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Dish vs. Cablevision court filing hints at a settlement, could lead to AMC's return
If you're waiting for a sign that shows like The Walking Dead are coming back to Dish Network, a court document filed Thursday might be it. According to Reuters, the document was originally filed with the title "poss. settlement" (later changed to "adj. for briefing") and set a date for October 22nd. Additionally, the New York Post reports that on Wednesday the Judge adjourned proceedings for the week. As you'll recall, Cablevision sued the satellite company over its Voom HD channels being dropped back in 2008, and is asking for $2.4 billion in damages. If the two have found a resolution, the next question would be whether this affects Dish's negotiations with Cablevision spinoff AMC Networks, which the latter claims were derailed because of its connection to Voom. If the case proceeds, Bloomberg reports Dish CEO Charlie Ergen is set to take the stand Monday -- we'll see if this can get wrapped up before Mad Men and Breaking Bad return in 2013.
Dish Network, AMC dispute could see the network's channels dropped this summer
It wasn't that long ago that Dish Network was proudly offering AMC HD to its customers (especially since DirecTV didn't, which has since been rectified) but now the company is willing to let the network's contract expire this summer, taking new episodes of Mad Men, Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead away from subscribers. The source of the sudden animosity, according to a press release from AMC, is continuing litigation between it and Dish Network over dropping the Voom HD channels back in 2008, leading to them going dark soon after. The LA Times reports Dish Network claims the denial of its appeal on a decision in the case has nothing to do with its sudden change of heart is solely about AMC's high renewal cost for a relatively low viewership. Whatever you believe, the sniping and threats will likely continue right up until the contract runs out June 30th, which is at least long enough for this season of Mad Men to finish on its own.
VOOM HD gear goes up for auction
Listen up, aspiring HD content creators -- VOOM HD's demise could be your gain. If the HD video features of the latest crop of DSLRs and DILs (digital interchangeable lens) aren't enough for you, you'll have a chance to pick up some of VOOM HD's gear at an auction on June 16. Among the items up for grabs are a bunch of Sony HD camcorders, Canon HD lenses, and 5 Panasonic PT-AE2000U projectors that we imagine would do a perfectly fine job in the living room. If you've got some cash burning a hole in your pocket, this could be a great way to jump-start your HD rig, but those attending the auction in person will need to watch out for snipers sitting in on the webcast.
Rush HD preps an SD channel for Canadian viewers
This one falls a bit outside our weekly expansion roundup, by virtue of being one of the few channels going in the other direction. AdrenalineHD just got approval to launch an SD version of Rush HD in Canada, so long as 95% of its content is the same. Far be it for us to question the laws and standards of the land of Terrence & Patrick, but we're completely taken aback by this one. We guess those former Voom channels have to do anything they can to avoid the fate of Monsters HD.
R.I.P. Monsters HD - October 2003 - January 2009
Surviving long after its removal from DISH Network as an online offering, Monsters HD has finally succumbed. Fangoria Online's revealed that it, unlike bloggers, could not survive on the Internet alone. That shouldn't stop you from heading over and checking out a few classic horror flicks for free in high definition, so punch the read link to see Halloween, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Jeepers Creepers and others but by the end of this month it will all be over.[Via Fangoria Online]
Cablevision's probable VOOM HD replacement channels: they're all premiums
Okay, so Cablevision isn't apt to come right out and say that these newcomers are the replacements for the 15 VOOM HD networks that were marked for deletion late last year, but it may as well have. Coincidentally, 15 new high-def channels are reportedly lined up to join the Cablevision EPG in short order, though every single one is a premium movie channel. Encore HD, Starz Kids & Family HD, Starz Edge HD, HBO Signature HD, HBO Family HD, HBO Comedy HD, HBO Zone HD, HBO2 HD, HBO Latino HD, Action Max HD, More Max HD, @MAX HD, Outer MAX HD and Showtime Too HD are all expected to show up starting on January 21st, with rollouts continuing across all markets until January 23rd. We know, your first reaction is probably something along the lines of "What? All movie channels?," but at least you're getting something out of the deal -- if you opt to pay up, of course. [Thanks, LI PC Tech]
VOOM HD networks going kaput in America
Sad to say, but we sort of saw this one coming. After DISH Network decided to ditch the 15 VOOM HD channels earlier this year, it was practically a matter of time before they vanished completely without a surge in support from other providers. Today, Cablevision Systems announced that it would be pulling the final plug on the VOOM HD stations (in America, anyway) in late January. The move will also mean that an undisclosed amount of employees will be out of work, though some staff will remain on to handle international distribution. Joshua Sapan, Rainbow's chief executive, was quoted as saying the following: "It became clear that we can no longer operate Voom domestically, particularly without EchoStar fulfilling its obligations and providing its support." Please tell us we aren't the only ones who just got a mental image of the bitter beer face™.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
High Fidelity HDTV channel suite hits Rogers in Ontario
Ready or not, High Fidelity HDTV is now vying for your attention on Rogers Digital Cable in Ontario, Canada. The so-called HD Nature & Adventure Package will bring along Oasis HD, Treasure HD, Equator HD and Rush HD, all four of which are currently in "free preview" mode for customers with an HD set-top-box. Conveniently, there's no mention of what happens after the three month window of free viewing closes, but you can phone up Rogers to find out how much it'll cost you to keep looking.
High Fidelity HDTV nabs 20 IMAX originals
Canadian broadcaster High Fidelity HDTV has just acquired the exclusive rights to a number of IMAX originals, and it's not just keeping them for itself. A total of 20 IMAX films will begin airing in December on its suite of HD channels: Oasis HD, Equator HD, Treasure HD and Rush HD. Among the titles are The Secret Of Life On Earth, Fires Of Kuwait, Hail Columbia, The Nutcracker, T-Rex: Back to the Cretaceous, Space Station, Into the Deep, Destiny in Space, China: The Panda Adventure, Blue Planet, Ozarks: Legacy and Legend, Heartland, L5: First City in Space, The Last Buffalo, Skyward, The Dream is Alive, Mission to Mir, Galapagos, Survival Island and Mountain Gorilla. Thank goodness it didn't have to ask the CRTC for permission to add 'em, though.
Voom HD & Infinite Frameworks collab on HD programming
The biggest knock on Voom HD's package of channels has been a lack of original content, but a partnership with Singapore government-backed producer Infinite Frameworks should supply new programming over the next few years. Following up on a previous agreement with the Media Development Authority of Singapore, each side will contribute $10 million to producing HD sport, art, lifestyle and fashion content, with post production done in Singapore over the next five years. We were surprised the network was still hanging on three years ago, but a lot has changed since then, we'll see if they make it the entire five years.
Russia's Comstar officially launches HDTV
Following up on a soft launch back in February, Comstar has gone all out with its STREAM high definition IPTV service in Moscow. Coming hand in hand with a speed bump to 20Mb/s this is all a part of the company's ongoing fiber / ADSL2 rollout, offering three HDTV channels -- MelodyZen, Voom TV and Luxe TV -- for RUB 200 ($8 U.S.), and HD VOD movies for $4 U.S. each. Although the launch is a bit behind schedule, plans to reach 80% of subscribers by the end of '09 are still in motion, but we're left wondering why Discovery HD didn't make the final cut.
Westman Communications adds High Fidelity HDTV's suite in Manitoba
Manitobans jonesing for a few more HD channels can find 'em on Westman Communications. As of this week, customers can now tune into High Fidelity HDTV's suite of four high-definition stations: Oasis HD, Equator HD, Treasure HD and Rush HD. We'll be honest -- these probably won't be viewed as the most spectacular additions for many, but additional HD is additional HD. Sadly, there's no word on when the next expansion will come, but hold tight and enjoy what you can until then.
Voom goes HD VOD
We're still not sure how the Voom / DISH Network spat will end, but Voom is moving on, unveiling a companion HD VOD service for the Voom HD and Rush HD channels it distributes around the world. There's apparently no word on any operators actually signing on to the service yet, but once available viewers can expect just five hours of content per month. Hopefully that number can grow as the channels add more original content, but if it doesn't, we don't see too many people beating the door down asking for this on demand network to be added.
Voom HD claims over $1 billion in damages from DISH Network drop
If you had a sneaking suspicion that somewhat just wasn't right when all 15 of the VOOM HD networks suddenly vanished from DISH Network's lineup, um, you were right. Apparently EchoStar (now DISH Network) and VOOM Networks had inked a 15-year deal in 2005 that would give the latter "a license fee of $3.25 a month per HD subscriber receiving VOOM." Now, VOOM has "filed an amended complaint against EchoStar, claiming it will suffer more than $1 billion in damages." More specifically, it notes that "EchoStar had no right to terminate the affiliation agreement on the basis of a trumped-up and pretextual claim of breach simply because it no longer liked the deal it struck." As expected, EchoStar is remaining mum on the subject, but its ex-partner is seeking "substantial damages in an amount to be determined at trial." This one could get real ugly, and fast.
Canal Digitaal adds VOOM HD to basic high-def tier
Shortly after Canal Digitaal launched its first HD channels in the Dutch market, the satcaster has announced plans to pick up VOOM HD in June. With the addition, the outfit's high-definition lineup will consist of Discovery HD, National Geographic HD, BravaHD and -- from the summer onwards -- Nederland 1 HD. Mum's the word on a price hike, so here's to hoping subscribers won't have to pony up anything extra to enjoy the stations that DISH Network just dropped like a bad habit.
Drift Style racing series premieres on Rush HD tonight
Joining NASCAR, Indy, off road and Mustangs in this season's HD racing schedule is a brand new series focused on drift racing. Rush HD premieres Drift Style tonight at 8:30 p.m. on the Voom HD network. If you're (still) not familiar with the sport, its a competition mixing speed with style as drivers take their heavily customized street cars around the track. We're glad to see more new original content on Voom, for more info on this weekly series check the full PR after the break.
Voom's Equator HD readies several new original series
We've heard your comments asking for more original content, and apparently so has Voom HD. The network's Equator HD is prepping several new series to debut later this year, along with Mario's Green House, featuring actor Mario Van Peebles undergoing a green living home renovation, due in 2009. Until then, Natural Born Traveler, starring an Australian world traveler touring his home continent and The Monkey Thieves, following a pack of urban monkeys will have to tide you over.
Cablevision moving Voom HD package to switched digital only
Cablevision is making the move to switched digital video, with its 15 Voom HD channels going SDV-only in April and May. Of course this means that CableCARD users won't be able to get them any more. There were around 14,000 such devices on Cablevision as of last December, most notably Tivos, so the company is offering a free HD set-top for a year. While not the most elegant of solutions, it should at least tide people over until the tuning resolver that fixes this gets sorted out. Of course, maybe the Voom HD channels aren't important to every viewer, but others will inevitably follow and the offer is set to expire June 30. Such is life on the way to 500 HD channels, we suppose.
Norway's Get cable provider fetching Voom HD networks
Shortly after hearing that a FTTH network was on its way to Norway, a cable provider (Get) in the nation has just landed a carriage agreement that will bring Voom HD networks onto its lineup of high-definition channels. Granted, this isn't the first time the Voom channels have surfaced in the Nordic and Baltic regions, but when it launches on Get later this month, it will be a first on this particular carrier. Interestingly, there was no mention of rate changes associated with the newcomers, so here's to hoping users in the area are in fact gifted with these gratis.
GameplayHD's videogame animated series "Sacred Road" launches this fall
Voom's GameplayHD channel has a new 3D animated action series on the way, Sacred Road. As if we weren't already getting enough HD gaming in (CoD4 anyone?), the new series is being created entirely within a videogame engine, taking Red vs. Blue's concept to a whole new level. With graphical assets courtesy of Gearbox Software's Brothers in Arms game, Sacred Road is about a group of WWII soldiers caught up fighting Nazi's with an army of undead World War I fighters at their command. Check it out this fall, either on GameplayHD or via the website.[Via GameIndustry.com]
