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RCN picks up seven of Viacom's HD channels
RCN's hardly the first to go for Viacom's 7-pack of HD channels, but we're sure fans of Ultimate Warrior, The Hills, The Daily Show, iCarly and other programs will be glad to have them. Comedy Central, CMT, MTV, Nickelodeon, Spike, VH1 and BET go live today, with HD video on-demand offerings hitting servers July 1. RCN's claiming 100 HD VOD viewing choices, just a few thousand or so behind Comcast at this point, but we figure an upgrade is an upgrade, and at least on RCN you can watch them on a TiVo Premiere, so there's that right?
Why aren't MTV HD's music videos in high definition?
Our friends at TV Squad are asking the same question we've had many times, what's up with MTV's treatment of HD? Specifically, why doesn't the MTV or VH1 HD simulcast channel air music videos in high definition? While it was news to us that MTV even aired music videos anymore, it's sad to see how poorly its handling the simulcast channel, though we don't have reception at this branch of the EHD HQ yet, word is they couldn't even keep simple things like the Real World HD broadcast straight last season. That's no surprise for a network that treats its simulcast like a redheaded stepchild (try finding a mention of it on MTV.com or Viacom's website) and staunchly refuses to loose any details of precisely which shows will be broadcast in high definition no matter how many times we ask, and we'll not even get into the endless loop of repeated programming that has become Palladia. Considering one can view any music video on YouTube in "HD" with little trouble, it's even more disturbing that MTV is so far behind the times.
AT&T adds 6 MTV Networks HD channels to U-verse
This was too much to wait another day for our roundup, U-Verse officially announced picking up 6 new feeds today from MTV, with MTV HD, VH1 HD, CMT HD, Nickelodeon HD, COMEDY CENTRAL HD and Spike HD going live nationally (what happened to BET HD?) as part of a lineup with more than 100 HD channels in every market. That enough to make you part of even more new customers in this quarter? Press release is after the break.
DISH Network adds seven new Viacom HD channels, cements HD supremacy
If you want your MTV HD you can get it, and BET HD, CMT HD, Comedy Central HD, Nickelodeon HD, Spike TV HD and VH1 HD on DISH Network. Thanks to a new deal with Viacom, all those HD feeds were announced today as available to all subscribers at no extra cost. Also included? Video on-demand and Internet streaming rights that senior VP Dave Shull had no problem claiming as a testament to DISH's "continued HD leadership" while also asserting its HD supremacy. BET HD is available on the Classic Silver 200 HD package and up, while all the rest are on the Classic Bronze 100 lineup.
AT&T's U-verse TV picking up seven Viacom networks in HD
Just days after AT&T announced that NHL Network HD would be gliding over to U-verse TV, in flies a report stating that Viacom and AT&T have linked up on a sweet new deal. Said agreement will enable seven new networks to join the U-verse TV EPG: MTV HD, VH1 HD, CMT HD, BET HD, Nickelodeon HD, Comedy Central HD and Spike HD. The deal also "renews carriage of the MTVN and BETN channels and VOD content featured on AT&T U-verse TV, and provides for carriage of new international channels, including MTV India, later this year." Now, let's wait and see if those monthly rates creep up any after the fact.
Time Warner Cable threatens Viacom with the ghosts of Christmas past
Time Warner Cable CEO & President Glenn Britt says don't blame him, blame sliding advertising and falling ratings for Viacom's lost revenue and subsequent Scrooge-style "extortion" of TWC customers to keep MTV Networks on after the ball drops tonight. Beyond the outrageous claim that viewers might be tuning away from My Super Sweet 16 marathons, Britt claims that "penny per subscriber per day" adds up to an unreasonable $39 million, while TWC nobly attempts to keep negotiations going on behalf of its customers. Oddly we find it hard to view either side as thinking of the customer first in this slapfight, but if we miss a single episode of Bromance before things are resolved, there will be hell to pay. [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the Time Warner family]
Viacom stations to go dark on Time Warner Cable
Bad news, Time Warner Cable subscribers. The cable carrier notorious for resisting HD expansion until a competitor rolls into town is getting ready to pull all 19 MTV Networks channels (MTV, Nickelodeon, VH1 and Comedy Central just to name a few, presumably including the HD versions). Viacom has just unleashed a scathing announcement that calls the carrier's refusal to pony up "outrageous," and publicly pleads for its bigwigs to reconsider and open up the checkbook. In essence, Viacom is asking for a fee increase of just under $0.25 per month, per subscriber -- which, admittedly, sounds rather high given the lack of MTV-related content that's a) watchable and b) in high-definition -- but TWC is straight-up refusing. Now, we've no qualms with a provider balking at price increases, but while it's planning to let content vanish from lineups, it's also raising monthly rates by $3 in Raleigh, Orange County, Los Angeles and New York City. Ahem, TWC -- could you bother justifying these hikes by allowing us to keep our content? And don't even come at us with the "we just added more HD!" comment -- after all, you blast us everyday with ads proclaiming that your HD "is free." [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the Time Warner family]
Palladia / MHD European launch slated for September
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.
MHD / Palladia name change official September 1, but no less confusing
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.
National Geographic HD and MHD headed to Germany
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 GermanyRead - MHD to Germany
Hello MHD: MTV on our HDTVs today
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.
