DISH Network HD Channels Guide

HD (high definition) TV is amazing. The picture is so lifelike you think you're watching a scene through a window. Here's a satellite to DISH Network HD channels.

Local Network Channels

Depending on where you live, most of your local network channels such as ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, and The CW channels are broadcast in HD.

Movie Channels

DISH Network broadcasts the major movie channels satellite HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, and Starz - in HD. You can also get lesser-known movie channels like HD Theater, TBS, TNT, HDNet Movies, Film Fest, World Cinema, and five pay-per-view channels.

Sports Channels

DISH Network features a ton of sports channels such as ESPN, NFL Network, Big Ten Network, World Sport HD, and regional sports channels like CSN, Fox Sports Network, Primetime, and SportsNet

Special Interest Channels

DISH Network has a huge number of special interest channels. Some of these channels are - Arts & Entertainment, The History Channel, The Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel, Home & Garden TV, The Food Channel, Music HD, Animal Planet, National Geographic Channel, Family Room, Gallery, Game Play, Rush, Animania, Equator, Rave, and Ultra.

HD Pricing

You can get HD channels when you purchase DISH Network programming. Prices for programming packages start at $19.99 for their 40-channel Family package, and go up to $94.99 for their 365-channel "Everything" package. You can also purchase HD programming individually, with prices starting at $10 a month.

In order to view HD programming you must have an HD receiver. Happily, DISH Network will give you a free HD receiver. They'll also give you a free HD/DVR receiver that lets you record up to 500 hours of your favorite programs, and allows you to pause, rewind, and fast-forward live TV programs.

Best Deal On HD Channels

Visit http://www.thesatellitetvguide.com/dish-network-hdtv.htm or click on the following link for more information on DISH Network HD channels, plus where to get the best deal on their satellite TV service. You can also see their latest special offers and order their satellite TV service online.

The author, Brian Stevens, is the senior editor for TheSatelliteTVGuide.com and has written a number of articles on DISH Network HD channels.

Dish Network Rolls Out 1080p HDTV Format

Unless you happen to know a bit about HDTV, 1080p probably does not mean a whole heck of a lot to you. However, to those of us who consider ourselves HDTV geeks, it's a pretty big deal. 1080p is currently satellite highest-resolution HD format available today, which means it delivers top-of-the-line picture quality when compared to all other formats.

Most consumers are probably not interested in the technical details of why 1080p is better than 1080i, and that the "p" stands for progressive and the "i" stands for interlaced. Just know that progressive is the format that is going to give you the best HDTV picture currently available.

If you have not yet joined the ranks of HDTV owners, there may be no better time than now to do so. This is due to the fact that DISH Network is now the only national subscription broadcaster to offer 1080p programming. DISH Network's main competitor, DirecTV, says it is planning to offer 1080p programming later this year, but has not been more specific than that about a timetable.

There are usually a host of various DISH Network deals to take advantage of that offer free programming for a few months or free gifts when you subscribe.

To assist some readers who may be befuddled by all the technical jargon associated with issues like HDTV vs. SDTV, or standard definition television - the kind of TV that's been around for decades -- let me attempt an explanation that might make sense to you.

The difference between HDTV and SDTV (which we all knew and loved for many years!) might best be described by an exercise like this: A talented artist sets about to create two versions of the same beautiful portrait. To create the first version of the portrait, the artist is provided only with a box of crayons and a canvas. For the creation of the second version, the artist will use his or her usual collection of paints and brushes to apply skillfully to the canvas.

Which portrait do you think will look better? That's how I compare HDTV to standard definition TV, and although that analogy may be a bit extreme, for me, the difference was stunning when I viewed a program on my new HDTV for the first time about 18 months ago. And since my TV supports a maximum resolution of 1080i, I was not even seeing the best that HDTV has to offer, which is of course, 1080p.

Unfortunately for HDTV owners like myself, DISH network's new 1080p programming will not benefit me until I have a television capable of accepting a 1080p signal. I guess I'll have to start dropping coins into my piggy bank again very soon!

As a DISH Network customer who has a VIP622 DVR (Digital Video Recorder), my unit will probably be upgraded to 1080p capability any day now by way of a software download direct to the DVR, without any intervention on my part. The capabilities of the devices that provide our entertainment these days is simply amazing.

After drooling over HDTV sets in catalogs for years, and finally upgrading not all that long ago, I guess I will now have to start dreaming of a set that can handle 1080p, so I can use the full capabilities of my DISH Network service.

Perhaps we can put the old TV downstairs in the family room when I finally get to unpack that shiny, new 1080p-capable set some day.

Braden Kellen writes about consumer issues for HomesForNH.com, satellite a section dedicated to the best dish network deals for satellite TV programming.