Dish sends TBS HD to the plate
After taking a lot of heat for not offering the first round of the MLB playoffs in HD, Dish Network appears to have reversed its course.
Are you a Dish Network subscriber frustrated that you can't watch the first round the baseball playoffs in high def? Well, fear not. As reported in a forum on Satelliteguys.us, Dish is testing TBS HD on channel 542, and it looks good. There are a few audio and video hiccups, but I am also getting those on TBS SD (and I haven't experienced them on any other channel--go figure). So it's as good as Fox or ESPN's offerings--better if you consider that you don't have to listen to Tim McCarver.
Dish had been taking a lot of heat lately from Dish subscribers for not offering TBS in HD, and some wonder if this move--even though they don't seem to be advertising it--is a concilatory move . Indeed, a customer service representative told me Friday that Dish doesn't offer TBS in HD when I called to ask about the playoffs. When I informed her that I was watching the game on Dish in HD, she backpedaled a bit to say they were "testing" it and weren't sure if they were going to be able to offer it because of negotiations with TBS. Hopefully, the test will continue through the first round of the playoffs.
Beyond that, some subscribers didn't see a lot of value to having TBS in HD and many suggested other channels they would rather see in high-def, such as CNN, Bravo, The Outdoor Channel and even the Weather Channel. But the overwhelming favorite appeared to be the Sci-Fi Channel. Would Wonder Woman's powers be magnified in high-def?
UPDATE, 6:00 p.m.: Since this blog was originally published, Dish Network has also added TBS HD at channel 139.