Shaw Cable is adding channels to its high definition cable service - SPACE, Business News Network (BNN), Bravo!, Discovery Channel and Animal Planet.
The five newly-added HD channels are being offered as a free preview until January 31, 2012 to Shaw HD Cable customers.
Interestingly, Shaw says that its customers who currently subscribe to the standard definition versions of these channels will automatically receive the corresponding HD channel at no extra cost.
For customers in the Edmonton and Vancouver areas, Animal Planet HD will be available next year, when Shaw plans to launch its new network, with more HD content and faster Internet speeds.
"Our customers can count on us to deliver the highest quality and best selection of HD entertainment," said Peter Bissonnette, President, Shaw Communications Inc. "We're proud to add SPACE, Bravo!, Business News Network, Discovery Channel and Animal Planet to our already world class selection of HD channels and offerings."
The channels are Bell Media owned and operated.
Shaw's announcement comes on the heels of Bell's own announcement of the high definition launch of three of its specialty channels: Animal Planet HD, Investigation Discovery HD and Discovery Science HD.
Those three factual channels recently rolled out on Bell's Fibe TV service (which is also automatically providing the HD versions of to its subscribers of the SD versions, at no additional cost).
"T[he] launch completes the Discovery portfolio's HD offerings and joins Discovery Channel HD and Discovery World HD to offer the world's best in factual high definition entertainment," said Paul Lewis, President and General Manager, Discovery Channel. "Vibrant, fully immersive and captivating - this is how Discovery's programming is meant to be seen and experienced."