# ESPN-HD, can't they just get this done!!!



## oblio98 (Sep 17, 2002)

Haven't these people learned from the Cablevision/YES problems? At least ESPN-HD is not regional. With Best Buy and all subsidizing the HD stuff, you think they would want to get this on the Dish to sell more HDTV sets and boxes at Best Buy. 

SPORTS SELLS THIS STUFF!!!!!

Let's do it before the summer is over, and the cable companies get up to speed.

Comon Charlie and Bristol, CT - MAKE A DEAL!!!!

:-jon


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## normang (Nov 14, 2002)

Based on heresay, the actual number of hours of HD on ESPN-HD at the moment isn't that great, . So, I would prefer to wait until a reasonable deal can be made for the actual amount of the delivered HD programming.. As opposed to paying a rate to see a bunch of SD in16x9.


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## durl (Mar 27, 2003)

I'm with you, normang. I won't pay a monthly fee to watch one show per day in HD on ESPN. I know there are people that will and that's fine. But I don't want Directv to hike up my monthly rates to cover the hit they're going to take by paying what Disney is asking for all of their channels right now.


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## DarrellP (Apr 24, 2002)

The last Charlie Chat he stated that there is currently only 6 hours of actual HD programming per week and what Charlie wants to do is add HD channels that are pumping out HD 24/7, that's why the HDNET stuff will be up this summer.

Personally, I don't watch very many sports, and when I do, they are in HD, so I feel your pain. HD sports will be a big boon to the industry, but unless ESPN gets off their high falutin' horse and quits trying to extort the carriers, I hope Charlie just says NO.


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## Eyedox (Nov 25, 2002)

I agree ... Charlie is not stupid ... he WILL add ESPN-HD when they have DAILY HD sports programming including SportsCenter HD next year. Right now it's not worth it. HDNet Sports is a MUCH better value right now ... ALL HD and cheaper. Hopefully, the slow acceptance of ESPN-HD to cable and satellite providers should be a wake up call to Disney to get their sh*t together and add MUCH MORE HD Sporting events in HD. None of this one game a week crap.


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## Lee L (Aug 15, 2002)

> _Originally posted by DarrellP _
> *The last Charlie Chat he stated that there is currently only 6 hours of actual HD programming per week and what Charlie wants to do is add HD channels that are pumping out HD 24/7, that's why the HDNET stuff will be up this summer.
> 
> *


The problem I see with this argument is that they are running Discovery HD right now and it has about 6 hours of new stuff a *month* and they charge 8 bucks for it. Using their own logic, why the heck is DHD on?


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## Scott Greczkowski (Mar 21, 2002)

But Discovery HD is 24 hours HD, And that's the difference,

ESPN HD has about 3 - 6 hours a week on in HD.

Why pay for HD when there is no HD on it.


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## RAD (Aug 5, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Scott Greczkowski _
> *But Discovery HD is 24 hours HD, And that's the difference,
> 
> ESPN HD has about 3 - 6 hours a week on in HD.
> ...


Sorry but I don't agree. As mentioned in the previous post Discover-HD adds only 6 to 8 hours of new programming each month (if that much). Some of it now is old movies that aren't the reason that I subsribed to Discovery-HD for. So you're saying that it's OK to pay $8/month just because the signal is 1080i, doesn't matter that the content is, just that it's 1080i?

Yes, ESPN-HD currently has a majority of upconvert but the 1080i that they are showing is live sports, which MANY people are saying is the 'killer' application for HDTV. So make the thing an ala cart channel and allow the folks that want to pay for ESPN-HD pay. This way nobody's paying 'extra' for a channel they don't want. Dish is supposed to have some extra transponders available now, so uplink it, make a few bucks from monthly subscriptions and get rid of those 8PSK mods sitting in the warehouse.


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## Scott Greczkowski (Mar 21, 2002)

It would be a killer application if most of its programming was in HD.

Why pay twice ($2 a month for ESPN HD and another $1 a month for ESPN HD) when the majority of the programming is standard definition.

I also believe that ESPN HD is a killer application but until they ramp up HD production it is still a pipe dream.


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## normang (Nov 14, 2002)

It would be nice if based on the variety of HD programming that the rate on DHD would be lower than it is. However I get the feeling that DHD will be bundled with the larger package when it comes available. so that you already know what to expect dollar-wise for an HD package..


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## Scott Greczkowski (Mar 21, 2002)

I also expect the price to go down on Discovery HD when their new HD Package is announced. 

I would not be surprised to see the HD package cost around $11.95 a month and I would also not be surprised to see it include ESPN-HD. 

This is all speculation of course.


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## RAD (Aug 5, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Scott Greczkowski _
> *I also expect the price to go down on Discovery HD when their new HD Package is announced.
> 
> I would not be surprised to see the HD package cost around $11.95 a month and I would also not be surprised to see it include ESPN-HD.
> ...


Scott, first of all I don't think we'll agree on this point. I've been saying make ESPN-HD an ala cart package, you don't want to pay for ESPN twice. I don't think that I want to re-up for Discovery-HD, based on their current programming, but you're more then happy to have me pat $11.95 for a HD package that includes ESPN-HD.

All I'm saying is to offer the Dish customer a choice, nobody is forcing anyone to pay twice for ESPN-HD, but you take the stand that we shouldn't even be offered the choice to decide on our own.


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## Scott Greczkowski (Mar 21, 2002)

Rad I see what your saying and I agree with you, I would rahter have ALL my channels Ala Cart, but it appears what is going to happen is a general HD package.

This was even mentioned on the last Charlie Chat.

It will be interesting to see how it all comes together.

Me I am already at the point where I am saying do I really want to pay more just to watch HD? (I get a lot of HD off the air here)


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## Ken_F (Jan 13, 2003)

> HDNet Sports is a MUCH better value right now ... ALL HD and cheaper. Hopefully, the slow acceptance of ESPN-HD to cable and satellite providers should be a wake up call to Disney to get their sh*t together and add MUCH MORE HD Sporting events in HD. None of this one game a week crap.


Just to be clear, Hdnet Sports was cancelled (or should I say, delayed indefinitely). ESPN-HD currently has far more live professional sports than Hdnet. The HDTV schedule for ESPN-HD this week:

5/20 NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 1
5/24 NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 3
5/25 Major League Baseball - Twins vs Mariners
5/26 NBA Eastern Conference Finals Game 4
5/27 NHL Stanley Cup Finals Game 1
5/29 NHL Stanley Cup Finals Game 2

If all you care about is Sportscenter, then ESPN-HD is not for you. On the other hand, if you actually watch live sports...


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## durl (Mar 27, 2003)

5 HD programs in a 7-day period? They might as well make ESPN-HD a PPV option. I'm sure ESPN doesn't want that...it seems that it would kill their advertising opportunities.

I'm hanging tough with my original principle. I'll pay for HD content, but it MUST be a reasonable price for the content I receive. I may have HD satellite, and HD TV, great speakers, etc., but I'm still on a budget and I don't want my rates to go through the roof and I'm afraid that's what's going to happen if Disney is allowed to charge extraordinary amounts of cash for their networks.


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## Ken_F (Jan 13, 2003)

durl-

Five HD sporting events, but each event may be 2.5 to 3.5 hours. If you total up the hours, ESPN is offering more unique HDTV programming this week than any other channel, except for HBO and Showtime.

That said, the NBA and NHL seasons are about over. After the seasons for those sports come to an end, there won't be much to watch on ESPN-HD until this fall, aside from MLB and various college sports. This fall, when the NFL (Sept), MLB, NHL (Oct), and NBA (Oct) seasons overlap, there could well be five HDTV sporting events on ESPN-HD every week.


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## durl (Mar 27, 2003)

If ESPN-HD gets to 5 HD events per DAY, then the network might be worth subscribing to. Sure, HD-Net has a few shows and repeats then often during the month, but as of right now, HD-Net is free.

I'm hoping that the "major" networks will expand their HD sports offerings this year which would be terrific for those of us in areas covered by OTA signals. With that in mind I find it interesting that it's very possible that by 2004, I could be watching more HD sports programming on my local channels for FREE while Disney is charging for it.


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## Ken_F (Jan 13, 2003)

durl,

Hdnet is going pay channel in a few months. It is already a pay channel on every provider but DirecTV, which got a free two-year grace period--which is almost up.

ESPN will offer more HDTV sporting events this year than all the other networks have offered in the past three (maybe four) years combined. And ESPN's HDTV event schedule will increase by 50% next year.


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## durl (Mar 27, 2003)

Then bring on ESPN-HD if the content is there and the price is reasonable. I get the impression that some feel that I'm anti-ESPN but I'm not. I'm for good content at a good price...the main reason I switched to Directv. ESPN expanding by 50% sounds nice but all that means is that they'll broadcast 10 events per week instead of 7. That's more major sports in HD than any other network, true, but if the price isn't reasonabe (notice I didn't say LOW, but reasonable) I won't pay. For example, I can't justify paying $10/month for 2-3 games a week that interest me. If money were no object, I wouldn't think twice about it, but in the real world some of us have to make smart budget decisions and there are a lot of us out here that make up Directv's customer base that are on budgets.

Bring on ESPN, but make it worth it.

(Nice one-handed typing, huh?? A baby in one arm makes typing a LONG process.)


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