How many HD Channels are there? How many HD channels does DISH Network or Directv actually offer?
83
MAJOR UPDATE - June 3rd, Tampa
DISH Network is now offering new and existing customers FREE HD for LIFE!
Yes, you are reading that correctly. If you do not have DISH Network already, you can now order DISH and get FREE HD service for LIFE! This is a huge promotion. If you are a current DISH Network customer, don't worry, this offer is good for you as well!
DISH Network has a lot of HD channels. So does Directv.
But the actual number of channels that you will get, or that you even care about can differ drastically from what TV ads may indicate. This article is going to break down a list of channels that you're get to watch in HD with either provider. Who has more? What is the 'real' channel count?
Follow us on Twitter (@CutcableTV) to get useful and interesting tweets about DISH Network
[UPDATE: DISH has launched 8 new HD channels, bolstering their line-up even more. Directv is still playing catch-up in this category]
[UPDATE: 5/12/2010 - DISH Network becomes the first TV provider to offer Univision HD, Telefutra HD, and Galavsion HD! Plus they just launched DIY HD, EPIX 2 HD, and Investigation Discovery HD]
Read on to find out where the HD really is ...
HD Channel counts, via TV ads, are competitively written.
It is important to note that they are competitive numbers because that usually means there is some tricky business going on somewhere. So, before we get into exactly how many HD Channels DISH Network and how many HD channels Directv really have, a very quick lesson in industry terminology is required. I'm going to address this in very simple, and basic terms.
Types of Channels (terminology)
- Local Channels - ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, PBS, CW, etc ... are extremely popular channels and operate view 'local affiliates'. What I mean by this is that ABC in Tampa Florida is called WFTS, while ABC in New York NY is called WABC. So, WFTS and WABC are different channels, but no one customer will have both of those channels, just what is available in their local area.
- National Channels - This is the bulk of the channels carried by both DISH and Directv. These channels are broadcast nationally all over the country. So, the TNT or USA you watch in Florida will be exactly the same as the one you watch in New York. Hence the term, National Channel. Some national channels have two feeds, East and West coast feeds. So, they are considered two channels, but only because they modify their programming for the west coast time zones on one of the channels.
- Sports Channels - In my list I'm going to separate national channels into two categories "General" and "Sports". If the channel is listed as "Sports" then it is a national sports channel, like ESPN.
- Regional Sports Networks (RSNs) - FOX Sports Network, Comcast Sports Network, the Big Ten Network, and so on are all regional sports network (RSNs). There are a lot of them. RSNs are only available to people who live in specific geographic areas, and only cover events in that local market.
- PPV or Video on Demand (VoD) - Everyone knows what PPV or Video on Demand is, however, both DISH Network and Directv consider each PPV and VoD option a "channel", and technically they are correct. Most people do not conceptualize these services as "channels" though, hence the elaboration.
- Premium Movie Packages - HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, and Starz are all considered premium movie packages (commercial free) by both DISH Network and Directv. They are generally added to one's programming package via a la carte pricing.
Let's take a look at just how many HD channels DISH Network and Directv really have in their channel lineups
This is what everyone wants to see, so let's just jump right into the list.I'm going to explain how the list is formatted first, though.
Example HD channel listing
- Channel name - [carrier] - [category]
So, for the carrier it could read "Both", "DISH Network", or "Directv". If it does not say "Both" then only the carrier listed offers that channel in High Definition (HD). If there is an [X] next to the carrier name that channel is exclusive to that provider. The category just helps you see what type of channel is (see terminology above).
The HD Channel Line-up for DISH Network and Directv
I'm going to actually have three lists: National channels, Regional Sports Channels, and Premium Movie Channels / PPV / VoD. The first list is for the National Channels.
- A&E HD - Both - General
- ABC Family - Both - General
- Animal Planet HD - Both - General
- BBC America HD - DISH Network - General
- BET HD - Both - General
- Biography Channel HD - Both - General
- Bravo HD - Both - General
- Cartoon Network HD - Both - General
- CBS College Sports HD - Both - Sports
- Centric HD - DISH Network - General
- CMT HD - Both - General
- CNBC HD - Both - General
- CNN HD - Both - General
- Comedy Central HD - Both - General
- Crime and Investigation HD - Both - General
- Discovery Channel HD - Both - General
- Disney Channel HD - Both - General
- Disney XD HD - Both - General
- DIY HD - DISH Network - General
- E! Entertainment Television HD - DISH Network - General
- Encore HD - DISH Network - General
- EPIX HD - DISH Network - General
- EPIX 2 HD - DISH Network - General
- ESPN HD - Both - Sports
- ESPN2 HD - Both - Sports
- ESPN 3D HD - Directv [X] - Sports
- ESPNEWS HD - Both - Sports
- Fashion HD - DISH Network [X] - General
- Food Network HD - Both - General
- Fox Business Network HD - Both - General
- FOX News Channel HD - Both - General
- Fox Soccer Channel HD - DISH Network - Sports
- Fuel TV - Directv - General
- FX HD - Both - General
- G4 HD - DISH Network - General
- Galavision HD - DISH Network - General
- Golf Channel HD - Both - Sports
- Hallmark Channel HD - DISH Network - General
- Hallmark Movie Channel HD - DISH Network - General
- HD Theater - Both - General
- HDNet - Both - General
- Headline News (HLN) - DISH Network - General
- HGTV HD - Both - General
- History HD - Both - General
- History International HD - DISH Network - General
- Indieplex HD - DISH Network - General
- Investigation Discovery HD - DISH Network - General
- Lifetime HD - DISH Network - General
- Lifetime Movie Network HD - DISH Network - General
- Logo - DISH Network - General
- MAV TV - DISH Network - General
- MGM HD - Both - General
- MLB Network - Directv [X] - Sports
- MSNBC HD - DISH Network - General
- MTV HD - Both - General
- Nat Geo WILD HD (National Geographic) - DISH Network - General
- National Geographic Channel HD - Both - General
- NBA TV HD - Both - Sports
- NFL Network HD - Both - Sports
- NHL Network HD - Both - Sports
- Nickelodeon HD - Both - General
- Palladia - Both - General
- Planet Green HD - Both - General
- Retroplex HD - DISH Network - General
- Science Channel HD - Both - General
- Shorts HD - DISH Network - General
- Smithsonian HD - Directv [X] - General
- SPEED HD - Both - Sports
- Spike HD - Both - General
- Sportsman Channel HD - DISH Network - Sports
- Style HD - DISH Network - General
- Syfy HD - Both - General
- TBS HD - Both - General
- TCM (Turner Classic Movies) HD - DISH Network - General
- Telefutura HD - DISH Network - General
- Tennis Channel HD - Both - Sports
- The 101 Network HD - Directv [X] - General
- TLC HD - Both - General
- TNT HD - Both - General
- Travel Channel HD - DISH Network - General
- truTV HD - DISH Network - General
- Universal HD - Both - General
- Univision HD - DISH Network - General
- USA Network HD - Both - General
- Versus HD - Both- Sports
- VH1 HD - Both - General
- Weather Channel - Both - General
- WGN America - DISH Network - General
- World Fishing Network HD - DISH Network [X] - Sports
So that's that. That is the HD channel listing for National customers right there. Without Local affiliates, RSNs, premium movies, PPV, or VoD, those are the HD channels that you have available to you with DISH Network and Directv. So, who has more? What are my sources? How do I know which provider is right for me?
Source: DISH Network's and Directv's official public websites.
Total HD channels possible: 89
Total DISH Network HD Channels: 84
- Exclusive to DISH HD, 34 channels!
Total Directv HD Channels: 51
- Exclusive to Directv HD, 5 channels ...
National Channels you will find in HD only on DISH Network
- BBC America HD - DISH Network - General
- Centric HD - DISH Network - General
- DIY HD - DISH Network - General
- E! Entertainment Television HD - DISH Network - General
- Encore HD - DISH Network - General
- EPIX HD - DISH Network - General
- EPIX 2 HD - DISH Network - General
- Fashion HD - DISH Network [X] - General
- Fox Soccer Channel HD - DISH Network - Sports
- G4 HD - DISH Network - General
- Galavision HD - DISH Network - General
- Hallmark Channel HD - DISH Network - General
- Hallmark Movie Channel HD - DISH Network - General
- Headline News (HLN) - DISH Network - General
- History International HD - DISH Network - General
- Indieplex HD - DISH Network - General
- Investigation Discovery HD - DISH Network - General
- Lifetime HD - DISH Network - General
- Lifetime Movie Network HD - DISH Network - General
- Logo - DISH Network - General
- MAV TV - DISH Network - General
- MSNBC HD - DISH Network - General
- Nat Geo WILD HD (National Geographic) - DISH Network - General
- Retroplex HD - DISH Network - General
- Shorts HD - DISH Network - General
- Sportsman Channel HD - DISH Network - Sports
- Style HD - DISH Network - General
- TCM (Turner Classic Movies) HD - DISH Network - General
- Telefutura HD - DISH Network - General
- Travel Channel HD - DISH Network - General
- truTV HD - DISH Network - General
- Univision HD - DISH Network - General
- WGN America - DISH Network - General
- World Fishing Network HD - DISH Network [X] - Sports
National Channels in HD you will only find on Directv
- Fuel TV - Directv - General
- MLB Network - Directv [X] - Sports
- Smithsonian HD - Directv [X] - General
- The 101 Network HD - Directv [X] - General
 | Amazon Price: Too low to display List Price: $699.99 |
 | Amazon Price: Too low to display List Price: $399.95 |
 | Amazon Price: $329.99 List Price: $649.99 |
 | Amazon Price: Too low to display List Price: $799.99 |
Okay, so what about the Locals, RSN's, Premium Movies, and PPV / VoD HD services?
This can all be viewed very easily by a prospective customer, or an existing customer of either DISH Network or Directv who consider High Definition (HD) services to be paramount.So, let's take a closer look at these other types of HD channels that are not available to a national audience, but have regionally specific customers (with the exception of Premium Movie channels, which are nationally available)
Local Channels
Both companies offer HD locals in most markets. DISH Network advertises HD Locals in 93% of Markets, Directv advertises HD Locals in 91% of markets. So, you'll probably get your locals in HD with either company.So this is basically a wash.
Regional Sports Networks
This is where there could be some significant differences per provider as far as which is available in your area, and which each provider carries. General rule of thumb is that the RSN will most likely be in HD, as that seems to be the trend for most sports networks. No matter how you dice it, you're only going to get a handful of these RSNs in your package anyway.
HD Pay Per View (PPV) and Video on Deman (VoD)
Both companies count these as channels in their advertised HD channel lineup counts. For the purposes of this article I find it very insignificant. Both companies have these services, and if you're a frequent patron to these types of pay-video services then you'll likely be able to purchase these services in HD. So that's a wash.
Premium Movie Packages, like HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, and Starz in HD
This is also a wash in my opinion. Both DISH Network and Directv carry a sufficient number of these channels in HD. Both offer these channels for free to new customers, and then charge a premium for customers who wish to keep these services. Why is it like that? Because the premium movie package networks require it like that.
The televised ads, HD channel counts are hyped, and largely useless to you, the customer!
Both DISH Network and Directv charge $10 per month for HD Access, which can be added to most of their packages. Both companies have different HD Channel Packages, each with their own price points. Both companies have special deals on HD equipment. So, what it really comes down to is this: Which company carries the HD content you want to watch. If they both have the content, then which is the overall better bang for your buck?
Hopefully this helps alleviate some of the confusion surrounding the topic. Any given night you'll see a Directv commercial claiming they have more HD channels (or in a few instances promising that they'll have more in the future), or you'll see a DISH Network commercial claiming they have more. But, now you know. You can look at the list and see for yourself. At this point, it is undisputed: When considering the lists above, DISH Network has more HD channels than Directv does.
Please feel free to post any questions in the comments. We'll be happy to answer them for you.
Thank you, all,
~A DISH Network Retailer
To see our Special Deals for new DISH Network customers, click here
CommentsLoading...
You're very welcome! Hopefully this info helps some people out.
Nice list however, Directv had Pallidia, MGMHD and Universal HD before Dish and they still have them. So you may need to revise the list some.
@HDMan,
I fully expect to update this list as time goes on, and things change. However, those channels you claim are not present on their public website, Directv.com. I'm using published data to compile my list. So, I'm a little uncomfortable using personal testimony vs. their official website.
Not that I don't believe you, in fact I do, but an article like this needs corroborative, and substantiated proof. Hence the independently verifiable sources.
HD channel gives fascinating experience of TV watching. They make watching TV live and true. And I am sure with growing war between these two competitor companies we get something very new technology to watch. I am waiting for that.
In late April, of 2010, DISH launched 8 new HD channels, while Directv is still promising more HD channels are "coming soon ..."
This article is updated frequently, as these lineups change.
Very good hub. I just visited my local best buy shopping for my very first HD television and the salesman began to explain how the tv would be useless without having a HD feed. We have Dish and I had no clue as to how many HD channels there were, but your Hub really cleared that up for me. Thanks for the great info.
Thanks for correlating! One correction. You list the Big Ten Network as an RSN when it's actually a National Channel. On DirecTV every subscriber gets it. I don't know about DISH.
This was very informative post. I work for DISH Network and we absolutely do have more HD channels than DIRECTV. Including 25 added and 5 brand new channels in 2010. Check out the Multi sports pack to add additional RSNETs ($7 per month.)
Do the HD Channel RSN's only carry GAMES broadcast in HD. Because in the three days I have had DISH network my HD RSN (Comcast SportsNet Bay Area) has shown no content at all.
Specifically, Comcast Sportsnet Bay Area produces local HD programs (Chronicle Live, etc.) that are not shown on my DISH HD channel, but are shown on the SD DISH channel. Why?
And where is Comcast SportsNet California?
@Abet,
It is difficult to address the scenario you described exactly because sports channels are strange things in general. Blackout rules, broadcast resolution, and geographic restrictions all come in to play.
The resolution of a game is decided by the broadcaster, not the service provider. So yes, it is possible that a company will choose to broadcast in standard definition and not HD, or vice versa, although I would think the former is going to become less common.
I am going to update this page with the latest HD information soon.
- DISH Network Moves ESPN Classic from Top 200 to the ...
DISH Network moves ESPN Classic the a premium Sports Package, and out of the America's Top 200 (formerly known as the Classic Silver 200). Why did this happen? What can you do? Read on to find out.
thevoice 22 months ago
terrfic write thjanks