# Disney To Launch HD Networks on DirecTV



## cforrest (Jan 20, 2007)

Take that Time Warner, LOL!



"BroadcastingCable" said:


> Disney announced that it will launch high-definition versions of four of its cable networks on DirecTV's satellite service by early 2008.
> 
> The announcements of the new ABC Family HD, Disney Channel HD, ESPNEWS HD and Toon Disney HD services come in the wake of DirecTV's plan to provide over 100 channels of HD programming this year, which it first unveiled at the CES show in January.
> 
> ESPNEWS HD, available in early 2008, will be a 24-hour simulcast of ESPNEWS that will broadcast from a new HD studio in ESPN's digital newsroom in Bristol, Ct. that is currently under construction


http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6424080.html?display=Breaking+News


----------



## DCSholtis (Aug 7, 2002)

Nice additions!! Wish Disney would add an ESPNU HD channel as well, though.


----------



## funkeruski (Feb 4, 2006)

Kick ass!! The Wiggles and Thomas the Tank Engine in HD. My 2 year old son will be very happy.


----------



## psychobabbler (Sep 16, 2006)

MPEG-2 or MPEG-4? Probably not known yet, but curious.


----------



## texasbrit (Aug 9, 2006)

psychobabbler said:


> MPEG-2 or MPEG-4? Probably not known yet, but curious.


MPEG-4. The channels will be carried on one of the new satellites DirecTV 10 and 11 due to launch later this year.


----------



## tonyd79 (Jul 24, 2006)

And folks wondered where the content was coming from. Give them somewhere to put the HD and HD will come.


----------



## Michael D'Angelo (Oct 21, 2006)

I can't wait. ESPNEWS is one of the main channels that I want in HD.


----------



## Vinny (Sep 2, 2006)

This is good news; but its like a tease since the beginning of 2008 is almost a year away. However, I'll take whatever HD they beam to me.


----------



## bonscott87 (Jan 21, 2003)

psychobabbler said:


> MPEG-2 or MPEG-4? Probably not known yet, but curious.


MPEG4 of course. There ain't no room on the old sats.


----------



## Drew2k (Aug 16, 2006)

Cool. Kyle XY in HD next year! Its the only thing I watch on any the new HD Disney company channels ...


----------



## JACKIEGAGA (Dec 11, 2006)

Let the HD channels roll


----------



## NYSmoker (Aug 20, 2006)

JACKIEGAGA said:


> Let the HD channels roll


Or if it doesn't work:

Let the HeaDs roll

:hurah:


----------



## Rockywwf (Aug 21, 2006)

funkeruski said:


> Kick ass!! The Wiggles and Thomas the Tank Engine in HD. My 2 year old son will be very happy.


Hate to break it to you but Thomas is on PBS Kids Sprout not Disney. My 2 1/2 year old is obsessed with Thomas too.

Also for the thread one of my friends is a director of affiliate sales for ESPN so I'll see what if I could grab from him on this and post it.


----------



## Pink Fairy (Dec 28, 2006)

Even more incentive to get HD! Convincing my husband to spend that much on the TV ...well, that might need some work.


----------



## uncrules (Dec 20, 2005)

I'd like to see a sticky here that lists all of the known HD channels that are coming to D* plus the ones we already get. That way we would know what kind of progress has been made towards the 100 channels. I know a poster here had something like that but I haven't the post in a while plus I don't know if he has updated it with the new stuff.


----------



## Car1181 (Mar 30, 2006)

okietekkie said:


> Convincing my husband to spend that much on the TV ...well, that might need some work.


I always thought it was the wife that needed convincing!! It was in this house anyway. But now the wife is hooked and I'm sure all our future TV's will be HD.


----------



## Barmat (Aug 27, 2006)

Wiggles In HD!


----------



## garn9173 (Apr 4, 2005)

Barmat said:


> Wiggles In HD!


Power Rangers in HD, my kid is going to love that


----------



## boba (May 23, 2003)

uncrules said:


> I'd like to see a sticky here that lists all of the known HD channels that are coming to D* plus the ones we already get. That way we would know what kind of progress has been made towards the 100 channels. I know a poster here had something like that but I haven't the post in a while plus I don't know if he has updated it with the new stuff.


I believe yesterday at Directv Revolution in Dallas they announced they had 70 signed contracts for HD channels as soon as they have a satellite to put them on.


----------



## purtman (Sep 19, 2006)

boba said:


> I believe yesterday at Directv Revolution in Dallas they announced they had 70 signed contracts for HD channels as soon as they have a satellite to put them on.


But are those 70 up and running yet? The Weather Channel and CNN have signed contracts but won't be ready until fall.


----------



## carlsbad_bolt_fan (May 18, 2004)

okietekkie said:


> Even more incentive to get HD! *Convincing my husband *to spend that much on the TV ...well, that might need some work.


Convincing your husband? 

Usually it's the wives that need convincing. I know mine did. :grin:


----------



## Radio Enginerd (Oct 5, 2006)

okietekkie said:


> Even more incentive to get HD! Convincing my husband to spend that much on the TV ...well, that might need some work.


Wait did you just say that you have to convince your husband to spend that much on a TV? Talk about a role reversal! 

I think this is a great step in the right direction. I don't really watch much of those networks but it covers a wide variety of people so that's good!


----------



## boba (May 23, 2003)

purtman said:


> But are those 70 up and running yet? The Weather Channel and CNN have signed contracts but won't be ready until fall.


Fall is when D* expects to have it's first satellite released to them for use. Launch will be early summer with 6-8 weeks for testing so maybe Sept.


----------



## Drew2k (Aug 16, 2006)

boba said:


> Fall is when D* expects to have it's first satellite released to them for use. Launch will be early summer with 6-8 weeks for testing so maybe Sept.


Maybe even September 5th?


----------



## deuce01 (Oct 11, 2006)

funkeruski said:


> Kick ass!! The Wiggles and Thomas the Tank Engine in HD. My 2 year old son will be very happy.


I can concur with that!!


----------



## Pink Fairy (Dec 28, 2006)

Radio Enginerd said:


> Wait did you just say that you have to convince your husband to spend that much on a TV? Talk about a role reversal!
> 
> I think this is a great step in the right direction. I don't really watch much of those networks but it covers a wide variety of people so that's good!


He doesn't seem to think that it is worth it with the lack of channels and the fact that the HD locals aren't online yet. In fact, we had planned on getting the HR20 last month b/c locals were supposed to roll out on 02-14. Bue guess what didn't happen??

They are SUPPOSED to be on "Mid-April"

I will just wait and see. I like the HD, He does as well, but it is hard to justify spending the money on the tv and receiver when there isn't much to watch quite yet.


----------



## monetnj (Sep 28, 2004)

This is great news as my son spends a lot of time on Disney and Toon Disney. I wonder if both the west and east coast feeds will be HD and available to both coasts as they are now?

As for The Wiggles, or any currently available animated show, I doubt they will be shown in HD. The Wiggles looked like a studio video taped show in SD. Any older animation was also likely produced in SD too. Have no clue if Disney has had the foresight to produce any of their kids shows currently in production, or recently out of production (Hannah Montana, Suite Life, Phil of the Future etc.) in HD. My bet would be no. Anything done on film could be converted, I guess, but don't know if they would be willing to absorb that cost. Of course, even old shows will look better with the greater bandwidth allowed by HD. Those Disney channels always seem to be over compressed.

In the beginning, I think most of the HD will be in those animated movies they show in the afternoon. The Rescuers, All Dogs go to Heaven, Fox and the Hound, Mulan, the Pixar 3D animated movies would all be good candidates for HD transfers.


----------



## bonscott87 (Jan 21, 2003)

okietekkie said:


> He doesn't seem to think that it is worth it with the lack of channels and the fact that the HD locals aren't online yet. In fact, we had planned on getting the HR20 last month b/c locals were supposed to roll out on 02-14. Bue guess what didn't happen??
> 
> They are SUPPOSED to be on "Mid-April"
> 
> I will just wait and see. I like the HD, He does as well, but it is hard to justify spending the money on the tv and receiver when there isn't much to watch quite yet.


If you get an OTA antenna you'll get all your locals in HD for free and you can record them on the HR20.


----------



## Pink Fairy (Dec 28, 2006)

True. But atm, we have only an 'enhanced' definition tv. Component cable jacks, and does the two 480o's. Blah. Picture is much better than the older TV we had.

And when I showed my husband how much better S-Video was than the other two standard cables...-giggles-


----------



## drjenk (Sep 10, 2004)

Please let these be on the list somewhere. Really, ESPNews is ok, but the other kiddie show stuff really doesn't excite me. Who do they think is paying the bills? I really don't see my kids giving a rip if it's HD or not.


----------



## jimbo09 (Sep 26, 2006)

drjenk said:


> I really don't see my kids giving a rip if it's HD or not.


:lol: With all of the fingerprints and junk I clean off of my 36 inch Sony SDTV in the living room, I don't think my kids are overly concerned with the picture quality either. Ironic that ABC/ESPN is considering the Suite Life of Zack and Cody and the Doodlebops worthy of HD, while CBS figures the American Football Conference is not.


----------



## CB44 (Mar 5, 2007)

Rockywwf said:


> Hate to break it to you but Thomas is on PBS Kids Sprout not Disney. My 2 1/2 year old is obsessed with Thomas too.
> 
> Also for the thread one of my friends is a director of affiliate sales for ESPN so I'll see what if I could grab from him on this and post it.


Well at least we can watch Little Einstiens in HD, my 2 year old is hooked on them and Go Diego.


----------



## purtman (Sep 19, 2006)

CB44 said:


> Well at least we can watch Little Einstiens in HD, my 2 year old is hooked on them and Go Diego.


Go Diego is on Nickelodeon and Noggin, not Disney.


----------



## Jhon69 (Mar 28, 2006)

okietekkie said:


> He doesn't seem to think that it is worth it with the lack of channels and the fact that the HD locals aren't online yet. In fact, we had planned on getting the HR20 last month b/c locals were supposed to roll out on 02-14. Bue guess what didn't happen??
> 
> They are SUPPOSED to be on "Mid-April"
> 
> I will just wait and see. I like the HD, He does as well, but it is hard to justify spending the money on the tv and receiver when there isn't much to watch quite yet.


I have to totally agree with you.The day I spend that much on a TV the last thing I am going to want to watch is a SD picture.


----------



## Kapeman (Dec 22, 2003)

funkeruski said:


> Kick ass!! The Wiggles ....


That's a combination of words I never thought I would see together!!!

:lol:


----------



## harsh (Jun 15, 2003)

drew2k said:


> Maybe even September 5th?


Announcing a go live date before a launch date is established is wishful thinking.


----------



## Steve Mehs (Mar 21, 2002)

cforrest said:


> Take that Time Warner, LOL!
> 
> http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6424080.html?display=Breaking+News


Yep take that Time Warner :lol:

http://www.timewarnercable.com/Inve...ssReleaseDivDetail.ashx?PRID=1649&MarketID=54



> In addition, Time Warner Cable will launch ESPN2 HD and ESPNU later this year, and certain systems will also offer Disney Channel on Demand subscription VOD and ESPN Deportes. *Three new high-definition services from Disney and ESPN Media Networks--ABC Family HD, Disney Channel HD and ESPNEWS HD-will launch in Time Warner Cable systems when they become available in 2008. *


----------



## bonscott87 (Jan 21, 2003)

Steve Mehs said:


> Yep take that Time Warner :lol:
> 
> http://www.timewarnercable.com/Inve...ssReleaseDivDetail.ashx?PRID=1649&MarketID=54


Of course, on which 2 systems nationwide? There are 2 TWC systems around here that *just* went digital and 1 that is still analog only.


----------



## DawgLink (Nov 5, 2006)

ESPNEWS in HD is awesome. Always wondered when they would get that up


----------



## Steve Mehs (Mar 21, 2002)

bonscott87 said:


> Of course, on which 2 systems nationwide? There are 2 TWC systems around here that *just* went digital and 1 that is still analog only.


More then likely the vast majority of franchises will get the new HD channels when launched. When it comes down to it, between this announcement, future Time Warner owned HD channels and existing HD channels TW carries that D* doesn't there's a bit of DirecTVs potential future HD channels right there.

It's an exciting time to be an HD customer and I fully believe in Time Warner to give me the best HD experience around and this does nothing but back it up.


----------

