espn-hd

[Timgb]

Anyone have any idea when Time Warner will have ESPN_HD?

[gparris]

So you are wanting TWC to deliver ESPN-HD?

Stand in line, as Discovery HD Theater came out MAY 2002 and TWC  still does not have it! It sort of promised it back in May or June of THIS year as coming in summer...!
Well, we have ONE more month before summer officially ends and NO Discovery HD-yet. There was, at the time, NO mention of ESPN HD as it had just come out and TWC had no plans for it. Instead they wanted FOX Sports HD instead. Again, FOX Sports HD was realistically mentioned for FALL-something maybe TWC should  have done for Discovery HD, too, as it is getting pretty late in the season to be "summer" anymore.
So...stand in line with the rest of us-or do what one of our TWC forum members told us to do: get satellite!:mad:
Other cable systems around the country are offering a combo of Discovery and ESPN in HD for $6.95 together. Due to a monopoly in place (thank you, FCC) all we have outside of satellite is TWC for cable. We can wait and that is all we CAN do if cable is our HD delivery method. :bang: TWC is hoping to give it to us at no extra charge if it comes with our SD standard channels. Whether or not that is the hold-up is ANYONE's guess.
But PLEASE-"do" enjoy those local HD channels that TWC brags about...they broadcast, afterall, HD all the time!!! :rolleyes::rolleyes:

[SugarRay]

Why does everybody suggest that they want to pay more for ESPN-HD or Discovery HD?  If I get those channels now, I am not paying any more. I get NBC, ABC, CBS and PBS as part of my TWC package and don't pay (and won't pay) more for their HD conterpart... so please don't suggest that to them or we all might suffer.



PS - can you get NBC, ABC,CBS and PBS on Direct TV withthout being OTA?  If not, how can you say that Direct TV give more choices?  What happens if you live outside the weak signal area for OTA with Direct? Are you SOL?

[mhz40]

Originally posted by SugarRay
Why does everybody suggest that they want to pay more for ESPN-HD or Discovery HD?  If I get those channels now, I am not paying any more. I get NBC, ABC, CBS and PBS as part of my TWC package and don't pay (and won't pay) more for their HD conterpart... so please don't suggest that to them or we all might suffer.

Independent of our high-profile discussions here, I'm quite sure the decision has already been made...
Unlike the locals and premiums offered, it is my understanding that Discovery & ESPN HD air programs independent of their SD brothers--in effect additional channels.  Therefore the HD model may not hold true for those services when launched.  We'll all know soon I guess...

[gparris]

If we took a poll and asked if we as TWC users could get what Directv offers for HD channels and HAD to pay for it-the MAJORITY of folks would probably pay SOMETHING for those HDNET, HDNET movies, ESPN-HD and Discovery HD just to make it more worthwhile having an HD set besides watching those "cool-looking DVDs" in widescreen and progressive-scan.  

I would pay that $10.99 a month Directv charges in a heart beat!!! Local HD offerings are OK,  but not the bigger picture, so to speak. Folks getting them OTA will never need TWC and there are a lot of them in this forum - alone. Local HD is better than nothing. You STILL have the $7 plus tax and fees per HD box. So it is NOT a no-charge-for-HD thing from TWC, anyway!
HBO and SHO offer more HD than those locals combined to say nothing of Discovery and the rest.

 Local HD stations cannot and (probably will not) offer locally-produced HD shows, so that their HD offerings are limited to mostly primetime network shows that they just transfer to us here in Milwaukeeland. This may not be true for bigger cities like Chicago.
So after 10 pm (or the Leno Show) you are stuck with SD only unless you PAY for the premium channels like HBO and SHo and get the HD versions at no additional charge except for that HD box rental thing.
 The Directv programmes allow for mostly 24/7 HD watching and since the PVR TWC (and DTV) offers for now allow for SD-only timeshifting, satellite is the way to go.
You don't work for TWC, do you?
:mad:

[Bebop]

It will happen at the end of the year. So, TW can justify their yearly price increase.

[StarvingForHDTV]

Originally posted by gparris
Local HD stations cannot and (probably will not) offer locally-produced HD shows...

Some of the local PBS stations can (and do)  make locally produced HD shows.  Outdoor Wisconsin is one.

Starving

[Gregg Lengling]

MPTV also produces Tracks Ahead and Midwest Gardener in HD.  All programming at MPTV is recorded with HD cameras, however they can't always afford the cost to do post-production in HD.

[SugarRay]

If we took a poll and asked if we as TWC users could get what Directv offers for HD channels and HAD to pay for it-the MAJORITY of folks would probably pay SOMETHING for those HDNET, HDNET movies, ESPN-HD and Discovery HD just to make it more worthwhile having an HD set besides watching those "cool-looking DVDs" in widescreen and progressive-scan.

I guess I thought I was paying more with my higher cable rate vs basic, plus the $7.00 a month for the box and remote rental. There are tons of posts that I won't rehash that shows what the true outlay is for TWC HD vs NON-HD.


No, I don't work for TWC. If I did, I would get everything for free and would not care what they charged.

So Direct TV charges $10.99 for 4 additional ch that TWC doesn't have? That seems like a lot for only 4 CH.  Does Direct TV have any other HD CH that correspond to TWC??

[Bebop]

Originally posted by SugarRay
So Direct TV charges $10.99 for 4 additional ch that TWC doesn't have? That seems like a lot for only 4 CH.  Does Direct TV have any other HD CH that correspond to TWC??

HBO, SHO and a PPV, but they are not free either.

I just activated the HD package. ESPN-HD is kind of sparse right now. There was a college game earlier and the picture was spectacular. Until the next HD showing, it's showing nothing but Sports Center in ugly SD.

I think the 4 HD channels are well worth the $11.

[gparris]

The whole point was that if you have an HDTV set or want to buy one for viewing besides DVDs, you will want to get as much HD programming on that set as possible.  If it comes to choice of cable-and-or-satellite, maybe a combination of both can occur.
 
Before I moved to an apartment, I had both just so I could have the Directv HD channels and TWC HD locals for what would have been about a dozen full or part time HD channels for choice in viewing on July 1st.  But I ended up selling my house early and this ended me with getting just TWC for HD choices.
I figured, like a lot of of HD TWC subscribers, that as Directv was getting things like the Masters and NBA on an extra-event channel assignment (like Directv has now permanently assigned) and TWC was matching their HD offerings for these programmes with Directv, it would continue with TWC matching HD channel offerings  thoughout the summer months. This would have meant that ESPN-HD along with the Discovery HD channel (to say nothing about the HDNET channels) could have been added by now. Other cable companies in this country have done so, but TWC seems to be having a problem with this.
In other words, it was assumed that TWC would match the Directv HD channels that it had started to match by adding them like it did with that event channel for those programmes.
Therefore, the TWC-only subscribers could buy that HD set and get all the HD offerings available, even if it meant paying something (even $10.99) for the matching  number of Directv HD channels in order to get more value out of their HDTV ownership experience. I agree that that $10.99 is OK for those extra 4 channels in HD if I have more HD choices! :cool:

[gb4fan92]

Are there other cable companies that offer HD-NET or is this just a SAT offering? From what I have heard about HD-NET it would be an awesome addition to the TWC lineup!!

[Bebop]

HDNet Facts

    * HDNet is the first national television network broadcasting all of its programming in 1080i HD, the highest-quality format of high-definition television (HDTV).
    * Launched September 2001 by co-founders Mark Cuban, owner of Dallas Mavericks, and Philip Garvin of Colorado Studios.
    * Produces and televises more hours of HDTV sports, news and entertainment programming each week than any other network.
    * HDNet is currently distributed on DIRECTV and Charter to their HDTV customers.
    * HDNet Movies network is available on Charter and provides 24/7, commercial-free movies from Warner Bros.
    * HDTV provides the highest level of digital broadcast quality available, delivering a crystal-clear resolution in a widescreen 16:9 theater-like format (16 units wide by 9 units high, compared with the 4:3 format of standard television sets).
    * More than one million viewers watch HDNet in their homes, in sports bars with HDTVs, and in more than 1600 consumer electronics retailers broadcasting HDNet in their HDTV showrooms.
    * All HDNet original programming is HD-PVR compatible, allowing viewers to pause and time-delay shows so that they can watch them when they want. We fully support consumers fair use rights to make personal copies.

    * State-of-the-art technology includes: Two HD mobile production trailers paired with digital satellite uplink trucks
    * HD Broadcast Center in Denver, CO equipped with editing rooms and MPEG-2 based digital switching facility

[gparris]

Quote:
It will happen at the end of the year. So, TW can justify their yearly price increase.

In order for TWC to say it doesn't want to add an increase in the price of HD channel offerings (outside of the Pay-Per-View InDemand HD coming soon) it will probably wait until next price increase, then add the HD channels and say they're at no extra charge because we get them (sort of and not really) in SD.
But they will probably occur with the annual price increase. :confused:  

Yeah, that's the way to get more customers!

By then I will have my dish reinstalled with that Directv movers deal and cancel them entirely and take my nice subcriber revenue where it is appreciated: Satellite. :mad:

Bebop-TWC is too scared to offer HDNET anyway-it loves its part time HD local offerings, unless you consider the PBS reruns as worthwhile (get real!)...
:bang:

[Skipjack]

It will happen at the end of the year. So, TW can justify their yearly price increase.

It'll be interesting to see how this pans out.  TWC is trying to incent the analog customers over to digital service... so, I suspect they'll try to keep the price as low as possible.  

Perhaps we'll see a price increase for the analog packages out there?