Directv New HD Package

[PWFD81]

I live here in Port Washington.  I called Directv yesterday to set up the "New" HD Package.  I was disappointed to hear included in the package is HDNET.  This is a channel I have received for FREE since I have upgraded to an HD receiver.  Directv told me starting in September this FREE HD Channel will only be part of the new package.  Like everyone else I want more HD so I signed up for the package.  Plus I really don't want to loose HDNET come September.  I really enjoy the line up on the HDNET channel.  The other channels on the new package include:  HD Discovery Theater, HD ESPN and HDNET Movies.  I found Discovery to be pretty good.  ESPN down right stinks.  I found if you switch from regular ESPN to HD ESPN there is no difference.  I'm not a golf fan but last night golf was on and I switched between the two channels and didn't see any change in quality.  My wife was in the room at the time and saw me doing the: Does this look better or Does this look better?..  It's what I do!  She really gets a kick out of it?!..  If you switch between the HBO and HBO HD you can really tell a difference.  My wife looked at me and said "how much are we paying for this new HD Package??!"  The other problem is HDNET Movies.  The picture is not bad but the movie line up is a real bust.  Most of the movies on this channel I have never heard of.  The others I have heard of and you can catch them on AMC or Brovo.  The big movie I recognized on yesterday line up was Arthur 2.  This isn't a bad movie but I really wouldn't want to pay money to see it AGAIN.  Today not one movie I know.  Tomorrow Full Metal Jacket is on.  I have never seen it nor do I want to.  The Man With Two Brains was also on.  This is a great movie if you like Steve Martin but I just watched it on AMC about a month ago.  
 
I guess my point is I am very disappointed right now with having to pay $11 a month for HDNET and HD Discovery Theater.  ESPN HD stinks and the HDMOVIE Channel I will probable take out of my channel line up.  So really if you look at it I am paying $11 for HD Discovery Theater until September when the take the FREE HDNET channel away.
 
I thought HD was going to be a good thing for us all.  It looks like the more people that are upgrading to expensive TV's and Sat Receivers are also going to have to pay for HD Programing.  It's to bad.  I really enjoy the HD Experience

[Gregg Lengling]

I don't know what golf you were watching..but when I turned on and watched the Shootout with Fuzzy Zoeller and others, I thought the quality was excellent.....as good if not better than the US Open was on CBS......maybe you saw something else that was an upconvert.  You also have to be careful because they don't always have enough cameras to do a golf program without having some Wide Aspect SD cameras.

[Matt Heebner]

I too am not real happy about the "pay to see" HD channels on Directv, but with any new technology, it is usually us early birds that get stuck testing out how things "might" be. Who knows if Directv is going to continue charging, of if cable is going to undercut them, causing many people to migrate. This is where market forces and competition will hopefully weigh in.


I know that I am paying for a lot of crap channels on Directv, and I would much rather pay for the HD channels. I dislike the fact the D* is making you take the Total Choice package to get the HD channels. I have ordered it, but I am also sitting back and seeing what TWC is going to offer in the future as well. I have said before that I am not loyal, and will go with whoever has the best HD packages for the lowest price....equipment costs be damned!

I envision a major HD battle between satellite and cable very soon, and us the consumer will benfit.

Matt

[Tom Snyder]

Yeah.. I saw the golf he was talking about. It 4:3 SD stretched to 16:9. Awful, just awful! Apparently when ESPN has no HD to show, that's what it does.  Fortunately as time goes on, more and more will be in 16:9 HD...

Looking forward to football...  although it will be bittersweet to be able to watch a Monday night ABC game, a Thursday night ESPN game, a Sunday afternoon CBS game and a Sunday night ESPN game in HD, but except for the couple times the Packers will be on of those, I won't even be able to see them in "enhanced widescreen"  

I love my Packers, but my wife says no rooftop antenna, and I love her more.

[borghe]

I have to fire off a huge disagree with your opinion on HDNet Movies... I love it! Does it play the greatest movies out there? Hardly ever, and I wouldn't try to argue otherwise. But what it does do is provides movies that you won't get anywhere else, unedited and OAR. Probably the only like-channel IHMO that is consistently better right now is TCM. AMC is too inconsistent with OAR and quality, and the premium movie channels are WAY to inconsistent (HBO with non-OAR and smaller quantity and Showtime with frequent audio synch problems). And for those who like Arthur 2, Hard Eight, Kubrick, etc.. chances are if they don't have HDNet Movies they won't see these outside of DVD, and definitely never in HD.

In my book HDNet Movies is the leader of the pack of the new HD Package.. Of course that will probably change come August and Sunday night football...

[StarvingForHDTV]

Originally posted by Matt Heebner
I know that I am paying for a lot of crap channels on Directv, and I would much rather pay for the HD channels. I dislike the fact the D* is making you take the Total Choice package to get the HD channels. I have ordered it, but I am also sitting back and seeing what TWC is going to offer in the future as well. I have said before that I am not loyal, and will go with whoever has the best HD packages for the lowest price....equipment costs be damned!

I envision a major HD battle between satellite and cable very soon, and us the consumer will benfit.

Matt

I also dislike the fact that the Total Choice package is required to get access to the HD channel package.  I just couldn't rationalize spending $34 a month for the "right" to watch 4 channels of HD that I would pay for.  

I'm going to watch what TWC does too.  I will sell my Sony HD200 if TWC creates a package that is to my liking.

Starving

[Steve Mann]

ESPN-HD is broadcasting limited HD at this time. You can see the first HD broadcast since the channel's debut on DirecTV today at noon when the New York Mets take on the Cincinnati Reds (Go Reds!).

ESPN's HD schedule can be found
here .

[borghe]

starving - no offense, but I hate it when people complain about Total Choice requirements for anything... time warner does the same exact thing.. You need a Standard subscription for anything except lifeline and they are starting to require digital subscriptions for stuff also.

Further, aside from Discovery, they probably won't have many free non-local HD channels coming down the way. Providers such as HDNet and ESPN are charging money for these channels and if TWC really wants to provide them freely, they will have to do so at a loss. TWC will add Discovery for free (with Digital Package subscription of course) and most likely do the same thing as everyone else... create an HD tier and charge ~$10/month for it. And it will require a digital cable package...

[StarvingForHDTV]

Originally posted by borghe
starving - no offense, but I hate it when people complain about Total Choice requirements for anything... time warner does the same exact thing.. You need a Standard subscription for anything except lifeline and they are starting to require digital subscriptions for stuff also.

Just because that's the way it is now, does not mean that it should be this way.  If you are comfortable and happy paying for channels you are not interested in, I'm happy for you.  Or perhaps you like all of the channels in their preset package configuration.  

I know my comments won't bring about change.  If enough people express displeasure, it could change things theoretically.  I'm more than willing to pay for each and every channel that I want to watch.  I'm also more than willing to pay fair market prices for the channels I am interested in.

Well whatever.

Starving

[borghe]

I am not saying this is they way things should be. I am just referring to the fact that DirecTV is constantly blasted by many many people for requiring Total Choice subscriptions to get at much of their programming, yet cable has been doing this for over 20 years and people don't seem to say anything about it. It's like they are saying DirecTV is the only ones doing it. Last time I checked, if I just wanted HBO Family on TWC, I need Standard Cable, Digital Cable, and the HBO package to get at one channel. Heck, with TWC if I just want HD locals I need an $11/month subscription along with a $7/month cable box (and remote).

Again, no, none of this makes it right.. But don't sit back and single out DirecTV when the fact of the matter is that they are merely perpetuating a policy that is adopted by virtually every multi-channel provider and has been pretty much since the inception of the service.

[StarvingForHDTV]

I haven't seem much blasting of DirecTV.  Maybe you are thinking of  another forum.  This forum mainly blasts our local Fox, local PBS, and TWC.  Granted Time Warner usually gets verbally punished here for poor picture and sound quality on their standard tier.  I find their local HD deal quite fair.  If you can't afford a set top box and antenna, their deal seems like a viable and affordable option.  I am not aware of any other HD packages from Time Warner at this time.  If they produce a non-local HD package offering, and create additional programming requirements to access the HD package, I will gladly blast TWC on the issue.  I'm not trying to single out DirecTV as target, and I don't think Matt was either.  It is disappointing that they chose to go this route with their HD package.  I did look at Dish network a bit since this DirecTV decision, and they are offering some ala carte HD programming without strings attached.  It's meager right now, but perhaps they will continue along this path with wider HD offerings in the future.

I was thinking about this issue last night a bit.  I currently buy cable modem internet indirectly through TWC via Earthlink.  I'm glad they don't make me buy cable TV service in order to buy internet access.  In addition I buy caller ID service from Ameritech ala carte.  I'm happy they don't make me buy a package of other services to access what I want.

Starving

[Kenshin]

I would also like to point out that you really don't need anything but Basic service to watch HDTV content at TWC. Simply order Basic service for approx 11.95 a month and then pay for the hd converter at 7.70 and you're set. You can watch all the HDTV channels, plus you can see the iControl on-Demand stuff on 1100-1180 and order movies.

Now that I sound like an ad.. Tell me, how much does it cost at this moment to get HD content on DirecTV or Dish?

[Bebop]

The only channels that are free are the locals. I can get those free with a receiver and an antenna.

To watch HDTV on DrirecTV is just an extra $11.

[Bebop]

Originally posted by StarvingForHDTV

I was thinking about this issue last night a bit.  I currently buy cable modem internet indirectly through TWC via Earthlink.  I'm glad they don't make me buy cable TV service in order to buy internet access.  In addition I buy caller ID service from Ameritech ala carte.  I'm happy they don't make me buy a package of other services to access what I want.

Starving

Since you have cable modem, why not try voice over IP and dump your local phone company all together?

I been using VOiP for two months now without any problem. I only paid $20/month for unlimited local/LD. There some disadvantages: can't use fax/modem, no 911.