Hello Everyone

I’m a new member to the forum, and just bought an HDTV (Samsung 42” DLP 1080i/720p Projection TV) about a month ago during all the holiday sales. After working for the National Geographic Channel for a couple of months I wanted to see the full potential of the programming I was part of. The HD channel was launched about a year ago during our five year anniversary and is a simulcast of our non-HD channel. Since we crossed the one year mark, I wanted to do some research outside of the numbers I see everyday and hear some real feedback from real HD viewers. What are your thoughts on the channel – have you seen it? Would it be better if we didn’t simulcast our non-HD channel and aired different shows? If you haven’t seen the channel, do you have an urge to? I would really like to get an idea of what a HD enthusiast really thinks about the channel. Also if you have any questions about the channel I can try to answer those too.

I loved the SD channel when I was with D* in '04 -'05. When I went back to E*, my Silver package didn’t include NGHD. :( Rumor has it E* will be offering NGHD for all HD subscribers next month. I hope that is true, because I really enjoyed the SD channel, and seeing it in HD will be a real treat.

I love the NGC, can't wait until D* carries the HD version.

I get the NGHD via E* on a 622. I have watched the channel and I like it's content. I have noticed that I do not watch it anymore because the refresh cycle for new shows is slow. I was able to see most of the of shows that interested me in the first 3 months. The only 1 show I keep on coming back for more is The Dog Whisperer. I don't care if its simulcast or not as long as it is true HD Content. There is still a lot of upconverted content but I guess it takes time to build up a good library.

PQ wise I would say it is not the best of my HD channel lineup. But maybe E* has something to do with it.

I find that this channel has more scientific shows compared to its peers.

I like

The Dog Whisperer
Naked Science
Final Report
Exxplorer

BTW, Welcome to AVS

I would definitely be interested in getting NGHD on D*

I'd like to see "Seconds From Disaster" in HD when D* gets around to it.

If the SD version is an indication I'll be in the same boat as Cucuy regarding the freshness of NGHD's programming.

We have a had NGCHD for a couple of months on Comcast and this is one of my favorite non-sports channels. I especially like "Seconds From Disaster", "Science of The Bible," and "The Final Report." And I have watched a few of "Explorer" espisodes that were of interest to me. Being an amature photographer, the technical and artistic content of the HD programming lives up to my expecations of anything associated with National Geographic.

-- Jim

I would like more shows in HD, it seems every time I put it on there is a upconverted broadcast showing. I kinda like the idea of a separate HD channel, at least you know when you put it on it will be in HD. This is how Discovery Home Theater operates and wouldn't mind if you followed their example. As for PQ it could be a little better, not up there with the best but not the worst either. I know I might be a little tough but I'm being honest. However I do greatly appreciate you coming on to this forum and asking for our opinions because it does show how serious you are and must be commended for your efforts and wish you and NGHD all the best.

I get the NGHD via E* on a 622. I have watched the channel and I like it's content.

....StarChoice has included Nat Geographic HD as one of their no extra charge "Essentials"....

Overall, a nice bonus!

National Geographic is one of my favorite channels.
I recently switched from Time Warner because they could not get this channel or even let me know it was coming anytime soon.
With "Dish" National Geographic is set on my favorites list.
Just because a channel is in HD does not mean it gets on my channel favorites.
The station must have interesting content.
I love Naked Science and programs where people are searching for historical items and places.
Keep up the great work.
Glad to have you here on AVS.

Somehow the NCG doesn't seem to have the same heart as the National Geographic shows that I had watched on PBS or even MSNBC. I guess not everything can be the expensive worldly footage shows.

Would you know if there are any plans in the near future for Cablevision in NY to carry NGHD?

Would you know if there are any plans in the near future for Cablevision in NY to carry NGHD?

I wouldn't hold my breath for Cablevision adding any new HD channels soon. If you are located in any of the Long Island towns that have approved tv franchises for Verizon FIOS, I would switch to FIOS. They are already carrying NGHD, and with the superior bandwith they have, are more likely to add many more HD channels than Cablevision.

I've been with D* for almost a year now and no new HD channels added. I was promised the sun moon and stars in HD when I signed up (a friend just signed with them and they're handing him the same b.s. they gave me -- "By the end of the year we'll have a hundred hd channels!" etc.). Now there's NGHD available and D* won't offer it. Perfect. Buy cheap, sell dear, and promise 'em anything. Can anyone say false advertising?

In my area, system Comcast of NJ II(Union), Comcast isn't offering NGHD yet. Comcast offers some NGHD programming via On-Demand, and the ones I've watched, I liked quite a bit, the one about a big earthquake in LA and another one that I forgot. I am looking forward to having NGHD added to my lineup eventually.

So far i've liked everything on it, and the quality of the shows is very good.

Some might disagree, but the only show I can't stand is "Dog Whisperer", and the all day marathons turn me away from the channel when I see them running it non-stop.

Other then that, two thumbs up.

I currently have D* and have admittedly never watched NG. If it were to be picked up as an HD channel, heck yeah I would watch it! Especially if it were to come as an MPEG 4 channel.

I just wish comcast here in the New Jersey/New York area would carry the HD channel.

Put it on Insight Communications in Illinois!

I wouldn't hold my breath for Cablevision adding any new HD channels soon. If you are located in any of the Long Island towns that have approved tv franchises for Verizon FIOS, I would switch to FIOS. They are already carrying NGHD, and with the superior bandwith they have, are more likely to add many more HD channels than Cablevision.

I am in a town where FIOS is available, but since FIOS still doesn't carry MSG-HD and FSNY-HD, I just couldn't make the switch. It would be too much to give up both Knicks and Islanders games to gain NGHD. Cablevision has a pretty good lineup of HD channels, I'm surprised they aren't quick to add more such as NGHD.

Thanks a lot guys. Some great feedback so far. What do you think about the channel's HD programming being in line with our non-HD channel? Does that matter to you?

I am in a town where FIOS is available, but since FIOS still doesn't carry MSG-HD and FSNY-HD, I just couldn't make the switch. It would be too much to give up both Knicks and Islanders games to gain NGHD. Cablevision has a pretty good lineup of HD channels, I'm surprised they aren't quick to add more such as NGHD.

They're only good for sports channels. They still don't carry Discovery HD (virtually every major cable and satellite provider has carried that channel from day one) no HDNet, etc... Also, this fall a slew of HD channels (USA, SciFi, FX, etc...)will launch, and with FIOS's much greater bandwith capacity I'm betting Verizon will carry them long before Cablevison ever will. Verizon will be wiring my building in the next couple of weeks and I'll be making the switch from Cablevison the first day it's available.

my local cableco added it last week (as part of a 5 channel addition to get them pretty current). its a good channel but not great (and its pq leaves something to be desired across the board... some shows look great but they have too much converted stuff for my liking)

I have been watching NGHD on E* since it launched. While the PQ is just OK compared to DHD, it is the programming I really care about. I love the variety of programming. However, I don't like it when I see 4x3 material cropped down to 16x9. One program on spiders (Dark Side of Spiders I believe) actually had scenes in which the spider was completely cropped off of the screen. I think its important to present all of your programming in its Original Aspect Ratio.

NG-HD is in my favorites list on E*. I don't mind the simulcast with the SD channel, if it keeps your expenses down and doesn't slow the transition to making as much of the programming as possible available in HD.

Even the programs that were shot in SD originally are more watchable for me on the HD channel, because they look more crisp and defined. I suspect that the HD channel doesn't get compressed as much on E* as the SD channel does.

Thanks a lot guys. Some great feedback so far. What do you think about the channel's HD programming being in line with our non-HD channel? Does that matter to you?

I too am waiting for my provider to add the HD version (Patriot Media in NJ- I 'vote' all the time for it when they do their polls for new channels).


But to answer your question- FOR ME- if you are still just putting a lot of SD up ont he HD channel then I would say it's not important to simulcast and in fact I would prefer you do an HD only feed- sort of like discovery channel does on their HD channel. Once you get to a point where most of your programming can be HD then it's nice to have simulcast so we can just ignore the SD version.

By having the 'normal' sd feed plus an HD only feed, those of us with HD get more options. Particularly those of us with DVR's.

I loved the SD channel when I was with D* in '04 -'05. When I went back to E*, my Silver package didn’t include NGHD. :( Rumor has it E* will be offering NGHD for all HD subscribers next month. I hope that is true, because I really enjoyed the SD channel, and seeing it in HD will be a real treat.

I too am a subscriber to E*s HD Silver package. (The tier that doesn't carry NGHD). To me, this one additional HD channel that I would receive doesn't warrant paying the extra dollars to go to the next tier. However with that being said, if NGHD was available on the current tier that I am on (Silver) I would definitely watch it.

Aliens, how strong are the rumors you hear on NGHD being available through the Silver package next month?

Cablevision just added the National Geographic HD channel but as of yet its not included in the TitanTV guide. Where is a good url to find what programs are in true HD as everything I have seen thus far has been SD material?

thanks

I too am a subscriber to E*s HD Silver package. (The tier that doesn't carry NGHD). To me, this one additional HD channel that I would receive doesn't warrant paying the extra dollars to go to the next tier. However with that being said, if NGHD was available on the current tier that I am on (Silver) I would definitely watch it.

Aliens, how strong are the rumors you hear on NGHD being available through the Silver package next month?

You subscribe to the hd package but don't get that channel? That seems crazy to me. They will bleed you for every dime.

Even the programs that were shot in SD originally are more watchable for me on the HD channel, because they look more crisp and defined.I agree. As bad as most of my E* SD channels look, NG is consistently the best looking one on there. Now if they'd just stop running the same stuff over and over and over and over.......:rolleyes:.

I saw a part of one of the previews that D* shows for now. It looks awsome.

My little cable company, WaveCable, added National Geographic HD a few weeks ago. I was excited until I started watching. The programming is very inferior to my local Seattle Public Television HD station. It is inferior to the Discovery Channel as well. Programs have lots of commercials. Some programs are really not worthy of National Geographic such as a program on O. J. Simpson.

Did like the first episode of the Galapagos special. But so many commercials compared with Discovery HD.

My little cable company, WaveCable, added National Geographic HD a few weeks ago. I was excited until I started watching. The programming is very inferior to my local Seattle Public Television HD station. It is inferior to the Discovery Channel as well. Programs have lots of commercials. Some programs are really not worthy of National Geographic such as a program on O. J. Simpson.

Did like the first episode of the Galapagos special. But so many commercials compared with Discovery HD.

NGC is a simulcast channel of the SD version so that might account for all the commercials. They also have to find content to fill up their schedule as well. I don't know why they chose 720p, must be a FOX networks thing since NGC is owned by them as well. Wish they were 1080i since its documentaries. I am not a huge fan of Dog Whisperer, Final Report etc. I like the nature programs. Planet Carnivore, Hunter and Hunted, can never get enough of lions, hyenas, elephants on the savannahs of Africa :). I received DHDT today and was impressed with it.

I don't know why they chose 720p, must be a FOX networks thing since NGC is owned by them as well. Because 720p is a higher quality image than 1080i and it doesn't suffer from motion artifacts as much as 1080i - that's why ESPN and ABC use it for sports. :cool:

1080i is actually two alternating fields of 540 ! :eek:

See this article (http://editorials.teamxbox.com/xbox/1544/The-Facts-and-Fiction-of-1080p/p1/) to educate yourself.

You subscribe to the hd package but don't get that channel? That seems crazy to me. They will bleed you for every dime.

Yup. Pretty ridiculous. Especially since E* still doesn't offer LiL's in the Cleveland market or RSN's in HD yet. There are multiple levels of HD packages E* offers. I would have to pay over $10 more a month just to get the 1 additional NG HD channel!

Yup. Pretty ridiculous. Especially since E* still doesn't offer LiL's in the Cleveland market or RSN's in HD yet. There are multiple levels of HD packages E* offers. I would have to pay over $10 more a month just to get the 1 additional NG HD channel!

I am surprised that more don't complain about this. They are holding one channel back eventhough you subscribe to get hd. With D* making these big promises I bet that it is just a matter of time until you get NG.

Because 720p is a higher quality image than 1080i and it doesn't suffer from motion artifacts as much as 1080i - that's why ESPN and ABC use it for sports. :cool:

1080i is actually two alternating fields of 540 ! :eek:

See this article (http://editorials.teamxbox.com/xbox/1544/The-Facts-and-Fiction-of-1080p/p1/) to educate yourself.
Good news! :) You'll be happy to learn that 1080i's two 1/60-sec fields per TV frame are fused by our eyes into 1/30-sec images with interlaced CRT viewing, or 1/60-sec frames for many fixed-pixel displays. For static or mostly static images, vertical resolution (see table (http://archive.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?postid=326565#post326565)) of 1080i still exceeds 720p. Here's the best news: 1080i's format resolution is double that of 720p. And even though 1080i's effective resolution (http://archive2.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=5667245&&#post5667245) (resolvable detail) hasn't reached resolvable 1920X1080i/p yet to homes, it's still achievable. While 720p is of course limited to 1280X720! Permanently! :eek:

With my cable TV system I rarely see motion artifacts and breakups from inadequate bit rates for 1080i, and 1080i's 1/60-sec 'snapshots' of images result in excellent crisp images from live sports or other fast-action scenes. The advantages of 1080i's higher resolution are obvious viewing distant fine details in scenes, and programs such as Visions of Italy on PBS, etc., featuring helicopter flyovers of landscapes, makes the advantages of 1/60-sec 'snapshots' and boosted effective resolution very obvious. -- John

My little cable company, WaveCable, added National Geographic HD a few weeks ago. I was excited until I started watching. The programming is very inferior to my local Seattle Public Television HD station. It is inferior to the Discovery Channel as well. Programs have lots of commercials. Some programs are really not worthy of National Geographic such as a program on O. J. Simpson.

Did like the first episode of the Galapagos special. But so many commercials compared with Discovery HD.

The bigger problem is the lack of NEW programming. After watching NGC HD for a few months, I have seen everything they seem to have to offer. Now, everytime I tune the channel, I've seen it. Same crap with Discovery Channels - repeat followed by repeat. It will be fall before anything new shows show up and then only for a couple of months - then repeats.

I don't know why they chose 720p, must be a FOX networks thing since NGC is owned by them as well.

You are correct, that is the ONLY reason they are using 720P!

I am surprised that more don't complain about this. They are holding one channel back eventhough you subscribe to get hd. With D* making these big promises I bet that it is just a matter of time until you get NG.

E* considers NG to be a premium channel like HBO-HD, SHO-HD and Starz-HD. Those channels are on a higher tier. There is no "all hd" tier.


I don't know why they chose 720p, must be a FOX networks thing since NGC is owned by them as well.

I figured it out! NG is owned by Ruppert Murdoch's FOX and E* is holding back NG from their main HD tier just to spite D*. :D

I am surprised that more don't complain about this. They are holding one channel back eventhough you subscribe to get hd. With D* making these big promises I bet that it is just a matter of time until you get NG.Actually, they're holding back about 50 channels, cuz you need AT250 to get NG, and you need NG to get NGHD. So, your extra $10 bucks will get you a lot more than one channel. Almost everything I watch that's not OTA is in the highest tier (Science Channel, NG, Discovery Times, Encore Movies, TMC, ...).

Lats hope E* puts the channel back on silver tier soon

I'm complaining here

you do the same >

The bigger problem is the lack of NEW programming. After watching NGC HD for a few months, I have seen everything they seem to have to offer. Now, everytime I tune the channel, I've seen it. Same crap with Discovery Channels - repeat followed by repeat. It will be fall before anything new shows show up and then only for a couple of months - then repeats.Few months?

Hell - more like a few WEEKS.

(Or, in the case of "Galapagos" and so many other shows, specials, & movies - HOURS :rolleyes:.)

In my opinion, 90% of the standard cable/satellite channels are not even worth paying the going price for - just for this very reason.

The bigger problem is the lack of NEW programming. After watching NGC HD for a few months, I have seen everything they seem to have to offer. Now, everytime I tune the channel, I've seen it. Same crap with Discovery Channels - repeat followed by repeat. It will be fall before anything new shows show up and then only for a couple of months - then repeats.

With the (VERY) notable exceptions of Galapagos on NGC HD and Planet Earth (starts tonight!) on Discovery HD.

I've only had NGC HD for a week, so I'm not acquainted with how often they rerun stuff. But I've had Discovery HD for a year and have no complaints about the variety of content. It's weeks or sometimes months before any given show turns up again. Yes things do get repeated at a noticeable rate, but it's nowhere near as bad as, say inHD or MHD, which seem to repeat things every other day.

With the (VERY) notable exceptions of Galapagos on NGC HD and Planet Earth (starts tonight!) on Discovery HD.

inHD or MHD, which seem to repeat things every other day.

Eww, I'm a huge HD fanatic but I don't have MHD and for some reason would never care for it. If its added so be it but I doubt I would ever watch the channel. Lets put it this way its way down on the list of desired HD channels I would like to see, but I guess some people love it. As for INHD I don't know who is in their programming department but their shift to this idea of MOJO is a major DUD as it gets. I expect repeats on full time hd channels but one would hope the content is at least watchable.