last HD for Bronze ?

[JH1949]

Is NGC HD channel the start of a future trend ? If we have to subscribe to the metallic that has the SD version of an HD channel from now on, does that mean that the next addition will probably be the last for Bronze ?

Food HD
Hist HD
A&E HD
MTV HD

What else is there on Bronze with any likelihood of being offered in HD after that (serious sensible answers please)

 

[sfollenius]

I am sure E* will go with the guidelines that if there is an SD version AND you get the SD version in your current pack, you will get it in HD.

 

[JH1949]

Also, what HD channels will the HD Standalone get ?

(1) fixed price, but only same HD channels as Bronze ?

(2) continuously increasing price, but all new HD channels as E* adds them, excluding HD in moviepaks ?

 

[hammerdown]

I am sure E* will go with the guidelines that if there is an SD version AND you get the SD version in your current pack, you will get it in HD.

What guidelines? This is the first time an HD channel comes with a pre-requisite that you must have the SD counterpart... and I think it stinks.

Hammer

 

[Mike4HDTV]

What guidelines? This is the first time an HD channel comes with a pre-requisite that you must have the SD counterpart... and I think it stinks.

Hammer

Agreed.

 

[MikeD-C05]

Dish wants you to sub to the highest programming out there so in defense of a company that wants to make a profit and increase average subscriber programming totals , it makes sense. I wonder how this affects the hd pack only customers ? I wonder if they still get all the hd channels or if they make an allowance since they have no other programming but hd.

 

[M Sparks]

Yeah, we'll probably have to wait until the 7th to see if anyone who has the HD Pack still gets NatGeo HD.

Since the standalone HD pack is $10 higher, I would hope that extra money is to cover extra programming costs associated with "unbundled" channels- especially these simulcast channels (ESPNs, TNT, NatGeo).

Most of the money in subscriber fees is to pay for programming. Hypothetical example...lets say Nat Geo charges 50 cents for the SD OR HD version, and 60 cents for both. It makes sense that they would have to restrict the HD version to the packge that contains the SD version, or the price of the lower package would be driven up. BUT, since the stand-alone HD Pack subscribers pay more, they should get it too.

Bundling the HD and SD channels together should save money in the long run. I was pretty unhappy about having to pay an extra $10 just so I could get Discovery HD and HDNET, because I knew I was paying TWICE for ESPN and TNT, which I never watch anyway.

BUT, if someone is willing to pay $30 for a very small number of HD channels, they should get everything. AND, the HD Bronze (or Silver) customers should have the option to switch to AT60 and HD Pack, so they can get ALL the HD channels, while still hanging on to a few basic SD channels.

 

[lrossnm]

I would pay an extra $10 a month for a few more "quality" HD channels but not $20 to get NTGHD only.

 

[sfollenius]

I just don't get it. Why should E* give you a channel in HD that you don't pay for in SD, they would lose money this way. And I guess guidelines wasn't the right word to use but Scott said himself that this is the schema E* is using for additional HD channels.

 

[BFG]

Because it's not like they're paying for the SD channel and getting the HD for free. They're paying seperate for the HD channel, thus is why channels like ESPN and TNT were not free and one had to pay extra for the HD pack to receive them. So since the HD channels cost extra, they have the ability to place them in the same HD tier as all HD channels, since that's how it's currently set up. The Dish HD tiers are sorted by the SD channels and the same $20 is added to each tier which pays for all the HD channels

 

[lrossnm]

BFG:

You "hit the nail on the head". That is exactly the way I see it.

 

[Mr.Pinkeye]

tiered hd

I don't know why everybody is acting so surprised that E* would start putting different channels in their tiers. Did anyone really expect that the bronze HD package and the gold HD package would stay the same for long?