# Rumors flying about new HD channel and show launches



## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

*HDTV Rumor Watch, Volume II*

By Phillip Swann, President, TVPredictions.com

Washington, D.C. (September 11, 2006) -- The "HDTV Rumor Watch' is a new department at TVPredictions.
The occasional feature will include the latest gossip about High-Definition channel launches and related news.

*Rumor #1:* CBS will begin broadcasting the CBS Evening News With Katie Couric in high-def by year's end.

*Rumor #2:* Comcast will begin broadcasting the CN8 channel in high-def.

*Rumor #3:* Comcast and other cable TV operators will soon expand their high-def On Demand lineups.

*Rumor #4:* Sony and Toshiba are negotiating a settlement to its HDTV format war.

*Rumor #5:* EchoStar will add INHD and the HD versions of the regional sports networks in the next few weeks.

*Rumor #6:* DIRECTV will add several HDTV channels in the next few weeks.

For the Swanni's assessment of these rumors, go to TVPredictions.com


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## BillyT2002 (Oct 19, 2002)

With all due respect, DirecTV can't even keep all of the high-definition channels they offer now running while they are trying to air the NFL Sunday Ticket games in high-definition. They are now pulling TNT-HD on Sundays in order to keep NFLST in high-definition. Now I'm not a football or a NASCAR fan and so I could care less what they do, but I highly doubt they have the bandwidth right now to do this. Maybe once their new satellites are up, but as far as I know they don't go up until well into 2007 and even then will need months of testing...


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## Smthkd (Sep 1, 2004)

We know rumor #6 is a joke!!! He can scratch that one!


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## bidger (Nov 19, 2005)

#6 could be referring to part-time regional HD RSNs.


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## tonyd79 (Jul 24, 2006)

Well, no. D* actually proved they can handle more HD than they currently have. They would have to be somewhat parttime (as in off when special events like Sunday Ticket and/or March Madness come about) but they can handle more.

They took down one HD channel (TNT) and put up 7 HD NFL feeds. Sounds like they can carry up to 6 more as long as they go dark occasionally.

Oh, and they may have bandwidth on the spot beams for MPEG4 that they could distribute to the MPEG4 areas. What would prevent them from putting, say, National Geographic HD on the spotbeams and move it to the CONUS beams next year?


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## bidger (Nov 19, 2005)

tonyd79 said:


> They took down one HD channel (TNT) and put up 7 HD NFL feeds. Sounds like they can carry up to 6 more as long as they go dark occasionally.


They took out more than just TNT-HD, Tony.


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## tonyd79 (Jul 24, 2006)

bidger said:


> They took out more than just TNT-HD, Tony.


Not really. You have to look at it satellite by satellite. The Mix channels going down were for the SD broadcasts not the HD ones.

They took down Channel 95 and 75. That is about it.


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## pez2002 (Dec 13, 2002)

*Rumor #2:* Comcast will begin broadcasting the CN8 channel in high-def.

whoppie i cant wait


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## davecramer74 (Sep 11, 2006)

#1 is true, i read that. Also, comcast just added an HD movie section to their on-demand. Only a few movies in there now, but im sure more are to come if they gave it its own menu now.

What the hell is CN8, that an east coast thing or something?


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

Nick said:


> *Rumor #4:* Sony and Toshiba are negotiating a settlement to its HDTV format war.


There is absolutely no chance of this if he is talking about HD-DVD versus Blu-Ray.


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## alfbinet (May 19, 2002)

harsh said:


> There is absolutely no chance of this if he is talking about HD-DVD versus Blu-Ray.


It is getting bloody over at the respective HD-DVD and Blu-Ray forums. You have supporters for the "Red" team, supporters for the "Blue" team, and I suspect most in the middle, just wanting the best AQ and PQ performance possible. I can't deny though that reading the comments over there is like watching an auto accident on the highway.

I agree with you though, the war "aint gonna be over any time soon."


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## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

*The HDTV Rumor Watch, Volume III*

Does DirecTV have a secret plan for HD channels; and what's up with those fuzzy high-def cameras?

By Phillip Swann

*Rumor #1*: DirecTV will offer 100 national High-Definition TV channels by the 2006 holidays.

*Rumor #2*: The networks are using filters on their high-def cameras so older TV personalities will look younger.

*Rumor #3*: INHD 2 has been removed from the air.

*Rumor #4*: Cable operators announce that they plan to launch a certain high-def channel but then fail to add it in some cities.

*Rumor #5*: Katie Couric left The Today Show because NBC decided to broadcast the program in high-def.

*Rumor #6*: Universal HD will stop broadcasting in 2007.

For the Swanni's analysis of these latest rumors, go to TVPredictions.com


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## cbearnm (Sep 6, 2006)

Keep in mind that these are his responses to rumors. He is not saying they will happen.

In fact, this week, he posted the following:
_*The Truth:* No way. The rumor was started a week ago after News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch told an investors conference that the satcaster would have 100 HDTV channels by year's end. (News Corp. owns a controlling interest in DIRECTV.)

However, Murdoch simply misspoke. For starters, there are not 100 national high-def channels available at this time; the actual number is about half that amount. And second, DIRECTV is planning to launch two new satellites to expand its high-def lineup, but they won't be operational until next year. _


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## luckydob (Oct 2, 2006)

BluRay and HD DVD is a dead issue...they'll just release dual format drives and once we get FIOS then you can just download everything. Soon there will not be a need for physical media. The whole BluRay HDDVD thing is dumb.


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## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

luckydob said:


> The whole BluRay HDDVD thing is dumb.


The only thing that is truly dumb is the idea that FIOS is the answer to any question. FIOS is just another cable company trying to make inroads into areas where competition is feeble or limited.


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## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

*The HDTV Rumor Watch: Volume IV*

Did DirecTV conspire to generate demand for its new high-def recorder?

By Phillip Swann

*Rumor #1*: INHD2 will go off the air by year's end.

*Rumor #*2: Fox will soon launch another high-def channel.

*Rumor #*3: DirecTV decided to release a small number of HR20 HD DVRs to generate higher demand.

*Rumor #*4: The networks will soon begin broadcasting primetime programming in 1080p to fuel interest in new 1080p high-def sets.

*Rumor #5*: Comcast will add several HDTV channels by year's end.

*Rumor #6*: CBS will soon broadcast Survivor in HD

*Rumor #7*: Sony will announce a huge discount for its new Blu-ray player when it's released next month.

For the Swanni's analysis of these latest rumors, go to TVPredictions.com


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## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

Frankly, I think Mr. Swann makes up most of these alledged "rumors", but I'll admit some are interesting to contemplate.


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