Dish: HD Ramp-Up Ahead of Schedule
Satellite-TV provider will hit 100-channel mark in August.
By Glen Dickson -- Broadcasting & Cable, 7/11/2008 8:33:00 AM
Direct-to-home satellite operator Dish Network said late Thursday that it will launch 17 new national HD channels Aug. 1, meeting its previously stated goal of broadcasting 100 national HD channels by year-end some five months ahead of schedule.
Dish will also unveil an HD-only programming packed called “TurboHD” that starts at $24.99 per month, which it called the first 100%-HD-programming package offered in the pay TV industry (it must not be counting the failed Voom satellite service).
TurboHD offers the most-watched HD channels in four separate tiers and can be viewed on analog, digital and HDTVs, since Dish’s HD set-tops can also provide a downconverted analog version of an HD channel.
"In January, we promised our customers that Dish Network would boost our national HD-channel lineup to 100 by year's end,” said Eric Sahl, senior vice president of programming for Dish Network, in a statement. “Today, we are proud to say that in less than one year, not only did we deliver on our commitment, but we exceeded it.”
The new HD channels that will be added are: ActionMax HD (Dish Network channel 313), CBS College Sports HD (152), Lifetime HD (108), Lifetime Movie Network HD (109), Planet Green HD (194), Encore HD (340), HBO 2 HD (301), HBO Comedy HD (307), HBO Family HD (305), HBO Latino HD (309), HBO Signature HD (302),HBO West HD (303), HBO Zone HD (308), Starz Comedy HD (354), Starz Edge HD (352), Starz Kids & Family HD (356) and Starz West HD (351).
According to Dish chief marketing officer Jessica Insalaco, TurboHD addresses the well-documented trend that HDTV subscribers tend to stick to HD-programming channels and seldom watch standard-definition programming.
TurboHD Bronze is $24.99 per month for a “core package” of HD channels, or $29.99 with local channels, and it can be upgraded to the TurboHD Bronze DishDVR Advantage package with a DVR set-top for $34.99
Other packages include TurboHD Silver for $32.99 per month or $37.99 with local channels and TurboHD Gold for $39.99 or $44.99 with local channels.
The TurboHD Platinum platform package, which costs $10 per month, can be added in order to receive HD channels that do not have corresponding SD channels.
