Dish Adds Viacom HD Channels
Last night, Dish added the following HD channels to its lineup…
These are available even if you only have the old Dish Absolute package or one of the Turbo packages:
- Comedy Central (channel 107)
- Country Music Television (channel 166)
- Spike (channel 168)
- BET Jazz (channel 371) *
These channels were added if you have one of the Turbo packages, but not the Absolute package.
- Nickelodeon (channel 9416)
- MTV (channel 9484)
- VH1 (channel 9507)
- BET (channel 9510)
* Added on April 1, 2009 along with SD versions comedy central for Absolute customers. As near as I can tell, BET Jazz has never shown anything in HD. 
In addition to those channels, earlier this year, Dish added Fox News and Fox Business in HD for Turbo customers while replacing Smithsonian HD with Crime and Investigations HD for all customers.
As a grandfathered Dish Absolute customer, I now receive 50 satellite channels that carry at least some HD programming for $30.61, including tax. That’s not bad considering I didn’t expect to receive any new channels without a fee increase.
Actually you are the lucky one, the Turbo HD only customers are getting screwed. The Turbo only customers are NOT getting access to the HD versions of FNC, NICK ,MTV,VH1 or BET. Only subscribers to the Classic + HD packages and the absolute subscribers are getting them. Some screwed up decision by DISH.
Turbo customers had the biggest rate increase in February but have only been given access to 3 of the new HD channels, Comedy, Spike and CMT.
I was glad to see BET JAZZ. I had DISH turned back on yesterdaY. i spent most of the evening editing the favorites list, tho.
I thought the cost had gone up since I turned it off; but I am not sure about it. You are correct in saying they will not keep adding the HD without a cost adjustment some time.
I have the absolute package too.
This was just a terrific surprise and I was ecstatic to now get Comedy Channel HD as I wasn’t expecting to get any more HD channels and this is the one I still really miss.
Dish AbsoluteHD is by far the best package around.
much to my displeasure BET JAZZ has not had ANY JAZZ during the times I tried to watch in additiion to no HD.
Does any one know why there is such a wild differance in sound levels, not only between channels but during the evening on the same channel. My sister says DIRECT TV is the same way. I don’t remeber this problem occurring the past.