M-Net Movies 1 HD (MM1 HD) will launch in October as the latest new TV channel to be added by MultiChoice SA and M-Net to its DStv bouquet and as an exact high definition mirror channel to M-Net Movies 1 (DStv 103).
Various M-Net and MultiChoice insiders told me earlier the month about the coming launch of MM1 HD but even I wasn't willing to yet spill the beans. I deliberately mentioned RIGHT HERE earlier this month that DStv is set to add four new TV channels by the end of the year and said I know definitely what the one will be: a ***** channel in **** **********. Yep. A movie channel in high definition! (Several readers guessed correctly and emailed me the right answer. I smiled.)
Now MultiChoice has gone and used the words ''M-Net Movies 1 HD'' (which I was told and confirmed to be the channel's name) on its own DStv website - only to then make it worse by removing it, and then still even worse by not being able to remove it fully, since the term is still searchable and pops up if you Google it, indicating that its to be found on DStv's own website. And the new FHM has a full page DStv ad touting the start of M-Net Movies 1 HD in the September issue that's suddenly on sale (and it's not even August yet). HD might stand for high drama!
So, now I will tell you everything sources told me in Johannesburg and which I chose not to reveal yet until now, and didn't want to bother various publicist with and making things difficult for them by even asking. Basically M-Net Movies 1 (MM1 HD) will launch on one of the higher 170's DStv channels, probably 175 or 176 (currently SS HD2 resides at DStv 174 and will start on 13 August at 13:00).
M-Net Movies 1 HD (MM1 HD) will - according to several sources working on the scheduling and back-end set-up of the new high definition channel - be an ''exact mirror channel'' of the current M-Net Movies 1 (DStv 103). From October MM1 as well as MM1 HD will focus on procuring and broadcasting movies and TV material also available in high definition, since everything on the MM1 schedule will have to run as a HD equivalent on MM1 HD.
''Obviously not everything that we want to put on MM1 and that will be on MM1 after October will be in HD,'' a source quipped to me weeks ago. ''Therefore some movies on MM1 HD will be upscaled,'' said another source. ''There's fantastic and wonderful movies MM1 wants to show and will continue to show in future that don't have a HD version, so what will be shown on MM1 HD will be upscaled versions. Viewers will however be told that they're not watching a true HD movie on MM1 HD but that it's upscaled. Of course it will be absolutely a minimum of movies since the bulk of stuff will be true HD. Upscaled movies will be indicated with a small on-screen corner logo.'' A third source confirmed the October launch date of MM1 HD.
