DirecTV adds HD locals in 25 markets
DirecTV continues to roll out MPEG-4 local channels in HD across the country, today announcing 25 markets that will be added during the fourth quarter. This brings the total number of local markets with HD to 67, representing nearly three-quarters of US households. As always, customers will need a new dish and receiver to get the ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox channels. No extra cost for the programming, which is available to all with Total Choice programming including local channels, but it might also be a good time to upgrade to the new HR20 DVR. This rollout seems to have gone pretty smoothly, starting at the end of 2005 with just New York and LA to this, and DirecTV still plans to have capacity for 150 national HD channels in 2007 thanks to two new satellites. The list follows after the break.The 25 markets added:
Albuquerque, N.M.
Mobile, Ala.
Buffalo, N.Y.
New Orleans
Des Moines, Iowa
Norfolk, Va.
Flint, Mich.
Oklahoma City, Okla.
Ft. Meyers, Fla.
Portland, Me.
Grand Rapids, Mich.
Providence, R.I.
Green Bay, Wisc.
Reno, Nev.
Greensboro, N.C.
Santa Barbara, Calif.
Greenville, S.C.
Spokane, Wa.
Harrisburg, Pa.
Springfield, Mo.
Jacksonville, Fla.
Toledo, Ohio
Little Rock, Ark.
Tulsa, Okla
Madison, Wisc.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Randolph Lee @ Oct 11th 2006 12:46AM
Hurmph... I own 2 HD DirecTiVos and untill there is a better selection of HD programing I see no reason to go for this... the Portland Maine stations added provide not much in the way of new HD programing over that provided by the network stations between 80 and 90... when they will provide proper compensation for my my now obsoleet HD DirecTiVos AND provide another 10 or 20 HD stations then I will think about it... but right now I am getting very close to going over to DISH and I have had DirecTV since it launched (I had one of the first 50 that were sold in New England and I bought DirecTiVo as soon as it was offered too) not that they seeem to care about keeping folks like those that read this Blog as users...
dan @ Oct 16th 2006 1:00PM
How did you get the 80-90 channels? they made me take the SD local channels... I'm in Richmond, ME.
Josh @ Oct 11th 2006 9:06AM
Randolph, you can probably get a couple HR20s for free or pretty close to it if you call DirecTV's retention dept. People have been getting pretty good deals on these new DVRs. The upgrade price is technically $99 if you have an HR10, but retention can give you a better deal than that.
Galley @ Oct 11th 2006 9:23AM
Local HD is finally coming to Greenville. It's too bad I'll have to trade in my (leased) HR10-250 to get them. When I bought (leased) the thing, customer service assured me the swap-out would be free.
GG @ Oct 11th 2006 11:09AM
Great...now the HD stations are going to be even MORE compressed (at least until the new satellites launch). We are already getting screwed with HD-Lite, and the standard-def stations look like complete crap. If I wasn't tied into the stupid two-year contract, I'd be out. I have NOT been impressed with DirecTV's service.
Tom @ Oct 11th 2006 12:56PM
No offense, but the Albany-Schenectady-Troy market is much bigger than some of the ones they announced today. I sent DirecTV another email voicing my frustration about this (like that will matter). I guess I'll be one of those "in 2007" markets - Uggh!
GhostDoggy @ Oct 11th 2006 7:28PM
Has anyone determined if the higher-definition locals are also being overcompressed, down-rezzed, etc., like the national HD channels? I am curious to know if they are providing less than what my local OTA (and free) means can provide me.
Mark Lujan Jr @ Oct 15th 2006 9:43PM
Well, I've had DirecTV HD Locals since this summer and: Oh, what a headache it's been! For one, I had to get a new dish (3rd one in 4 years) and a new receiver (HR20- becaus my RCA one wasn't mpeg-4 compatible). Well, no more than a month goes by and my receiver goes out! Not to mention the fact that I don't receive FOX in HD from my locals. Apparently they don't offer their HD local channel through DirectTV. This and the fact that my ABC HD local won't give me Dolby Digital sound (like NBC and CBS do). I know for a fact that my ABC HD local channel broadcasts in Dolby because I can pick it up through my antenna. I am not able to pick up my local FOX HD through the antenna without constant "glitching" and the channel going off air. I've gone through 4 different HD antennas and none have been able to pick up FOX HD consistently. I have petitioned numerous times for channel 89 (FOX HD- Los Angeles), but keep getting my waiver denied by my local affiliate. I am fed up with DirecTV and their inferior software and hardware issues. Ever since they got rid of Hughes boxes, it has been a downhill ride. I refuse to buy an HD DVR from DirecTV because I want Tivo back! I've had my Hughes SD Tivo box for 3 years and love it. I just wish they would still sell the HR10-250 models! There are a lot of "kinks" to be worked out still from DirecTV and until then, it'll only get worse.
SivRami @ Oct 18th 2006 12:00AM
I have just ordered Direct TV and they are going to install the stuff on Nov. 6th
Will they give me the new satellite and HD reciever or do I have to buy it from them?
I live in Los Angeles.
rich.brome @ Oct 23rd 2006 3:19AM
I have had nothing but trouble with DirecTV since upgrading to HD.
I used to love them, but now I miss my TiVo...
...and my ABC HD local keeps going out during the middle of my favorite shows. It happens randomly, usually when the skies are clear and there's no wind, so it's not weather-related. It only goes out for a second or so, which would be fine if it didn't cause my HR20 to stop recording... then if I try to record the second half of the show manually by pressing the record button (common sense, right?) it REPLACES my original recording of the first half of the show, completely deleting it without warning.
I do like some things about the HR20, though. It's no TiVo - everything is 100% counter-intuitive and annoying - but once you learn its insane 'quirks', it does do things no DirecTiVo ever did. In particular, it has a nice scaler, and a handy dedicated button on the remote to choose SD-to-HD scaling mode.
Zach @ Oct 25th 2006 2:05PM
Um, if you've got an hdtv, just buy an OTA antenna. The local HD you'll be getting from DirecTV will be so craptacular compared to what you get OTA. Don't bitch about getting an antenna, either; just buy a huge honking one and be done with it.
antennaweb.org FTW
zparsons @ Oct 25th 2006 2:16PM
Um, if you've got an hdtv, just buy an OTA antenna. The local HD you'll be getting from DirecTV will be so craptacular compared to what you get OTA. Don't bitch about getting an antenna, either; just buy a huge honking one and be done with it.
antennaweb.org FTW
Mark @ Oct 27th 2006 3:12AM
I was excited to see that the OKC market was going to be added to the HD line up. However, I spoke with people at the ABC and NBC affiliates and they advised that the deal was not close to being done. The info I got was maybe by next summer (2007) would the OKC locals be broadcasted in HD via DTV.
j. edward @ Nov 2nd 2006 10:41AM
i just got the new hd rec h20 here in the nashville market. it sux!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FrustratedInDesMoines @ Dec 15th 2006 12:37PM
I contacted DirecTV about this announcment and 10 of these 25 markets are not going to be getting HD local till late 2007. They did not explain why they are delaying the roll out, my guess is contract negotiation issues. But Des Moines, IA is not slated for late 2007. I already bought and had the H20 recievers and dish installed...I feel I have been defrauded by DirecTV. I expect either compensation or a solution. My local channels of course have denied my request for the national affiliates HD channels. As far as I am concerned I am tired of the FCC putting the affiliates first and the public last. These are the publics airwaves and any station refusing waivers should loose the right to renew their license when it comes around.