Cable needs to more skillfully promote its HD offerings and expose what DBS’ 100 channels-plus HD claims really mean, said a speaker at ACA and NCTC‘s Independent Show in Orlando. DirecTV and DISH have so many HD channels partly because many are premium channel multiplexes or multiple RSNs, said One Touch Intelligence analyst Matt Stump. He said cable should remind people that it carries the local RSN in a market and offers premium channels on HD VOD, so they don’t have to find the West Coast start time for Showtime‘s "Weeds" or a premium channel movie. Cable’s message, according to Stump, should be: "We don’t carry the periphery, but we carry the core." The analyst also reminded attendees that DISH Network soon will start offering several HD-only tiers of service. Beginning Aug 1, DISH subs can get the TurboHD Bronze package for $24.99/month or $29.99/month with local channels.

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Friday–February 26

DirecTV, DISH Merger Still Possible

AT&T found a way to offload a stake in its US video business, but this likely isn’t the end of the road for DirecTV. A combo with DISH is still possible.

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