First off, DIRECTV fired off a press release in the morning announcing that it will add 30 new HD channels in mid-August, including ABC Family HD, Planet Green HD, Showtime Extreme HD and Showtime Showcase HD, as well as additional pay-per-view channels and Regional Sports Networks. (Still no Travel Channel HD, which is odd considering that it's now available on many cable systems.)
DIRECTV also said that later this year it will begin offering movies in 1080p to compete with the Blu-ray format, which to my knowledge is the first instance of 1080p content being available over a cable or satellite network. By the end of this month, DIRECTV will transmit all of its HD programming in MPEG-4 and it will also soon add 44 new markets where it will offer HD local broadcast channels.
Whew!
For its part, Verizon made a big splash in the news by launching its FiOS TV service in New York City, complete with 100 HD channels and 400 HD video on demand titles. Among the new HD channels Verizon now offers are Animal Planet, Big Ten Network, Bravo, CNN, CNBC, Disney, Fox Business Network, Fox News Channel, History, Outdoor Channel 2, Planet Green, QVC, Science Channel, Sci-Fi, TBS, TLC, Toon Disney, Travel Channel, USA, Versus/Golf, Weather Channel & World Fishing Network. There are also 11 new Cinemax HD channels, 13 new HBO channels in HD and 13 new high-def channels from Showtime & Starz.
Not to be completely outdone, New York City cable provider Cablevision added another 15 channels to its high-def lineup, bringing the total it offers to 60. The newbies include AMC, Animal Planet, Discovery, Fox News, FX, Hallmark Movie Channel, IFC, Nickelodeon, Science, Speed, Spike, The Weather Channel, TLC, Travel Channel & WE.
The real lesson here is that competition is the consumer's best friend. DIRECTV really shook up the industry last fall with its plans to have 100 HD channels by the end of '07, which spurred the cable companies into ramping up their own high-def offerings. With Verizon and AT&T getting into the act on the telco side, and DISH working to keep up with DIRECTV in satellite capacity, many consumers now have four legitimate options when it comes to choosing their HD service provider. The industry has come such a long way from just 18 months ago when many service providers only offered a dozen or so HD channels. So enjoy it!
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I strongly recommend everyone to look into DISH Network. They are the best option for TV, especially when it comes to HD. I actually have and work at DISH, and I can tell you that they really do have the most HD channels compare to any other provider. Also right now, they are offering new customers up to three HD receivers for free. Plus everyone can use the HD free for life promotion to upgrade your channels to HD for no additional cost on your bill. Learn more about DISH at dish.com/hd200!
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