DIRECTV NewsA Blog on Satellite TV News

DirecTV launched local high-definition channels to its subscribers in the Minot-Bismarck-Dickinson, North Dakota. DirecTV is now offering local HD channels in 138 markets, representing more than 92 percent of U.S. TV households. Following are the local HD channels launched:

KBMY/ABC

KXMB/CBS and

KFYR/NBC

DirecTV has also added KBME/PBS in standard definition.

DirecTV subscribers must have an H20, H21 or H23 HD receiver, or an HR20, HR21 or HR23 DIRECTV Plus HD DVR and a Ka/Ku band dish to receive local HD channels.

DirecTV has announced the launch of local high-definition channels to its subscribers in the Huntsville-Decatur, Ala.  The satcaster now delivers HD broadcast channels in 132 markets, representing more than 91 percent of U.S. TV households.
Following are the local HD channels available:

APT/PBS

WHNT/CBS and

WZDX/FOX

DirecTV subscribers in Huntsville-Decatur must have an H20 or H21 HD receiver or an HR20 or HR21 DIRECTV Plus HD DVR and a Ka/Ku band dish to receive the above HD channels.

DirecTV has launched two local high-definition channels to its programming lineup in Columbus, OH. The satcaster has added WOSU-TV and WWHO to the subscribers in Columbus.

WWHO – owned and operated by LIN TV Corporation is the Columbus, Ohio television affiliate for The CW television network. WWHO is licensed to Chillicothe, though it operates out of a facility in Columbus with its transmitter located in Williamsport, halfway between Columbus and Chillicothe.

WOSU TV – serving extreme southern Ohio and the western edge of the Huntington-Charleston, West Virginia market area is located in Columbus, Ohio, affiliated with the Public Broadcasting Service. The station’s signal covers most of central Ohio. It is owned by Ohio State University, and operates full-time satellite WPBO-TV in Portsmouth, Ohio.

DirecTV has launched local high-definition programming to its subscribers in the Roanoke-Lynchburg, Virginia market area. DirecTV is now offering local HD channels in 127 markets, representing more than 89 percent of U.S. TV households. Following are the local HD broadcast networks available in Roanoke-Lynchburg:

WSET/ABC

WSLS/NBC and

WBRA/PBS

DirecTV subscribers must have an H20 or H21 HD receiver or an HR20 or HR21 DIRECTV Plus HD DVR and a Ka/Ku band dish to receive these local HD programming. DirecTV offers local HD channels in standard and high-definition in 151 television markets.

DirecTV has announced that local high-definition programming channels will be offered to the subscribers in the Tri-Cities Tenn.-Va., market beginning Friday, Jan. 30. Subscribers will have option to view the Super Bowl XLIII in high-definition on WCYB/NBC. DirecTV will also be offering following local HD broadcast channels:

WJHL/CBS

WEMT/FOX and

WSBN/PBS

DirecTV claims that if offers HD channels in 119 cities representing more than 88 percent of U.S. TV households.

DirecTV has announced that local HD programming is available to its subscribers in Greenville-New Bern, North Carolina market from Jan.8. The sat caster has been adding local HD channels in many markets along with PBS in HD. The broadcast networks that are available in Greenville-New Bern are:

WITN/NBC

WNCT/CBS and

WYDO/FOX

DirecTV claims that it offers local HD broadcast in 117 cities.

Dish Network settled its carriage dispute with Young Broadcasting bringing standard and high-definition channels in eleven markets. The sat caster is facing problem with Seattle based Fisher Communications and removed local high-definition channels in seven markets.

Dish Network said that the negotiations with Fisher Communications has broken down as they were seeking more pricing for the local channels. Dish customers in the following cities will not be able to watch Fisher Communications’ standard-definition and high-definition signals :

Bakersfield, California – CBS and Fox affiliates

Boise, Idaho – CBS affiliate

Eugene, Oregon – CBS affiliate

Idaho Falls, Idaho – CBS affiliate

Portland, Oregon – ABC affiliate

Seattle, Washington – ABC affiliate

Yakima, Washington – CBS affiliate

Already the satellite television provider is lacking behind in providing national HD channels and they seem to be in trouble in providing local HD stations also. Dish subscribers are really confused as how DirecTV is able to provide local stations without any dispute.
Dish has to explain this to their subscribers, otherwise many customers will be searching for other providers and the sat caster will end up with subscriber loss.

DirecTV has added local high-definition channels to the subscribers in the Des Moines-Ames, Iowa area on Wednesday, Nov. 19. The leading satellite provider in the country is now offering local HD broadcast channels in 115 cities, representing more than 87 percent of U.S. TV households. Following are the local HD channels available in Des Moines and Ames

WOI/ABC

WHO/NBC and

KDSM/FOX

AT&T has announced in a press release that 30 new high-definition channels will be added in its programming line-up, beginning Nov. 3. All these new HD channels will be added in AT&T U-verse TV channel lineup at no extra charge to customers as part of their existing HD service subscription. U-verse TV now offers more than 75 high-definition and this is more HD channels than any other cable operator in AT&T U-verse market.

AT&T has added a variety of new HD channels in all genres like sports channels, premium movie channels, and popular national sports, news, women’s, shopping and lifestyle network. AT&T’s high-definition service is with any U-verse TV programming package at $10 a month extra.

Universal HD, MGM HD and Smithsonian Channel HD will feature in the new HD Premium package to be launched on Nov. 10, with more HD options and more HD channels will be launched in coming months.

Following are the new HD Channels Added To The AT&T U-VERSE TV line-up:

@Max HD

5StarMax HD

ActionMax HD

Comcast SportsNet Chicago HD

Comcast SportsNet New England HD

Encore HD

Fox Business Network HD

Fox News Channel HD

FSN Detroit HD

FSN Florida HD

FSN Midwest (Kansas City) HD

FSN Midwest (St. Louis) HD

FSN Ohio (Cincinnati) HD

FSN Ohio (Cleveland) HD

FSN Prime Ticket HD

FSN South HD

FSN Southwest (Dallas) HD

FSN Southwest (Houston) HD

FX Network HD

FX Network HD West

Hallmark Movie Channel HD

HBO Latino HD

HBO Signature HD

HBO Zone HD

HBO2 West HD

Lifetime Television HD

Lifetime Television HD – West

MoreMax HD

Outdoor Channel HD

OuterMax HD

Planet Green HD

QVC HD

Showtime 2 HD

Showtime Extreme HD

Showtime Showcase HD

Speed HD

SportsSouth HD

SportsTime Ohio HD

Starz Comedy HD

Starz Edge HD

Sun Sports HD

The Travel Channel HD

ThrillerMax HD

TMC Xtra HD

Weather Channel HD and

Wmax HD

Dan York, executive vice president of content and programming, AT&T Converged Services said “Our U-verse HD channel expansion comes as consumer demand for HD content reaches an all-time high and cable companies fall further behind, We’re again expanding our channel lineup so AT&T U-verse TV customers can always find the content they enjoy — whether that’s HD, SD or in-language networks — and watch that content when and where they want.”

Time Warner Cable has announced the launch of 24 new high-definition channels in the Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island areas of New York. Time Warner new high-definition channels takes its tally to 83 HD channels in New York area. The cable operator has already claimed that they will end up the year with 100 HD channels and with these new channels its nearing the land mark of 100, and the subscribers understands that the operator has more HD channels to deliver in November and December.

Following new HD channels are added:

Action MAX HD – Channel 660
Cartoon Network HD – Channel 772
Encore HD – Channel 682
Five Star Max HD – Channel 664
FX HD – Channel 737
HBO Comedy HD – Channel 655
HBO Family HD – Channel 654
HBO Latino HD – Channel 657
HBO Signature HD – Channel 653
HBO Zone HD - Channel 656
HBO2 HD – Channel 652
MAX HD – Channel 663
More MAX HD – Channel 659
Outer MAX HD – Channel 665
Showtime Extreme HD – Channel 669
Showtime Showcase HD – Channel 668
Speed HD – Channel 774
Thriller MAX HD – Channel 661
TMC Xtra HD – Channel 675
WMAX HD – Channel 662

Time Warner Cable’s New HD Sports Channels are:

Big Ten Network HD – Channel 472
CBS College Sports HD – Channel 467
ESPNU HD – Channel 793
NHL Network HD – Channel 795
Tennis Channel HD – Channel 465

Howard Szarfarc, executive vice president of Time Warner’s New York region said “By adding 24 new channels to our HD offerings, Time Warner Cable is an even better value for HD viewers, Four of them are free with digital service, By year’s end, we are poised to carry 100 HD channels.”