New York – One day after
revealed plans to add eight new national HD channels to its lineup,
rival
said Tuesday it will add 30
new HD channels over the next several months, bringing the direct-to-home
satellite service’s HD assortment to more than 160.
Among the 30 new HD channels that DirecTV will launch starting in
May are:
-
CSN Bay
Area HD
- CSN California HD
- Encore HD East
- ESPNU HD
-
FSN Florida HD
-
GolTV HD
-
Hallmark Channel
HD
- Hallmark Movie
Channel HD
-
HBO2 East HD
-
HBO Zone HD
-
Lifetime HD
-
MSNBC HD
-
Showtime Beyond
HD
-
Showtime Next HD
-
Showtime Women HD
-
Starz Cinema HD
-
Starz In Black HD
-
Telefutura HD
West
-
TMC Xtra HD East
-
Travel Channel HD
-
Univision HD East
-
WGN HD
-
additional DirecTV
Cinema Channels
Dish Network, meanwhile, made bold claims to being the first company
to offer 200 national high-definition channels, although it used a slightly
different methodology for counting, lumping its 72 pay-per-view HD movie
channels, which only carry one movie at a time, in as regular full-time HD
channels.
Dish Network now offers 67 basic cable HD networks, 23 premium HD
movie channels, four HD broadcast networks, 13 HD specialty channels, 25
regional HD sports networks and the aforementioned 72 HD pay-per-view channels.
The new HD additions to Dish’s HD lineup include EPIX HD, G4 HD,
Headline News HD, History International HD, Nat Geo Wild HD, ShortsHD, Style HD
and Turner Classic Movies HD.
In addition to DirecTV’s new HD channels, beginning this June the
service will launch a suite of 3D channels that will include N3D powered by
Panasonic; ESPN 3D, a 3D DirecTV Cinema channel; and a 3D DirecTV on Demand
channel.