Cablevision to launch high-definition TV

Cablevision said its satellite division, Rainbow DBS, will offer 39 HDTV channels and some popular cable channels as part of service it will launch on Oct. 15. It did not say how much it would charge for the service.

The move pits Cablevision, which launched its satellite in July this year, directly against Hughes Electronics Corp.’s DirecTV and EchoStar Communications Corp. , which have long dominated U.S. satellite television services.

HDTV is a television display technology seen as the “next big thing” in broadcasting. It provides a sharper picture than standard television and sound quality that is similar to that of compact discs.

Sales of big-screen digital TVs have jumped this year as prices come down and in anticipation of growth in HDTV programming, which has been slow to develop.

Cablevision said its offering would include 21 HD channels from Rainbow Media and it plans to offer satellite customers 88 of the most popular cable television channels in standard format.

Source: Reuters