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Dish prepares to add 40 more HD channels

March 22nd, 2010, 8:53 am by
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How easy is it for Dish Network to add more HD channels? “We just launch another satellite,” the company told me when I chatted with them earlier this year.

Well, Dish launched another satellite over the weekend. This is Dish’s 15th satellite, which is targeted 119 degrees West longitude at an altitude of 22,000 miles. Never seen a satellite launch? Watch Dish’s video on the right.

The EchoStar XIV, built by Space Systems/Loral, will be used to offer more high-definition channels but the company won’t offer any specifics.

However, in the press release, Tom Cullen, Dish’s executive vice president of Sales, Marketing and Programming, said this will extend Dish’s “HD line-up to well over 200 channels.” It currently offers 160, plus access to local HD broadcasts in 152 markets.

Another 40 HD channels would definitely make Dish the nation’s king of HD. But according to Broadcasting & Cable, the new satellite also could be used to fulfill a government pledge to offer more local channels in rural markets. Read: “EchoStar Launches 15th Satellite.”

Over at TVPredictions, TV analyst Phillip Swann puts Dish at the top of HD channels. However, some of its 160 HD channels are on-demand and not 24-hour programming. Swann also mentioned that Dish CEO Charlie Ergen promised more HD channels starting next month. Read Swann’s take at “Dish Network Launches New Satellite For HD.”

More on Dish:

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Verizon FiOS gets high-def MSNBC TV

February 11th, 2010, 10:38 am by

Verizon FiOS HD ChannelsNoted: Verizon said today that MSNBC HD is now available on channel 603 for all of its TV customers nationwide.  By its count, FiOS now has 138 HD channels (I’m off by one on my FiOS HD channel count page).

MSNBC HD has been around since June 2009 and is already available on most paid-TV services, including Time Warner Cable and Dish Network.

In Orange County, Verizon offers FiOS TV service in certain parts of cities: Brea, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, La Habra, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, Stanton and Westminster. When I checked with the company about its O.C. roll out in the past month, Verizon said it continues to pursue potential customers in existing neighborhoods rather than building the service out to new residents.

Recent HD channel news:

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9 new HD channels coming to Dish Network

February 11th, 2010, 7:48 am by

Dish Network logoDish Network announced today that it will add 9 new HD channels but not everyone can get them. Customers must have an HD programming subscription, which is about $10/month, plus they must order certain TV plans. The new channels are:

  1. Fox Soccer Channel HD – This is a brand new HD channel launching on March 1. For Dish customers, it’s available for those in America’s Top 250 plan. It will be on channel 149.
  2. Sportsman HD – Available in America’s Top 250 on channel 9483.
  3. Hallmark Channel HD – Available in America’s Top 200
  4. IndiePlex HD – Part of the PlatinumHD Package
  5. RetroPlex HD- Part of the PlatinumHD Package
  6. truTV HD - Available in America’s Top 200
  7. E! HD – Available in America’s Top 120
  8. BBC America HD – Available in America’s Top 200
  9. SHOWTIME (West) HD – Part of the Showtime Unlimited Package

Dish puts its HD channel count at 160.

More on the new Dish HD channels: “Dish Adds 9 HD Channels — Sort Of” (TVPredictions.com)

More on Dish:

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Time Warner channel changes this week, HD recap

December 8th, 2009, 7:13 am by

Time Warner Cable signAs mentioned earlier, Time Warner Cable is switching some channels around in Orange County to make room for more high-definition channels. That’s great news for the majority of customers, but there is some negative impact on broadcast or basic cable subscribers who may no longer receive some channels (those folks can read more about that at “Time Warner makes room for 100 HD channels, kicks out others“).

Many changes begin this week that I wanted to recap for readers. According to Time Warner’s “Programming Alerts” for Southern California customers, here’s a look at what’s happening in Orange County.

New HD channels:

These new HD channels for Tustin, Costa Mesa, Cypress and La Palma subscribers launch on Dec. 10: Read the rest of this entry »

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Cox adding 15 HD channels in December

November 13th, 2009, 3:18 pm by
Visit the Gadgetress Guide to Cox Cable services in Orange County at <a href=

View complete HD channel lineups:

View list of Cox Cable's HD channels
Time Warner Cable HD channel list
HD channels from Verizon FiOS.

Cox Communications just told me that Orange County customers will be getting 15 new HD channels by Dec. 15. Two others were added this week.

The Rancho Santa Margarita cable provider can do this because it is shifting some non-HD channels to the new technology and freeing up space. For more on how this technology works and why certain customers won’t be able to access the affected 100 channels, read the earlier story “Cox moving 100 channels to on-demand format.

Cox is set to end 2009 with 82 HD channels, ahead of Time Warner Cable, with 75, but behind local leader Verizon FiOS, which has 133. See the full list of Cox HD channels HERE.

Here are the newest HD channels:

Cox HD Ch. # Channel Name New
1 E! HD Added 11/11/09
2 Fox News HD Added 11/11/09
3 734 KMEX HD Added 12/15/09
4 735 KFTR HD Added 12/15/09
5 737 MLB Network HD Added 12/15/09
6 738 NBA TV HD Added 12/15/09
7 719 ABC Family HD Added 12/15/09
8 720 Disney HD Added 12/15/09
9 778 HBO2 HD Added 12/15/09
10 775 Hallmark Movie Channel HD Added 12/15/09
11 776 Lifetime Movie Network HD Added 12/15/09
12 743 MSNBC HD Added 12/15/09
13 726 MoreMAX HD Added 12/15/09
14 779 The Movie Channel HD Added 12/15/09
15 780 Encore HD Added 12/15/09
16 742 Fox Business HD Added 12/15/09
17 729 Biography HD Added 12/15/09

Most recent Cox Cable news:

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Time Warner adding 21 HD channels in December

November 12th, 2009, 12:28 pm by

Time Warner Cable photo, courtesy of AP.Can you stand another Time Warner Cable story this week? If you are a subscriber, this is a one we’ve been waiting for: The company just told me that 21  more HD channels are now being rolled out to Orange County residents, starting with folks living in Tustin and Costa Mesa. Everyone else should have them by Dec. 10.

According to my count, this brings Time Warner’s HD offering to 75 in the Orange County area (see my new Time Warner HD Channel page: HERE). It’s still nowhere near Verizon FiOS, which has 133 HD channels (see the FiOS HD channel tracker HERE), but at least the cable provider continues to add channels. Reminder, it added Fuse HD yesterday.

Time Warner Cable HD channel listAlso, all of the new Time Warner channels are included with digital cable so current subscribers don’t have to pay a penny extra. CLARIFICATION, added 2 p.m.: Darryl Ryan, Time Warner director of media relations, clarifies that some of the new HD channels are only available to customers at no extra charge if they already get certain digital tiers, such as the sports tier. The new channels, such as NBA TV HD, don’t cost extra if you already subscribe to that tier. Thanks reader Tim for asking.

After interviewing the local presidents last week (my reports are coming soon, I promise!), they assure me that their goal is to get 100 HD channels in all markets as soon as possible.

The new HD channels coming next month are (drumroll please)…: Read the rest of this entry »

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Fuse HD coming to Time Warner Cable

November 11th, 2009, 12:05 pm by

Fuse HD TVSlowly but surely, Time Warner Cable is adding more HD channels, at least for customers in Orange County and Southern California.

Today, it’s Fuse HD today, a national music TV network. Customers can access Fuse HD on channel 494. The channel is included with digital cable TV service so subscribers won’t have to pay extra.

Fuse may be making a big push with TV providers right now because it’s trying to promote next Tuesday’s John Mayer concert being broadcast live from New York’s Beacon Theater at 6 p.m.

Last month, Verizon FiOS added Fuse HD on Channel 716. I’m waiting to hear back from the network to find out what other providers offer Fuse HD. I’ll post here when the answer comes in.

Non-HD versions of Fuse are also on channel 339 for DirecTV customers, channel 158 for Dish Network customers, channel 535 for AT&T U-verse customers, and channel 347 for Cox Cable customers.

Fuse is owned by MSG Media, which is part of Madison Square Garden LP, which in turn is a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corp. This could be a sign that Time Warner plans to add more HD channels from Cablevision, which also owns AMC, IFC, Sundance Channel and WE tv.

If you missed my earlier report, Time Warner did mention this week that new HD channels AMC HD, The Weather Channel HD, History International HD, ESPNU HD. Read the earlier story, “Time Warner makes room for 100 HD channels, kicks out others.”

Related stories on Time Warner Cable:

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Time Warner makes room for 100 HD channels, kicks out others

November 10th, 2009, 4:53 pm by

Time Warner Cable photo, courtesy of AP.On Dec. 8,  Time Warner Cable will move eight channels to digital for those in Orange County and Los Angeles. That means customers who get cable TV service by plugging a TV into the wall or using an older analog cable box will need to upgrade to digital equipment.

The change will make room for several new HD channels, including AMC HD, The Weather Channel HD, History International HD, ESPNU HD and “many more,” according to a letter sent to subscribers this week. Next month starts the company’s kickoff to reach 100 HD channels.

The analog channels that are moving – KWHY, Shop NBC, AMC, The Weather Channel, ABC Family, Oxygen, TruTV and Style — will all still be exist on the same channel number, but only in a digital format. If you don’t have a digital set-top box, you won’t be able to access them.

For customers who don’t have a digital box, Time Warner will let you borrow one for free for one year. This offer only applies to households without a digital box. If you already lease digital boxes but have an extra TV plugged into the wall, you’ll need to pay for a digital box to get all the channels on that TV.

TWC changes Channel
KWHY 22
Shop NBC 96
AMC 55
The Weather Channel 47
ABC Family 46
Oxygen 68
TruTV 49
Style 130

“With more digital carriage space available, we will be able to free up bandwidth for future uses, such as launching new channels, providing more services and offering even more HD, not to mention, this will enhance picture quality and sound on existing services,” said Darryl Ryan, Time Warner Cable’s local director of media relations.

Lots of things are going on here including: Read the rest of this entry »

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