Let the HD voices cry out some more. DirecTV is at it again. This time, the satellite provider says that 30-plus more high-definition channels are going to start showing up beginning on August 14. And, oh yeah, it’ll start giving us movies in 1080p resolution later this year.
That’s a lot of HD news to swallow. And we can hear you now—“But DirecTV HD is so compressed!” “Hey, 30 more channels of garbage to watch in stretch-o-vision!” or the other side “Well 30 more HD channels is almost 30 more than my cable service is giving me now!”
We’ll let you debate DirecTV’s HD greatness or HD lite-ness in the comments below. As for the news, the company says the HD channel lineup will be boosted to 130, and all of its high-def programming will come in MPEG-4 coding with Dolby Digital audio.
New HD programming will include: Showtime Extreme HD, Showtime Showcase HD, Planet Green HD, ABC Family HD, additional DIRECTV HD pay per view channels and 23 Regional Sports Networks. It’s all part of DirecTV’s express train to 200 national HD channels and 1,500 local HD and digital channels, the company says, thanks to the DirecTV 11 and DirecTV 12 (due to launch next year) satellites.
And that other little wrinkle in the company’s news—full HD 1080p movies. I’m sure we’ll say equal opportunity rejoicing and criticizing over that whenever DirecTV begins airing the flicks. Either way, seems like a pretty exciting step. Especially considering my cable provider hasn’t added a single HD channel since I went high-def last November (DirecTV fans, can you sway me?).
Via: Engadget HD
Just some FYI. DirecTV is currently testing there 1080p on demand ch. nd let me tell you it is awesome. The down fall is that you must have an HDDVR that is connected thru the internet via the ethernet port on the back of the unit. I have downloaded 2 free test movies and they have both looked just as good as my blueray player. So i say we have a lot to look forward to.
When will directv switch their HD receiver over to 1080p? Right now the programs are shown in 1080i or is their any difference. I have a 1080p TV
and like to see the full affects in HD.
DirecTV is not perect, no provider of television content is. That being said, they are far better than any cable co I have ever had. They are better than the Dish Network my neighbor has, in fact he is switching after coming to my house numerous times to find me watching something in Hi-Def he can’t get. FIOS may have better quality high def material (the difference is minimal) but a good friend of mine just got the whole month of July credited to his account due to his service going out for the fifth time this month. This after getting a half month credit for June for two service interuptions that month. I may have to deal with some channels being overly compressed but in the 5 years I have had DirecTC I have had zero service interuptions and my DVR as well as HD-DVR work flawlessly.
There is an apartment in PGH, Pa (Gateway Towers) that converted the whole building to Direct and used the existing internal wiring. It is not a major thing to do.
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The gated community can’t stop you from putting up a dish—it’s federal law. Google the FCC regs on satellite dishes and tell your community board to stick it—unless there are historical preservation issues.