No one at Star Choice seems to have any idea either.

No one at Star Choice seems to have any idea either.

Hey, you can't use the same reply for all the SC threads...

but then again, it's true ;)

-gmd

Response to the same question I asked on the Dialogue Zone on Friday.

"Thank you for taking the time to contact us!

Currently we are not sure how many new HD channels are coming online or the time frame we are looking at.

Thanks for choosing Star Choice!

If you have any further questions, feel free to contact us again.

Joyce

Administration Team"

I was told on Saturday (by CSR) that 4 new HD channels would be available before the end of the year...he didn't know which ones though. Not much news.

I Not much news.

You won't see anything new until :
a) 2 to 3 weeks after SES Americom gets FCC approval to move AMC 16 from 85 degrees (so they can lease it to Telesat for service @118.7)
or
b) Telesat finds a temporary home for the occasional feed F2 Ku band customers; thereby freeing up 2 transponders

Obviously, there is no incentive for Bell to do anything.

SC customers will be LUCKY to see the Stanley Cup finals in HD. Only in Communist Canada could slackers like the Shaws become multimillionaires.

Is it not illegal or considered false advertizing to advertize to new customers that 4 new HD channels will be available in October and then not have them available? I guess that is a way out if someone wanted out of their contract...

I get my dish on Thursday so I don't think I want out yet but would like to know what else is coming in HD. Damn the marketing team!

disappointing. they should be accountable if theyre going to advertise it.

Is it not illegal or considered false advertizing to advertize to new customers that 4 new HD channels will be available in October and then not have them available?
You'd think so, but apperently not. CP24 and The New VI were both advertised as "comming soon" starting in mid-late 2004 (I don't remember the exact date) and didn't actually launch until August of 2005. If Star Choice is doing the same thing again, I'm betting there aren't any applicable legal ramifications...

Anywho, with the number of people picking up the 505, there may finally be the numbers there to launch more HD services.

I am going to switch to satellite in the next little while as Shaw cable only has 4 HD channels in my area and I plan to get an HD tv. I e-mailed *C about my choice being influenced by their HD offering compared to Bell's. I got a reply today.

"Although we cannot comment on which channels we are going to provide, we are planning on adding a few new HD channels this fall. It is too early to know how many or which, but we are making every effort to add as many new HD channels as our space will provide. Star Choice recognizes that HD is growing and we will be introducing new HD products as well as HD channels in an effort to maximize our HD offering."

This isn't very definite but it will probably sway me their way, as I don't have to sign a contract and, for the programming I want, my monthly fee would be less.

It was announced yesterday that the CRTC has given approval for the broadcast of Discovery HD by the end of 2005. Could this be one of our new HD channels at *C and maybe that is the time frame we are looking at for new HD content.

Right now, I'd argue TSN HD is about the only extra HD channel Star Choice needs to stay competitive with Bell. Content wise, with Global HD and CTV HD just showing the US Network Programming anyway, # of hours of unique HD content isn't as far off as one would expect being told "Star Choice has 11 HD channels, Bell has 27".

Anyway, monthly costs often are less, espicially with no $10/month for HD. I'd take Star Choice's policies and CS over Bell's any day $ for $, so I think you're making the right choice.

Just remember "No Contract to Sign" still means there is a "12 Month Service Aggreement", so if you disconnect before 12 months its $200 or you return your recievers to Star Choice.

SC customers will be LUCKY to see the Stanley Cup finals in HD.

Are you serious?

That would really suck. Are there any interim plans for HNIC in HD for SC customers?

That would be a bummer if I couldn't see the Leafs in HD this year.....

P

let's complain to the crtc

let's complain to the crtc
Complaints to the CRTC is what got us into the current situation with HD!
If they still had Omnibus channels, maybe there would be the transponder space to throw HNIC on during an HD game instead of the way it is now, where Star Choice has to think "hmm, do I really want to devote 1/2 a transponder to CBC HD for only a few hours of HD content per week?"

Take a look at CBC's "HD" programming this week here:
http://www.cbc.ca/hdtv/schedule/CBC_HD_currentweek.pdf
I see 1 program in HD and about 7 in "Widescreen", including Dragon Booster, Doodlebops, and and Tractor Tom.

I don't feel like I'm missing anything...

What an awful programming schedule for HighDef and CBC. Not worth wasting space with CBC that's for sure but then again always the CRTC to battle so who knows what will happen.

Does BEV have CBC as part of their HD package?

The schedule isn't always acurate. More HD program should continue to pop such as HNIC HD.

I have to admit that the CBC HD schedule is extremely pathetic. There was barely anything there, and not one thing that I would even consider watching. It would be a waste of very valuable bandwidth putting that station up. I hope it is not so.

Channels 280 and 292 just popped up in the guide this morning. Anyone know what they're going to be?

280 TSN-HD

292 CTV-HD

Would be MY guess.

CBC and KOMO would be my guess.