Discovery HD is the international name of the high-definition television channels from Discovery Communications.

The international Discovery HD (now Discovery HD World in Asia-Pacific markets) first launched in Korea on February 2005 as a programming block. In December 2005, Discovery HD Japan and Discovery HD Canada (since renamed Discovery World HD) launched as 24-hour channels, becoming the 100th and 101st Discovery networks overall. After this, Discovery HD expanded into other markets as follows:

Discovery Velocity is a Canadian Category B specialty channel owned by CTV Specialty Television, a joint venture of Bell Media and Discovery Communications. The channel is a high definition service featuring automotive and adventure-oriented programming from the slate of Bell-owned Discovery-branded channels. It is a Canadian version of the U.S. channel Velocity.

History

Beginning in August 2003, CTV had operated a channel known as Discovery Channel HD, which served as a high-definition simulcast of the main Discovery Channel lineup, where applicable. In August 2005, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) approved an application for a new category 2 digital service, Discovery HD Theatre, which would be based on the U.S. channel of the same name; covering many of the same genres as Discovery Channel, but with a separate lineup consisting of only high definition programming. Discovery HD Theatre replaced Discovery Channel HD on December 19, 2005. While maintaining the same format, the channel was renamed Discovery HD in 2009.