Re: TCM HD When will it be added Verizon?
wkleschi
Enthusiast - Level 2

I believe there is too much red tape from the phone calls I have been on again and again. They don't want to get into legal trouble with AMC (American Movie Classics) which is shown in High Definition. AMC being a direct competitor of TCM. There is no way in 2019 that TCM only offers SD to Verizon.

They have space to add a channel, but Verizon Fios On Demand has contracts with AMC to get their titles. Some kind of shady deal going on. I'm still using Verizon but when my contract ends I may switch back to Comcast after all these years. Honestly TCM was one of the greatest networks I've ever watched in my life. You learn a lot about movie history, and it's a shame they can't come to an agreement. Comcast also has CPSAN in HD, which FIOS is missing as well.

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Re: TCM HD When will it be added Verizon?
wcranston
Newbie

AMC is not a competitor to TCM. There are drastic differences which should be obvious. AMC has many regular cable shows and its movies are more modern. Furthermore, there is "competition" across all genres on the channels that are provided in HD format. Enough of us have asked about this for a long time, and it's gotten to management - but they don't care about us. FIOS TV is an afterthought for Verizon. There are other channels I watch that aren't offered in HD. EWTN is one, EL REY another. We are past the point of speculation, they just don't care. 

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Trump20202
Newbie

It’s ridiculous Fios doesn’t have TCM in hd. All tv providers carry it HD. If you have Apple TV or amazon FireStick u can get the WatchTCM app and stream it in HD. They allow u to stream live TCM broadcast as well as huge selection of on demand 

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Re: TCM (Turner Class Movies) in HD (High Definition)
Emacee1701
Newbie

There is a difference between HD and aspect ratio.  Yes, films before 1952 were shot in the 4:3 aspect ratio.  These were films, not videos.  When broadcast in HD, much more detail is visible.  Wide-screen films (16:9) aspect ration films are shrunk to fit in standard def (SD) and look terrible.  I don't know the exact percentage but I'd say about half of TCM's films are wide-screen (and the period from 1952 to present represents more than half of the movie industry's life span to date).  

AMC is not a direct competitor to TCM.  They started out like TCM, actually before TCM but Ted Turner got the rights to the MGM and Warner Brothers catalogs and put AMC at a big disadvantage.  AMC got greedy and started showing commercials in the films.  They also had excellent hosts providing informed commentary (such as Bob Dorian) but cut them out, too.  

It's strange that Verizon provides SD and HD for some strange channels - including shopping channels or preaching channels - but not TCM.  But I wouldn't be surprised if the real reason has to do with money and Verizon is not willing to be upfront about that.  

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Re: TCM (Turner Class Movies) in HD (High Definition)
Oldmoviefan
Newbie

Shocked that TCM not hi def. if I had known I would have stayed with Spectrum

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WHY CAN'T WE GET TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES IN HIGH DEFINITION
KingKong1
Newbie

I recently switched from Comcast Cable to Fios Cable TV.  I'm generally happy with my cable line up, except for one rather glaring exception and omission.  Why, for God's sakes, is Turner Classic Movies offered ONLY in standard definition?  All of the other major cable carriers across America offer TCM in both standard and High Definition.  Comcast Cable has offered TCM in High Definition for many years, as has Time Warner Cable.  I've been told that the reason for this omission is that TCM shows a great many black and white movies.  This argument simply doesn't hold water, as TCM often broadcasts such high profile color motion pictures as "Lawrence of Arabia," "Ben Hur," "My Fair Lady," and "West Side Story."  These movies truly suffer and lose their power when shown by Fios in mere standard definition.  Even black and white films, however, are vastly improved when broadcast in High Definition.  Fios offers The Western Channel in both standard and High Definition, and a great many of their films are in black and white.  Fios is doing their loyal viewers a disservice by not offering TCM in High Definition.  I'm basically satisfied with my decision to leave Comcast Cable and go to Fios ... but I would be a good deal happier with my decision, and remain with Fios, if the powers that be in Programming give us what we want ... a truly satisfying movie watching experience by offering Turner Classic Movies in High Definition as all of the other competing, major cable services across the country have already done.

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Re: Turner Classic Movies in HD
jaj1
Newbie

I don't understand this at all.  I had Comcast with TCM HD, but they took it off of my basic service and moved it to another package with sports channels (don't watch) at $10.00 more a month.  I got fios today.  I already knew about the SD format, but thought I might get used to it.  The smaller screen is terrible.  It cuts out a lot of the film images.  Comcast, smaller cable providers are able to have this channel in HD...why not Verizon????  Verizon is a behemoth of a company,  with many capabilities.  They CAN do this, but choose NOT to for some reason.  There must be a conflict between Verizon and TCM?  Even restored silent movies are seen in HD (with Comcast), so the excuse that these old movies weren't in HD is ludicrous.  How stupid does Verizon think we are?  I might go back to Comcast.  Maybe a petition to Verizon might help?...sort of?  I don't know.  Verizon.. PLEASE listen to the many watchers (very popular) of TCM and provide the HD format!

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Please add TCM in HD!
Ravensfan78
Enthusiast - Level 1

I know this topic has been discussed before, but I feel like it needs to be brought up again and again until Fios finally does something about it.. Why is there still no TCM in HD? Maybe you think SD is good enough because the majority of the movies are in black and white. But it’s not good enough! More and more classics are being remastered in HD and we  want to get to see those movies in the proper format... also, The SD channels do not fit the new TV screens properly and if we had access to TCM HD, it would remedy that... I doubt anything will be done, considering that people have been asking gor this for years, but I truly hope it does before I cancel my service...

Re: Please add TCM in HD!
M547
Enthusiast - Level 1

I agree. There’s no good reason not to have TCM in HD 

Re: Please add TCM in HD!
jkNYC
Enthusiast - Level 1

I agree! Turner Classic Movies also shows wonderful documentaries that have been produced in recent years and obviously look much better shown in HD.

I have FIOS for phone and Internet but keep Spectrum for Cable TV because it shows TCM in HD. I'm sure Verizon has cost me money by keeping me from triple-play pricing deals and that is infuriating. But TCM means so much to me that I'm willing to pay the extra $$. 

I've read complaints about this going back years and have yet to see a response from Verizon. The company just doesn't care about its customers.