Is Dish Network quietly adding INHD to their HD line-up?
by Matt Burns 
posted Aug 10th 2006 at 3:12PM
The forums over at SatelliteGuys.US are a blaze with speculation that INHD is coming to Dish Network. Apparently, Scott Greczkowski (post count 15,385) is reporting that Dish up-linked INHD to both the 61.5 and 129 satellites on channel 9468. No, that station isn't available yet, if ever. This is just a rumor right now folks and as much as we would love to see Dish Network add yet another high-def station, this doesn't make much sense. A few cable companies including Comcast iN Demand Holdings, Inc., Cox Communications Inc., and Time Warner Entertainment–Advance/Newhouse own INHD. Therefore, this station is something that the cable companies can say is exclusive to them rather then their archrivals, the satellite companies. So unless there was a large licensing contract included here, it just doesn't make sense. We will see, but as we said before, we sure would love to see Dish Network acquire the station.[Thanks, Han]
Filed under: Programming, Cable, Satellite
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Vince @ Aug 10th 2006 4:40PM
Who see's a little voom for inhd coming soon? :)
Marc James @ Aug 10th 2006 5:01PM
Yawn. INHD sucks. Nothing to get excited about.
picaso @ Aug 10th 2006 5:22PM
Marc James, your tastes obviously don't include MLB. INHD has by far the cleanest PQ on ballgames, way better than FAUXSPORTS or even ESPN. IMHO, I wish everyone could see as many HD channels as possible.
Stezo @ Aug 10th 2006 7:06PM
Confirmed - here is some info from TSReader
Channel 9468
On Table_ID: 0x46 (another mux)
Service Name: INHD
Provider Name:
Transport Stream ID: 120 (0x0078) 61.5W 12.501 L 21500 2/3 8PSK (DVB-DSNG/Turbo/DVB-S2), DVB-S
Descriptor: Linkage Descriptor
Transport Stream ID: 129 (0x0081) 61.5W 12.632 R 20000 3/4 QPSK, DVB-S
Original Network ID: 4098 (0x1002)
Service ID: 36861
Linkage Type: Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) service
Descriptor: User Private Descriptor: 0x93
25 03 %.
Descriptor: User Private Descriptor: 0x86
01 01 23 28 00 fc ff ..#(...
Descriptor: User Private Descriptor: 0x84
Ryan @ Aug 10th 2006 10:23PM
recent rules action at the FCC prevents companies from witholding programming from various distribution outlets (ie cable co's witholding from satellite co's)
I don't know if that precipitated some deal between INHD or not.
There is however one exception to the new rules: Comcast had its flagship Comcast Sportsnet Philadelphia specically exempted, so you still will not see it anywhere but on cable.
dslate @ Aug 11th 2006 9:10AM
It was my understanding INHD just dropped INHD2. Could it be they need money to stay alive. I think DISH has shopped their VOOM channels, but cable doesn't see the profit margin in it right now.
Demodave @ Aug 11th 2006 2:35PM
For now, INHD2 is still available in some markets like Las Vegas. It's been rumoured that INHD2 is going away; but I've never seen an actual press release stating that.
Keenan @ Aug 12th 2006 12:27PM
The most likely scenario is that INHD dropped it's "per digital subscriber" fee to just "per HD subscriber". This has always been the sticking point on getting INHD on the satellite services, INHD has always been available, but the satcos felt a per "digital sub" fee was exorbitant, their position was that since the channel is HD programming, and only HD subs would be able to see the programming, a "HD sub" fee would more accurately reflect viewership.
I'm sure that the "per digital sub" requirement by INHD was used as leverage to keep INHD off the satcos and give it a measure of exclusivity, but with INHD2 becoming a thing of the past maybe the cablecos felt it was time to get some more exposure.