DirecTV Adds More HD / HDCP Woes / Radio Hanukkah

DirecTV sports fans woke up today to find that DirecTV has added more HD to its lineup, those who were especially happy are those in the New York area as DirecTV finally added the long awaited MSG-HD and FSNY-HD to their lineup.

All the new HD channels added today are Regional Sports Networks (RSN’s) and the channels that were added today are as follows:

   MSG-HD (Channel 621)

   Fox Sports New York – HD (Channel 624)

   Fox Sports Network South Plus - HD (Channel 633-1)

   Fox Sports Bay Area – HD (Channel 655-1)

   Altitude Sports Alternate - HD (Channel 661-1)

   Fox Sports Indiana – HD (Channel 663-1)

   Fox Sports West Alternate (Channel 667-1)

Its beginning to look a lot like the year 2008 will be the year where content providers force multichannel providers to enable HDCP (High-Bandwidth Digital Copy Protection) on their customers High Definition receivers.

For the channels or programs that will use HDCP those HD customers that are using older HDTV’s, which are not HDCP compliant, may see a lower resolution version of the channel or program they are watching. In other words those with older TV’s may see some of their HD programs converted to a lower resolution picture.   If your TV only has component HD inputs this is effect you in the future.

Dish Network is getting ready to support HDCP in the future and over the past week has started instructing installers to hook up their HD receivers to the customers HDMI port on their HDTV. Dish goes on to instruct its installers that if the customers HDTV is not HDCP compliant to use component cables for the “next best image for protected content.”

Dish Network will soon be releasing software to their High Definition receivers that will be able to tell a customer (or installer) if their TV is HDCP compliant.

Now it should be noted, this HDCP is not being put in place because Dish Network, DirecTV or even cable providers want to put it in place, it is being done at the request of the content providers.

There is no word yet when HDCP will be turned on, or even if it will ever be used, but providers must have it in place and ready to work for when content providers do want to protect their work.

I do believe that when it is turned on we will se a lot of complaints from folks with older HDTV’s. I personally hope that they never enable it.

Today is the first full day of Hanukkah, and last night XM Satellite Radio launched Radio Hanukkah on Channel 108.

To celebrate XM is inviting listeners to tune in online and enjoy a 8 day free trial of XM Radio Online. CLICK HERE to get this free trial and use the XM Promo code of “DREIDEL”  to get your 8 day free trail.

Speaking of free trials, you can get 6 Free Trial Issues of Multichannel News by CLICKING HERE. If you think Multichannel News Online is good, wait until you see it in print!