New HD channels officially launched

[Buckeye_Nut]

http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/global/contentPageNR.jsp?assetId=P4360044

If you're a DirectTV customer, this is very good news indeed!! Some of the new HD channels are now officially up and running as of today!!!! The newly converted HD-channels use the same channel #'s as before the HD conversion, but you do need to update your channel guide.

For example........... if the NFL Network is one of the channels you keep in your customized channel guide, you'll need to go into guide setup and un-check the old low-def 212 & re-check 212HD. .....so make sure you go into setup to ensure all the new HD channels are checked!!!!

Some of the newly converted channels include the Animal Planet, History channel, TLC, Smithsonian Channel, Golf Channel, NFL Network, CNN, The Discovery Channel(not to be confused with Discovery HD theater), science channel, weather channel, Big Ten network, etc, etc, etc....... and many more are soon to come!!

 

[stratman]

http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/global/contentPageNR.jsp?assetId=P4360044

If you're a DirectTV customer, this is very good news indeed!! Some of the new HD channels are now officially up and running as of today!!!! The newly converted HD-channels use the same channel #'s as before the HD conversion, but you do need to update your channel guide.

For example........... if the NFL Network is one of the channels you keep in your customized channel guide, you'll need to go into guide setup and un-check the old low-def 212 & re-check 212HD. .....so make sure you go into setup to ensure all the new HD channels are checked!!!!

Some of the newly converted channels include the Animal Planet, History channel, TLC, Smithsonian Channel, Golf Channel, NFL Network, CNN, The Discovery Channel(not to be confused with Discovery HD theater), science channel, weather channel, Big Ten network, etc, etc, etc....... and many more are soon to come!!

Today I love Direct TV!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Hi Ho]

Can anyone that has DirecTV comment on the picture quality of the new HD stations?

 

[majorloser]

In other words....

DirectTV is finally catching up to Dish Network.

 

[enrique]

Can anyone that has DirecTV comment on the picture quality of the new HD stations?

looked like some of the channels seemed sort of stretched to me.

 

[hifisyd01]

I was eager to get home last night to check out some of the new stations. To my dismay, none of them appeared on my guide. I then looked at my channel lineup in the setup menu. I didn't see them there either. I called DTV and they said that since I have the HR10-250, I could not receive the new stations. (That sucks?) I suppose it's time to upgrade to the HR20? Can anyone confirm this info is accurate? Thanks!

 

[chicago25624]

Good to hear

I've been asking CS at DirecTV for the dates with no answer. Guess I know what Iwll be doing this evening.

 

[sholling]

Unfortunately the DTV contractors Bozoed my installation and will have to make another house call before I see any of the new HD channels. I guess I shouldn't complain - 2 years ago Dish needed 12 months and 5 house calls (and bought back the HD-DVR) to get my HD working.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

What did he do?

I had my guy installing the new antenna on the roof was I was hooking up the HD DVR in the house; at first he said he wasn’t allowed to let me hook it up and then he looked at all my gear and said, you know more about it than I do so go ahead.

Unfortunately the DTV contractors Bozoed my installation and will have to make another house call before I see any of the new HD channels. I guess I shouldn't complain - 2 years ago Dish needed 12 months and 5 house calls (and bought back the HD-DVR) to get my HD working.

 

[sholling]

The box isn't seeing 103b (I think that was the one) so my boxes both show code 771 no satellite found. They'll be back out tomorrow afternoon to realign the dish. I also added Stars starting tomorrow. I'm hoping that it's worth $12/mo. HBO wasn't! All of their programming appears aimed at 16y/o boys sneaking their first peek at naked women, and the last time I looked it seemed like Showtime had dropped any and all programming that might be of interest to a straight adult male. Oh well everyone has their own tastes. Anyway Stars seems like my last hope.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

I havent had any premium channels in years but I do like naked girls...

 

[fmw]

The new channels are working very well. The new Smithsonian Channel is very nice and has spectacular picture quality. The only disappointment for me has been History Channel which chooses to stretch the aspect ratio some programming and all the commercials making it unwatchable for me. So I'm still watching History in SD. Perhaps someone will be able to convince them to broadcast whatever aspect ratio they have the way it is. We can decide for ourselves if we want stretched pictures.

All in all the HD upgrade is a very welcome addition to the programming.

 

[Warpdrv]

Its absolutely no surprise to me, that it took DirecTV this long to get it all together and up and running, seeing as Dish Network had those channels up and running a month ago....

I absolutely HATE DirecTV.... Their customer service is horrible, and so is the quality of their product in my opinion...
And that says nothing about the way they conducted smearing lawsuits in the same exact manner to thousands of people the same way the RIAA is doing it now... for their own improper way of securing their product.....

http://www.directvdefense.org/


Dish Network for the win....

 

[ParadigmDawg]

I had to drop Dish because when the installer was in my living room I had to run to a different room to field a call and when I returned just 5 minutes later he was about done. He finished up, showed me how the remote worked and left. I was happy with my new HD DVR and watched a little TV that night. A little later I popped open my entertainment center so I could put in a game and to my surprise; my PlayStation was gone. When I finally got a hold of the local manager he said it was strange as he saw the same installer selling 2 PS’s in the parking lot that night. He asked him where he got them and he said a customer sold them to him for 50 bucks. Case closed, I figured but the next day the manager called me back and said he talked to the installer and he said he didn’t steal it (no **** huh) Well by the time I got up to the next level manager the local manager changed his story and they said there was nothing they could do. I filed a police report and sent numerous letters, Emails and calls to Dish but nothing ever came about it. I even ordered another box hoping the original installer would so up so I could take a little out of his hide but they sent someone else.

Its absolutely no surprise to me, that it took DirecTV this long to get it all together and up and running, seeing as Dish Network had those channels up and running a month ago....

I absolutely HATE DirecTV.... Their customer service is horrible, and so is the quality of their product in my opinion...
And that says nothing about the way they conducted smearing lawsuits in the same exact manner to thousands of people the same way the RIAA is doing it now... for their own improper way of securing their product.....

http://www.directvdefense.org/


Dish Network for the win....

 

[Hi Ho]

The only disappointment for me has been History Channel which chooses to stretch the aspect ratio some programming and all the commercials making it unwatchable for me.

That's odd. I watch the History Channel all the time on basic cable and virtually all of their programs are broadcast in letterboxed 16:9 suggesting that they are filmed in 16:9. There shouldn't be any stretching going on.

 

[hifisyd01]

Sorry...Noobie question...
Can anyone confirm that the HR10 won't get the new HD channels? (I do have the 5-LNB dish.) Thanks.

 

[astrodon]

Sorry...Noobie question...
Can anyone confirm that the HR10 won't get the new HD channels? (I do have the 5-LNB dish.) Thanks.

Nope, you need the H20 (or HR20) since the H10 (and HR10) cannot handle MPEG4 from what I understand. I have read that the new HD channels are coded with MPEG4. Besides the H20 and the 5-LNB dish, you also need a small box hooked to the back of this HD receiver called a B-band converter. Directv will give you the dish and converter for free, but will charge for the new H20/HR20 receiver. A friend of mine is getting these new equipment next week. I'm going to wait to see the results of his new set up before I decide to upgrade mine.

 

[fmw]

That's odd. I watch the History Channel all the time on basic cable and virtually all of their programs are broadcast in letterboxed 16:9 suggesting that they are filmed in 16:9. There shouldn't be any stretching going on.

No there should not be. But there is. They stretch the 16:9 to movie aspect ratio for some reason and leave bars top and bottom. Not all programs show this but many do and almost all of the commercials do. I think somebody needs to talk to them so they can fix it. I tried but found no way to communicate with them.

 

[fmw]

Sorry...Noobie question...
Can anyone confirm that the HR10 won't get the new HD channels? (I do have the 5-LNB dish.) Thanks.

Answered above. Sorry.

 

[Hi Ho]

They stretch the 16:9 to movie aspect ratio for some reason and leave bars top and bottom.

It sounds like those programs are not actually in HD then. They are broadcasting them in 16:9 letterbox just like they do on my basic cable. That is not true HD.