[SMCKINNON24]

April 1st beings with Bell Media takes over CTV and CTVGlobeMedia and all media properties. announced today on CP24 by Ann Rohmer.

Bell Media and BCE will be launching new channels in HD these include

MuchMusic, MTV, CP24, Space, BNN and A Channels

TSN Radio launches April 13

 

[smallmj]

Any timeline?

I know lots of people have been wanting Space in HD for years, but I still won't believe it until I see it.

Mark

 

[jeffaustin90]

I realized this was April Fools the second I finished reading the topic title. Good try though.

 

[worth]

The only one that has a definite date is Much Music, which is set to go HD on June 1st. The rest are "by the end of this year".

 

[HankMoody]

Still waiting for Family HD & YTV HD on Shaw!

 

[classicsat]

The A-Channel stations should have network programming in HD, to coincide with the transition of their transmitters to digital in August, obviously, and likely shortly after, the cable/IPTV BDUs have them. Next year, satellite may carry them.

 

[MCIBUS]

The only reason A channels are going HD is so they can simo sub the HD versions of the US nets.

 

[SMCKINNON24]

Its not a rumor, This was annouced Live on the air.by news Anchor Ann Rohmer, I assume she got that information from Executive's there an CP24.

Since it was the first day for Bell MEDIA.

NTV is going HD very soon

 

[ScaryBob]

I can see HD being a need for MuchMusic, Space and /A\. IMHO, the rest is a waste of bandwidth due to content that does not really need HD. As MCIBUS said, /A\ in HD = simsub revenue for CTV. Also, more HD means more compression on Bell TV since they don't have much bandwidth left. It will also put a bandwidth squeeze on some cable companies. Shaw Direct has no space for more HD until next year either.

 

[David1953]

Someone just posted in the Bell Satellite forum that he recently contacted Space TV management, and that they have no plans to go HD at the present time. As for the others, I have no idea, but as always, I am skeptical.

 

[PlayitSimple]

You can add Bravo!, CTV News Channel & The Comedy Network to the list of rumoured channels to launch in HD.

I think these launches may actually happen now that Bell is in charge for the simple reason that High Definition television has really caught on with the viewing public and its in their best interest to launch HD feeds of as many of their channels as possible. The more HD channels they launch the more $$ they will rake in and since they own these channels, they get 100% of the profits.

 

[bigoranget]

Plus Bell Media needs to insure that there will be room on the dial for some of their channels. Shaw Media/Corus has launched YTV HD, HGTV HD and OWN HD recently, and there are plans to launch W Movies HD, Food Network HD, Action HD and Cosmo HD in the near future as well.

 

[MCIBUS]

And it only took them 5+ years to finally go HD.

I'm not sure if all these channels will launch in HD or not, is one thing, the other is will your provider actually pick them up?

Whats the point of having them in HD if your provider isn't going to carry them?

True each provider will carry certain ones(most popular [depending one ones own personal taste]the provider things are popular)so basicaly your SOL if they(your provider) doesn't pick them up.

Just look at the present SD has certain ones not on others, BTV has ones not on others, and so on. Will this be the norm? I hope not.

 

[bigoranget]

It's not just with Bell Satellite and Shaw Direct. Shaw cable wont add the extra channels because they are hell bent on keeping the cable line-up fairly similar to Shaw Direct. It seems that Bell Satellite and Bell Fibe TV is pretty much the same. The only real difference between the land based lines and satellite properties is the land base lines might have different locals and more international type channels.

 

[PlayitSimple]

there are plans to launch W Movies HD, Food Network HD, Action HD and Cosmo HD in the near future as well.

Did you mean W Network HD?!

Why would they launch W Movies in HD before W Network?!

 

[stump14]

I would love Food Network in HD.

 

[Fry1989]

I would love Food Network in HD.

Me too, every time I visit my mates in the US I love seeing all the food in glorious HD

However, to be completely honest, I could live without Food Network HD and have them bring us a Canadian version of The Cooking Channel so we'd get double the food-related programming

 

[Lindsay649]

All channels will be available in wide-screen format by the end of the decade including all your favourites if they survive. Wonder over the next few years how much of actual television as we know it will survive?

 

[reidw]

Still waiting for Family HD & YTV HD on Shaw!

We've got them on Bell. You are not missing much.

 

[MCIBUS]

I don't know if the rumor is true or not.

But?

Lets assume it is true?

What can we expect?

I can't see Bell Media launching everything in HD at least not yet.

I can see them launching their First set of 'Prime' channels at first

Space
Comedy
CTV News Network
BNN (which I know has a license)
Much Music(Main one, there others will be awhile)
MTV
E!
CP24? maybe?
A Channels? (if?? mainly for sim-subbing purposes)

As for the others their 'Second' prime set of channels I can see launch maybe in a year or two.

Remember just because they launched HD versions doesn't necessarily mean they have to be on BTV. BTV doesn't carry MuchLoud and its a Bell Media channel.