How Many HD channels do you really get?

You have all heard the HD (Hi-Def) Marketing Hype out there.

DirecTV and Dish Network to have 100 HD channels by years end.....

But do you really know how many HD channels you will get out of those 100?
Probably not. The reality of it is that those numbers are a NATIONAL total including all of the local HD channels they have available for all the major markets, Premium HD channels, additional sports subscription HD channels and the like.
So if you really think about it, you really are getting a much smaller number of HD channels in any given DMA market area. If you live in LA California, you cant watch Cincinati Ohio Locals, or Chicago Illinois Locals. So, If you take away all of the local DMA market HD channels they have available (only around 25), then add your own local HD channels back in to the mix, that will give you a much more truthful number.

So the truth of it is that you will probably only get around 55 - 60 HD channels and thats if you take the largest HD package and subscribe to the premium HD channels.

Oh wait, so you don't subscribe to HBO, Showtime, Starz, Cinemax and the like?
But what about Subscribtion sports packs? Same goes for them as well.
That takes the Total number of HD channels down some more.

When it's all said and done, if you only subscribe to the bare minimum HD package, and you don't subscribe to any additional premium or sports packages, then your total number of HD channels will probably be around 20 - 25, and thats if they even carry your Local DMA Market channels in HD at all.

Is it really worth all of the Hype? Well if you think about it, how much is the bottom dollar HD package with no additional ad-ons? Around $10 on top of your standard package price, and leasing fees and taxes. So what you are really paying is $10 for 20 - 25 channels that you already get in standard definition but now you get the privilege of viewing those 20 - 25 channels in HD, which by the way some of those channels (your HD locals) you can get for free by connecting an antenna directly to your HD TV. Depending on your distance from the local broadcast towers,
you may need to get a power boosted antenna to get the local HD channels.

Don't get me wrong, I can see the big difference between standard def and hi-def. The picture quality is awesome. But in my opinion, if you are a real HD buff, you are just ripping yourself off by only getting the bottom HD package. In order to really get your moneys worth you really need to go all out and get the top HD package and get all of the premiums and sports packs to get all of the HD channels as possible, then ask your provider to drop the standard def channels from your service to save around $30 or so. To me, thats the only way to make it worth the HD price.