Did HDNet Suddenly LOSE Ent. HD Broadcast Rights?

[Noname Given]

I know not many people have an HD Setup; but HDNet had been showing Enterprise Mondays @ 9:00 PM EST - were FINALLY getting to the 4th season episodes I was looking forward to seeing in native HD (They had just broadcast 'United' on 6/9); and suddenly - POOF - no Enterprise on their schedule.

IF Paramount had announced a date for the Enterprise series on Blu-Ray; OR the HD feed of the Sci-Fi channel ACTUALLY broadcast the series in native HD resolution (I figured they didn't because HDNet had the exclusive HD rebroadcast rights); I wouldn't care; but with only 9 episodes left to complete the 4th season (and only 8 I want to actually watch ); it's a pisser.

So, is there anyone 'in the know' as to what happened? Did HDNet forget to renew; and perhaps Sci-Fi will start showing the native HD versions (which would suck a bit as HDNet was commercial free and un-cut); or (and I wouldn't doubt this) did Paramount decide to raise the HD rights fee to something ridiculous where HDNet said effectively, 'screw that!') <---- And remembering what Paramount did back in the days of DS9 season 7 first run broadcast rights back in 1999; this is probably accurate - but just looking to see if anyone 'in the know' may prowl this BBS and know whats up?

 

[Hopeful Romantic]

I don't know what happened either. They've pulled the daily re-runs as well, and it appears they've hurriedly slapped in last-minute filler. They still have Enterprise listed in their Program Description section.

AND they didn't show the shuttle landing Saturday, either.

Have they lost their minds over there?

I am well and truly P.O.'d. And for a Phloxist to be admitting such a thing is dire indeed. I, too, would love an explanation. Not to mention, a schedule correction.

 

[Cyrus]

Yeah, I noticed this last week when ENT suddenly disappeared from HDNet listing in DirecTV guide. Originally they had listed "Aenar" airing today. It's weird to stop with only a few episodes left and in the middle of a trilogy.

It's possible that SciFi paid them to get the rights to HD version of ENT. We have to wait and see if SciFi starts broadcasting it in HD.

 

[Professor Moriarty]

Well, there is a SciFi-HD channel, but unfortunately Verizon FiOS isn't carrying that channel until sometime later this summer. But aren't they broadcasting Star Trek: Enterprise in HD on the high-def version of SciFi?

I was really pissed off to see the reruns suddenly stop on HDNet--I was really looking forward finally seeing the mirror universe episodes in high def.

 

[Hopeful Romantic]

HDNet had exclusive rights to air Enterprise in HD. Now...who knows. Whatever happens seems to have happened suddenly, without time for the schedule to have been smoothly rearranged.

And yes, the timing is terrible, in the middle of the Andorian arc, in the middle of Season 4.

 

[Cyrus]

According to someone over at dbstalk.com this is the result of a contract dispute (which explains the sudden schedule change), but there is a decent chance they can work it out.

 

[Noname Given]

Well, there is a SciFi-HD channel, but unfortunately Verizon FiOS isn't carrying that channel until sometime later this summer. But aren't they broadcasting Star Trek: Enterprise in HD on the high-def version of SciFi?

I was really pissed off to see the reruns suddenly stop on HDNet--I was really looking forward finally seeing the mirror universe episodes in high def.

Nope they aren't - you get a nice leterboxed 480P picture broadcast at 1080i. And it's the same with the season 1 & 2 episodes of nuBSG as it looks like the Universal HD channel has exclusive HD rights to those seasons. Plus it's the same with the new Doctor Who

The ONLY thing that's HD front to back are their newer B-Movies on Saturdays; Stargate Atlantis (Which I don't watch, but I was flipping to the Sci-Fi HD channel when it was on to see if it was in HD, which it was); and their failed 'Flash Gordon' series. Hell, when they recently showed a 'Firefly' block - it was in 4:3 SD and I know that Firefly was filmed and posted in HD format as they've shown that series in that format on the Universal HD channel.

 

[Professor Moriarty]

^^^ Now THAT really sucks. So even when SciFi-HD comes to my neighborhood next month, you're telling me that when the final twelve episodes of BSG air in 2009 that I STILL won't get to see it first run in HD?

What the frak good is SciFi-HD if its most popular series isn't SHOWN in HD?!

 

[Professor Moriarty]

Oh and p.s., the post over at dbstalk.com appears to be confirmed by someone at avsforum.com who claimed to have gotten the following e-mail from Mark Cuban (owner of HDNet):

Originally Posted by M. Cuban reply
its due to a contractual dispute with the syndicator. We are trying to work it out

m

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=869188&page=2

 

[Cyrus]

^^^ Now THAT really sucks. So even when SciFi-HD comes to my neighborhood next month, you're telling me that when the final twelve episodes of BSG air in 2009 that I STILL won't get to see it first run in HD?

What the frak good is SciFi-HD if its most popular series isn't SHOWN in HD?!

Not to worry, new BSG episodes are shown in HD on SciFi.

 

[Noname Given]

^^^ Now THAT really sucks. So even when SciFi-HD comes to my neighborhood next month, you're telling me that when the final twelve episodes of BSG air in 2009 that I STILL won't get to see it first run in HD?

What the frak good is SciFi-HD if its most popular series isn't SHOWN in HD?!

Not to worry, new BSG episodes are shown in HD on SciFi.

Yes, from Season 3 on.

 

[Cyrus]

Initially I was just annoyed at HDNet & Paramount/CBS since there were only a few ENT episodes left to show. But I just realized that, in addition to IaMD which is probably the coolest episode to see in HD, I am going to miss seeing the Orion slave girls in HD. Now I am mad. Not acceptable.