The field of HD channels is going to get just a bit more crowded. Film and TV studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer said it will start its own high-definition channel this fall on the DirecTV satellite service. The broadcast will consist of feature films plus original programs like behind-the-scenes stories from the making of movies and live coverage of red-carpet events.

The new channel will mark MGM's first stand-alone HD service in the U.S. MGM chief executive Harry Sloan called the launch a "milestone event" for MGM, the home of the James Bond film franchise.

For DirecTV, the deal adds content to its plans to roll out 100 new HD channels by the end of this year. MGM owns a library of more than 4,100 movies. The company has reportedly already converted 1,200 titles to HD.