Comcast HDTV [Text View] - Page 19

Mcees4life

10-23-07, 07:28 PM

Well this is a first for Comcast in the Richmond, VA area...

I received a post card in today's mail from Comcast stating that the following HD channels are coming later this year... PBS HD, CNN HD, USA HD, Discovery HD, History Channel HD, Sci-Fi HD and TLC HD.

The post card also mentioned that the TV Guide Network, Hallmark, Oxygen and CMT channels are moving to the digital channels effective November 20.

Richmond already has all the other available HD channels that Comcast has given to many other Comcast areas in the past few months. Thanks to being in a FiOS TV area which has to be one of the reasons we are getting more HD channels.

I am curious to know if any Comcast customers not in a FiOS TV area got the TBS HD channel in time for the first round of the MLB playoffs?

Here in D.C., Comcast only added A&E HD this year. I'm still waiting for NFL HD, let alone all of the other HD channels that other markets have. Why can't Comcast just have one uniformed lineup for the whole country and stop this regional crap. They starting to piss me off and if they don't get their act together by January (when my current promotional package ends), then its adios and hello satellite.

testarc

10-23-07, 07:34 PM

Comcast better turn on USA HD before the Olympics as NBC will show many games on that channel.

So you have USA HD right now?

westgate

10-23-07, 07:46 PM

5 weeks ago comcast sold me $99 'triple play' pkge (bb, bb phone, xisting hdtv/dvr service). i have 2 hd dvrs so i told the guy THREE times, hd stuff must be included, he said yes. today, i 'reviewed' new bill, about $200!!!! so i called again, was told no way could i keep getting any hd anything for $99. i even threatened them w switching to sat, "nope"; (i thought for sure they'd go for that). they already had taken off hdnet/movies, american life tv (sd oldies ch.) and added a bunch of stretched 'hd' channels; pissed me off! i said come get your stuff. they'll be here saturday. 'f...'em! edit-aww crap, there goes my hdd hd version of 'forbidden planet', oh well, ill just have to get an hddvd player all the sooner! HAH!

Mcees4life

10-23-07, 07:56 PM

then it doesn't help that we have NFL network in standard definition on two separate channels (180 and 275) and HBO HD on three separate channels. What sense does that make. The only reason why haven't switched yet is because i work from home sometimes and i love having cable internet (i don't like DSL). The clock is ticking with January 1 as the expiration date........tick tick....tick tick.....tick tick

maxman

10-23-07, 08:11 PM

I am curious to know if any Comcast customers not in a FiOS TV area got the TBS HD channel in time for the first round of the MLB playoffs?

We did.

sansri88

10-23-07, 08:44 PM

Well this is a first for Comcast in the Richmond, VA area...

I received a post card in today's mail from Comcast stating that the following HD channels are coming later this year... PBS HD, CNN HD, USA HD, Discovery HD, History Channel HD, Sci-Fi HD and TLC HD.

I am curious to know if any Comcast customers not in a FiOS TV area got the TBS HD channel in time for the first round of the MLB playoffs?

*Cleans glasses*

Am I right in seeing Discovery HD, TLC HD, and Sci-Fi HD????????????

Go Comcast!!! They're finally on a roll here, getting carriage agreements for many of the channels I want.

Oh yeah. Meredith Black emailed me again, she couldn't specify exact channel names or dates, but she said Q4 2007 and January 2008 expect plenty of channels, "like some you had previously mentioned in your email." I had mentioned: The Weather Channel HD, Smithsonian HD, CNN HD, USA HD, and the Discovery Networks in HD. Now looks more likely for CNN, USA, Discovery Networks, plus Food, History, HGTV, and AEHD!!!!! Wooot!

Ahh yes, and to the other question about Comcast people in non FiOS areas getting TBS-HD, yes my township did receive it the day the playoffs started. We are not a FiOS area, but most of the areas around us are, including a new addition: Carteret, NJ, right next to us.

chitchatjf

10-23-07, 08:49 PM

OK what about the H channels? If they can have them in Houston,why not elsewhere? :)

ccotenj

10-23-07, 09:00 PM

We did.

yea, so did we...

Ken H

10-23-07, 09:38 PM

then it doesn't help that we have NFL network in standard definition on two separate channels (180 and 275) and HBO HD on three separate channels. What sense does that make.

Comments like this kill me.

Any channel found on one than more location is only remapped by the box; it doesn't use any more bandwidth than a channel only found in one location.

bob2274

10-24-07, 01:16 AM

Comments like this kill me.

Any channel found on one than more location is only remapped by the box; it doesn't use any more bandwidth than a channel only found in one location.

I second that.

siouxmoux

10-24-07, 04:23 AM

That Great Comcast has sign Deal to Carry Sci-FI Channel HD And Discovery Networks HD channels such as Science Channel HD. But by the time the West Coast Comcast MSO's will ever see the light of Days of These HD networks Won't be until end of 2008 or 2009 if we were Lucky.

jeepmatt

10-24-07, 06:18 AM

I second that.

I third that! :D

bicker1

10-24-07, 06:53 AM

I'm especially glad to see Sci Fi HD and Discovery HD on that list for later this year/early next year. I sure wish, though, that we'd get Sci Fi HD before Tin Man is broadcast. It looks incredible.

I am disappointed, though, not to see FX HD. I was hoping to get the last season of The Shield in HD. Oh well, it's only one program, and therefore not worth much concern.

jmallory

10-24-07, 07:49 AM

maxman

10-24-07, 07:56 AM

Any channel found on one than more location is only remapped by the box; it doesn't use any more bandwidth than a channel only found in one location.

Thanks for the info Ken - I for one didn't know that. Don't know why it "kills" you though.(?)

JayMan007

10-24-07, 10:08 AM

Isn't part of the use of the TVGC is for people with Analog Cable to have some sort of a program guide?

I was thinking the same thing...
Is there a need to have a TV Guide channel when you have digital since it has a built-in guide.

ak3883

10-24-07, 12:58 PM

I was thinking the same thing...
Is there a need to have a TV Guide channel when you have digital since it has a built-in guide.

It's turning into an E!/ET/Hollywood Insider type channel. TV listings are becoming quickly obsolete since many people have digital cable. Besides, I'm not gonna wait for all the channels to scroll through the screen, when I can go look at titantv in about 5 seconds. Heck if I had dial up, titantv would load quicker than waiting for the entire TV guide listings to scroll through. The listings get smaller and smaller and the video of the gossip crap gets bigger and bigger.

It's on digital SD, not that big a deal, takes up 1/12 of the space it used to take up on analog.

samsurd2

10-24-07, 02:19 PM

Off topic but interestingly funny... Taking a Whack Against Comcast (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/17/AR2007101702359.html)Not a single comment about this? Where's your sense of humor or perhaps your sense of outrage? Are you too young to remember the 1976 film "Network" which brought us the declaration "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!"?

DVDO+WESTY=1080p

10-24-07, 03:44 PM

thats great news, hopefully the same for Manassas (sort of close to Richmond)

thanks

Well this is a first for Comcast in the Richmond, VA area...

I received a post card in today's mail from Comcast stating that the following HD channels are coming later this year... PBS HD, CNN HD, USA HD, Discovery HD, History Channel HD, Sci-Fi HD and TLC HD.

The post card also mentioned that the TV Guide Network, Hallmark, Oxygen and CMT channels are moving to the digital channels effective November 20.

Richmond already has all the other available HD channels that Comcast has given to many other Comcast areas in the past few months. Thanks to being in a FiOS TV area which has to be one of the reasons we are getting more HD channels.

I am curious to know if any Comcast customers not in a FiOS TV area got the TBS HD channel in time for the first round of the MLB playoffs?

ghudson666

10-24-07, 06:18 PM

I was thinking the same thing...
Is there a need to have a TV Guide channel when you have digital since it has a built-in guide.

I like to use the Comcast online TV Planner...
http://tvplanner.comcast.net/

And the On Demand TV Planner...
http://tvplanner.comcast.net/ondemand/

maxman

10-24-07, 08:07 PM

I like to use the Comcast online TV Planner...
http://tvplanner.comcast.net/

And the On Demand TV Planner...
http://tvplanner.comcast.net/ondemand/

I'm not a planner, I'm a surfer!

Ken H

10-24-07, 08:28 PM

First post updated.

JayMan007

10-24-07, 09:04 PM

I like to use the Comcast online TV Planner...
http://tvplanner.comcast.net/

And the On Demand TV Planner...
http://tvplanner.comcast.net/ondemand/

Titan TV is also good.
http://ww2.titantv.com/TTV/Grid/Grid.aspx

ghudson666

10-24-07, 09:58 PM

Titan TV is also good.
http://ww2.titantv.com/TTV/Grid/Grid.aspx

I had not seen Titan TV in a few years. Luckily I keep a listing of all the web sites I register for and Titan still recognized my account. After playing around with it I realized how much I liked the Comcast TV Planner.

Snagglepuss

10-25-07, 11:11 AM

TVGC exists for only one reason: to sell your eyeballs to advertisers. That is why all commercial television exists. Comcast owns TV-Guide. It's a subsidiary, and all advertising sold there is gravy.

I was thinking the same thing...
Is there a need to have a TV Guide channel when you have digital since it has a built-in guide.

bobby94928

10-25-07, 11:49 AM

TVGC exists for only one reason: to sell your eyeballs to advertisers. That is why all commercial television exists. Comcast owns TV-Guide. It's a subsidiary, and all advertising sold there is gravy.

Ummmm.... TV Guide is owned by Gemstar-TV Guide International which in turn is partially owned by News Corporation. Comcast doesn't enter the picture except that they use their guide and because of it are bound to continue to have the TV Guide Channel on their system.

bicker1

10-25-07, 12:02 PM

Comcast owns TV-Guide. It's a subsidiary, and all advertising sold there is gravy.That is not the case. TV Guide is a subsidiary of Gemstar. While Gemstar is a supplier to Comcast, and perhaps Comcast owns some Gemstar stock, they are two separate companies, and not part of the same company.

JayMan007

10-25-07, 12:20 PM

I had not seen Titan TV in a few years. Luckily I keep a listing of all the web sites I register for and Titan still recognized my account. After playing around with it I realized how much I liked the Comcast TV Planner.

I like certain things about both. It seems that Titan is more accurate with labeling HD shows, where TV planner shows all shows on HD channels as HD.

Marcus Carr

10-25-07, 01:50 PM

Comcast: We Are the HDTV Leader

The cable operator says DIRECTV is just talking more about high-def.
By Swanni

Washington, D.C. (October 25, 2007) -- DIRECTV and EchoStar now have twice as many HDTV channels as Comcast, but the cable operator said today that it's the HD leader.

In a conference call today with financial analysts, Comcast President Steve Burke said more people get high-def service from Comcast than EchoStar and DIRECTV combined.

Burke did not offer statistics to support that claim. Comcast now has more than 24 million subscribers overall (HD and non-HD) while DIRECTV has more than 16 million customers and EchoStar has more than 13 million.

DIRECTV and EchoStar also say they now have more than 70 HD channels, compared to approximately 30 for Comcast. But Burke said that doesn't tell the whole story.

""We are clearly the high-def leader," Burke said. "If you look at our current product assortment there may be people who have more channels than we do, but no one has more high-def options."

Burke was referring to Comcast's HD On Demand lineup which offers nearly 200 hours of high-def programming.

"If you look at our high-def VOD on a given night you might have 200 movies if you are a subscriber to Comcast -- versus ten if you are a customer of a competitor. I think it is very important that we keep that high-def lead," he said.

Brian Roberts, Comcast's CEO, echoed Burke remarks, suggesting that DIRECTV is getting more attention for its high-def service because it's talking more about it.

"The fact is...it is the only thing they are talking about and they are doing it on a national basis," Roberts said. "It has gotten some more attention and we have a message ready to come back in that...I think we're going to start shouting that from the rooftops to the consumer, perhaps more strongly than we have."

Burke said Comcast is switching some channels from analog to digital to make room for more high-def channels. The cable operator is also planning to use a new technology called Switched Digital Video to expand HD capacity.

Comcast is now testing SDV in New Jersey and Denver, Burke said.

"The technology works great. It is clearly going to be a big part of eventually getting a lot more high-def bandwidth," he said.

http://www.tvpredictions.com/comcastleader102507.htm

Tybee

10-25-07, 02:02 PM

OnDemand is great. I like it and use it with some regularity. But what Burke glosses over is that that content is limited to the channels carried by Comcast. So sure, I can maybe see an HD Theater program on demand, but that's not much consolation when my neighbor is getting CNN HD, Discovery HD, TLC HD, etc. (and yes, I know Comcast just announced they will be adding these..........eventually). Moreover, most of the HD content on OnDemand is for the paid channels like HBO and Showtime, or PPV movies, which further differentiates it from HD channels that are part of the regular DIRECTV and EchoStar lineup.

It's ironic that Burke calls DIRECTV and EchoStar on "talking more," when he is spinning the facts every bit as much as they are.

Marcus Carr

10-25-07, 02:27 PM

They've been "testing SDV in New Jersey and Denver" since January.

http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=122733&site=cdn

maxman

10-25-07, 03:00 PM

"If you look at our current product assortment there may be people who have more channels than we do, but no one has more high-def options."

Oh brother, give me a break!

hybucket

10-25-07, 03:04 PM

I've had Comcast now for six months - I've watched ONE PROGRAM from On Demand. An episode of JERICHO my DVR failed to record. As far as I'm concerned, I could live very well without ON DEMAND. Everyone has their own opinion on this, but for me,the fact that TiVOHD or Series 3 does not support PPV or OD is of no concern to me. But the fact that Comcast is saying their HD service is better than DirecTV's does concern me. They are, IMHO, wrong.

bicker1

10-25-07, 03:31 PM

They've been "testing SDV in New Jersey and Denver" since January.Better to test it longer within a limited deployment than to test it shorter and have more problems when more widely deployed.

bicker1

10-25-07, 03:34 PM

I've had Comcast now for six months - I've watched ONE PROGRAM from On Demand. I've watched the entire first season of Mad Men in HD via Comcast's On Demand -- thirteen hours of HD, not available as HD in any other way, and totally unavailable in HD via satellite.

That alone was worth the price of admission.

hybucket

10-25-07, 03:39 PM

OK, Bicker, you got me on that one. Mad Men in HD alone would be enough for me to reconsider my previous post.
Does AMC even have an HD channel available?

jwebb1970

10-25-07, 03:47 PM

D*'s "Direct On Demand" service has been in beta testing to certain subscribers for a while now, and just kicked off it's national rollout (for those w/ HR-20-700 DVRs). Should be available to all D* folks by year's end.

Slightly different than Comcast. Does require an internet connection to your D* box. But, essentially works the same way.

Beng a large, nationwide service (not regional like cable), I would imagine D*'s version will have the vast majority of offerings Comcast OnDemand has, as well as more stuff that only certain cable markets get.

Supposedly, the big 4 nets are all going to be on board w/ D*'s DoD.

bicker1

10-25-07, 03:48 PM

OK, Bicker, you got me on that one. Mad Men in HD alone would be enough for me to reconsider my previous post.
Does AMC even have an HD channel available?Remarkably, they do not, according to Ken H's excellent summary of what HD networks exist: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=164671

jwebb1970

10-25-07, 03:54 PM

Thought this was interesting, considering Comcast's claims that OnDemand is part of their being "the leader"

http://southflorida.bizjournals.com/southflorida/stories/2007/10/08/daily51.html

Comcast sued over video on demand
South Florida Business Journal - by Tony Quesada
Friday, October 12, 2007

Three Northeast Florida residents have sued Comcast Cable Holdings Inc., alleging breach of contract and deceptive trade practices related to the company's video-on-demand service.

Comcast has a little over a million customers in Broward and Miami-Dade counties and the Keys, and 600,000 customers in Palm Beach, St. Lucie and Martin counties.

The lawsuit, for which the plaintiffs are seeking class-action status, says video on demand is frequently unavailable and works improperly because Philadelphia-based Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA) lacks the technological infrastructure and ability to accommodate users' requests.

The lawsuit says Comcast failed to fulfill a promise to deliver a fully functional video-on-demand service in exchange for customers paying their digital cable bills. The lawsuit says outages are "so frequent, continuous, disruptive and lengthy" that customers often can't use video on demand for "a substantial period" each month. Outages are impossible to anticipate and happen at any time, including while watching on-demand programs.

In its count alleging deceptive and unfair trade practices, the lawsuit says Comcast relied on advertisements that "were likely to mislead or deceive." Comcast's ads for digital cable include the "promise, incentive and representation" that such service includes video on demand. The suit also says Comcast knew it often doesn't and can't provide video on demand reliably enough for it to be useful or valuable to digital cable subscribers.

The lawsuit was filed in Duval County circuit court and moved to federal court at Comcast's request. The company has yet to file an answer to the allegations.

Comcast officials declined to discuss pending litigation, but spokesman Bill Ferry said the company intends "to vigorously defend" itself.

The plaintiffs' lawyer, Donald Pinaud, was away from his office and did not return a voice message.

Companywide, Comcast reported nearly 1.9 billion on-demand views in 2006, up from nearly 1.4 billion views in 2005.

Video-on-demand service is part of digital cable service, which Comcast is relying on to grow its business. In its annual filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Comcast said its strategy for increasing subscribers has included marketing "additional digital cable services, such as video on demand."

In a news release regarding its second quarter earnings, Comcast said its 7 percent increase in video revenue for the quarter -- to $4.5 billion -- reflects increased demand for digital features, including video on demand.

Comcast added 823,000 digital cable subscribers in the second quarter 2007, the company's highest number for a quarter and almost 2.5 times the 337,000 digital customers added in the second quarter 2006. As of the second quarter 2007, 14.1 million, or 58.5 percent, of the company's video customers were digital cable users. That was up from 11.5 million digital cable users, or 47.8 percent of cable subscribers, in the second quarter 2006.

Of the types of claims that can be alleged in consumer lawsuits, breach of contract is the most straightforward, said Christopher Peterson, a law professor at the University of Florida whose research includes consumer-related class-action lawsuits.

"Breach of contract only requires a promise to provide a service and failure to do so," Peterson said, "as long as the consumer is providing consideration."

The lawsuit is believed to be the first such action against Comcast regarding video on demand. But an article in The Business Journal in July 2006 chronicled that many subscribers were frustrated with the service.

At the time, the company's Jacksonville general manager said daily internal reports showed video-on-demand session failure rates were consistently less than 1 percent. There appears to be no external research proving or disproving the service's reliability for users.

Some people who spoke with The Business Journal said one reason they didn't always complain about session failures is that video on demand isn't something they pay for separately.

But the fact that Comcast considers video on demand a free service that comes with digital cable doesn't necessarily shield it from liability, Peterson said.

"The mere act of labeling the service as free doesn't change the fact that it was offered as an inducement," he said. "When it doesn't work, it raises the possibility of breach of contract or unfair and deceptive practices."

Comcast's annual filing with the SEC said the service allows digital cable subscribers to start programs "at whatever time is convenient," as well as enabling them to pause, rewind or fast-forward programs. But many users said that such features often result in losing the program being watched.

Even though a company doesn't guarantee performance of a free service included with a paid service, "it doesn't mean [a court] can't step in and require some level of quality," Peterson said. "It doesn't mean a company is free to provide substandard quality."

Such a case could come down to a court asking, " 'What would an independent, reasonable third party say?' " Peterson said. "If the company is advertising a service and not reasonably delivering on its service, the consumers could be successful."

Will be interesting to see how reliable/consistnet D*'s OnDemand will be.

sansri88

10-25-07, 04:00 PM

Better to test it longer within a limited deployment than to test it shorter and have more problems when more widely deployed.

Agreed. We don't want a flawed product to be released--this is some important technology that we don't want Comcast to f*ck this up.

And right now Phase I rollout of SDV in NNJ is planned for summer 08. Woot!

Marcus Carr

10-25-07, 04:06 PM

Website for checking TiVo availability by ZIP code:

https://comcast.p.delivery.net/m/p/com/tivo/default.asp

Comcast TiVo page:

http://www.comcast.com/tivo/

akSun

10-25-07, 05:06 PM

I've watched the entire first season of Mad Men in HD via Comcast's On Demand -- thirteen hours of HD, not available as HD in any other way, and totally unavailable in HD via satellite.

That alone was worth the price of admission.

True. Mad Men is amazing. Mad Men in HD is simply great !

hybucket

10-25-07, 05:35 PM

Remarkably, they do not, according to Ken H's excellent summary of what HD networks exist: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=164671

That is an impressive list. Impressive considering what is out there, compared to what the various systems are able to provide us.

Snagglepuss

10-26-07, 10:43 AM

Was he winking as he said that, or did he keep a straight face throughout the interview?

It must be tough to be a terrestrial vendor in this day and age. I think as far as the future of TV rebroadcast goes, unless they vastly increase their HD/digital offerings, Comcast is in danger of going the way of the dinosaur.

That's not our fault, Steve. That's yours. We want state-of-the-art technology while you're company is still stuck in the 1990s.

Comcast: We Are the HDTV Leader

The cable operator says DIRECTV is just talking more about high-def.
By Swanni

Washington, D.C. (October 25, 2007) -- DIRECTV and EchoStar now have twice as many HDTV channels as Comcast, but the cable operator said today that it's the HD leader.

In a conference call today with financial analysts, Comcast President Steve Burke said more people get high-def service from Comcast than EchoStar and DIRECTV combined.

Snagglepuss

10-26-07, 10:51 AM

In the Denver market, the HD offerings on OnDemand continue to dwindle. It can take as long as two weeks for them to update what few series they do offer (a good example is Weeds from Showtime). And as far as films go, there are eight Showtime films and five HBO films. Encore has about twelve.

Maybe we also need an AVS forum about which HD channels Comcast could eliminate so we can have something worthwhile. Does anybody watch MHD (MTV-HD)? Have they posted any new programs in the last, oh, two years? (Yes, that's an exaggeration. They've posted 10 for 2006 and four for 2007, as far as I can tell.) How many times can you watch the 2006 MTV Awards? What a waste of bandwidth. Viacom should be ashamed. I'd much rather have CNN-HD. They were boasting the other day about showing the shuttle launch in HD. Wish we could have seen that.

I've had Comcast now for six months - I've watched ONE PROGRAM from On Demand. An episode of JERICHO my DVR failed to record. As far as I'm concerned, I could live very well without ON DEMAND. Everyone has their own opinion on this, but for me,the fact that TiVOHD or Series 3 does not support PPV or OD is of no concern to me. But the fact that Comcast is saying their HD service is better than DirecTV's does concern me. They are, IMHO, wrong.

Ken H

10-26-07, 11:15 AM

Was he winking as he said that, or did he keep a straight face throughout the interview?With the consistent baloney from all the HD providers (we are the best, we have the most, we use all four letters for our 'HDTV') it's probably getting easy to spout off with a straight face......

Snagglepuss

10-26-07, 11:20 AM

These comments will meander a bit, based on Ken's summary of HD offerings.

First, I hadn't see that report. Great work, Ken! That's one heck of a summary.

I've noticed many SD channels are showing programs that appear letterboxed. Are these in fact HD programs that, heretofore, had no HD outlet?

For the new HD networks with limited HD offerings, I think that is likely to change now that they have an actual way to transmit in HD. It may be too late for them to change for the 2007 - 2008 season, but next year should see a nearly exponential growth in offerings.

One of the great ironies is how Universal-GE-NBC is handling this conversion. NBC was one of the first networks to convert to HD. Their nightly news show is now in HD, as is their local station's (Denver) newscasts. They have Bravo-HD and Universal HD. Yet they're being so tentative about converting the rest of their networks, from the Spanish language broadcasts to MSNBC to CNBC.

CNBC is missing the boat by not going full-HD. After all, it is the wealthy who are adopting this technology first. They will go to Fox Financial HD to get their fix of pristine video. And with the eye candy they have at CNBC, they have every reason to go with 720p, minimally. Somebody should remind CNBC's management about what happened to the horse and buggy when the automobile showed up. Also for the sake of truth in advertising, they should call it CNBC-ED, not HD. And it's not really ED either. CNBC-Stretch-o-vision?

Being an old movie buff, MGM-HD and TCM-HD would be terrific additions. Can't wait to see movies like 2001: A Space Odyssey at home in HD.

We are on the threshold of nothing less than a different way of seeing, a point of singularity. When it occurs, the networks or delivery systems that hesitate will be relegated to the scrapheap of antiquity. This is the reoccurring pattern throughout the history of technology. They should all grab Ray Kurzweil's book "The Singularity is Near" and commit it to memory. Even some of the predictions discussed in his book were already succeeded, and the book was just published last year.

Remarkably, they do not, according to Ken H's excellent summary of what HD networks exist: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=164671

bicker1

10-26-07, 11:22 AM

Was he winking as he said that, or did he keep a straight face throughout the interview?Dead serious I suspect. He's probably not a little fed-up with the hyperbole coming from his competitors, so decided to play the same game himself.

Snagglepuss

10-26-07, 11:27 AM

Sorry for being so prolific today, but I forgot one item. For those who like PBS Masterpiece Theater and Mystery, they're now being shown on PBS-HD on Sundays. Check your listings. In Denver, the program is actually on earlier in the night than on the SD channel (7pm as opposed to 9pm). The downside is, in Denver, the PBS station still switches manually from Create-TV to PBS-HD at about 6pm, if the technical crew are not asleep or at dinner.

Tybee

10-26-07, 03:32 PM

Being an old movie buff, MGM-HD and TCM-HD would be terrific additions. Can't wait to see movies like 2001: A Space Odyssey at home in HD.

MGM-HD is, of course, on the way. And I think an HD TCM is a lot of people's #1 most wanted HD channel. I know it's mine. I've heard rumblings that it will happen sooner rather than later, but it seems like it would be a Herculean task to upconvert their huge film library. Maybe they'll get a few done and launch with those, then start working on the rest. Or maybe a lot of the films have HD masters already. Would love to find somebody on the inside who knows what's going on with this.

The funny thing is, you just know when TCM-HD does happen, it'll be perfectly, tastefully done. And yet TBS-HD and TNT-HD have been textbook cases of how NOT to do HD. You have to wonder if the people within Turner talk to one another.

Sorry for being so prolific today, but I forgot one item. For those who like PBS Masterpiece Theater and Mystery, they're now being shown on PBS-HD on Sundays. Check your listings. In Denver, the program is actually on earlier in the night than on the SD channel (7pm as opposed to 9pm). The downside is, in Denver, the PBS station still switches manually from Create-TV to PBS-HD at about 6pm, if the technical crew are not asleep or at dinner.

Be thankful. Here in Atlanta, neither of our PBS stations broadcasts in HD at all (though one or both say they will have HD up and running sometime between Christmas and early spring). I think we're the last major market in the U.S. to not have HD PBS, which is sad, especially since I watch so much of it.

maxman

10-27-07, 10:35 AM

...The funny thing is, you just know when TCM-HD does happen, it'll be perfectly, tastefully done...

Let's just hope they don't run Ted Turner's colorized version of their offerings. :rolleyes:

Snagglepuss

10-28-07, 10:18 AM

The good news is they haven't colorized a film since the mid-80s, after people lost their minds about it. Turner discovered that people actually liked the old b&w films and were willing to buy them on video. The better news is, in order to colorize the films, they had to completely restore them and create the most pristine b&w negatives possible. That's why "Citizen Kane" looks so good after 60 years.

I can't wait to see the restoration jobs they do to prep these films for HD transfer. I've seen Scorsese's restorations of "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Sparticus," and they were flat-out excellent. In one scene in Sparticus featuring Lawrence Olivier and Tony Curtis, it turns out the audio track was lost. They needed the scene to make the restoration work. Olivier was dead. So what did they do? They brought in Curtis and, of all people, Anthony Hopkins, to do voice-overs. Having been directed by Olivier on stage, it turns out that Hopkins does a flawless impersonation of him. It worked really well.

The more I talk about TMC-HD, the more excited I get.

Let's just hope they don't run Ted Turner's colorized version of their offerings. :rolleyes:

Slickone

10-29-07, 11:06 PM

OK. we got NBA-HD on watch. D* & E* lit them up today. Any markets for Comcast with NBA-HD yet?

jefbal99

10-30-07, 09:12 AM

OK. we got NBA-HD on watch. D* & E* lit them up today. Any markets for Comcast with NBA-HD yet?

It was shared with InHD/Mojo the last two years, however, with the Sports Pack getting enforced now and NFL Netowrk getting their own channel, it wouldn't shock me to see it popping up in a few markets.

Addicted2HD4Now

10-30-07, 09:46 AM

It was shared with InHD/Mojo the last two years, however, with the Sports Pack getting enforced now and NFL Netowrk getting their own channel, it wouldn't shock me to see it popping up in a few markets.

It wasn't shared. INHD/Mojo just happened to show a game or two per week. It was listed on their website on their upcoming schedule and not just in the program guide.

I don't think I'd ever watch a game on NBA TV because the sound was always out of sync with the action or announcers. Maybe it was an INHD/Mojo problem, but the impression I got was that it was an NBA TV problem (no other programming in INHD had that problem).

Slickone

10-30-07, 09:54 AM

It wasn't shared. INHD/Mojo just happened to show a game or two per week. It was listed on their website on their upcoming schedule and not just in the program guide.

I don't think I'd ever watch a game on NBA TV because the sound was always out of sync with the action or announcers. Maybe it was an INHD/Mojo problem, but the impression I got was that it was an NBA TV problem (no other programming in INHD had that problem).

Most of those contracts expired when INHD became MOJO. There was no baseball on MOJO this year, and I don't expect the NBA will on either. So we stand less than 12 hrs to tip-off & no NBA TV-HD, They will air over 70 games this year on their channel this year, & by paying for the sports tier I would expect those games to be in HD, if not, Comcast has got some explaining to do.

Marcus Carr

10-30-07, 10:49 AM

The first HD game is Sunday. I've gotten messages about all the new channels I've gotten this year. So far nothing about NBA TV HD or NHL Network HD.

jefbal99

10-30-07, 10:49 AM

Slickone

10-30-07, 11:01 AM

The first HD game is Sunday. I've gotten messages about all the new channels I've gotten this year. So far nothing about NBA TV HD or NHL Network HD.

Comcast has known to put those messages up late, like with NFL-HD, we got the message 3 days after the fact.

Marcus Carr

10-30-07, 11:11 AM

Comcast has known to put those messages up late, like with NFL-HD, we got the message 3 days after the fact.

All of the messages I've gotten this year have been at least a couple of weeks ahead of time.

Slickone

10-30-07, 11:14 AM

Unfortunately, doesn't happen here in Chicago. Some channels are added, then we get the red dot. Good to know Comcast does 1 market justice by giving advance notice.

Amnesia

10-30-07, 11:30 AM

Whatever happened to USA-HD in Boston? I thought we were supposed to get it in October...

chitchatjf

10-30-07, 11:56 AM

Whatever happened to USA-HD in Boston? I thought we were supposed to get it in October...

October is not yet over yet.

Once Cspan 2 moves to 247 watch for something on 835. :)

bicker1

10-30-07, 12:40 PM

And I never heard "October" -- I heard all three (including TBS HD and History HD) by November 6.

Amnesia

10-30-07, 01:13 PM

And I never heard "October" -- I heard all three (including TBS HD and History HD) by November 6.In this article (http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2007/09/26/high_definition_tbs_feed_should_please_red_sox_fans/), Comcast's regional VP said that USA-HD would be added by the end of "the month":
TBS HD will appear on channel 831 for Comcast subscribers. It is among several high-definition channels Comcast is adding this month. CNN HD will appear on Comcast channel 842 on Tuesday. Comcast also will add high-definition feeds for the USA Network and the History Channel before the end of the month, said the company's regional vice president, Paul D'Arcangelo.
The usage of "Tuesday" (the 2nd of October) near "before the end of the month" seems to suggest that he's referring to the end of October.

JayMan007

10-30-07, 03:27 PM

In this article (http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2007/09/26/high_definition_tbs_feed_should_please_red_sox_fans/), Comcast's regional VP said that USA-HD would be added by the end of "the month":
TBS HD will appear on channel 831 for Comcast subscribers. It is among several high-definition channels Comcast is adding this month. CNN HD will appear on Comcast channel 842 on Tuesday. Comcast also will add high-definition feeds for the USA Network and the History Channel before the end of the month, said the company's regional vice president, Paul D'Arcangelo.
The usage of "Tuesday" (the 2nd of October) near "before the end of the month" seems to suggest that he's referring to the end of October.

I like the way your regional Comcast notifies you with a when & where... In Richmond, VA, some of us got a postcard that 4 channels were moving from analog to digital effective 11/20.
By moving these channels, it makes room for more HD channels coming later this year including PBS HD, CNN HD, USA HD, Discovery HD, History Channel HD, Sci-Fi HD and TLC HD.

hybucket

10-30-07, 03:32 PM

Yea, SCI-FI HD. In the Boston market, please.

bicker1

10-30-07, 04:41 PM

I don't remember where I read what I read, but by tomorrow we'll know whether my source is better than the Boston Globe (at least). :D

maxman

10-31-07, 08:32 AM

The Whip says it best:

"What really irks me about HD VOD is that it is used to cover up for a provider's inability to provide more HD channels. The cable industry, due to their lack of bandwidth, have used HD VOD as a smoke screen, hiding their lack of real HD content. No, we don't carry CNN-HD or TBS-HD or all of the other many HD channels now available but we do offer old movies that you really have no interest in in HD but without multichannel audio."

http://www.tvpredictions.com/2007/10/why-i-dont-like-hd-vod.html

bicker1

10-31-07, 09:00 AM

I don't think "says it best" is accurate. Rather, it says it in the most damning manner, possible. The reality is that that statement horribly understates the value of On Demand.

gakon

10-31-07, 10:09 AM

I don't think "says it best" is accurate. Rather, it says it in the most damning manner, possible. The reality is that that statement horribly understates the value of On Demand.

"Horribly understates the value". Wow. Is VOD saving lives or something? The quote is certainly critical, but not totally inaccurate.

VOD may be valuable as a marketing tool for Comcast, but its value to consumers varies greatly. Here in Denver, where the HD VOD content is limited, difficult to find, and, as The Whip stated, does not include mult-channel audio, why would I spend the time, effort, or money to try and find a movie that won't give me the full experience? I have a better chance of getting the same movie at Blockbuster, and I will get to use all of the speakers in my home theater, too.

blitzen102

10-31-07, 10:31 AM

"Horribly understates the value". Wow. Is VOD saving lives or something?

No, but it is making Comcast BOATLOADS of money and if that's the case, there must be a great deal of people somewhere finding it valuable.

Marcus Carr

10-31-07, 10:33 AM

I don't think "says it best" is accurate. Rather, it says it in the most damning manner, possible. The reality is that that statement horribly understates the value of On Demand.

I agree that JWhip doesn't say it best.

He fails to mention poor organization, no guarantee of OAR on pay movies, inability to save programs indefinitely, and slow controls.

What exactly is the value of On Demand in your reality?

jwebb1970

10-31-07, 11:05 AM

I agree that JWhip doesn't say it best.

He fails to mention poor organization, no guarantee of OAR on pay movies, inability to save programs indefinitely, and slow controls.

What exactly is the value of On Demand in your reality?

The only major values to Comcast OnDemand for me were:

1. 5 yr old loves DORA THE EXPLORER. Always episodes of that available. (New D* DVR now holds several eps for her)

2. Solved the occasional DVR tuner conflict - Thursday nights had GREY'S & THE OFFICE occupying both DVR tuners. Comcast Fresno offered CSI (same air time as above shows)OnDemand, in HD/5.1. (CSI has been demoted to "summer" show - will catch this season in repeats)

You could also throw in "if I missed something on HBO", but that network reruns stuff so much, you'll have several chances to DVR them in the future.

The vast majority of programming was never watched, however. OnDemand is missed by me, but not much.

And D*'s version has already started to roll out nationally (been in beta tests for some time). If it offers what little I got from Comcast's, sweet.

And before someone points it out....yes...I dumped Comcast for D* and do not regret it. However, having been a Comcast customer for several years (and HD thru 'em since '03), I still take interest in what new stuff they may have gotten around to adding. I do hope remaining cable folk get at least some of the new HD stuff that satcos are offering. Who knows, I may have to go back to cable one day!

jwebb1970

10-31-07, 11:11 AM

I agree that JWhip doesn't say it best.

He fails to mention poor organization, no guarantee of OAR on pay movies, inability to save programs indefinitely, and slow controls.

What exactly is the value of On Demand in your reality?

The only major values to Comcast OnDemand for me were:

1. 5 yr old loves DORA THE EXPLORER. Always episodes of that available. (New D* DVR now holds several eps for her)

2. Solved the occasional DVR tuner conflict - Thursday nights had GREY'S & THE OFFICE occupying both DVR tuners. Comcast Fresno offered CSI (same air time as above shows)OnDemand, in HD/5.1. (CSI has been demoted to "summer" show - will catch this season in repeats)

You could also throw in "if I missed something on HBO", but that network reruns stuff so much, you'll have several chances to DVR them in the future.

The vast majority of programming was never watched, however. OnDemand is missed by me, but not much.

And D*'s version has already started to roll out nationally (been in beta tests for some time). If it offers what little I got from Comcast's, sweet.

And agree with Marcus Carr's comments - OnDemand---hell, the Comcast/Moto interface altogether--was slow, buggy and sometimes difficult to navigate (or at least illogically laid out). Let's hope the Tivo upgrade makes life better.

bicker1

10-31-07, 02:24 PM

"Horribly understates the value". Wow. Is VOD saving lives or something?Life-saving isn't in context, really. The point is that VOD is the ONLY way to get certain shows (i.e., Mad Men) in HD. That totally belies the earlier assertion. I couldn't think of a better way to communicate the gravity of how wrong the earlier assertion was without resorting to such descriptions.

VOD may be valuable as a marketing tool for Comcast, but its value to consumers varies greatly.As is the case with HD itself.

bicker1

10-31-07, 02:26 PM

What exactly is the value of On Demand in your reality?See above. There in one series, 13 hours of HD not available through any other means, and more value to me than many HD linear channels that folks often extol the virtues of. The point is really that what attracts customers to make the purchasing decision is what is worthwhile. People vote with their dollars.

theguest

10-31-07, 02:27 PM

I like on demand. A few shows I don't have to worry about DVRing. Some I got into because they were there and I would've never thought about DVRing. Don't use it as often, but there's also stuff like music and sports highlights which I could see people liking. I also like it for movies, and since I'm lazy, I just pick one when I want to watch instead of DVRing like mad when looking through schedules.

blitzen102

10-31-07, 04:04 PM

bubba5

10-31-07, 07:05 PM

sansri88

10-31-07, 08:42 PM

You will get nothing and like it!

I LOL'd.

Probably Science Channel HD and APL HD sooner or later because Comcast has the agreement for Disc HD and TLC HD, and I think these 4 channels are bundled together.

Stewpidity

10-31-07, 09:05 PM

Ok, On Demand topic is unofficially officially closed.

Sooooooooooooooooo............

What's the next HD channel for Comcast?

Anybody around the country getting any new channel notifications in the past few days?

I live in West Palm Beach, FL(an old Adelphia area) and was told today by a Comcast CSR that I am getting nothing new until 2008, and she had no idea when in 2008 :mad:

currently I have:
401 Fox Sports Net Florida HD
402 Sun Sports HD/Have seen one thing on this channel, it was Football game in HD the 1st week of college football
403 ESPN HD
404 ESPN2 HD
405 VERSUS/Golf Channel HD
407 TNT HD
408 MOJO
409 Universal HD
410 A & E HD
411 MHD
412 Discovery HD Theater
413 National Geographic HD
Locals
431 WPBF HD (ABC-25 WPB)
432 WPTV HD (NBC-5 WPB)
433 WPEC HD (CBS-12 WPB)
434 WFLX HD (FOX-29 WPB)
440 WXEL HD (PBS-42 WPB)

mgpt6

11-01-07, 02:07 AM

In Boston area, Discovery HD and History HD added today 10/31/07. CSPAN2 was moved to digital only to make room.

cavalierlwt

11-01-07, 04:47 AM

In Boston area, Discovery HD and History HD added today 10/31/07. CSPAN2 was moved to digital only to make room.

Awesome, just checked and we got the new channel here in Southern NH! Now if they would just get SciFi-HD while there is still some shows that I like on it!

bicker1

11-01-07, 06:36 AM

Discovery HD is on 823.
History HD is on 872.

Still no sign of USA HD.

Amnesia

11-01-07, 08:49 AM

I really wish they hadn't put History-HD on 872---now it's smack dab in the middle of the premium movie channels...

nakedeye

11-01-07, 09:39 AM

I really wish they hadn't put History-HD on 872---now it's smack dab in the middle of the premium movie channels...

I wish I had History HD to screw up the movis chanels ;)

Marcus Carr

11-01-07, 09:48 AM

In Baltimore:

228 HBO
229 HGTV
231 Food
232 TBS
233 Cinemax
238 Showtime
246 NFL
248 Starz

Amnesia

11-01-07, 09:59 AM

Yeah, but in Boston now it's:

868: Max-HD
870: HBO-HD
872: History-HD
875: Starz-HD
877: Sho-HD

What's really strange is that in Boston, the HD version of a SD channel is generally placed at SD-channel+800...by that logic, History HD should have been placed at 867, which wouldn't have interfered with the movie channel numbers at all...

wstanko

11-01-07, 10:24 AM

Addicted2HD4Now

11-01-07, 10:52 AM

gdeep

11-01-07, 11:29 AM

Seattle just got NFL-HD added today. 1st hd channel added in last 9 months.

Snagglepuss

11-01-07, 11:50 AM

I have a question. How many people actually use the 40+ music channels? I must confess that I only use the "Sounds of the Season" channel during the holidays, and that may only be for a few hours. The rest of the year, I ignore them almost entirely.

It seems to me there are 40+ channels just waiting to be culled for digital bandwidth. How much bandwidth do they take up? How much of a difference do they make to your subscription? Can they be delivered instead via OnDemand?

You will get nothing and like it!

JDLIVE

11-01-07, 12:28 PM

I have a question. How many people actually use the 40+ music channels? I must confess that I only use the "Sounds of the Season" channel during the holidays, and that may only be for a few hours. The rest of the year, I ignore them almost entirely.

It seems to me there are 40+ channels just waiting to be culled for digital bandwidth. How much bandwidth do they take up? How much of a difference do they make to your subscription? Can they be delivered instead via OnDemand?

I doubt they take up much room. Even CD quality audio would be 44.1 KHz. 40 of those don't even take up a fraction of a single QAM256 channel, which IIRC gets you ~38Mbps?

Marcus Carr

11-01-07, 01:17 PM

Verizon will have 150 HD channels by the end of 2008, as well as over 1,000 HD On Demand titles.

http://newscenter.verizon.com/press-releases/verizon/2007/verizon-plans-fivefold.html

Now what, Comcast?

Amnesia

11-01-07, 01:38 PM

Verizon will have 150 HD channels by the end of 2008I don't see how a company can promise to have a certain number of channels in 14 months and expect that to have an influence on consumers' decisions...

Just like all the DirectTV ads saying that they'd have X number of HD channels by the end of the year. Why would that make anyone switch? OK, now that they actually have the channels I see why people might want to go there, but just because they will have those channels in the future? I don't see the appeal...

mbrose

11-01-07, 02:22 PM

I don't see how a company can promise to have a certain number of channels in 14 months and expect that to have an influence on consumers' decisions...

Just like all the DirectTV ads saying that they'd have X number of HD channels by the end of the year. Why would that make anyone switch? OK, now that they actually have the channels I see why people might want to go there, but just because they will have those channels in the future? I don't see the appeal...

Understand your (valid) point. Make the decision that best fits you. Confused somewhat by your inclusion of Directv (maybe if it was 2006), as they have 76 HD channels now....far exceeding the competitors (now). Not a stretch to 100 considering they have the bandwidth, the channels that will be launched, and equipment in place.

Amnesia

11-01-07, 02:28 PM

Confused somewhat by your inclusion of Directv (maybe if it was 2006), as they have 76 HD channels now....far exceeding the competitors (now).For months they had those commercials promising 100 channels by the end of the year.

Back in September---before the newest DirecTV channel additions---why would someone get DirecTV just because they will have the channels? I didn't understand the appeal.

Similarly, I don't see why Verizon's promise of addition channels within the next 14 months would sway anyone to switch to that service...

Perhaps the idea is to stop people from switching away...

bob2274

11-01-07, 03:01 PM

Maybe they're dropping the hint of "don't make any commitments with your cable company". I just made the 2 year commitment with Comcast and got the phone service. The upside for me is that they guaranteed the price for the duration of the agreement.

The next HD channel for Comcast- I still stand by NHL HD and GAME/TEAM HD, besides the others already being launched around the country.

blitzen102

11-01-07, 03:32 PM

I still stand by NHL HD and GAME/TEAM HD, besides the others already being launched around the country.

Is that what you WANT, or what you think will be next based on some things you are seeing and/or hearing?

TulsaCoker

11-01-07, 03:56 PM

Similarly, I don't see why Verizon's promise of addition channels within the next 14 months would sway anyone to switch to that service...

Perhaps the idea is to stop people from switching away...

Or perhaps it to let everybody (including their subscriber) know what there plan is :rolleyes: How many threads are on this forum from people asking their own provider when they will be adding more HD channels.

cavalierlwt

11-01-07, 05:30 PM

Does anyone know if Mythbusters is HD or upconverted? I know they're shot in 16x9.
Hmmm, Kari in glorious Hi Def!

bob2274

11-01-07, 07:37 PM

Is that what you WANT, or what you think will be next based on some things you are seeing and/or hearing?

A little of both, but just a guess from what I've heard lately. Comcast had a hand in the U.S. launch of the NHL Network because of its stake in Versus, so distributing the HD version of the channel when it's available would make perfect sense. GAME/TEAM HD channels are now being provided along with packages that Comcast already offers, so the lengthy carriage negitiations don't seem to be an issue.

It's my rumor and I'm sticking with it.

sansri88

11-01-07, 08:57 PM

Does anyone know if Mythbusters is HD or upconverted? I know they're shot in 16x9.
Hmmm, Kari in glorious Hi Def!

The newer Mythbusters episodes are in HD. The older episodes are upconverted.

maxman

11-01-07, 09:13 PM

Or perhaps it to let everybody (including their subscriber) know what there plan is :rolleyes: How many threads are on this forum from people asking their own provider when they will be adding more HD channels.

And in the case of Comcast, not getting any answers. :mad:

maxman

11-01-07, 09:15 PM

I have a question. How many people actually use the 40+ music channels? I must confess that I only use the "Sounds of the Season" channel during the holidays, and that may only be for a few hours. The rest of the year, I ignore them almost entirely.

It seems to me there are 40+ channels just waiting to be culled for digital bandwidth. How much bandwidth do they take up? How much of a difference do they make to your subscription? Can they be delivered instead via OnDemand?

Personally, I never listen to them.

vtec4me

11-01-07, 10:42 PM

Is there any info on when comcast will release more HD channels based off of region/state?
I'm hearing everyone getting all these other HD channels and here in Utah, still nothing.
we dont have FOOD HD, TLC HD, CNN HD and so forth.
any timeframe for this?

bicker1

11-02-07, 07:05 AM

I don't see how a company can promise to have a certain number of channels in 14 months and expect that to have an influence on consumers' decisions...The problem, actually, is that such promises are having an influence on consumers' decisions. It is silly AFAIC. People should evaluate offerings as they are today, since it is easy to promise the moon.

tkoui

11-02-07, 08:39 AM

A little of both, but just a guess from what I've heard lately. Comcast had a hand in the U.S. launch of the NHL Network because of its stake in Versus, so distributing the HD version of the channel when it's available would make perfect sense. GAME/TEAM HD channels are now being provided along with packages that Comcast already offers, so the lengthy carriage negitiations don't seem to be an issue.

It's my rumor and I'm sticking with it.
Comcast in NWIndiana just added channel 404 - NHL Network but it is only SD. Hopefully, HD will be soon to follow but I have not heard anything. No "message" on the tuner announcing the addition, however.

aindik

11-02-07, 09:28 AM

I have a question. How many people actually use the 40+ music channels? I must confess that I only use the "Sounds of the Season" channel during the holidays, and that may only be for a few hours. The rest of the year, I ignore them almost entirely.

I use them probably every day. Usually through the home theater with the TV off (in the living room), or with an FM transmitter connected to the cable box (for use in the shower and elsewhere throughout the house). They're my free (well, not free, but already paid for) replacement for satellite radio (and they sound a hell of a lot better than satellite radio). I'd be angry if they were gone.

It seems to me there are 40+ channels just waiting to be culled for digital bandwidth. How much bandwidth do they take up? How much of a difference do they make to your subscription? Can they be delivered instead via OnDemand?

The PQ on these is pretty bad (understandably so - they're meant to be listened to, not watched). I don't think they're using a ton of bandwidth. Certainly not as much bandwidth as maintaining an analog tier of channels. And they can't be replaced via OnDemand. They exist to be turned on and left alone, like radio stations.

JayMan007

11-02-07, 09:32 AM

aindik

11-02-07, 10:33 AM

I listen to a few of them, but not very often. I don't think they take up much bandwidth, since they are only 2 channel digital (no video). Of course I'd rather have XM or Sirius like DirecTv or Dish.

They do have video. Well, they have rotating still pictures, but that's video. At least, that's what they have on my system.

As for XM or Sirius, I'd rather have those, too. But some people really don't like XM and Sirius on a TV music system because they just want the music without jingles, liners, and DJs. I'm not one of them, but they're out there.

Since I've had all my STB's converted to ADS, I'd like to see more of the analog channels moved to digital.
Leave the locals and a few others like weather, disney, etc. so that you don't have to have a STB in the kids rooms.

Agreed. They're moving toward that by having the "Digital Starter" package be the same price as Expanded basic, here. "Digital Starter" subscribers only get the (ADS versions of the) Expanded Basic channels, plus a digital box with On Demand and, I think, Music Choice. If they pay the HD or DVR fee, they also get locals in HD (but not the other HD channels like ESPN, which require at least Digital Classic to receive).

blitzen102

11-02-07, 10:48 AM

Since I've had all my STB's converted to ADS, I'd like to see more of the analog channels moved to digital.
Leave the locals and a few others like weather, disney, etc. so that you don't have to have a STB in the kids rooms.

That is what they are doing. Carraige agreements might be what is preventing them from doing it faster than they are. For example, their agreement with "Channel X" might require the channel is available to (basic) analog subscribers.

digason

11-02-07, 11:46 AM

I'd gladly pay $3.00 a month to get back HDNET and HDNET Movies that were lost when Comcast took over Adelphia in my area.

I would also pay extra to get the HDNet channels back here in Vermont. I'd be willing to pay even $5.

drocpsu

11-02-07, 12:14 PM

Amnesia

11-02-07, 12:35 PM

My (orderd) wish list:
SciFi-HD
USA-HD (supposed to come soon to Boston)
HDNet
FX-HD
HDNet Movies
Spike-HD

bicker1

11-02-07, 12:44 PM

My wish list is similar, but without HDNet or HDNet Movies, which I find to be pretty useless. I would also have not even considered Spike HD except for the promise it showed with the recent series Kill Point.

As it is, I can wait for USA HD until Burn Notice, Psych, and Starter Wife return next year, and can wait for FX HD until The Shield returns next year, but Sci Fi HD is already worthwhile, from my personal perspective, given that we're already watching Stargate Atlantis, and expecting to watch BSG:Razor later this month and Tin Man next month.

kcalccal

11-02-07, 01:07 PM

I would like to see NHL HD soon, as it has popped up in neighboring Rhode Island on Cox Cable.

jefbal99

11-02-07, 01:20 PM

dabadestalbo69

11-02-07, 02:20 PM

am i the only one who still doesnt have TBS HD?

TMilner

11-02-07, 02:25 PM

dabadestalbo69

Don't worry about it.... it's a worthless waste of bandwidth with no real HD, but ugly stretched SD.

vtec4me

11-02-07, 02:39 PM

I wish Comcast would bring in Spike HD. DirecTV has it and it would be a nice addition to the Comcast lineup. More HD MMA fights (in addition to the ones that are on Versus HD).

The one I REALLY wish they had is the Big10 Network in HD (or even at all).

Also, I am another person who actually listens to the music channels. Probably will more now, since I no longer have my computer connected through my HT receiver. Its better than radio, doesnt require an antenna, and doesnt cost extra (since they already make us pay for it anyway).

Yea, Spike HD would be sick...i'd love to MMA fighs in HD, like the UFC show.

Is there any info on when comcast will release more HD channels based off of region/state?
I'm hearing everyone getting all these other HD channels and here in Utah, still nothing.
we dont have FOOD HD, TLC HD, CNN HD and so forth.
any timeframe for this?

homcom

11-02-07, 02:46 PM

am i the only one who still doesnt have TBS HD?

No you are not. TBS HD is not here on the Detroit Comcast system.

rebkell

11-02-07, 03:10 PM

I wish Comcast would bring in Spike HD. DirecTV has it and it would be a nice addition to the Comcast lineup. More HD MMA fights (in addition to the ones that are on Versus HD).

The one I REALLY wish they had is the Big10 Network in HD (or even at all).

Also, I am another person who actually listens to the music channels. Probably will more now, since I no longer have my computer connected through my HT receiver. Its better than radio, doesnt require an antenna, and doesnt cost extra (since they already make us pay for it anyway).

Actually, I don't think Direct has Spike-HD yet, it's on the to do/coming list, but it hasn't shown up in the guide, at least not since this morning.

sansri88

11-02-07, 03:51 PM

My wish list:

1) Discovery HD
2) Science HD
3) CNN HD
4) USA HD
5) Smithsonian HD
6) MGM HD

With those, I should be fine, although I would like to see TWCHD, Food HD, and HGTV HD as well.

chad473

11-02-07, 08:43 PM

am i the only one who still doesnt have TBS HD?

we don't either, but I honestly couldn't care from the things I've heard about it. Sounds like a waste of bandwidth.

chitchatjf

11-02-07, 09:44 PM

we don't either, but I honestly couldn't care from the things I've heard about it. Sounds like a waste of bandwidth.

It wasn't during the ALDS.

dabadestalbo69

11-03-07, 12:06 AM

Yea im in the detroit area, figures though. Comcast around here is worthless and never gives us any good channels to begin with.

theguest

11-03-07, 05:27 AM

Snagglepuss

11-03-07, 02:45 PM

Actually, it's more than silly. Puffery in a sale is one thing, as we've all learned first-hand when buying a car. But when a company makes a statement like that, a reasonable person would presume they have planned and acted to make it come true, give or take a few months. If I am a reasonable person and rely upon that promise as a material fact in my decision to buy, in my decision to contract for that service, then I have a voidable contract. I can quit the contract because a reasonable person would decide it was breached.

Materiality is actually a legal principle in contract law. If you relied on the promise and it turns out they had no intention of making good on it, you can probably get out of your contract. Keep all of the advertisement documents and let them sue you. I doubt that they will, especially when you remind them about their advertisement.

The problem, actually, is that such promises are having an influence on consumers' decisions. It is silly AFAIC. People should evaluate offerings as they are today, since it is easy to promise the moon.

Snagglepuss

11-03-07, 02:51 PM

That is what they are doing. Carraige agreements might be what is preventing them from doing it faster than they are. For example, their agreement with "Channel X" might require the channel is available to (basic) analog subscribers.

It seems the FCC has put cable TV into a bit of a bind on this (http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070912-fcc-to-cable-you-must-support-analog-tvs-until-2012.html). In September, they ordered cable carriers to continue to support analog televisions until 2012. It seems unlikely that they will supply each analog customer with a digital box. Then again, they need not offer them every channel in analog. It is my guess they will create an analog-only tier of service, with local and certain news channels available. But the clock is ticking on analog. OTA analog goes bye-bye in 15 months.

egnlsn

11-04-07, 01:12 AM

It seems the FCC has put cable TV into a bit of a bind on this (http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070912-fcc-to-cable-you-must-support-analog-tvs-until-2012.html). In September, they ordered cable carriers to continue to support analog televisions until 2012. It seems unlikely that they will supply each analog customer with a digital box. Then again, they need not offer them every channel in analog. It is my guess they will create an analog-only tier of service, with local and certain news channels available. But the clock is ticking on analog. OTA analog goes bye-bye in 15 months.
That requirement is for local, must-carry channels only. That'll probably be fewer than a dozen or so channels on any given system. Then again, if a system decides to go all digital (not ADS) prior to 2/19/2009, that requirement does not apply.

EricST

11-04-07, 09:42 AM

Can someone tell me what Comcast offers in the Indy-Bedford erea?
I live north of Bedford,In and Insight is switching to Comcast Jan 1.
Thanks

Ken H

11-04-07, 10:56 PM

Can someone tell me what Comcast offers in the Indy-Bedford erea?
I live north of Bedford,In and Insight is switching to Comcast Jan 1.
ThanksAsk in the local topic for your area, found in the HDTV Locals Forum.

Marcus Carr

11-05-07, 08:19 AM

Comcast to carry RFD-TV HD.

"Comcast told us we are a 'must carry' now," Gottsch said, according to the Tennessean. "They are getting so many requests for this programming."

http://www.tvpredictions.com/imus110507.htm

Slickone

11-05-07, 12:12 PM

Browsing around my guide, looks like NBATV HD games are going to be on MOJO (in Chicago)

[EDIT: guess this is for everyone, as it's on Mojo's website http://www.mojohd.com/sports/view/1002065 , but it doesn't look like it's every game, Sunday night's game isn't there]

That's god awful horrible!!! To even get NBA TV you pay for the Sports Pack, which here in Chicago is $6.99/mo. And not to carry those games in HD is a travesty. NBA TV is showing more than 70 games this season, and to have those games on MOJO on a part-time basis is not appealing to the consumer, especially when the NBA is advertising that those games are in HD. Comcast, who normally makes it's HD programming decisions based on sports, is doing an extreme disservice to their customers.

nakedeye

11-05-07, 12:55 PM

Comcast to carry RFD-TV HD.

http://www.tvpredictions.com/imus110507.htm

If this shows up BEFORE History HD I'm going to be pissed.

bicker1

11-05-07, 01:58 PM

We're still waiting for USA HD here.

sansri88

11-05-07, 03:19 PM

We're still waiting for USA HD here.

We're still waiting for Discovery HD, HGTV HD, Food HD........gah! Too many to list...

kevin j

11-05-07, 09:14 PM

The BigTen Network's coming in January or so i've read[i'd imagine the HD channel's coming too then or soon thereafter].

Addicted2HD4Now

11-05-07, 10:45 PM

If this shows up BEFORE History HD I'm going to be pissed.

If it shows up before anything else that is available I'm gonna be pissed.

vtec4me

11-05-07, 10:50 PM

why cant they just roll out all the channels at the same time for everyone instead of doing state by state?

bicker1

11-06-07, 07:20 AM

For the same reason that McDonald's doesn't introduce new sandwiches at every single restaurant on the same day.

blitzen102

11-06-07, 07:51 AM

For the same reason that McDonald's doesn't introduce new sandwiches at every single restaurant on the same day.

Yeah. Every store doesn't have the same french fry friers, grills, microwaves, building design, parking lot spaces, etc. etc. etc.

maxman

11-06-07, 09:31 AM

It's not even state by state. Comcast is a rat's nest of systems it's built/acquired over the years and each has it's limitations (bandwidth, etc.) the way I see it.

nakedeye

11-06-07, 11:36 AM

It's not even state by state. Comcast is a rat's nest of systems it's built/acquired over the years and each has it's limitations (bandwidth, etc.) the way I see it.

Ding Ding Ding!

chitchatjf

11-06-07, 12:07 PM

The BigTen Network's coming in January or so i've read[i'd imagine the HD channel's coming too then or soon thereafter].

Quote please....

WHERE did you read this?

JDLIVE

11-06-07, 01:17 PM

The BigTen Network's coming in January or so i've read[i'd imagine the HD channel's coming too then or soon thereafter].

Source? Please don't tell me a CSR told you this. :rolleyes:

Given the state of negotiations, if it doesn't happen REAL SOON, I think it's not happening until next summer at the earliest. Once basketball season is over, there's not going to be much pressure to add it.

Ken H

11-06-07, 01:37 PM

The BigTen Network's coming in January or so i've read[i'd imagine the HD channel's coming too then or soon thereafter].I highly suspect this info to be inaccurate.

kevin j

11-06-07, 03:31 PM

It was on another website[High Def Forum].

MarcSparks

11-06-07, 04:04 PM

It was on another website[High Def Forum].

Checked the High Def Forum thread on this...Definitely just someone saying a CSR told him this...not reliable information at all.

If somehow they were coming to terms the BTN would be up (in SD) immediately, not 2 months from now. And anyways, this would be huge news all over the place if it were actually true.

maxman

11-06-07, 08:02 PM

Comcast to carry 'America' channel (but not on MY system, of course):

http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2007/11/05/daily13.html

bicker1

11-07-07, 06:18 AM

Yeah. Every store doesn't have the same french fry friers, grills, microwaves, building design, parking lot spaces, etc. etc. etc.Did you even read the message you replied to? :confused:

ghudson666

11-07-07, 07:50 AM

Off topic but funny...

Comcast Filtering-For-Profit: A Three-Phase Plan to 'Right-Size' Consumer Bandwidth (http://www.maximumpc.com/article/comcast_filtering_for_profit_a_three_phase_plan_to_right_siz e_consumer_bandwidth)

blitzen102

11-07-07, 09:23 AM

Did you even read the message you replied to? :confused:

I was agreeing with you.

My appologiies.

:confused:

Snagglepuss

11-07-07, 11:09 AM

For the same reason that McDonald's doesn't introduce new sandwiches at every single restaurant on the same day.

You mean the consumers will barf them up? :p

I'll have a McAngioplasty and a side of Lipitor to go! Supersize me!

chad473

11-07-07, 11:25 AM

is there any place to find out the bandwidth of local comcast systems? I am guessing ours is crap since we've only had..I think 2 new HD channels in the last year.

dspadoni

11-07-07, 12:54 PM

nakedeye

11-07-07, 03:27 PM

is there any place to find out the bandwidth of local comcast systems? I am guessing ours is crap since we've only had..I think 2 new HD channels in the last year.

Been wondering the same thing

bicker1

11-07-07, 04:55 PM

I was agreeing with you.

My appologiies.

:confused:Gosh I totally misunderstood that, then. Sorry! :(

bicker1

11-07-07, 06:57 PM

USA HD arrives today on Comcast in MA on channel 835.

sansri88

11-07-07, 07:04 PM

Been wondering the same thing

FCC COALS database will give you a good idea, unless your area was rebuilt. The information there is from 2005 or 2006 (as of now).

https://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/csb/coals/index.html

Click on Cable Search, and fill in the info that you know, for type of filing put Annual cable operator report form 325.

Marcus Carr

11-07-07, 08:06 PM

Your FCC Identifier is probably on your cable bill.

Filing Year: 2006
Cable Operator Legal Name: UNITED CABLE TELEVISION OF BALTIMORE LP

Lower Limit (mHz) Upper Limit (mHz)
2) Downstream Spectrum
a) Available 54.000 860.0000
b) Max Activated BW(mHz) 766.00

Capacity Carried
3) Video Channels
a) Analog Video Channels 83 80
b) Digital Video Channels 51 42

4) Largest number of digital
streams per 6 mHz 12

5) Modulation method(s) used for video delivery
256 QAM

Amnesia

11-08-07, 08:59 AM

We got USA-HD in Boston. Channel 835...

JDLIVE

11-08-07, 12:37 PM

We got USA-HD in Boston. Channel 835...

I guess you forgot bicker posted this yesterday, eh? Sorry, couldn't resist. :D

therob006

11-08-07, 01:25 PM

USA HD arrives today on Comcast in MA on channel 835.

Any guesses on the next HD channel to show up in Comcast line-up? I'm just hoping for another channel that is all HD and not mostly resized. Encore-HD sounds good.

bob2274

11-08-07, 05:24 PM

I still guess NHL Network HD and GAME HD (to go with the sports packages).

NetworkTV

11-08-07, 05:45 PM

I guess you forgot bicker posted this yesterday, eh? Sorry, couldn't resist. :D
Maybe he has Bicker on his ignore list... ;)

bicker1

11-09-07, 06:54 AM

I can only hope. :)

chrisgeleven

11-09-07, 08:24 AM

Manchester, NH now has USA HD (Ch. 835)

maxman

11-11-07, 08:00 AM

America Channel Gets Comcast Berth:

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6499812.html

eddielives

11-11-07, 09:25 AM

USA HD arrives today on Comcast in MA on channel 835.

Did you see this on the guide? Or get a "message" on your box? The reason I ask is that I subscribed to be notified about anything regarding HD from Comcast directly. I received no email notifying me of the addition of History(872), USA(835), or regular Discovery in HD(823). I also had no messages on my box. This is frustrating since I use a macro on my URC to bring me to my "favorites guide" instead of having to scroll through all the BS when using the standard guide. The result is that I don't see new channels unless I go to the regular guide or get the message indicator on my box. I just happened to notice the new channels the other night as I was using the 3 cell guide which shows all channels. Bottom line is that I'm glad to see them adding more HD. Any word on TLC or Science channels??

otk

11-11-07, 11:45 AM

i think we just got the National Geographic HD channel today unless i just never noticed it before :)

bicker1

11-11-07, 04:37 PM

Did you see this on the guide? Or get a "message" on your box? The reason I ask is that I subscribed to be notified about anything regarding HD from Comcast directly. I received no email notifying me of the addition of History(872), USA(835), or regular Discovery in HD(823).I suspect that you're talking about two different offices. The adding of channels is substantially an engineering operation. Your request for notification goes through customer service, which is likely not in communications with engineering on a day-to-day basis.

Bottom line is that I'm glad to see them adding more HD.Me too. I find the best source for up-to-date information about added channels is your local area Comcast thread:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=453241

Any word on TLC or Science channels??I haven't heard any indications of either coming soon.

Slickone

11-12-07, 12:57 PM

I heard a radio ad this morning saying that Comcast will add History Channel-HD in Chicago soon, & CNN, Discovery, & USA-HD will be here by the end of the year. Does anyone in Chicago have History-HD yet?

otk

11-12-07, 01:33 PM

i think we just got the National Geographic HD channel today unless i just never noticed it before :)

yeah, it must be new, it's not even listed at tvguide.com yet

Mark0

11-12-07, 01:53 PM

Not sure if it has been mentioned, but we picked up the History channel HD in Lowell (Ch. 872).

vj9999

11-12-07, 04:30 PM

chitchatjf

11-12-07, 05:11 PM

Boston already has all of these channels you mention PLUS we still have 40+ extended basic analog channels.

Which in my opinion is 40+ too many.

maxman

11-12-07, 07:12 PM

Would someone care to make a list of channels being carried on some but not all Comcast systems? We still don't have Food/HGTV, let alone History, CNN, USA, etc.

chitchatjf

11-12-07, 07:36 PM

HD Lineup 11-08-2007 Lawrence MA

Ch Number Service Tier required
======================================================
802 PBS HD Channel (2.2) HD+ Basic
804 WBZ (CBS) (4.1) Basic
805 WCVB (ABC) (5.1) Basic
807 WHDH (NBC) (7.1) Basic
809 WUMR (ABC) (75.89) Basic
821 National Geographic Starter (probobly and Classic too)
823 Discovery Starter
825 WFXT (Fox) (25.1) Basic
828 MHD HD+ Starter AND Classic
831 TBS Starter
832 HGTV-HD HD+ Starter
833 TNT Classic
835 USA Starter
837 A&E Starter
838 WSBK (38.1) Basic
839 HD Theatre HD+ Classic
842 CNN Starter
846 Universal HD HD+ Classic
848 Verses / Golf HD Starter
849 ESPN Classic
850 ESPN 2 Starter
851 NESN Starter
853 NFL Network Sports & Ent
854 Food Network HD HD+ Starter
856 WLVI (CW) (56.1) Basic
868 Cinemax Cinemax
870 HBO HBO
872 History Channel Starter
875 Starz Starz
877 Showtime Showtime
881 Mojo HD+ / CSN (Home Celtic games) Classic

Bold indicates added in 2007!

maxman

11-12-07, 08:01 PM

What's "Starter"?

Marcus Carr

11-12-07, 08:02 PM

Would someone care to make a list of channels being carried on some but not all Comcast systems? We still don't have Food/HGTV, let alone History, CNN, USA, etc.

See the first post.

chitchatjf

11-13-07, 08:22 AM

What's "Starter"?

Extended basic with a digital cable box.locally they add Movieplex,the audio music channels and some on demand stuff

therob006

11-13-07, 09:03 AM

Snagglepuss

11-13-07, 10:40 AM

wbarrister

11-13-07, 11:06 AM

I wonder if anyone else has run into this. I bought the On-Demand HD version of the movie "Next" over the weekend ($5.99). It showed up as a 480i program with the black bands on all four sides. I called Comcast about it and was told that "we have been getting similar complaints" and that the problem was being referred to engineering. The representative put me on hold, talked to engineering, then seemed evasive when I asked more questions. They refunded the charge.

I can think of three possibilities: Its a local (Jacksonville, FL) problem, its my problem somehow (all the rest of my HD programming seems to be fine), or its happening throughout the system. BTW this is the second time I ran into the same problem with an On Demand movie, the first was a month ago.

Anyone else?

Bill

blitzen102

11-13-07, 12:20 PM

PooperScooper

11-13-07, 12:44 PM

I heard that NHL HD might be added in the metro Boston area only starting tomorrow. I could have sworn I saw that last week or so, but maybe I mistook NFL HD for it.

larry

bicker1

11-13-07, 12:57 PM

We were watching BBC America yesterday, and they advertised BBC America HD coming for 2008. I hope at some point Comcast puts that in their lineup. It would be fun to see Doctor Who and Torchwood in HD.I have a feeling we'll get Doctor Who in HD through Sci Fi Channel before we get Doctor Who in HD through BBC America.

chitchatjf

11-13-07, 01:04 PM

I heard that NHL HD might be added in the metro Boston area only starting tomorrow.

I know we have NHL SD on 259.

I see this possibly on 859? Who knows?

hybucket

11-13-07, 01:14 PM

I don't watch Dr. Who on BBCA. Aside from being heavily edited, they're about a season behind. And be careful of getting too involved with any BBCA programming - they pull it without notice, worse than the broadcast networks. "Hollyoaks" and "MI-5" are examples of good programming that was POOF! gone. Off topic, but...

QZ1

11-13-07, 04:58 PM

What's "Starter"?
Extended basic with a digital cable box.locally they add Movieplex,the audio music channels and some on demand stuff
Right, and to further clarify, 'Starter' is short for 'Digital Starter'.

QZ1

11-13-07, 05:02 PM

Ch Number Service Tier required
======================================================
828 MHD HD+ Starter AND Classic
832 HGTV-HD HD+ Starter
839 HD Theatre HD+ Classic
846 Universal HD HD+ Classic
854 Food Network HD HD+ Starter
881 Mojo HD+ / CSN (Home Celtic games) Classic
Does 'HD+' indicate that your area has an 'HD+' tier?
If so, when did it start and how much does it cost?
If not, what does it mean?

Ken H

11-13-07, 11:18 PM

Unnecessary comments deleted.

chitchatjf

11-14-07, 12:29 AM

Does 'HD+' indicate that your area has an 'HD+' tier?
If so, when did it start and how much does it cost?
If not, what does it mean?

HD+ indicate HD only channels.

blitzen102

11-14-07, 07:37 AM

For you folks in Maryland getting this last wave -- err... ripple of HD channels, were some analogs moved to digital to clear bandwidth?

JayMan007

11-14-07, 08:48 AM

For you folks in Maryland getting this last wave -- err... ripple of HD channels, were some analogs moved to digital to clear bandwidth?

I can say that is what happened in Richmond, VA for the "ripple" of HD last month.
They are supposed to move 3 or 4 analogs to digital next week (11/20). They also announced the addition of 6 more HD channels by the end of the year.

raidbuck

11-14-07, 08:50 AM

For you folks in Maryland getting this last wave -- err... ripple of HD channels, were some analogs moved to digital to clear bandwidth?

Which wave do you mean? In Baltimore we got NGHD, A&EHD, TBSHD and FOODHD, but are waiting on the Discovery Suite, USAHD, CNNHD and HistoryHD.

As far as Analogs go, I don't know because I only watch HD except for some sports on MASN.

Rich N.

nakedeye

11-14-07, 08:53 AM

For you folks in Maryland getting this last wave -- err... ripple of HD channels, were some analogs moved to digital to clear bandwidth?

I think you are confused.

Ma is Mass, not Maryland

Marcus Carr

11-14-07, 09:56 AM

Yeah, we haven't gotten anything since TBS and Food Network on 10/1. No CNN, History, USA, Discovery Ch. We lost two analogs in July and have gotten five HD channels since then.

chitchatjf

11-14-07, 09:57 AM

IN MA's wave of HD channels (10 so far this year) the only analogs that thhave been moved this far as ESPN Classic and Cspan 2. GSN is supposed to go digital only at the end of the month and a spot within the limited basic tier seems to be freeing up for the Weather to move there,saving its bandwidth within extended basic (Chs 24-69) for more HD :)

blitzen102

11-14-07, 10:35 AM

I think you are confused.

Ma is Mass, not Maryland

Your right. I was. I hadn't had my coffee yet.

Marcus Carr

11-14-07, 02:16 PM

Sim-X

11-14-07, 02:36 PM

blitzen102

11-14-07, 02:48 PM

therob006

11-14-07, 02:52 PM

I like Comcast and everything, but when you see DTV just added 23 new channels in 1 day that's pretty juicy. I'm lucky to have 23 hd channels all together right now. Does comcast even have the room to add that many?

It all depends on where you live. Some areas do, some areas do not. For DTV to launch more HD channels, they just have to put another satillite in the sky (and you have to buy a different reciever and/or bigger dish). For Comcast, its a matter of changing channels from analog to digital only and some pretty savy work by engineers.

BigDaddyRoy

11-14-07, 03:01 PM

Why would you? It would be awfully embarassing! :D

Sometimes, I don't even have to make my point, because someone comes along and makes my point for me.

I am happy with the service I have with Comcast, and I am happy for the people who have DirecTv and are thrilled about it. The two don't have to have anything to do with each other.

It's like someone who owns a Porsche, who can't simply be happy they have a Porsche. Instead, they tell other people, who happen to own Corvettes, that they can't possibly be pleased with the Vette because "It's not as good as my Porsche".

I'm just glad the various channels' arms' race may lead to, in a year or two, more quality HD programing to watch. It's far better than a few years ago, where we used to wait all week for the one or two HD programs we actually wanted to watch.

babrown92

11-14-07, 09:15 PM

History HD, Discovery HD, and USA HD coming to Tucson, AZ in December. Thank god I'm in a good comcast market that gets every new channel.

BigDaddyRoy

11-14-07, 11:19 PM

The music channels reportedly will have NO HD content anytime soon, so we're not missing anything. And D* is inflating their count with PPV, RSNs, and East/West premiums. I'm glad Comcast isn't using up bandwidth with many of these D* channels.

(Personally, I count about 7-10 D* channels I REALLY want that haven't been confirmed for Comcast. The rest is gravy.)

Yes, the music channels are HD free, and for a while, I'd have no interest in them. I'd certainly take them, and other 'gravy' but not before other channels I'd actually want for one reason or another.

I've seen others do this, so I figured I would do the "What I have & What I want" List.

Comcast - Baltimore County, MD

210 Local ABC HD
211 Local NBC HD
212 Local CBS HD
213 Local Fox HD
214 Local CW HD
220 Local PBS HD
223 A&E HD
224 National Geographic HD
225 HD Theater (Old Discovery)
226 MOJO
227 MHD
228 HBO HD
229 HGTV-HD
231 FOOD-HD
232 TBS HD
233 MAX HD
238 SHOWTIME HD
248 STARZ HD
249 TNT HD
250 Universal HD
251 Comcast SportsNet DC HD
252 ESPNHD
253 ESPN2HD
254 Golf / Versus HD
258 Special Events / PPV HD
Also, we have a part time channel just for NFLHD. Nothing else uses the channel, but it only is on for Game of the Week and other NFLHD only broadcasts. Also, I actually use the HD on Demand, and I've liked it a lot. I've used it for free HD movies, HD on Demand from my premium channels like HBO and Showtime, and I've even paid for a HD-PPV On Demand.

As for what I want:

Available or Announced by Comcast; ranked
1. USA HD
2. Discovery HD
3. CNN HD
4. TLC HD
5. Sci-Fi HD

Not currently available or announced by Comcast, but broadcasting; ranked
1. FX HD
2. Bravo HD
3. Cartoon HD
4. Weather HD

Special Entry for a Regional Sports Network that won't start airing until next Spring - MASN-HD

So that's my list. I know everybody's lists are different, and I respect that. For me, of all the HD channels I'm "missing", just like Marcus, I have 9 I actually want to watch. Would I take the others? Sure, but they'd go on the pile with QVC, Fox Reality, MTV3, and tons of other SD channels I watch once a year or so.