YES-HD (Yankees) and NESN-HD (Red Sox)

[KML0224]

I was toying around with the new Direct TV receiver we have at my workplace at a Wal-Mart outside of Hartford. I came across YES-HD, which was on a two-digit channel, just above the local broadcast stations. I couldn't tell if it was just YES-HD by itself or if it was an MLB Extra Innings channel. All of the commercials were the same (AFLAC, New York Lottery, etc.). Instead of the black or gray bars on the sides during standard-definition commercials, the YES logo appears in those areas, flanking the picture.

Meanwhile, I tuned to NESN to check the Red Sox game (on Sunday after the Yanks had already won). It was the regular NESN channel and NESN-HD was nowhere to be found.

Is NESN-HD only available through Comcast or other cable providers? Comcast here in New Britain carries NESN-HD on channel 381. YES-HD isn't offered at this time.

P.S. Yeah, the tagline you hear on NECN all of the time is true! They're not available on the Direct TV setup we've got. ("Lose Cable? You lose NECN!" or something like that!)

 

[JustinT]

NECN on RCN/satellite

> P.S. Yeah, the tagline you hear on NECN all of the time is
> true! They're not available on the Direct TV setup we've
> got. ("Lose Cable? You lose NECN!" or something like that!)

NECN loved to play those when RCN was coming into the Boston area (Switch to satellite? Switch to RCN? You lose NECN!). They played them all the time, but can't do it anymore as I believe a lawsuit forced Comcast to open NECN to all cable providers.

Cablevision and Media One were the big cable providers in the area at the time, but it was Cablevision's terf that was being invaded by RCN. Cablevision continually promised upgrades, digital cable; but it never happened and Cablevision sold its Boston area systems to AT&T. And because of Cablevision's systems were so lousy (you'd lose your cable at least once a week, very poor picture quality, etc.), 37% of cable subscribers in Lexington and 33% of subscribers in Framingham currently have RCN.

 

[MCarney]

> Meanwhile, I tuned to NESN to check the Red Sox game (on
> Sunday after the Yanks had already won). It was the regular
> NESN channel and NESN-HD was nowhere to be found.
>
> Is NESN-HD only available through Comcast or other cable
> providers? Comcast here in New Britain carries NESN-HD on
> channel 381. YES-HD isn't offered at this time.
>
Both NESN and Fox Sports New England are adding other providers for HD coverage. It's a matter of negotiating carriage space and other providers having the technology (HD boxes, HD receivers in the head end). Comcast offered to kick in some of the initial startup costs for HD, which is why they had it first. As for Sunday's game, it was on WSBK UPN38 in Boston (one of the 4 non-Friday games they're allowed to carry) so perhaps NESN didn't feed the HD signal to the rest of New England.

 

[KML0224]

YES-HD/Direct TV Update

I receive the YES-HD service on (I believe) channel 94, with the neighboring channels being Discovery HD, HD-Net and ESPN-HD. The traditional YES channel is also offered on a higher channel. The monitor being used in our store's setup is an LG LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor. While I do see the definition on some HD channels, I don't see it some others. I believe the monitor is capable of displaying a 1080i picture. (We don't sell anything close to that in our store, just at the walmart.com website.)