DIRECTV NewsA Blog on Satellite TV News

DirecTV has launched local high-definition programming in Colorado Springs-Pueblo, Colorado. The satcaster now offers local HD channels in 103 cities, representing nearly 85 percent of U.S. TV households. DirecTV has been launching local HD broadcast in many markets and also national HD channels like Crime & Investigation channels in HD. Following are the broadcast network available in HD in Colorado Springs-Pueblo:

KOAA/NBC

KKTV/CBS and

KXRM/FOX

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 channels. The satcaster also plans to deliver local HD networks in more than 121 cities before the year end.

Verizon has announced that they offer more programming choices in Millbury delivered over the advanced all-fiber network with superior picture quality. Verizon recently launched 75 new channels, which include 55 HD channels to its FiOS TV programming lineup in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Verizon claims that FiOS TV offers more than 400 channels including 85 HD channels, more than Comcast. New FiOS TV subscriber who signs by Oct. 4 will receive their choice of a year’s free use of either an HD digital video recorder or an HD Home Media DVR.

“FiOS TV gives consumers in Millbury an outstanding, superior alternative for their video entertainment,” said Donna Cupelo, Verizon region president for Massachusetts and Rhode Island. “Customers in Millbury who liked what FiOS did for their Internet connection will love what it does for their TV. We’ve harnessed the vast capacity of our advanced fiber-optic network to deliver a revolutionary, new entertainment experience.”

Time Warner Cable subscribers in North Texas will be offered with 2008 Beijing Olympic Games as Time Warner Cable has announced that they reached an agreement with NBC Universal (NBCU) to bring more than 1,200 total hours of Olympics coverage on seven NBCU networks like NBC, USA Network, MSNBC, CNBC, Oxygen, Telemundo and Universal HD. Time Warner Cable North Texas is offering to its customers Free On Demand and HD services, as well as broadband content from NBCOlympics.com via a link from the Time Warner Cable Road Runner website.

Time Warner Cable’s HD sport-specific channels will be offered to subscribers in the upgraded HD areas including Dallas, Plano, Richardson, Flower Mound, Double Oak, Highland Village Lewisville, Coppell, Grapevine, Irving, Mesquite, Bedford, Colleyville and Euless.

Time Warner will also deliver more than 800 hours of HD coverage on select NBCU HD networks

NBC HD Local – 225 hours of HD coverage

NBC Universal HD – Channel 742 – 379 hours of simulcasts and re-airs of CNBC and MSNBC

CNBC HD+ – Channel 742 – Simulcast, 95.5 hours

USA HD – Channel 743 – Simulcast, 165 hours

HD sport-specific channels: NBC Olympic Soccer Channel and NBC Olympic Basketball Channel, approximately 12 hours per day during the Games.

“We are pleased to be offering our customers NBC Universal’s coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games which showcases the power of Time Warner Cable’s digital video and Road Runner High Speed services,” said Robert V. Moel, division president Time Warner Cable North Texas. “We hope everyone enjoys this programming, which includes an unprecedented amount of high definition, On Demand and broadband Olympics-related content, all made easily accessible for no additional charge to our HD digital video and Road Runner subscribers.”

Comcast Corporation has announced the launch of seven new high-definition channels in Massachusetts and Hampshire markets. Following are the new HD channels launched in Hampshire and Massachusetts markets areas :

ABC Family HD

AMC HD

Disney HD

Science Channel HD

Showtime 2 HD

The Movie Channel HD and

TLC HD

Paul D’Arcangelo, Vice President of Comcast’s Metro Boston Region said “Comcast is committed to providing our customers the ultimate High Definition viewing experience, We currently deliver our customers more than 500 HD choices at any time, and are thrilled to add even more HD programming with the launch of seven new HD networks available right now.”

Verizon Communications has announced the launch 100 High-Definition channels in the New York area. Verizon said in a press release on Monday, July 28 that the service will offer 100 HD channels, giving customers more HD than Cablevision or Time Warner Cable. These new HD channels offered are to existing FiOS TV markets in the New York metropolitan area, including parts of Long Island, the suburbs just north of the city, and northern New Jersey.

Verizon’s 100 HD Channels Available in New York City are :

ABC Family HD

A&E HD

ABC HD

Action Max

Action Max West

Animal Planet HD

At Max

Big Ten Network HD

Bio. The Biography Channel HD

Bravo HD

CBS HD

Cinemax HDTV

Cinemax West HD

CNBC HD

CNN HD

CW HD

Discovery Channel HD

Disney Channel HD

ESPN HDTV

ESPN2 HDTV

ESPNews HD

Five Star Max

Food HD

Fox Business Network HD

FOX HD

Fox News Channel HD

FX HD

Hallmark Movie Channel HD

HBO 2 HD

HBO 2 HD (West)

HBO Comedy

HBO Comedy West

HBO Family

HBO Family West

HBO HDTV

HBO Latino

HBO Latino West

HBO Signature

HBO Signature (West)

HBO West HD

HBO Zone

HBO Zone (West)

HD Net

HD Net Movies

HD Theater

HGTV HD

Lifetime HD East

Lifetime Movie Network HD

Mav TV

MGM Channel HD

MHD

More Max

More Max West

MY NETWORK HD

National Geographic Channel HD

NBC HD

NFL Network HDTV

Outdoor Channel 2 HD

Outer Max

PBS HD

Planet Green

QVC HD

SCI FI HD

Sho2 HD

Sho2 HD West

Showcase HD East

Showcase HD West

Showtime Extreme East

Showtime Extreme West

Showtime HD West

Showtime HDTV

Smithsonian HD

Speed HD

SportsNet NY HD

Starz Comedy HD

Starz Edge HD

Starz HDTV

Starz Kids & Family HD

Superstation WGN HD

TBS HD

The History Channel HD

The Learning Channel HD

The Movie Channel HDTV

The Science Channel HD

The Travel Channel HD

The Weather Channel HD

Thriller Max

Thriller Max West

TMC HD – West

TMC Xtra East

TMC Xtra West

TNT HDTV

Toon Disney HD

Universal HDTV

USA HD

Versus / Golf HD

Wealth TV HD

Wmax

World Fishing Network HD and

YES HD

DirecTV has announced that the satcaster will add 44 new HD local channel markets in August. With this expansion the satcaster will provide local HD broadcast channels in 121 cities, representing more than 88 percent of U.S. TV households.

DirecTV will launch local high-definition channels to the subscribers with TOTAL CHOICE programming package, which offers local channels and the local HD channels will be delivered in primary broadcast networks where ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC local channels are offered. Apart from these HD expansion DirecTV also has plans to launch new satellite “DIRECTV 12″ in 2009 and with the help of the satellite the satecaster will deliver 200 national HD and 1,500 local HD channels.

Following are the new markets areas :

Augusta, Georgia

Bangor, Maine

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas

Boise, Idaho

Burlington, Vt.-Plattsburgh, New York

Butte-Bozeman, Mont.

Champaign-Springfield-Decatur, Illinois

Charleston, South Carolina

Chattanooga, Tennessee

Colorado Springs-Pueblo, Colorado

Columbia-Jefferson City, Missouri

Davenport, Iowa-Rock Island, Illinois

Dayton, Ohio

Des Moines-Ames, Iowa

Dothan, Alabama

El Paso, Texas

Evansville, Indiana

Fort Smith, Arkansas

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Greenville-New Bern-Washington

Harrisonburg, Virginia

La Crosse-Eau Claire, Wisconsin

Lincoln-Hastings, Nebraska

Little Rock-Pine Bluff, Arkansas

Macon, Georgia

Mich.– Harlingen-Brownsville, Texas

Mobile AL-Pensacola, Florida

Moline, Illinois

Myrtle Beach-Florence, South Carolina

Norfolk-Newport News, Virginia

Palm Springs, California

Peoria-Bloomington, Illinois

Richmond-Petersburg, Virginia

Rochester, New York

Rockford, Illinois

Savannah, Georgia

Sioux Falls, S. Dakota

South Bend-Elkhart, Indiana

Springfield-Holyoke, Massachusetts

Syracuse, New York

Tallahassee, Florida

Toledo, Ohio

Traverse City-Cadillac, North Carolina and

Youngstown, Ohio

Outdoor Channel has announced that Outdoor Channel HD is launched on Time Warner Cable. Outdoor Channel has started shooting 80 percent of its programming in high-definition. The network’s programming includes Trout Unlimited on the Rise, Adventures Abroad and Tarpon of Boca, The Catch: Costa Rica and Fly Fishing the World in high-definition. Subscribers in following areas will receive programming of Outdoor Channel in high-definition.

Kansas City, Missouri

Portland, Maine

Rochester, New York and

San Antonio, Texas

“Time Warner Cable is supporting its many subscribers who are outdoor enthusiasts by committing to Outdoor Channel HD” said, Randy Brown, Senior Vice President of Affiliate Sales & Marketing at Outdoor Channel.

DirecTV is launching more than 30 high-definition channels starting from August 14. DirecTV’s main competitor DISH Network has already announced that they will launch 17 HD channels on August 1 to become first satellite provider to deliver 100 HD channels. At present DirecTV is offering 95 national high-definition channels. This new HD channels addition will take the DirecTV’s tally to 125 HD channels.

DirecTV’s new HD channel will include

ABC Family HD

Planet Green HD

Showtime Extreme HD

Showtime Showcase HD and

DIRECTV HD pay per view channels

Apart from these channels, DirecTV will also add 23 high-definition Regional Sports Networks (RSNs). The satcaster will be first in the industry to broadcast all its high-definition programming in the MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding standard.

“Despite all the sound and fury of confusing HD claims from our competitors, our customers understand that DIRECTV is the destination for the most compelling and complete lineup of HD content,” said Derek Chang, executive vice president, Content Strategy and Development, DIRECTV, Inc. “Our message is clear – DIRECTV is the content leader, and our delivery of the best quality HD via the most advanced technology is one way we continue to dominate this category and offer our more than 17 million customers nationwide an unparalleled entertainment experience.”
DirecTV is also planning to launch a new satellite “DIRECTV 12″ in 2009 and will deliver 200 national HD channels and 1,500 local HD channels.

DirecTV also proves to be the leader in most sports HD programming broadcast with NFL SUNDAY TICKET, NCAA MEGA MARCH MADNESS and NASCAR HOTPASS available in HD. DirecTV will also continue to add HD content to its newly launched DIRECTV on Demand platform.

Comcast has launched many new HD channels in Connecticut and planning to move some channels to different packages.Hartford, Plainville and Vernon subscribers of Comcast will receive three new high-definition channels like ABC Family HD, Disney HD and Science HD from July 22nd. WE: Women’s Entertainment already added to subscribers in Danbury, New Haven, Clinton, Groton and Middletown from July 1st. Waterbury and Seymour customers won’t see La Familia as the cable operator has removed the channels from the programming line-up.

Time Warner added twelve new high-definition channels in Kansas City. Time Warner Cable uses switched digital video platform to deliver all these channels to Kansas subscribers. The new HD channels available for the Time Warner’s Kansas City customers are :

Animal Planet HD

Biography HD

CNN HD

ESPN News HD

Fox News HD

Outdoor Channel

Planet Green HD

Science Channel

TBS HD

TLC HD

Travel Channel HD and

Versus/Golf HD