| That's because it's only the current offering. That list also doesn't include the two dozen sporting events they carry in HD every weekend. Once the two remaining satellites are launched and functional (both go up before July) they have the capability to add every HD channel in existence, plus carry every single sporting event in HD. DirecTV also carries all the regional sporting channels, international and a far more diverse channel lineup than any cable company.
Once the two satellites are up (both are being delivered to pad or being prepared for launch) the HD package should exceed 30 channels overnight as that many channels already exist (some are premium movie channels). But many popular channels announced plans to launch HD broadcasts this summer such as SciFi HD and many other of the "popular cable channels". I should also note that these announcements came AFTER DirecTV announced it's plans, although it can't be proved to be causal, I'm sure it is.
The problem with HD has been the chicken-egg problem for a while. Few of the broadcasters were willing to pay the $$$ to move to HD without a single carrier that could carry the channels and few people that had TV's. Consumer adoption of HD TV's is accelerating so that solves one rung. DirecTV's ability to deliver the channels nationwide will solve the second rung, thus eliminating the prime barriers on the broadcasters. DirecTV's move will no doubt accelerate the deployment of HD by broadcasters not only for DirecTV but for everyone as the cable co.'s will no doubt open up more capacity for HD, just as this news article indicates. |
 Greg_ZPremium
join:2001-08-08
Springfield, IL
1 edit | DirecTV & HD is a contradictive turn, due to who wants HDLite. As for every sporting event in HD, most is rebroadcast, and most of the HD bandwith that Direct is accounting for, will be for duplication in markets that are not being serviced with HD. This is more FUD, then anything, due to there is only so much that can be pushed by Satellite, with out the higher cost to the cosumer.
And as for Consumer Acceleration for HD, those that cannot afford the HD sets are getting SD & ED, which means that still most HD programming will not be watched. We have a friend with a 61" DLP set and they do not watch half the programming that is available in HD, due to it is not available with Dish. Most of the programming that they watch in HD is Final four and Football, and that is pretty much it.
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I threw out the map a long time ago. Now I follow my own direction! |
