Any New News on TNT-HD?

[MikeRoz]

It's been over a week now since TNT-HD was a possibility on DirecTV.

Has anyone heard anything new? My wife keeps asking me when she can watch her Law & Order reruns in HD!

Thanks for any info!

[Ralph Kramden]

Mike, you are not missing much. I have TNT-HD with Dish Network, and most of the programming is upconverted and looks like crap compared to the other HD programming. Sorry.

[borghe]

no news.. all rumors were bust.

the most recent D* rumor is national Fox next tuesday. it appears definite (a known DirecTV employee has "hinted" at it). What isn't known (nor will he tell) is whether it will be full time or just available for Fox's Major League playoffs.

as for TNT, everything is still the same. D* employees are saying the contracts ARE signed, equipment is in place, and they honestly don't know what the hold up is at this point as well as don't know any potential turn up dates.

In the meantime, reading the boards and looking at the schedule I Agree that TNT-HD isn't that tragic..

I still would rather have Starz or Cinemax. :bang:

[MikeRoz]

Thanks guys.

I'm sorry to hear about the quality of TNT and I agree that STARZ HD would be a great addition to DirecTV.

[RLJSlick]

Yeah I don't watch TNT much either but I think they will be carring a lot of basketball   this Winter, I just hope it's in HD.

[Andrew Grall]

I like a lot of the shows that are rerun on TNT, but here's the problem:

Even shows that are originally presented in widescreen, they replay in "full-screen".  (ER, Law & Order, Angel, etc.)

Then, to make it widescreen, they cut off the top and bottom of the picture.

It's like double-bastardization of OAR... :bang:

Is there someone we could all write to about this?

[gparris]

Moan all you want about TNT-HD, but I started watching it when they offered it in HD and DD5.1 because before that, it was on that  horrific analogue TWC channel 33 with equally-bad sound.

Be thankful you have it, as Directv HD subs I am certain would preferred to have it over  Bravo HD+, IMO and polls taken in other forums point that out.

I just hope Directv offers more HD including TNT-HD soon, and doesn't wait until other year or so to add just one more HD channel like it did with Bravo HD+, a disservice to all their HD package subscribers, especially the ones who spent money on HD Tivos.

[Mark Strube]

Andrew... they don't cut the top and bottom off... they stretch the picture.

[Andrew Grall]

Originally posted by UnrealityS
Andrew... they don't cut the top and bottom off... they stretch the picture.

Are you sure about that?  I have seen a lot of shows where the people don't look "fat", and there is very noticeable loss at the top and bottom of the picture...

[Mark Strube]

Everytime I turn TNT-HD on and it's not HD content... it's stretched. I'm thinking perhaps the shows that you think are cut off are actually in HD. (It depends how it was shot, I believe. Some will give you extra on the sides, some will simply matte the picture, cutting off the top and bottom.) I could be completely wrong but I've never noticed TNT-HD chopping the picture of upconverted content, I always see it stretched.

[borghe]

Be thankful you have it, as Directv HD subs I am certain would preferred to have it over  Bravo HD+, IMO and polls taken in other forums point that out. [/B]

Actually I don't care about either *begs for starz*.

As for additional HD, it is dead until after football. After football a few (unannounced) channels will be added, presumably TNT, Fox, ABC, and possibly one more more premium channels like Max and Starz.

The real additions won't happen until after Q1 2005 when both spaceway sats are launched and directv has enough capcity to carry every national hd feed available.

Of course we will require new dishes to get those.

[gparris]

Quote from borghe:
"As for additional HD, it is dead until after football. After football a few (unannounced) channels will be added, presumably TNT, Fox, ABC, and possibly one more more premium channels like Max and Starz."

So when approximately IS "after football"?

:confused:

Do all the NFL ST HD channels have to "clear-out"
BEFORE TNT-HD, etc get added?

Reason being, a friend of mine, enjoying TWC cable here,
(and was pounding satellite for lesser HD) is now moving to Boston, (job thing)  where Comcast may or may not be available and doesn't  like Dishnetwork and IMO don't blame him.

Funny how life changes things...so he is really hot for Directv, now, OTA and HD Tivo, of course. Me? I'm very curious if anyone like borghe knows anything or has a better "feel" for timeframes regarding HD and Directv channel availablilty.

[smack]

After football would be when D* NFL Sunday Ticket is over.  This ends at the end of the regular season.  Then all of the playoff games would not be on D*, they would be on fox, cbs & abc.  

It would then free up all of the trasponders the D* is currently using for their HD NFL ST channels.  They currently do about 5-7 games a week in HD on ST.

smack

[gparris]

It all depends on the value of NFL Sunday Ticket...good for the football fans, bad for the TNT-HD requirement for something OTHER than football.

I know everyone hates the idea of down-rez on HD channels, but maybe they could do it only while the games are on so the rest of the subscribers could get their Cinemax HD and Starz!HD channels (as well as TNT-HD) to enjoy the rest of the time...so unfair to the HD subscriber.
Is this why this HD package is "free" for 6 months - no channels being added (besides Bravo HD+) until the football fans get their due?:eek:

It could be so great for Directv HD subs if Directv got its act together for the rest of the HD subscribers with this scenario:
6-Pack of HD Channels:
Discovery HD, ESPN-HD, HDNET, HDNET Movies, Bravo HD+ & TNT-HD.
4-Pack of HD Channels for premiums:
HBO-HD, Showtime-HD, Cinemax-HD & Starz!HD
PPV-HD and Special Events channel HD (like TWC's Fox Sports HD Net) = 12 HD available all the time to HD subscribers
Then add the 5-7 HD locals OTA = 17-19 HD channel availablilty,
which is something any cable company could envy, especially with an HD-Tivo attached to it.

But does Directv think that far out? I don't know...wish they did.:rolleyes:

[borghe]

bundling together the premium movie channels will enver work. EVER. No way would the various companies (Viacom, Starz, Time Warner) ever allow their premium channels to be bundled with a competitors premium channels. Remember, HBO wants to win in viewers against showtime just like NBC wants to win against CBS.