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History Channel UK bringing HD Bio and Crime channels

by Steven Kim, posted Oct 11th 2008 at 10:34PM

Bio, Crime and Investigation channelsLife and crime go together kind of like life and taxes, so it's fitting that The History Channel UK is bringing out HD versions of the Biography Channel and The Crime and Investigation Network to Sky's lineup. Between Bio's pledge to get serious about HD and the worldwide party that History is throwing, this gives Brits something to cheer about. If things go smoothly and the Sky EPG can spare a couple of slots, these two new offerings should be available by the end of the year.

DirecTV now carrying HD locals in 100 markets

by Darren Murph, posted Oct 9th 2008 at 10:38PM

While DISH Network just recently hit market number 70, DirecTV is throwing itself a party after reaching the big 100. With the addition of Columbia-Jefferson City, Missouri and Evansville, Indiana, the satcaster can now claim to have HD locals available in a hundred US regions. The milestone means that some 83% of the US can now get DirecTV and their HD locals sans an OTA antenna, and if all goes to plan, it'll hit 121 cities by the year's end. We suppose a round of golf claps is in order.

DISH Network unloads HD locals in a handful of new markets

by Darren Murph, posted Oct 9th 2008 at 5:26PM

Of late, it's been DirecTV doing all the dishing of HD locals, but at long last, we've got its biggest, most bitter rival stepping to the plate and doing some damage, too. As it's fall HD locals rollout continues, DISH Network has gone live with 'em in a bevy of new places. We're talking Florence / Myrtle Beach, SC, Fort Myers / Naples, FL, Greenville / New Bern / Washington, NC, Madison, WI and Wilkes Barre / Scranton, PA. As it stands, the satcaster now offers locals in high-def in 70 markets reaching 71% of the US, but really, all that matters is if you're in that 71%, right?

New Zealand's Freeview benefits from Olympics

by Darren Murph, posted Oct 9th 2008 at 2:10AM

New Zealand's Freeview hasn't had the easiest road thus far, but it can't deny the awesomeness that was the 2008 Beijing Olympics. According to new figures, 37,980 receivers were sold between July and September, 19,983 of which were Freeview HD tuners. It's a pretty safe bet that a good portion of those were purchased with the intent of catching the spectacle in high-definition on TVNZ, and the aforesaid sales brings the total number of Freeview set-top boxes sold to 160,496, including 27,319 HD boxes. Unfortunately, the bandwidth crisis is still very real, and things are looking pretty bleak in regard to additional HD channels. Still, we can only hope these additional sales may sway the Ministry of Economic Development into helping out.

[Image courtesy of PCWorld]

NBC kills useless, bit stealing, Weather Plus channel

by Ben Drawbaugh, posted Oct 8th 2008 at 2:24PM


If you've ever tried to enjoy a sporting event on NBC, you've probably noticed that when the action really starts getting good, your picture quality goes south, and fast. This phenomenon has been thanks to 90 of the NBC affiliates around the country deciding to steal bandwidth away from the primary HD feed and dedicate the bits to a 24-hour weather channel called Weather Plus. Well after four years of trying, NBC Universal decided that if you can't beat 'em join 'em, and instead bought a stake in The Weather Channel, which thankfully ended up meaning no more Weather Plus. The bad news is that the macroblock loving fools are already starting to think about what other crappy SD programming can go in its place.

DirecTV confirms HD DVR / receiver glitch, apologizes profusely

by Darren Murph, posted Oct 8th 2008 at 3:58AM


So it's true -- hordes of DirecTV users weren't just dreaming about a glitch that required a painstaking reboot to start the week off. DirecTV has sent out e-mails to loads of affected users which were unexpectedly forced to mash the red "Reset" button located within a door on the front panel of their HD DVR / receiver in order to get things going again. Of course, even the mighty satcaster can't replace any missed recordings that were scheduled, but it is "sincerely" sorry for the inconvenience. You'll still be paying your full bill, though, so it's not that sorry.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

DISH appeal denied by Supreme Court, TiVo to receive $104 million payout

by Steven Kim, posted Oct 7th 2008 at 1:43PM

DISH fights TiVo
Bust out the forks, because it looks like the long-running dispute between DISH and TiVo is coming to an end (yes, again). The Supreme Court denied DISH's appeal in the DVR "time-warp" patent infringement case and in the next few day DISH will release $104 million ($94 million plus interest) from an escrow account to TiVo to cover damages stretching back to September 8, 2006. The dust isn't all settled, though, as there's more litigation in the pipeline regarding DISH's supposed workaround software currently deployed to its DVRs. Certainly, this is good news for TiVo's finances, but we'd really like to see some improvements with TiVo itself -- LiquidTV / TiVo PC is a small step in the right direction, but more advanced concepts are what we're calling for, here.

Botched DirecTV software update requiring HR2X STBs to be restarted?

by Darren Murph, posted Oct 6th 2008 at 4:21PM

Generally, we'd pass something like this off as just coincidence, but when over 95% of 1,000+ respondents confess to sharing the same issue, we simply can't turn the other cheek. It's assumed that DirecTV botched up a software update early this morning that affected a number of HR2X set-tops. Over at DBSTalk, the vast majority of readers who voluntarily took part in a poll affirmed that at least one of their HR2X units required a restart / reboot this morning. We know there's no real point in asking if you too were affected, but that aside, what was DirecTV attempting to send down? The world may never know.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

XStreamHD licenses audio processing from ARC, resumes radio silence

by Steven Kim, posted Oct 5th 2008 at 11:43PM

XStreamHD Media Receiver
When we last heard from XStreamHD, the company had grand plans on streaming movies via satellite to some boxes with great looking specs, Michael Douglas and a non-functional CES booth that failed to impress. Now we see that the company has licensed ARC audio processing for Dolby Digital Plus decoding, which presumably would come in handy -- if there were any content to decode. To be fair, there's still time for XStreamHD to meet its long-ago promised Q4 2008 release, but absent any of the "latest content from leading studios" the only audio that will get decoded is the sound of one hand clapping.

BBC HD making Scandinavia debut on Canal Digital this December

by Darren Murph, posted Oct 5th 2008 at 8:05PM

BBC HD is taking one more step on its road to world domination by making its debut in continental Europe later this year. The channel is set to launch on Nordic pay-TV platform Canal Digital this December in Scandinavia, and it'll be landing alongside the SD stations BBC Knowledge, BBC Lifestyle and BBC Entertainment. There's no word yet on whether there will be an additional fee for access to the channel, but believe us when we say it'll be worth it even if so.

[Thanks, Mats]

Sky extends half-off HD box promo, launches £10 million ad campaign

by Richard Lawler, posted Oct 3rd 2008 at 12:07PM


If you thought Sky+ HD's lower £150 set-top box was nice, imagine the reaction to its just-extended £75 (plus £60 installation) offer. Available until the end of October, Sky's apparently hoping that in combination with an ad campaign featuring Cyndi Lauper's True Colors will push Britons to make the jump to HDTV. That it will also cause us to relive a particularly embarrassing middle school dance is apparently of no consequence to this heartless media juggernaut. Enjoy your half price high definition boxes, no matter the emotional cost.

Read - Sky Extends Half Price Sky+ HD Deal
Read - Sky backs HD service with £10m campaign

DirecTV not done yet, brings HD locals to Norfolk-Newport News, VA / Charleston, SC

by Darren Murph, posted Oct 1st 2008 at 5:34PM

Just when you thought DirecTV was through after announcing HD locals for two more of its market today, in comes a couple of new reports confirming that both the Norfolk-Newport News, Virginia and Charleston, South Carolina DMAs were gifted as well. For the former, customers can look forward to seeing their local ABC, NBC, FOX and CBS affiliates in high-def, while the latter region gets all of those plus WMMP (MyNetworkTV). Any others you'd like to toss our way while you're at it? We've got a list of HD-starved DMAs just begging over here.

Read - Norfolk-Newport News, VA rollout
Read - Charleston, SC rollout

DirecTV uncorks HD locals in Springfield-Holyoke, MA / Savannah, GA

by Darren Murph, posted Oct 1st 2008 at 4:48PM

Now that we've officially hit fall here in the US of A, we suppose DirecTV should revamp is HD rollout plans to include this season. Nevertheless, the satcaster is slowly but surely wrapping up its summer plans by bringing HD locals to the Springfield-Holyoke, Massachusetts and Savannah, Georgia DMAs. Both markets can now tune into their local CBS, NBC and ABC affiliates in HD, though FOX was strangely omitted for both. Hope you weren't looking forward to the World Series in high-def or anything...

Read - Springfield-Holyoke, MA rollout
Read - Savannah, Georgia

Intellian delivers first DirecTV Ka-band capable marine satellite TV systems

by Richard Lawler, posted Sep 30th 2008 at 7:14AM

Hitting the high seas (or the slightly lower lakes and rivers, whatever works) shouldn't keep you from all those new HDTV channels DirecTV's been adding, requiring Intellian Technologies' new k4 and k6, the first marine satellite systems that will tune into Ka-band broadcasts. With their 17.7- and 23.6-inch antennas packed into all-in-one domes they should be able to track and switch among Ka- and older Ku-band satellites as necessary, even on a fast moving boat. We're sure you've already switched to MPEG-4 compatible hardware at home, the dinghy is next.

DirecTV replaces DISH as AT&T's BFF, Advanced TV partner

by Richard Lawler, posted Sep 26th 2008 at 6:21PM

The AT&T / DISH Network breakup is official, with DirecTV satellite service sliding into place alongside U-Verse as a triple-play option for customers beginning January 31, 2009. No word whether AT&T plans to scale back the scope of these partnership deals as it continues to expand U-Verse, but with the big guys' love for bundling we wouldn't be surprised to see the same game of musical chairs going on all next year as well.

[Image courtesy GiftsByExpressions]




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