecTV could probably add a ton more HD right now without the new bird, but they aren't because they want to have space available "just in case" something happens. Desperate times call for desperate measures:

Thats why D* is the leader in HD!

 

[harsh]

I read this report and its unbelievable....Where in the hell are they getting the capabilities to add so many HD channels?

As a matter of fact, DISH Network has substantially more satellite bandwidth than DIRECTV and it has been that way for some time. The advantage that DIRECTV has is that they've got most of it available on one large dish.

 

[Radio Enginerd]

I've been reading some of the Dish threads and many mention the quality of Dish HD has declined a bit. I guess they have to get the bandwidth from somewhere, I just wonder if they're doing the right thing?

As far as I know, they don't have a new bird in place?

 

[bruinfever]

As a matter of fact, DISH Network has substantially more satellite bandwidth than DIRECTV and it has been that way for some time. The advantage that DIRECTV has is that they've got most of it available on one large dish.

That one large dish being the main dish that's used for the majority of subscribers. The bandwidth available on the "main dish" for DirecTV is much higher than the "main dish" for DISH? Correct?

 

[tonyd79]

I read this report and its unbelievable....Where in the hell are they getting the capabilities to add so many HD channels? For the past six months they keep adding channels and they have no new birds in the sky. I kept thinking compression but there is no way they can compress this much....

Well, their much ballyhoo'd recent addition wound up being a net gain of 3 as they dropped Voom channels within days.

Also, I look at the Dish method of channel distribution and it confuses the heck out of me. They actually have replication of channels on more than one satellite. They wind up in different places in the guide and require different hardware and (I think) are not completely accessible by everyone all over the US.

 

[harsh]

No "goal" has been reached yet. The date is 8/1.

Announcing how they're going to get there is one thing. Executing the plan is an entirely different story. This press release makes it sounds like it has already happened and that's just wrong. In reading the uplink reports, there doesn't appear to be any indication that these channels are uplinked yet.

 

[Steve Robertson]

Harsh,

You are entertaining if nothing else

 

[tcusta00]

This press release makes it sounds like it has already happened and that's just wrong.

No it doesn't...

http://www.skyreport.com/
DISH Reaches 100 HD Channel Goal
On Thursday, DISH Network announced plans to launch 17 national HD channels, a move that puts the DBS service past its year-end goal of reaching 100 national HD channels, five months ahead of schedule.

The new HD channels that will be added are: ActionMax HD, CBS College Sports HD, Lifetime HD, Lifetime Movie Network HD, Planet Green HD, Encore HD, HBO 2 HD, HBO Comedy HD, HBO Family HD, HBO Latino HD, HBO Signature HD, HBO West HD, HBO Zone HD, Starz Comedy HD, Starz Edge HD, Starz Kids and Family.