WHY Hasn't There Been Any New HD Channels Added Lately?

[charliewatts]

Where's BBC America HD?

Where's Cartoon HD?

Where's TVLAND HD?

Where's Ovation HD?

Where's WLNY 10/55 HD?  A NYC area CBS Owned and Operated Channel!

Where's H2 HD?

Where's CBS Sports Net HD?

Where's HLN HD?

[tns]

Actually there were some added relatively recently in NY (you mentioned other NY channels) and 3 Pay sports channels in Mpeg-4 were also just added.

The introduction of MPEG-4 may soon mean more channels added, and others changed to MPEG-4 to make room for channels.

Personally I don't want to see any channel sent to FIOS as MPEG-2 changed to MPEG-4(some want all changed over).  But I have no problem with them stop converting those channels being delivered to them in MPEG-4 back to MPEG-2.  If all of those in MPEG-4 were delivered as such there would probably be more than enough space to add the channels many are asking for.

Of course Verizon will probably take some time to avoid being inundated  by those needing to trade in 6xxx boxes.

[rantanamo]

Channels changing over to Mpeg 4 is not a reduction in quality, but rather a more efficient codec, which would compress the data throughput to a smaller size while maintaining the quality.  The only downside here would be the need to trade in boxes that aren't Mpeg 4 compatible.

[jumpin68ny]

tns, do you know what channels were added?

[charliewatts]

He's refering to MSG HD, MSG2 HD and MSG+ HD.  These are NY area sports channels, that Verizon had fought for years to carry. 

Cablevision, who owns the MSG properties, had refused to let Verizon carry the tv home of the Knicks, Rangers, Islanders and Devils. The NYS courts said they had to, after many years.

Once the NBA and NHL seasons are over, they show WNBA Liberty games, and endless infomercials.  So really, the didn't add 3 channels.   It's 2, with an over run channel.  1 channel (really) in the summer. 

[charliewatts]

Nothing Solved!!!!!!!

Still no answer as to why there hav been no new HD channels added lately?

Any answers??

[bobbo527]

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@charliewatts wrote:

Nothing Solved!!!!!!!

Still no answer as to why there hav been no new HD channels added lately?

Any answers??

---

Because Verizon is completely out of QAM space, in other words there is no room for any new channels. This is why they are starting to move from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4. I am not a techie and cannot spout off all the specifics but apparently MPEG-4 uses less space.

But it does not explain why they continue to carry garbage channels like all those .tv channels that spend most of their broadcast day showing commercials and infomercials in STANDARD DEFINITION. All the space they waste on those unwatched channels would be better spent of channels it's subscribers actaully do want.

[spotsydavis]

Exactly--I can only surmise that some executive for the .TV channels has incriminating photos of some Verizon executive locked in a safety deposit box somewhere. That can be the only explanation for those channels taking up QAM space.

If Verizon replaced those six channels with 6 of the following, customer satisfaction would go through the roof:

Cartoon Network HD--come on Fios, this is a no-brainer...

BBC HD--this network has slid but is still decent...

GOL HD--not a soccer fan, but hard to argue that soccer and hockey  don't suffer most in SD

HLN HD--again, a no-brainer...

CBS Sports Network HD--contrary to what anti sports people believe, this is an important channels that carries exclusive live college football/basketball especially for non-BCS types of conferences. it's not a regurgitation of previous cbs programming...

Hallmark Channel HD--we have Hallmark Movie Channel HD but not this?? c'mon man!

OWN HD--not my thing but very popular with my better half...

Cooking Channel HD--see above...

G4 HD--every other provider has this except for Fios and Direct TV...

H2 HD--actually has better quality programming that History Channel HD...

Universal Sports Network HD--three words...Olympics, London, 2012...

Sony Movie Channel--classic movies from their extensive vault...

[jetman56]

How about DIY HD?  

[rpfeirstein]

But FIOS repeats the same cable network  2 and even 3 times on the channel lineup. This makes no sense when there is no room left to add new channels. You would think this would be a no-brainer.