Looking at these new HD channels, unless BTV puts them up in 1080i (yeah, sure), I think the main impact for me will be that I will now have to suffer sim-subbing on Smallville (SunTV over WGNHD).
Beginning June 10, Bell TV subscribers will be able to access CBC Montreal HD, CTV Calgary HD, Global Calgary HD, SRC Ottawa HD, Sun TV HD and TV5 HD, all of them at no additional charge. Bell is also adding SRC Ottawa in standard definition.
According to channel 230 on the weekend the new English channels were going to be on ch 896-899. However as of tonight (June 9) channel 230 is showing nothing about the updates that are supposed to be happening on June 10. I"m wondering if maybe the changes have been delayed.
Also have not been able to receive Bold. I guess that SD preview has been called off.
[extreme sarcasm]
Ooooh, I can't wait for Bite and Baby to go HD. Way to go Bell, while you're at it how about increasing the digital access fee to 50 dollars a month?
Considering that some 80% of Bell customers do not have HD receivers and would lose those channels, it's not an option. I suspect we will be stuck with duplicate SD and HD stations until 95% of all Bell customers have HD receivers or longer. Considering that Bell is still selling SD receivers, that will be a long time, probably another 10 years or more.
Bell is doing this because it costs them nothing to carry the various local HD channels--unlike CNNHD and SpeedHD which would cost them extra fees which of course they would pass on to us. Plus they can say they have the most HD channels.
You can watch hd channels on a sd tv (with black bars and lower resolution) as long as you have a Bell hd receiver. They should stop selling sd receivers and introduce a basic cheap hd receiver for everyone.
Hmmm...the 3 extra Canadian Network feeds seems to me like an odd choice of HD channels to add at this point...as there won't be much, if any, difference in programming for most subscribers.
Especially with the Canadian Networks threatening to close local TV stations (unless more money from the Government is poured into them) and there are many subscribers still waiting for Bell to add channels like Speed-HD and Encore Avenue-HD to their lineup.
Not true. Broadcasting requires satellites and lots of equipment which cost hundreds of millions (perhaps billions) of dollars.
In fact Bell has recently spent millions changing technology to allow it to beam out more signals so there is a significant cost to delivering these signals.
I would agree that there is definitely some marketing and politics behind this decision but if it was "free" to beam out more signals, I'm certain Bell would deliver CNN HD and all the rest and simply put them in a new theme pack for additional Dollars.
What a joke.. because i really need to watch the Simpson reruns in 3 different time zones. in 4:3SD on an HD channel. And 86 hd channels? lmao
You want 86 HD channels look at dish. Those are HD Channels with actual HD shows. Seams like im paying every month for a bunch of Network Channels. Theirs 16 ( Not including TMN & PPV) Non network channels on bell. The rest are all cbc, nbc, etc..
Canadian HD channels are an abysmal joke to say the least IMO.