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History Channel UK bringing HD Bio and Crime channels
Life and crime go together kind of like life and taxes, so it's fitting that The History Channel UK is bringing out HD versions of the Biography Channel and The Crime and Investigation Network to Sky's lineup. Between Bio's pledge to get serious about HD and the worldwide party that History is throwing, this gives Brits something to cheer about. If things go smoothly and the Sky EPG can spare a couple of slots, these two new offerings should be available by the end of the year.
Biography Channel gets serious about HD
When the Bio Channel first went HD late last year, we were pretty skeptical about the appeal of giving its content the stretch-o-vision treatment. But coming off of a 25-percent gain in viewership year-over-year, it has made the commitment to shoot all new content in HD. To kick things off, Bio has announced that four new original series and the return of "I Survived" will be getting the HD treatment. The new shows include: "Female Forces," highlighting female police in Naperville, IL; "Why I Ran" which will bring interviews with the perps of high-speed police chases; "The Chris Isaak Hour" with live performances and interviews of musical artists; and "Shatner's Raw Nerve" with William Shatner interviewing folks and attempting to set them off (prime directive be damned). To be fair, five series in HD won't exactly fill the programming grid, but it's a start. And there's got to be replay value in watching William Shatner prod his victims guests, right?
The Biography Channel to go HD on November 28th
DirecTV signed a deal that'll make it the first HD provider to carry the Biography Channel in HD. No word if anyone else will carry this simulcast of the original Bio, but from the very start, half of their primetime programming will be produced in HD; and by the middle of next year, 65% of all the programming will get the HD treatment. In the meantime, SD programming will be upconverted to the "the enhanced format" -- which we're pretty sure means stretch-o-vision.
