MTV Networks High Definition goes live September 15 in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Poland and Sweden, including original programming like Chartblast, Uncompressed and HD Extreme and MTV Top 20. The bad news of course, is that beyond the original programming, Viacom is stuffing the 24-hour English language channel -- broadcasting straight out of Poland, a Buenos Aires production hub is due later on -- full of Nickelodeon programs on weekend mornings, and the rest will be filled with what appears to be the same 300 hours of high def library already being looped on MHD / Palladia right now. France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, the UK, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Venezuela should have their shot at boredom by the end of the year.

[Via Reuters]

Europeans eagerly awaiting more high definition concerts (updated weekly, still) rejoice, as MTV is launching a European HD channel next month. Although it goes unnamed, based on the content mentioned (concerts, special music events and festivals) and the relaunch of Palladia (the station formerly known as MHD) happening at the same time we've been able to reach the surprising and stunning realization that they are pretty much one and the same. In addition to being underwhelmed by an incredibly limited amount of HD content in rotation at any given time, our HDTV-equipped friends in German speaking markets can look forward to Nick programs on the weekend. D-d-d-dora, Dora.

MTV explains renaming MHD to "Palladia" as conveying a sense of spectacle, "a grand stage, a vast arena and the excitement of live musical performances." Whether or not you buy that, it looks like Viacom is giving the channel's content a much-needed refresh, promising a new concert every Saturday at 9 p.m., and a collection of rock movies airing every Thursday night at 9. The first week of September is Outdoor Music Week, bringing home outdoor performances from a host of superstars, starting with Glastonbury 2008 on Monday, September 1. New name or now, two years later we're still caught on the one new concert per week schedule, hopefully the grand stage sees an expansion sometime soon.

It has been a few months since the great city of Columbus, Ohio received any new HD channels courtesy of Time Warner Cable, but residents can once again celebrate now that the carrier has added three more. Discovery HD (762), History HD (767) and Palladia HD (774) -- which is described as a music-centric station from MTV Networks -- have just appeared in the EPG. Word on the street has it that the latter will be replacing MHD in name only, so don't be too shocked if it pops up in your neck of the woods as well. [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the Time Warner family]

[Thanks, Jason]

As we've seen with Discovery's Planet Green, and -- to a lesser extent, History HD, Food HD and SPEED HD -- these high-def channels prefer to change up (or shorten, at least) their names every now and then. The latest to take on a new identity is MTV Networks' MHD, which is apparently being redubbed Palladia HD in DISH Network / TWC's EPG. We've all ideas the name change will filter down to all carriers in short order, but we're just letting you know to not get overly excited upon seeing it emerge in your channel lineup. Sadly, you actually haven't gained another channel -- it's just that the one with the loudest commercials has been renamed.

[Image courtesy of Photobucket]

After Sat. 1 HD and ProSieben HD went dark in Germany until 2010, things haven't been as dormant as expected. Late last month, we received word that both FOX and TNT would be making their way over (and hopefully in HD), and now we're seeing that both National Geographic HD and MHD (MTV HD) could be arriving on undisclosed cable carriers in the near future. Reportedly, Nat Geo HD -- which is nearly ready in Austria and Switzerland -- could be arriving any moment, while MHD is likely to land on PREMIERE this December. Slowly but surely, it looks as if Europe may actually be moving forward in adopting HDTV programming.

[Thanks, Chris]

Read - National Geographic HD to Germany
Read - MHD to Germany

Fans of Scissor Sisters and HD music alike will be able to enjoy a concert scheduled to air on Logo next week as it teams up with sister (ahem) channel MHD. Reportedly, the simulcast will mark the "first high-definition broadcast from a gay television network" (that'd be Logo, for those unaware), and the concert in question will be Scissor Sisters: Live at the O2 Arena. The event will be an hour-long special of the band performing in London, and for those who won't be sitting around the tube next Thursday, you can view it online as it happens via steaming video on the network's website. Sound good? Set your HD DVRs for 8:00PM ET / PT on April 24th, or better yet, kick back and enjoy it as it unfolds. Full release after the jump.

Last fall when DirecTV was adding HD channels like no one could believe, new HD channels weren't the only thing that changed. DirecTV also added a new tier called the HD Extra Pack of HD only channels like UHD and MGM HD for an extra $5 a month. Well, at least DirecTV was nice enough to give the package away for the first 90 days -- probably hoping we'd forget about the extra money it was costing us -- but now the free ride is over. So if you're in the club of those who don't want to pay $5 a month for five HD channels, then don't forget to cancel the package, cause we doubt DirecTV will be nice enough to remind ya.

You know it's a great day when you wake up and find new HD stations. Dish Network subscribers should know how that feels as their HD lineup increased with six new stations; that makes 37 national HD stations for Dish. The day just gets better when four of said stations are national premiers: Discovery HD, TLC HD, Animal Planet HD and The Science Channel HD. The other two stations, MHD and GolfHD aren't new but still a great additions to the largest national high-def lineup. We should mention that Discovery HD is a separate station from Discovery HD Theater and just like the other three new national stations are simulcasts of the SD flavor. Since these launches are in line with Dish Network's CES announcement, we don't see why September 1st shouldn't also be a great day being The History Channel HD's scheduled launch day.

[Via satelliteguys.us]

DirecTV and cable are busy arguing over who will add the most HD channels, meanwhile, DISH Network keeps racking 'em up. As if they weren't already the undisputed HD provider, now they have announced eight new regional HD sports channels that will launch tomorrow and seven new national HD channels in Auguest and September including; The History Channel HD and Discovery HD -- not to be confused with Discovery HD theater. Now, most of these channels require the latest MPEG4 equipment to enjoy, and we're not exactly sure what day you can expect to see the rest of these to pop up in your guide, but there is no doubt that anyone serious about HD, has to consider DISH as their provider.

The full list of new HD channels after the break.

Read -- DISH Press release
Read -- Satelliteguys.us retailer chat coverage

There is that one stupid commercial that is at least 13db higher than anything else is on the station. Hate it. All the commercial is about advertising is that you are in fact watching MHD for three seconds but those three seconds will blow your speakers if you were already jamming to some music. We are hoping that someone over at MTV's headquarters will read this and go tell the tech to turn down the level on the MHD spot that plays every 45 minutes. The HD MTV station is a nice compliment to any HD tier with 100% HD content, but it's that one commercial that is going to make us change the channel.

In a new deal between Time Warner Cable and Viacom, Time Warner and Bright House Networks cable companies will be adding MHD to their HD lineup. While we are always happy to have another HD channel, many would prefer some other channel like National Geographic HD or even ESPN2 HD. There is no word when we can expect to see the channel online and no doubt those local branches without enough bandwith will go without MHD despite the agreement.

MTV's high definition network, MHD plans to premiere a new concert every week for the rest of the year. According to Tom Calderone, Executive Vice President of VH1, live concert and music programming are among the top things HD viewers want in a music channel. Of course, that doesn't explain why they only show music videos at 3 AM, but hopefully this is the start of an improvement. MHD launched earlier this year and is already available in half the HDTV-equipped homes in the country. MHD certainly puts up nice concert programming, the problem is they repeat the same content over and over throughout the week. Most networks don't consider adding one new episode of a show each week a major achievement, we'll be very excited when MHD reaches that point.

The concert premieres planned:

• CMT Giants: Reba McEntire, premiering Saturday, November 18 at 8pm ET/PT on CMT and simulcast on MHD
• The 2006 MTV European Music Awards, premiering Saturday, November 25 at 9pm ET/PT
• CMT Crossroads: Lindsey Buckingham and Little Big Town, premiering Saturday, December 2 at 9pm ET/PT on CMT and simulcast on MHD
• Life & Rhymes: Snoop Dogg, premiering Saturday, December 9 at 9pm ET/PT
• Summer Fest: Lynyrd Skynyrd, premiering December 16 at 9pm ET/PT
• Isle of Wight Festival: Snow Patrol and Jet, premiering December 23 at 9pm ET/PT

People like MTV's high-def station, MHD, because the station isn't anything like what MTV has evolved into. MHD is all about music not some reality TV show where the grandparents of some teenage girl all sit on a bus trying to decide how to spend $120,000 on her 13th birthday. No, MHD is like the MTV of old, when music was king video killed the radio star and that is the way it is going to stay too according to MTV's senior vice president and GM, Eric Sherman. This station is going to stay all about the music. There isn't going to be any reality TV shows, documentaries, or even award shows in high-def because it has little to nothing to do with HD. Cool, now if we can get back a little Beavis and Butthead to fill in the commercial breaks here and there, it would be just like the good 'ol MTV.

UPDATE: TV Week provided us with the actual interview they conducted as part of their weekly HD newsletter.

MTV's high definition channel MHD continued its stealth launch on Comcast at least in the Detroit area, showing up on this blogger's channel listing late last night. INHD2 is but a memory, Tour de Gorge and Twilight Zone reruns, you shall be missed. 8~ hours in it's a welcome addition, many widescreen videos obviously mastered for HD including the Gorillaz Feel Good Inc. video that played during MTV-HD's original debut in January. Is this the HDTV killer app that will truly give high-def a boost along with game consoles and next gen DVDs? That remains to be seen but we can't help thinking it might be nice if the cable company actually told people it was on. We'll be able to give some more in depth impressions once this Rihanna video goes off we've had some time to let it sink in.