Sci-Fi Channel: Why No HD?

After four house calls to Comcast to get my HD channels fixed (long story but it was a line issue despite the last Comcast guy telling me it was my HD DVR box, which was brand new) I’m a bit perplexed at why more channels aren’t in HD. Once you get the service and have a big TV you don’t want to watch anything else. After a week with limited HD access I was jonesing for its return but of course was still able to watch the new episode of BSG Friday because Sci Fi is not in HD. 

I just listened to a podcast with Ronald D. Moore, exec producer of “Battlestar Gallactica,” and he said they film the show in HD and obviously they release everything on DVD, so why isn’t the one channel almost perfectly made for HD broadcasting in HD?

Maybe I’m wrong but does anyone get Sci-Fi in HD? If so where in the nation and what cable/satellite provider? Is this worth a petition to NBC corporate? As you know Zucker loves us and I’m sure he’d listen to a reasonable complaint.

And no, the channel doesn’t answer the question on its FAQ. I think having Sci Fi in HD would be a huge plus for it. The original programming is right up there with F/X and USA. Oh wait, those aren’t in HD either. This is almost as big a mistake as the CW not making its shows available on iTunes. 

Image altered to look as crappy as I think regular Sci Fi looks on my TV.

Comments

[David C]

HDNET does show Battlestar in high def. The only problem is that they are severely delayed. They are only at the point where Michelle Forbes arrives with Pegasus.

[Jeff]

It's Universal HD... I get them confused too. I get the channel with DirecTV's HD package (which isn't that great, btw). They also show Firefly in HD though.

[Dave T.]

Didn't know about HDNET but a season and a half behind doesn't really solve the problem. Sci Fi is going to have another new show that looks worthy of hi def with Peter Krause from Six Feet Under, plus there's all the Stargate geeks out there and even fun stuff like Eureka. Perhaps NBC could I don't know, run current programs on Universal HD? Even Monk is updated. I'd take that. of course comcast doesn't carry it but still. I'm guessing it would cut into DVD sales.

[Bob S.]

Look I understand that you'd like to watch Battlestar Galactica in HD, but there is simply not enough content on the scifi channel to make an HD channel. It's the same thing with F/X, and the same thing with USA. Each of these channels has a limited number of original shows, so to make an HD channel at this point in time is a waste. Most cable/satellite companies barely have enough room for the tiny number of channels they have now, so if every cable network decided to make an HD channel, they wouldn't have enough room for them. This is basically why Universal HD was formed, so all of the NBC Universal programming could be aired somewhere in HD. It would be nice if Universal HD aired Battlestar Galactica on the same schedule as the scifi channel, but I'm sure there's some red tape that prevents them from doing this. From what I've heard the 3rd season premieres in Jan on Universal HD, so it's not that long of a wait. Right now it's too early for these cable channels to make HD equivalents.

[Bob S.]

Oh and yes I'm aware of TNT HD, but that channel is an abomination and has no business being on Comcast ahead of Universal HD.

[Dave T.]

hehe
See Bob, TNT. I get to watch the NBA in HD and Law&Order reruns. woohoo.
If Universal HD ran all the cable networks' (USA, Sci fi) programs a week after they debuted on regular networks (so they double their viewership!) don't you think it would be huge? Then they could rerun Heroes in HD a week later, encore, FNL etc? That would be big. I see nothing wrong with that.

[Dvor]

Ack, I don't care if they don't have enough of their own programming in HD, More HD channels are always good. I'd deal with an upconverted, nay I go'd even further, I'd love to have an HD Sci-Fi even if BSG was the only HD show and everything else was in that standard size, surrounded by black signal(Which actually isn't all that bad for some shows, especially animated ones).

[Kenn]

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[Air Jordan]

A man doesn't know what he knows until he knows what he doesn't know.