The package normally costs $4.99 a month and includes eight content packed channels: Hallmark Movie Channel HD; HDNet Movies; MGM Movies; Sony Movie Channel HD; Crime & Investigation HD; Universal HD; Palladia HD; and Smithsonian HD. The free preview will go from April 6-April 13, and is available to everyone capable of getting HD on their units and TVs.

At DIRECTV’s web site, the company is also offering a free 3-month trial of the Extra Pack as well, which is even better for prospective HD searchers.

AT&T and Verizon customers are more satisfied with their HDTV service than their cable or satellite counterparts, according to J.D. Power and Associates, which measures customer happiness among many different products and services.

In 2010, AT&T’s U-verse ranked first in satisfaction among HDTV viewers in the West, South and North Central regions of the country. Verizon finished first in customer satisfaction in the East, while DIRECTV and Dish Network finished second and third respectively in the East. In the South and West, Verizon was second with DIRECTV third. So it seems to vary widely depending on where you are in the US.

But J.D. Power said that residential TV service customers are much less satisfied with the cost of their programs compared to 2009 ratings. The customer satisfaction score for all TV providers combined was 541, compared to 555 in 2009, so they have a little ground to make up. Cable customers in particular seemed to voice their objections to prices, but we have little confidence that companies will lower prices unless they need to.

Take DirecTV’s advertising for example: they claim around 200 HD channels since the launch of their new satellite awhile back, but honestly, they aren’t anywhere near that number of channels if you really look at it, and they’re missing key channels already present and available with other providers, such as AMC HD, BBC America HD, E! HD, Turner Classic Movies HD, G4 HD, National Geographic Wild HD, TruTV HD, Style HD, and others.

And to make matters worse, DirecTV still claims in promos that it carries “just about everything in HD.” Based on that list above, this is a lie.

Here’s to hoping subscribers make providers more accountable for deceiving advertising that could make customers believe they’re getting the whole HD experience when they really aren’t.

In related news, after being on in SD since 2004, the show is now being produced in HD starting this week, and is airing in many markets in HD as of this writing. It’s about time, as the show has been pretty late about arriving in HD, and is a welcome addition for anyone who laughs at pop culture at large on a regular basis.

Oddly, DirecTV does not carry the show in HD, in yet another war with Comcast, one of its chief rivals.

For the next two days, Dish Network is offering a special 99 cent deal on select HD VOD movies, writes Home Media Magazine.

The 99 cent titles, which are available in standard-def or 1080p HD, include Alice in Wonderland, Green Zone and Hot Tub Time Machine. The high-def selections would normally cost $4.99 or more.

Home Media reports that the movies are also available at dishcinema.com for viewing up to 24 hours after ordering.

We like the idea, as we feel this market is under served in the HD market, and could be an easy source for watching movies at home without streaming, or the trip to the video store.

The N3D channel (whose sponsor is Panasonic) is now available at no additional cost to DIRECTV HD customers on channel 103. It does require a 3D HDTV and 3D glasses of course to view, but free of extra cost? We like that idea.

Throughout the month of July, N3D customers will have access to 3D programming like (for example): Guitar Center Sessions with Peter Gabriel and Jane’s Addiction, Dinosaurs: Giants of Patagonia, Wild Safari: A South African Adventure and N Wave Picture’s S.O.S Planet. Special events such as this weekend’s NASCAR Coke Zero 400, the local broadcast of the Yankees-Mariners series on July 10-11 and DIRECTV’s exclusive, national broadcast of FOX Sports 2010 MLB All-Star Game in 3D on July 13 will all be a part of the package as well.

It sounds like 3D is beginning to be a real force in programming changes for many providers right now, which bodes well for its near future.

DIRECTV also said it would launch three dedicated channels for 3D programming in June as well. So much for our prediction about 3D being a short-lived trend; it appears in one form or another, its here to stay.

The company stated: “The three channels will include a 24-hour 3-D channel which will feature movies and documentaries. Another 3-D channel will provide Video on Demand programming while a third 3-D channel will be a ‘sampler demo channel’ that will feature a variety of content. The sampler channel will be free.”

Sounds interesting; we’ll see how long these channels actually last. Yes, we’re still skeptical, we hope we’re proven wrong, though. Because HD 3D is very cool. And with Wal-Mart carrying them they’ll get coverage, no doubt.

From TVpredictions.com:

But now DIRECTV has outdone itself. In the March/April issue of AAA Magazine, the satcaster has a four page ad promoting its service. The ad features a chart comparing its benefits to Dish and cable TV operators.

In the chart, DIRECTV says that “most” of its movies are in 1080p and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround.
That’s right. The chart asks if DIRECTV, Dish and cable have “most movies in 1080p and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound.” Under the DIRECTV header, the answer is ‘Yes.” Under Dish and cable, the answer is “No.”

However, sitting next to the ’1080p’ type in the chart is a little number “1,” which means that the statement has a footnote somewhere in the ad. And if you look at the bottom of page two of the ad, the ‘number 1′ footnote says: “Limited PPV titles available in 1080p.” Limited PPV titles doesn’t sound like “most movies,” does it? Yes, that’s right. DIRECTV is contradicting its own claim in its own ad! However, the footnote is on a different page than the chart — and the footnote is in print so small that you almost need a magnifying glass to read it.

What a creative way to make yourself look good – and bad – in the same ad. The world of HDTV isn’t always a pretty one. Won’t make you this angry, but still…it would be nice if the company could compete without ad trickery.

Tennessee and Florida are both getting big HD lineup boosts this month with the addition of 13 new HD channels in Nashville, and 6 new HD channels coming in Jacksonville, Florida. It’s a huge hurdle for Comcast, as some subscribers have complained of languishing choices in some markets, and this will (hopefully) put those complaints to rest.

More HD channel news details here.

To quote their press release:

DIRECTV will begin the roll-out of the new HD local markets later this summer. The new markets include: Charleston-Huntington, W. Va.; Columbia, S.C.; Huntsville-Decatur, Ala.; Jackson, Miss.; Lexington, Ky.; Roanoke-Lynchburg, Va.; and Shreveport, La.

“Offering our customers the most compelling HD programming lineup available continues to be a top priority for us,” said Derek Chang, executive vice president, Content Strategy and Development, DIRECTV, Inc. “We understand the importance local programming in HD plays in the overall television viewing experience for our customers and we will continue to extend our HD leadership with more national and local HD channels next year.”

More HD in more hands is a good thing for all TV lovers, so its good to see DirecTV grabbing the ball and running with it a bit more for people in under-served markets.