OmegaSource

El Segundo-based DirecTV, the nation’s largest satellite TV provider, said Tuesday that it added 30 new high-definition channels, which will start rolling out in May.

The roll-out will last several months, eventually bringing DirecTV’s total HD lineup to more than 160.

Some of the new HD channels include Showtime Beyond HD, CSN California HD and Showtime Next HD.

DirecTV’s announcement comes a day after rival satellite TV provider Dish Network Corp. of Englewood, Colo., said it had reached 200 HD channels before any other U.S. pay-TV service.

However, DirecTV counters that it has more “full-time” HD channels than any other service.

“From day one we have led the way with HD and, to the dismay of our competitors, that has not changed,” Derek Chang, DirecTV’s executive vice president of content strategy and development, said in a release. “While Dish Network is very skilled at grossly inflating their HD numbers, you’d be hard pressed to find an actual list of comprehensive HD channels that match their recent claims.”

DIRECTV offers local HD channels in 115 markets now and plans to expand that to 121 markets by year’s end.
The local PBS HD channels launch follows the recent approval of an agreement announced earlier this year by DIRECTV and the Association of Public Television Stations. Under the agreement, DIRECTV will offer high-def programming from local PBS stations in markets where it now provides local HD channels.

The satellite company says 14 markets now have local PBS HD channels in their DIRECTV lineups. And they are:

Cedar Rapids-Waterloo-Iowa City-Dubuque, Iowa; Chicago; Davenport, Iowa-Rock Island-Moline, Ill.; Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York, Norfolk-Newport News, Va.; Phoenix; Portland, Ore.; Rochester, N.Y.; and Waco-Temple-Bryan, Texas.

DIRECTV says PBS HD channels will be added to more markets this year and in 2009.