High-Definition Channels

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Updates

What HDTV channels does Dish offer?

Channel Name Channel # Sat Loc Availability
HD Pak DishHD MPEG4 Notes
A&E 9419 61.5° & 129°   yes yes Uplinked Jan 17, available Jan 31, 2007
TNT HD 9420 110° yes yes   HD Pak (1)
$9.99/month or $109.89/year
- or -
DishHD
HD Theater 9421 / 364 110° yes yes  
HDNet 9422 / 362 110° yes yes  
HDNet Movies 9423 / 383 110° yes    
ESPN-HD 9424 110° yes yes  
ESPN-2 HD 9425 61.5° & 129°   yes yes  
NFL HD 9426 61.5° & 129°   AT200 yes  
Universal HD 9427 / 366 61.5° & 129°     yes  
Natl Geographic HD 9429 61.5° & 129°   AT250 yes Uplinked May 19, available Jun 9, 2006
USA 9431 110°   yes yes Uplinked Dec 5, available Apr 18
SCIFI 9432 110°   yes yes Uplinked Dec 5, available Apr 18
DIS-E 9433 / 172 61.5° & 129°   yes yes Uplinked 5/7/08, available 5/12/08
ABCFM 9434 / 180 61.5° & 129°   yes yes Uplinked 5/7/08, available 5/12/08
CNN HD 9436 61.5° & 129°   yes yes Available May 12, 2008
Travel HD 9437 / 215 61.5° & 129°   yes yes Available May 12, 2008
Weather HD 9438 / 214 61.5° & 129°   yes yes Available May 12, 2008
CNBC HD 9439 / 208 61.5° & 129°   yes yes Available May 12, 2008
Tennis HD 9442 / 400 61.5° & 129°   AT250 yes Available May 12, 2008
Biography HD 9443 / 119 61.5° & 129°   AT250 yes Available May 12, 2008
Hallmark Movies HD 9444 / 187 61.5° & 129°   AT250 yes Available May 12, 2008
Toon Disney HD 9449 / 174 61.5° & 129°   AT200 yes Available Apr 16, 2008
HGTV HD 9461 61.5° & 129°   yes yes Launched Apr 10, available Jun 9, 2006
Food HD 9462 61.5° & 129°   yes yes Available Aug 16, 2006
TOON 9463 / 176 61.5° & 129°   yes yes Uplinked 5/7/08, available 5/12/08
GolfHD / VersusHD 9468 / 398 61.5° & 129°   AT250 yes Comes as a shared channel from programmer
MHD 9469 / 369 61.5° & 129°   yes yes  
Discovery HD 9487 61.5° & 129°   yes yes  
Learning Channel HD 9488 61.5° & 129°   yes yes  
Animal Planet HD 9489 61.5° & 129°   AT200 yes  
Science Channel HD 9490 61.5° & 129°   AT250 yes  
History Channel HD 9491 61.5° & 129°     yes Coming Sept 1, uplinked Aug 22, available Sept 4
BRAVO 9492 / 129 61.5° & 129°   AT200 yes Uplinked 5/7/08, available 5/12/08
ESNWS 9494 / 142 61.5° & 129°   yes yes Uplinked 5/7/08, available 5/12/08
TBS 9499 61.5° & 129°     yes Available Oct 5 (was HD PPV)
Smithsonian 374 61.5° & 129°     yes Available 5/12/08
MGM 385 61.5° & 129°     yes Available 5/12/08
World Fishing Network 394 61.5° & 129°     yes Available 5/12/08
Rave HD 9470 61.5° & 129° yes yes yes

VOOM Originals (1)(3)

Not available separately, included in dishHD Ultimate (formerly part of DishHD) (3)

NOTICE: ALL VOOM TO GO MPEG4 AUG 15
See SatelliteGuys posting. Completed Aug 30.

10 VOOM channels removed late on 5/12/08. All gone on 5/13. The channels will remain listed here in case they are put back up..

Equator HD 9471 61.5° & 129° yes yes yes
Gallery HD 9472 61.5° & 129° yes yes yes
World Sport HD 9473 61.5° & 129°  yes yes
Animania HD 9474 61.5° & 129° yes yes yes
VOOM Movies HD 9475 61.5° & 129°   yes yes
Rush HD 9476 61.5° & 129° yes yes yes
Treasure HD 9477 61.5° & 129°  yes yes
Ultra HD 9478 61.5° & 129° yes yes yes
Kung Fu HD 9479 61.5° & 129° yes yes yes
Film Fest HD 9480 61.5° & 129° yes yes yes
Monsters HD 9481 61.5° & 129° yes yes yes
HD News 9482 61.5° & 129° yes yes yes
Game Play HD 9485 61.5° & 129°  yes yes
Family Room HD 9486 61.5° & 129°  yes yes
HD Pay Per View 531 129°     yes Available Sep 12
HD Pay Per View 534 129°     yes Available Sep 12
HD Pay Per View 535 110°     yes Available Sep 12
HD Pay Per View 536 110°     yes Available Sep 12
HD Pay Per View 537 110°     yes Available Sep 12
HD Pay Per View 539 110°       Available Sep 12, map-down of 9467
HD Pay Per View 540 110°     yes Available Sep 12
Starz! HD 9435 61.5° & 129°   AEP yes Uplinked May 19, available Jun 9, 2006
HBO HDTV (East) 9456 110°   AEP   Requires subscription to HBO after 10/2/2000
MAX-W 9440 / 311 61.5° & 129°   yes yes Available May 12, 2008
5-MAX 9441 / 314 61.5° & 129°   yes yes Available May 12, 2008
MAX 9458 61.5° & 129°   AEP yes Uplinked 4/11/07, available 5/4/07
Showtime HDTV 9460 110°   AEP   Requires subscription to Showtime after 10/2/2000
MAVHD 9465 110°       Only 2 of channels 9463, 9465, 9467 will be in use at the same time.
HD Event 2 / NBA HD 9466 110°      
HD Pay Per View 9467 110°      
CSNWS 5409 129°     yes Available 9/26/07, if you get a black screen on these RSN channels, switch channels then back
Altitude 5410 129°     yes Available 9/26/07
FSN Prime Ticket 5411 129°     yes Available 4/4/07
MSG+ 5413 61.5°     yes Not available
FSN Rocky Mountain 5414 129°     yes Available 4/2/07
FSN Arizona HD 5415 129°     yes Available 7/11/07
FSN Southwest 5416 / 416 61.5° & 129°     yes Available 4/4/07
FSN West 5417 129°     yes Available 4/4/07
FSN Midwest 5418 129°     yes Available 4/2/07
CSNBA 5419 / 419 129°     yes Available 5/14/08
FSN South 5420 / 420 61.5° & 129°     yes Available 4/4/07 (mapdown to 420)
Sun Sports 5422 61.5°     yes Available 4/13/07 (mapdown to 422)
FSN Florida 5423 61.5°     yes Available 4/4/07
CSNMA 5424 61.5° & 129°     yes Available 9/26/07
FSN Ohio 5425 129°     yes Available 9/26/07
FSN Northwest 5426 129°     yes Available 7/11/07
FSN Cincinnati 5427 / 427 61.5° & 129°     yes Available 7/11/07
FSN Pittsburgh 5428 61.5° & 129°     yes Available 7/11/07
CSN Chicago 5429 / 429 61.5° & 129°     yes Available 8/15/07 also uplinked Aug 29 to ch 5713 on 129°
FSN Detroit 5430 / 430 61.5° & 129°     yes Available 7/11/07
Sportstime Ohio 5431 / 431 61.5° & 129°     yes Available 7/11/07
NESN HD 5434 61.5°     yes Uplinked 3/19/08, available 3/26
CSNNE 5435 / 435 61.5°     yes Available 5/14/08
FSN North 5436 / 436 61.5° & 129°     yes Available 7/11/07
Sports South 5437 / 437 61.5° & 129°     yes Available 4/25/07, need link to schedule
SNY HD 5438 61.5°     yes Available 7/11/07
NHL Network HD 403 61.5° & 129°   yes yes Available Oct 17, also mapped to ch 559
BIG10 9500 / 439 61.5° & 129°     yes Available 9/13/07
ALT10 9501 61.5° & 129°     yes Available 9/13/07
ALT10 9502 61.5° & 129°     yes Available 9/13/07
ALT10 9503 61.5° & 129°     yes Available 9/13/07
ALT10 9504 61.5° & 129°     yes Available 9/13/07
NBATV 9508 61.5° & 129°     yes Available 10/29/07 (mapdown to 402)
NBATV 9509 61.5° & 129°     yes Available 10/29/07 (mapdown to 560)
HDALT 9514 61.5° & 129°     yes Available 10/24/07 (mapdown to 444)
HDALT 9515 61.5° & 129°     yes Available 10/24/07 (mapdown to 445)
HDALT 9516 61.5° & 129°     yes Available 10/24/07 (mapdown to 446)
NHLHD 9542 -
9558
61.5° & 129°     yes Available 10/3/07. 9541 (541) added 11/7, not yet available.
NBAHD 9561 -
9572
61.5° & 129°     yes Available 10/10/07
HD Theater 5500 110°     yes Alaska/Hawaii HD Pak (1)
$9.99/month
TNT HD 5501 110°     yes
ESPN-HD 5505 110°     yes
ESPN-2 HD 5506 110°     yes
NFL HD 5507 110°     yes
HDNet 5510 110°     yes
HDNet Movies 5511 110°     yes
Universal HD 5512 110°     yes
HBO HDTV 5515 110°     yes Requires subscription to HBO
Showtime HDTV 5516 110°     yes Requires subscription to Showtime
(vacant) 285 61.5° & 129° yes yes   Preview Showroom
Regional Sports Networks 359-399 61.5°, 129°    Uplinked 9/7/06, coming “very very soon.” Per PR will add “Sun Sports and SportSouth this spring as well as Altitude this fall.”
HDBTV 9650 121°     yes  
HDBT2 9651 121°     yes  
  1. The HD Pak and Voom are no longer available separately, existing subscribers are grandfathered. As of 7/1/06 the HD Pak is again available but only to AK, HI, PR and USVI, and only as an add-on to AT100, AT200, AT250 or AEP. Also, an MPEG4 receiver is being required even though these channels (9420-9424) are MPEG2 and not even disguised as MPEG4.
  2. Available to viewers in a CBS white area or within a CBS O&O market but outside the Grade B contour of neighboring affiliates. Activation upon request, limit 1. (No longer available due to court distant networks ruling.)
    CBS O&O's are NY, LA, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Boston, Detroit, Dallas, Miami, Minneapolis, Denver, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Salt Lake City, Austin, Green Bay.
  3. The VOOM channels are being broadcast in a reduced resolution “ED+” format of 1280x1080i. One unconfirmed explanation is that there is a temporary bandwidth bottleneck from VOOM to Dish. Another is that Dish is intentionally reducing the quality after seeing that other providers seem to be getting away with doing the same. Whatever the truth may be, Dish has not stated when or if the problem will be fixed while continuing to promote the whole package as HD. Complaints of false advertising may be directed to the FTC at 1-877-382-4357. More details at http://www.stophdlite.com/.
  4. On the Nov 2005 Charlie Chat, Dish said their MPEG-4 encoders were not performing as efficiently as they had hoped. These channels are actually encoded as MPEG-2 but with a flag set to make them visible only to an MPEG-4 receiver.

Packages

As of Feb 1, 2008 the HD package is available in two parts at $10 each:

Package History

After Feb 1, 2007 there is only one HD package, available as a $20 add-on to AT100 or above, and containing the HD versions (if they exist) of the channels in those packages.

After Feb 1, 2006 the HD Pak and VOOM will only be available as a single combined package with added channels Universal HD, ESPN2-HD, and 5 more VOOM channels: Family Room HD, GamePlay HD, Treasure HD, World Cinema HD, WorldSport HD.

There is now only one DishHD package with the exception of National Geographic and NHL which are only in Gold and Platinum. The metal levels (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum) reflect which SD package it is bundled with.

The premium HD movie channels (HBO, Showtime, Starz!) are only available as part of DishHD Platinum or with a separate subscription to each service.

“Metallic” Packages
Bronze  = DishHD AT60  or  DishLATINO Plus (5)  or  Great Wall (5)
Silver  = DishHD AT120  or  DishLATINO Dos (5)  
Gold  = DishHD AT180  or  DishLATINO Max (5)
Platinum  = DishHD America's Everything Pack  or  DishLATINO Everything Pack (5)
  1. Not available to new customers after June 9, 2006. Existing subscribers are grandfathered. New subs will have to get DishHD Bronze or higher, then add the DishLATINO Bonus Pack or Great Wall package.

Related pages


Edited by BobaBird. Submissions & corrections welcome!