100 HD Channels, Who’s Counting?
Today in the Satellite world a lot of folks are not talking about the new iPhone but they are talking about yesterdays big announcement of the new 17 HD channels announced and the new TurboHD packages from Dish Network.
Yesterday’s press release seemed to create as much confusion as it did excitement. Since the press release came out I have been flooded with emails from readers asking me if their bill is going up. I am going to try to answer with what I know, I know if I am wrong someone from Dish Network will contact me and correct me.
Is your bill going up? The answer to that is no! The confusion of everything is the announcement of Dish Networks new TurboHD packages. These packages are HD ONLY packages and at this time are meant for new Dish Network customers.
If you are a Dish Network customer now with standard definition service and want to add HD it’s an additional $10 a month for the general HD services. If you want the additional 7 niche HD channels (such as Universal HD, World Fishing Network HD, HDNet Movies, etc.) its an additional $10 a month. This is what the pricing is currently, and it is what it will cost in August.
For those who currently subscribe to the Dish Absolute package (which is an HD only package which gives you all of Dish’s HD channels) you will be grandfathered in that package and at that price until next year.
In Dish Networks press release they boasted the fact they are the first provider with 100 national HD channels, but I personally don’t buy this since no Dish Network customer can call up and subscribe and see all 100 HD channels. And to make matters worse a number of Dish Network’s “National HD Channels” are regional sports networks, but these are not even full time channels, these are “select game-time only HD broadcasts” from where I sit to call them channels and include them in the channel count is just wrong.
So how many national HD channels does Dish Network and DirecTV have today?
According to my count Dish Network currently has 41 and DirecTV has 45. These are channels which anyone can pick up anywhere in the USA.
If we add in premium channels such as HBO, Showtime, Cinemax and Starz then the numbers look like this. DirecTV 60 and Dish Network 47. (This is not including the 13 premium services Dish will be adding on August 1st bringing them to tie DirecTV at 60)
In the PPV field Dish Network has 5 HD PPV channels (7 if you have a Dish which is aimed at the 129 orbital location), while DirecTV dominates the field with 13 HD PPV channels.
In the regional sports network department DirecTV again dominates the field with 11 24/7 HD RSN channels, while Dish Network currently has zero. In the game time only HD RSN count DirecTV has 28 and Dish Network has 33.
So where do they count 100 HD channels? And if they are advertising 100 national HD channels why can’t anyone subscribe to all 100 HD channels?
We also need to remember that in reality Dish is only adding 2 new national HD channels as Dish removed 15 of the VOOM HD Networks channels from their lineup. None of these new channels being offered have the true 24/7 all HD content that the VOOM channels had. Some folks are still missing the VOOM channels for that very reason.
Sure the 100 number sounds great, but I won’t believe it until I see 100 channels in my guide that I can actually tune to. Numbers are supposed to be absolute, but as you see in these counts that the numbers just don’t add up.
GeeNo commented:
It doesn't matter how many HD channels Dish provides if, like me, you live in Alaska! The orbit of most of the sats can't be seen in AK so we routinely get teased, with no follow through. It really sucks!
Geronimo commented:
Sorry James in DE but DISH is indeed noe claiming that theya r at 100 channels now.
Pepper commented:
The best thing Dish had going for them was the 15 channels "nobody ever heard of" - VOOM was something you couldn't get anywhere else, and the HD quality was unsurpassed. They should have marketed this difference, instead, they are trying to be just like the other providers which leaves them in a position of trying to catch up.
DodgerKing commented:
One point to mention. Direct does not include their part time game only RSNs as part of their 95 total, while Dish does include these RSNs are part of their 100 total. It is possible for anyone anywhere in the USA to subscribe to and get all 95 Direct HD channels. The premium and/or sports package gets you the full time RSNs and the individual sports packages will allow one to view the games on these same channels. So yes, even the out of market full time HD RSNs can be viewed pretty much 24/7 anywhere in the country (of course one would have to pay a lot). This is not possible with Dish though since they do not have full time HD RSNs and they do not offer many of the sports packages that would allow their subs to view the games on the game only ones.
Jules Epstein commented:
It would be nice to have Directv add some new HD channels. Waiting for their new satellite to get going is like watching paint dry.
Kyle Luna commented:
People can get the Game Only RSNs, they just need the a subscription to one of the sports packages like Extra Innings, League Pass, Direct Kick and/or Center Ice. Sure it costs about $100 for each sports, but you can subscribe to it like you subscribe to anything else if you're willing to pay for it. 24/7 HD RSN's on the other hand you can get by subscribing to the Sports Pack, you won't get any major games, but you can get the local studio shows and any other things some of them show in HD, like preseason games, NHL replays, select minor league games, WNBA, and select college games. With just the Sports Pack you can also get pre and post game shows in HD on Game only RSNs, as well as some college sports that FSN has in HD.
JamesinDE commented:
Dishnetwork is stating that they WILL have 100 HD channels by YEAR END.
ekilgus commented:
I agree with the VOOM comment. Actually, it seems Dish is not really adding channels so much as replacing VOOM channels with other channels.
Soulwhat commented:
I agree. And it just proves that ALL of the providers out there are playing loose with the numbers. To me this is an regulatory issue, there should be a universally excepted way to count HD channels.
