DISH Readies HD Slate

[Gregg Lengling]

EchoStar's DISH Network will offer four high-def channels - ESPN HD, Discovery HD Theater, HDNet and HDNet Movies - in a single package that will debut Sept. 16.

The package will sell for $9.99 a month or $109.89 annually, the company said. In addition to the new channels, DISH also offers HD channels from CBS, HBO, Showtime and pay-per-view HD movies.

As for equipment, EchoStar's entry-level DISH 811, a HD receiver/decoder, will be available this fall for $399. The company also plans to debut the DISH Player-DVR 921, a HD digital video recorder selling for $999, in October. The 921 will feature a 250-gigabyte hard drive capable of recording up to 25 hours of HD video or up to 180 hours of standard-definition content, or a combination of both, EchoStar said.