HD Channels And Programming From Cable And Satellite
Two companies supply all-HD channels to cable systems. Mojo (formerly INHD; owned by In Demand) and HDNet (co-owned by Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban) each air movies, documentaries, concerts, reality shows, bikini contests, sports, and even reruns of old filmed series such as Hogan’s Heroes.
Old TV shows that were shot and edited on film look better on HD than they did when they first came out, as long as the original film elements have been properly preserved. Shows shot on film but edited in NTSC video, as many prime-time shows in the
1990s don’t look any better than they did originally.
The owners of the established cable channels have taken one of three approaches for HDTV conversion:
• One channel at a time:
HBO and Showtime premiered their HDTV feeds on satellite in 1998. They’re now also available on many (though not all) cable systems, along with HD versions of other main premium channels (Cinemax, The Movie Channel, Encore, Starz). HBO, Showtime, and Starz are now rolling out HD versions of some of their “multiplex” subsidiary channels.
Besides the premium channels, the following established national cable/satellite channels have launched HD versions: CNN, TNT, TBS, ESPN, ESPN2, Food Network, HGTV, National Geographic, A&E, Discovery, TLC, Animal Planet, the Science Channel, the History, Lifetime Movie Network, USA, Bravo, Sci Fi, the Weather Channel, the NFL Network, NBA TV, the Big Ten Network, the Golf Channel, and Versus (formerly OLN). The new Fox Business Network launched in October 2007 in both SD and HD feeds. (These HD channels’ schedules may vary from those of their respective parent channels; some of their programming may be up-converted from SD.)
Many regional sports channels, including most local variants of Fox Sports Net, also transmit HD versions on participating cable systems on at least part-time schedules.
Channels announced to launch HD versions later in 2007–2008 include BBC America, CNBC, Speed Channel, Fuel TV, Biography, Spike, the Tennis Channel, College Sports TV (CSTV), Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, MTV, Country Music Television (CMT),
VH1, FX, ABC Family, the Disney Channel, Toon Disney, and ESPNews; plus the new MGM HD movie channel.
• Grouping several channels into one:
In the 1990s, niche marketing was the name of the cable programming game. The big media companies launched ever-narrower new channels and spin-offs from their existing channels.
In the early 2000s, many of these same media giants consolidated their properties for HD. They did this because many cable-system operators were reluctant to add a lot of HD channels while most of their customers didn’t have HD sets.
Discovery HD Theater aired programs from the main Discovery and its TLC, Animal Planet, and other spin offs. NBC Universal had Universal HD, offering programs from its USA, Bravo, and Sci Fi channels and the Universal film library. MHD combined material from Viacom’s music channels MTV, VH1, CMT, and BET. Fox HDTV combined material from FX and Fox Movie Channel, as well as Fox network repeats.
As these companies roll out HD versions of their established brands, their catch-all HD channels are being re-branded. Universal HD, as an example, has become USA HD.
• Providing HD shows to other channel operators:
Several established cable channels supplied selected programs to Mojo or HDNet, while building a library of programs to eventually run on HD channels of their own. These channels included E, A&E, and Hallmark.
So in February 2009, you can expect to see a lot of your favorite classic television shows along with new programming broadcast directly to your new flat-screen television in high-defintion. If you’re still waiting to get a great deal on a new flat-screen television in anticipation of HD television; you can always find a deal online no matter what size screen you’re looking for. Here a 5 great HDTV deals for under $1000, and just in time for Christmas, so you can enjoy digital broadcast television from just about every channel on cable and satellite.
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