HD Locals on Satellite in Columbus

Satellite provider DirecTV has lit up HDTV versions of local channels in the Columbus market, along with adding the service in seven other cities...including nearby Pittsburgh.

DirecTV subscribers wishing to add the channels will have to add new HD equipment, as the local channels use a new standard (MPEG4) that is not supported by the existing HD equipment. Existing HD equipment does allow subscribers to bring in the HD locals via an over-air antenna.

Wither Cleveland? OMW keeps hearing from a number of sources that Cleveland's "HD LILs" could be available by June, or sooner.

The DirecTV HD locals, for now, only include digital simulcasts of the "big four" network affiliates, so here, that'd be WKYC (NBC), WEWS (ABC), WOIO (CBS) and WJW (FOX)...