TNT-HD is up on DIRECTV
By Ben Drawbaugh 
posted Feb 18th 2006 8:00AM
posted Feb 18th 2006 8:00AM
TNT-HD was up Friday morning on channel 75, I am excited to get the first new HD channel on DIRECTV in a long time and now that I have TNT-HD I can share my opinions about it.
The first thing I saw when I turned it on this morning was a stretched, up-converted episode of Charmed with a "IN HI-Definition where available" on the screen. I am happy to have a new channel, but I wished they would do a better job of distinguishing between the SD and the HD shows. I undestand that not everything they show is in HD, but the least they could do is label it properly and don't even get me started on the "DD 5.1" which 90% of the time isn't 5.1 at all.
I've had TNT-HD for some time now, and I've never understood why so many people were clammoring to get it. IT SUX!
Another thing is that you never quite know if a movie is going to be broadcast in HD -- even if it was before.
It's like sometimes they forget to press the HD button or something.
We've had TNT-HD on our local cable system for a couple months now... I have not seen anything that looks terrible as described in this article. Of course, half the stuff on there I'm not interested in anyway. The only thing I really am looking forward to is hopefully NASCAR will be in HD when they get coverage later in the year. Yeah, i know... its NASCAR... but come on, it's an excuse to watch a pretty picture and drink cheap beer with friends and act like a fool.
I like their sports and original programming. They also have the best up-conversion I have ever seen. It is a perfect mix of a horizontal crop and a non-linear stretch. The scaller they use it probably over 100k and I am not complaining about that. I know alot of people do, but it doesn't bother me. It just bothers me that they label it HD.
No doubt Universal's selection of programming doesn't match TNT's but at least everything is in HD.
The Panorama (strech) doesn't bother me a whole lot, but it bothers me more than pillar box.
I have TNT-HD through Time Warner ... they've had it since I bought by HDTV about a year ago. I'm a little frustrated though, since TWC hasn't introduced a new HD channel, well, since I signed up. Sad. But I have to say I watch a fair amount of TV on that channel, and it's pretty good. Good for DirecTV for pickin' it up.
DocRoland;
TWC has most of the HD channels there are only a few they could pick up. The biggest missing channel from their lineup is ESPN2 and the rumor mills are pointing to a deal soon. As soon as I can get a date I will post it here so stay tuned.
The Panorama (strech) doesn't bother me a whole lot, but it bothers me more than pillar box.
TNT HD rocks the house. It's cool to watch Alias from the first epidsode in HD.