Audio Video News

High-definition programming will expand substantially this year, with the addition of up to three new full-time HD channels from pay-per-view-provider iN Demand. The announcement from the New York-based company was made April 28 by CEO Steve Brenner.

On September 1, iN Demand will begin offering high-definition television featuring a variety of movies, sports and general entertainment. INHD, the first of three projected channels to go live, will offer movies, professional and college sports, and general interest programming in 12-hour cycles that will repeat twice a day. INHD content will be delivered in 1080I widescreen, high-resolution format and with Dolby Digital 5.1 audio when available. According to Brenner, INHD will be a distinct brand from iN Demand, which is primarily a pay-per-view and video-on-demand provider.

iN Demand plans to follow the launch of INHD in September with additional HD networks later in the year, with an emphasis on sports and movies. The company's long term strategy is to "supply additional sources for HD content to distributors as lower-priced digital televisions become more widely adopted." iN Demand has distribution deals for new releases and library titles from top studios including Artisan Entertainment, DreamWorks SKG, MGM, New Line Cinema, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, Universal Studios and Warner Bros., as well as major league sports. The company claims to have access to over 85% of Hollywood releases.

The company's "economies of scale . . . provide a solution that is highly cost effective and bandwidth efficient," said executive v.p. and chief operating officer Rob Jacobson. "In the end, the big winner will be the customer, because we can deliver more HD value quicker than they would get otherwise." iN Demand was the nation's first VOD provider to adopt the HD format, with My Big Fat Greek Wedding in April. About Schmidt, Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Ring, and Catch Me If You Can are all scheduled for HD broadcast in upcoming months.