DirecTV HD Rollout Forces Cable to Respond

DirecTV is turning up the heat on the HDTV competition, claiming it will offer 100 hi-def channels by the end of the year, while current technology limits many cable companies to no more than 20-30. With 55 HD channels already available on the satellite provider, some competitors are trying to downplay the additions by asking whether there are many more HD channels worth watching.

But consumer demand for HD programming is expected to continue growing, the Wall Street Journal says, now that a third of American homes have an HDTV; that number could be one-half by 2009. "Within a year, the sheer tonnage of HD channels won't be a relevant statistic anymore," predicts one analyst. "We'll be back to basics: Who offers the best value, the best service, the best bundle." (More DirecTV stories.)