BHN and ESPN2HD - will it ever happen?

[MTAS]

I really don't want to switch to DirecTV just to get ESPN2HD for the new NHRA season, but for the love of cake - BHN is completely dropping the ball for crying out loud. Are there any rumors or approximate dates when it will happen, if ever? Sheesh

[LonghornXP]

I really don't want to switch to DirecTV just to get ESPN2HD for the new NHRA season, but for the love of cake - BHN is completely dropping the ball for crying out loud. Are there any rumors or approximate dates when it will happen, if ever? Sheesh

I've been told directly from Fred Dresslers office that ESPN2 HD carriage on TWC and BHN will be done very soon but I can't give an exact date as a deal hasn't quite been done yet but its very close like I said. Also Fred is the VP of programming for TWC.

[Zimmy]

Maybe we can pass Fred the memo about Starz and Cinemax being available in HD!

[MTAS]

I've been told directly from Fred Dresslers office that ESPN2 HD carriage on TWC and BHN will be done very soon but I can't give an exact date as a deal hasn't quite been done yet but its very close like I said. Also Fred is the VP of programming for TWC.

I appreciate the info very much! I'll hold out a little longer - man I hope it's before the end of the 2006 NHRA season in November :D

[LonghornXP]

Maybe we can pass Fred the memo about Starz and Cinemax being available in HD!

I wouldn't expect Cinemax HD as they consider it the same as HBO HD. I also wouldn't expect to see Starz HD for these reasons below.

Starz wants TWC to get both Starz HD and Starz On Demand at their terms or nothing at all. Well the holdup has never been the Starz HD channel. The problem has and still is the fact that Starz wants Starz On Demand to be offered to all Starz customers free of charge while TWC wants the choice of requiring a customers to order their Premiums On Demand service for said customers to get Starz On Demand. Starz won't work a deal without Starz On Demand being free to all Starz customers and TWC is still being pricks about it as they won't work a new contract unless they can have the right to charge customers for it via their Premiums On Demand service.

[CableGuy]

In my opinion, Starz is the best of all premiums if you are into new release movies to cable. I usually see new movies on Starz long before any other premium carrier.

[Jodeus]

Wondering if BHN is looking to add NFL Network now that 8 regular season games will be broadcase on that network including, from what I've heard, Dallas' Thanksgiving NIGHT game.

-Jody

[LonghornXP]

Wondering if BHN is looking to add NFL Network now that 8 regular season games will be broadcase on that network including, from what I've heard, Dallas' Thanksgiving NIGHT game.

-Jody

It would be more likely that TWC will sign a carriage agreement with NFL Network that would pass down to BHN customers. Also I do feel that TWC will have a deal in place with NFL Network before their football coverage starts as you might have a few million customers pissed off at them. Think about two million customers switching to satellite and telco offerings because I can. In simple terms it won't be worth the risk to not carry it.

[Jodeus]

Are there any updates on this?
I saw a thread on the AVS forum that ESPN2HD is close to coming to TWC but then I saw that NFL Network is no where close and may not be on the lineup before the season.

-Jody

[millerman101]

the regular cinemax sucks... no need for it in HD too..

[bucdup]

Could we please by some miracle BHN.. Please add ESPN2 HD before the start of the World Cup.. Don't make us try to view the blurriness that is your SD !!!!

Geeeezzzzzz !!! How long does it take ???

Here's hoping for FIOS real soon in pasco

[LonghornXP]

Could we please by some miracle BHN.. Please add ESPN2 HD before the start of the World Cup.. Don't make us try to view the blurriness that is your SD !!!!

Geeeezzzzzz !!! How long does it take ???

Here's hoping for FIOS real soon in pasco

I wish BHN showed ESPN2 in SDTV but no they must offer it in analog.

[jcpicard]

And now Comcast just added ESPN2HD in some of their markets today. Wish we had that same miracle. Come on BHN, please step up to the plate soon.

[pilotbob]

I wish BHN showed ESPN2 in SDTV but no they must offer it in analog.

SD = Standard Definition.

So, Analog or Digital it is still SD.

[LonghornXP]

SD = Standard Definition.

So, Analog or Digital it is still SD.

Nope and I'm sorry to say that your a little wrong on this. SDTV is a digital TV format is it not. Last time I checked an analog signal isn't a digital signal and as such cannot be considered an SDTV (digital) signal.

Also note that analog cable channels have 330 lines of resolution which is the max they can go on cable using a 6Mhz spot. Now SDTV on the other hand which would include all channels above 99 on BHN have 480 lines of resolution. Now if BHN were to take a cable channels that is sent to them at 330 lines of resolution be sending it out as 480i will make it look a little better it still won't be that great. But nearly all analog channels on BHN are sent to BHN in nothing worse than a 480i signal at a very high bitrate so they would greatly benefit by being in SDTV format instead of analog. DVD movies are also considered an SDTV offering as the files are in a digital format with 480 lines of resolution either in an interlaced or progressive scan format.

Now again I do agree with that point that garbage in will always lead to garbage out but in this day and age nearly all channels offered today are in very high quality formats and it will always be the limits of broadcasting to our homes and our TV sets that limit just how much of that high quality image we get to see.

[SixIron]

Brighthouse's inability to provide services such as ESPN2 HD in a timely manner will certainly be remembered when Verizon TV comes available in my area.

The wait for ESPN HD was over 8 months IIRC.

NBC was over a year.

6 months and counting for ESPN2 HD.

[LonghornXP]

Brighthouse's inability to provide services such as ESPN2 HD in a timely manner will certainly be remembered when Verizon TV comes available in my area.

The wait for ESPN HD was over 8 months IIRC.

NBC was over a year.

6 months and counting for ESPN2 HD.

Yup ESPN HD took 1 year and 5 months to launch on BHN. ESPN2 HD right now has been available for about 1 year and 5 months and counting. Also BHN didn't carry both WFLA-DT and WTSP-DT for at least three years that I can remember and they still don't offer WTTA-DT or WTOG-DT either.

[quezilla]

I am another customer who is pretty pissed at BHN. I love how they have been telling us for the last 6 months "we are always working on getting more channels" :rolleyes: NFL Network even had a place on their web site to put a request, to let your cable company know you want it. As if they really look at that. They know we want it, I just have a feeling the NFL set a very high price tag.

What sucks for me is that I live in a condo that has an agreement with BHN on standard cable. So when Verizon does become available, it may be tough to get approved by the condo association. The manager explained something to me about BHN owning the cable ran into the buildings, but I would think Verizon would need to run their own anyways.

Also, from what I understand BHN will always be cheaper than Verizon because Verizons cable is state regulated. In other words, BHN can always under cut on the price of cable tv, but Verizon has the ability to lover internet cost. Can someone please confirm this for me.

The real question is the Sunday Ticket, and if it will be available thru Verizon. I am considering getting a sling-box and dividing the cost up for the Ticket amongst a few friends. That will cut the outrageous price of the package real quick:D

[pilotbob]

Nope and I'm sorry to say that your a little wrong on this. SDTV is a digital TV format is it not. Last time I checked an analog signal isn't a digital signal and as such cannot be considered an SDTV (digital) signal.


I don't think that there is any "official" definition of SD or standard definition just like there isn't any official definition of HD. From what I have seen SD is generally 480p or lower and HD is 720p or higher. I also remember some TV's being indicated as ED (Enhanced Definition) which I think was actually 480p.

I have seen some definitions as:

SD = 480i
ED = 480p
HD = 720p/1080i

That said there is also the issue of analog vs. digital. Neither of these actually force a specific resolution as I understand it. That said, due to bandwith issues I don't think there is anything higher than 480i being transmitted in analog, unless you count the component cables between your set-top box and your TV, that is actually an analog signal... so is an RGB/VGA signal from a PC.

So, I think it can be said that we are both wrong and both right depending on your definition of SD. This is why I think it is generally better to talk about the resolution rather than these letters.

What I also think you are implying is that the "digital feed" (99+ channels) of NBC/ABC/etc that comes to the house are 480p and the "analog" feed (1-98 channels) are 480i. In that case, yes the 480p digital feed will be much nicer than the 480i analog feed. But, I personally still consider these "SD".

(Webster, please see this thread!!!)

BOb

[bdraw]

The real question is the Sunday Ticket, and if it will be available thru Verizon. I am considering getting a sling-box and dividing the cost up for the Ticket amongst a few friends. That will cut the outrageous price of the package real quick:D

DIRECTV has an exclusive on the sunday ticket for the foreseable future and the Slingbox can only have one client connected to it at a time so your friends would have to take turns.