DIRECTV NewsA Blog on Satellite TV News

Comcast already announced a price increase for its cable TV services in many parts of the country effectively from December 1. Insight Communications also to increase the prices from January 1. The cable operator has announced that the cable prices would go up by $3 per month as they incur high programming costs for many channels.

Charter Communications also had come up with an increase of $2 per month on an average. Mediacom expected to increase the rates from 5 to 7.5%.

We have to wait and watch as the country is hit with the recession and people will have second thought to spend for the indoor entertainment. This increase in prices will have a huge effect in the first quarter results of these cable companies.

Verizon has launched 88 new channels, including 66 additional high-definition channels in FiOS TV programming line-up in California. Verizon now offers more than 100 HD channels and this is more than any other operators like Charter and Time Warner Cable in California. FiOS TV subscribers are blessed with 102 HD channels, 800 HD VOD titles available at any time and excess of 700 high-definition video-on-demand (VOD) titles offered each month. Following are the new channels launched:

Animal Planet HD
Bravo HD
FX HD
History Channel HD
Lifetime HD
SCI FI HD
Science Channel HD
Smithsonian Channel HD
TBS HD
The Biography Channel HD
TLC HD
USA HD and
Weather Channel HD

Verizon’s HD News Channels

CNN HD
CNBC HD
Fox Business Network HD and
Fox News Channel HD

Home and Leisure Programming in HD

Planet Green HD
QVC HD and
The Travel Channel HD

Kids and Teens HD Channels

ABC Family HD
Disney Channel HD and
Toon Disney HD

Movie Channels

MGM HD
The Hallmark Movie Channel HD
Cinemax – 11 HD channels
HBO – 13 HD channels and
The Movie Channel – 13 HD channels

FiOS TV customers in California will get more movie HD channels through Starz and Showtime, which includes The Movie Channel Xtra HD, Starz Edge HD, Starz Comedy HD, Starz Kids and Family HD, Showtime HD, Showtime Showcase HD, Showtime Extreme HD and Showtime 2 HD.

Sports Channels in HD

Big Ten Network HD
The Tennis Channel HD
NHL Network HD
Versus HD/Golf Channel HD
The Outdoor Channel 2
World Fishing Network
Mav TV
ESPNews HD and
Speed HD

Verizon’s new Standard-Definition (SD) Channels in California are:

Big Ten Network
Current TV
Reelz
RFD TV
Setanta Sports
Veria TV and
WAPA TV

Kathy Koelle, general manager for Verizon’s West Coast region said “FiOS TV is the only service to consider if you want the ultimate HD experience, with our increased number of HD channels, along with HD video-on-demand programming and our current HD DVR and premium movie promotion, we’re blowing cable away. The addition of new HD and sports channels, along with new multicultural content and more, is part of our commitment to lead the industry in the scope and quality of our programming.”

Verizon is also now offering a year’s free use of either an HD DVR or an HD Home Media DVR to consumers who sign up for FiOS TV by Oct. 31.

Crown Media Holdings has signed a multi-year carriage agreement deal with Charter Communications. Crown Media based in Studio City, California, owns Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel, has renewed its distribution agreement for Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel with Charter Communications.

Maria Rothschild, Senior Director of Video Product Management for Charter said “We are pleased with the renewal of the Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel affiliation agreements, We are committed to providing choice and value in our video service, and Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel offer an excellent variety of programming for our customers.”

Charter Communications has reached a multi-year distribution agreement with the Big Ten Network. This agreement will allow Charter to carry the Big Ten Network and programming related to Big Ten throughout the Big Ten territory, the areas which will also include Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Northern Illinois. Charter is also working with Big Ten Network that the networks is launched on its expanded basic level of service in time and provide the Big Ten college football season openers and all future Big Ten Network programming.

Warner Bros has added 85 classic movies to its Video on Demand (VOD) celebrating Warner Bros. Entertainment’s 85th Anniversary. These movies will be available first time in high definition on VOD. “Superman: The Movie,” “Casablanca” and “Full Metal Jacket” were launched in satellite providers DirecTV and DISH Network and also on cable operators like Charter Communications, Comcast, Cox Cable, Time Warner Cable and Rogers Cable (Canada).
Following are the Titles offered :
Absolute Power
All the President’s Men
An American in Paris
Analyze This
Any Given Sunday
Arthur
Beetlejuice
Ben Hur
Blade Runner
Blazing Saddles
Blood Work
Bonnie and Clyde
Casablanca
Chariots of Fire
A Clockwork Orange
Collateral Damage
Constantine
Cool Hand Luke
Deliverance
Devil’s Advocate
Dial M for Murder
Dirty Harry
Doctor Zhivago
Dog Day Afternoon
Enter the Dragon
Eraser
The Exorcist
Fear dot com
The Fugitive
Full Metal Jacket
Goodfellas
Green Mile
Grumpy Old Men
Horror of Dracula
I Confess
Interview with the Vampire
The Killing Fields
Last Samurai
Lethal Weapon
Lethal Weapon 2
Lethal Weapon 3
Lethal Weapon 4
Little Shop of Horrors
Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome
Maltese Falcon
Mars Attacks!
Matrix Reloaded
Matrix Revisited
Matrix Revolutions
Million Dollar Baby
Mr. and Mrs. Smith
Natural Born Killers
Ocean’s Eleven (1960)
Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
Ocean’s Twelve
Once Upon a Time in America
Pale Rider
Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure
The Philadelphia Story
Presumed Innocent
The Road Warrior
Rebel without a Cause
The Right Stuff
Risky Business
The Shawshank Redemption
The Shining
Singin’ in the Rain
Space Jam
Spies Like Us
Stage Fright
Strangers on a Train
Streetcar Named Desire
Superman II
Superman III
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace
Superman: The Movie
Suspicion
Three Kings
Training Day
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
Troy
Twilight Zone: The Movie
Under Siege
Unforgiven
The Wrong Man

Charter Communications has reached a distribution agreement with NBC Universal (NBCU) on Aug 05, 2008 to broadcast 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. This agreement will allow Charter to broadcast more than 1,200 total hours of Olympics coverage on seven NBCU networks like NBC, CNBC, MSNBC, Oxygen, Telemundo, Universal HD and USA Network.

Charter Communications broadcast feature of 2008 Beijing Olympic Games:

High Definition

Video On Demand

High-Speed Internet and

Foreign Language TV Coverage

High Definition

Charter will deliver two high-definition sport specific channels for the Olympics :

NBC Olympic Soccer Channel and

NBC Olympic Basketball Channel

Charter will also deliver hundreds of hours of NBCU’s Beijing Olympic Games HD coverage on NBC HD and Universal HD for Charter HD customers.
Video On Demand

Charter to offer more than 60 programs on Charter VOD which will include “Beijing 411,” “Meet the Athletes” and “Team USA Preview.”
Charter Digital customers will be offered with Charter Video On Demand (VOD) at no extra charge and will be delivered with Olympics programming and also In-Games package will feature access to the best events each day.

High-Speed Internet

Charter to provide a fast and reliable Internet connection to view NBCU’s 2,200 hours of 25 events streamed live, plus full-event video replays, extensive highlights, including daily recaps of key events, best-of montages, commentator analysis and athlete-specific clips each day for High-Speed Internet customers.
Foreign Language TV Coverage

Charter also planning to offer its customers NBC’s foreign language coverage from Beijing with commentary in one of the host country’s native language, Korean as well as Mandarin for approximately six hours per day for each language during the Games.

Ted Schremp, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Charter said “Our customers will experience all the athletes’ emotion and accomplishment in stunning clarity with Charter’s high definition. And with the convenience of Charter’s On Demand and High-Speed offerings, our customers can watch all the highlights, drama and excitement anytime.”