But...but...MAN the Rockies/Padres game looked stunning in HD last night, and since all the playoffs are on TBS, the TBS-HD has come just in time, driving all baseball fans in my office with Comcast completely insanse.

Agreed. I was kinda shocked when I got home last night an turned on the game. It looked incredible.

(but not all the playoffs are on TBS. Just the Divisional Series and the NL Championship Series. The AL Championship Series and the World Series are on FOX)

I did just hear that about Fox & the ALCS, yes, and I wasn't referring to the World Series. Regardless, it's a huge coup for DirecTV to have the playoffs in HD while Comcast/other cable customers suffer. A guy I work with spent half an hour on the phone w/Comcast yesterday only to be told they have no plans to add TBS or other HD channels "at this time."

A number of cable companies have added TBS-HD, including Time Warner here in Albany. It's certainly not exclusive to DirecTV.

but... but... that's fine, but just don't stretch out the 4x3 OAR... my problem is that they choose to smoosh that type stuff... just up convert it to the best PQ you can and leave it OAR... I can't watch smooshed oompa-loompa crap!

But yes, stuff that is not smooshed looked very good, including the Rockies/SD game.

New HD channels this morning - Bravo, USA, SciFi, HBO-West, and a bunch of RSNs. Might not be everything we want, but at least they are adding channels. Now to see if USA and SciFi broadcast HD shows in true HD.

I'm a directv customer without HD service.

Does anyone know what percentage of NBA games are in HD? I have the NBA package. I'm a Chicago Bulls fan and might take the plunge if most of their games are in HD.

Thanks.

Not an NBA fan, but I'd guess most of the Bulls games will be in HD now since Comcast-Chicago is one of the stations that launched today. If CSN-Chicago is your regional sports network, then you wouldn't even need the League Pass.

Do you already have an HDTV?

I have an HDTV - but use it primarily for HDDVDs and Standard DVDs and Sports. I watch very little broadcast television.

I'm in Ohio so CSN-Chicago isn't my regional sports network. I have had the league pass for years.

I'm cheap, but if the majority of Bulls games will be in HD it might be time to pull the trigger.

You and me both. Go Bulls!

This is my first NBA League Pass, but I've heard that up to 75% of the games will be in HD. If you do have Comcast Sports Chicago, the HD channel launched today, as the poster above said, and they show a ton of Bulls games...I think at least half. So those will all be in HD.

Just get one - if you've had DirecTV for a while, you should be able to get an HR20 for about $20.

DirecTV added more channels today.

* Cinemax East (Channel 512)
* Cinemax West (Channel 514)
* HBO West (Channel 504)
* Bravo (Channel 273)
* SciFi Channel (Channel 244)
* USA Network (Channel 242)
* Comcast SportsNet Chicago HD (Channel 640)
* Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic HD (Channel 629)
* New England Sports Network/NESN HD(Channel 623)
* SportsNet New York HD (Channel 625)
* YES HD (Channel 622)

Music HD (MHD) on channel 332 was added this morning.

EchoStar starts counting HD PPV channels in order to maintain their HD advantage

That is pretty weak, but also not very surprising. E* is supposedly running out of bandwidth and appears to be getting desperate. Their "victory" will be short-lived though, if they really are running out of bandwidth.

That reminds me of the Comcast billboards around here that say that their internet service is "driven by fiber optics", to make you think that it is similar to FiOS.

I have 2 of the same hd dvrs (the directv model, not tivo). one has the new HD channels and one doesnt (it still have hd locals and the hd channels in the 70s). i restarted it but it didnt add any. if i try to manually go to a channel, like History HD by typing in the channel number it gives a "channel not availble." any ideas?

You'll still see HD channels in the 70s, since they haven't turned off the MPEG2 feeds (and likely won't for a long time). Some channels are only available in the 70s.

As for your problem, try:
1) Restart the DVR (through the menus is preferred over just yanking the cord)
2) Have DirecTV reauthorize you

i restarted the box (unplugged it when i moved it to a different room yesterday) so i guess i have to call directv. thanks

You can have your services refreshed without calling, using the link I gave above. If it makes you log in, then log in and paste the link back into the same window.

ok. i'll try that if i can remember my login/password

I don't know how much room they have, but they do have 3 sats up, I believe. Hopefully, if they ever decide they need more space before they launch another, they get rid of the PPV and the NHL stations.

I think it is as much how they use what they have, rather than just how many satellites they have. If DirecTV had stayed with MPEG2, there is no way they could have anywhere near 100 HD channels by end of the year, so started the transition from MPEG2 to MPEG4. I"m not sure what format E* uses.

Rumors for channels added tomorrow:

MGMHD
CNBCHD
NGCHD

I'll take 'em. Wednesday mornings are becoming kind of fun for me.

Live this morning:

CNBC (355)
Food HD (231-1) not a simulcast of Food Network on 231
MGM (255)
National Geographic (276)

Look good

MGMHD, commercial free movies in OAR.