DISH Networks moved quickly from their major March 2008 setback, when they lost a satellite designated to add HD capacity shortly after launch. Since then, they haven’t had the best of times adding new subscribers, and have been feeling competitive heat from their chief rival, DirecTV, and from cable and IPTV players as well. They hope to reverse these trends, and soon. They just got a new tool to help in that effort. They successfully launched EchoStar XI, a satellite designated to add HD capacity. The launch comes shortly after DISH made several HD announcements, including the addition of 17 new HD nets, and a new HD only programming package, branded as TurboHD. They’ll need it. Both DirecTV and Verizon FiOS are aggressively pursuing a 150 HD channel bogey, and cable competitors are notching up their HD efforts as well. The HD war continues.
