Cablevision Adds Voom, Eyes 500 HD Channels

Cable Operator Aims at DirecTV with Addition of Voom HD Networks

By Mike Farrell -- Multichannel News, 6/21/2007 11:14:00 AM

Cablevision Systems said Thursday that it reached a deal with its Voom HD Networks unit to provide 15 of its HD channels to Cablevision’s iO: Interactive Optimum digital customers June 26, boosting its HD lineup to 40 channels.

The company also said that by the end of the year, Cablevision will have the capacity to carry as many as 500 HD channels over its fiber-optic network -- a clear response to direct-broadcast satellite giant DirecTV’s claims that it will soon have 150 HD channels, more than three times the capacity of most cable operators.

In a prepared statement, Cablevision said it reached an agreement with Voom -- part of its Rainbow Media Holdings programming unit -- to carry HD feeds such as HD News, Monsters HD (horror movies), Rush HD (adventure sports), WorldSport HD (live sports coverage from around the world), Family Room HD (family-friendly movies, series and specials), King Fu HD (martial arts) and World Cinema HD (award-winning movies from around the globe.

The Voom package will be part of Cablevision’s free HD service. According to the cable operator, it has deployed more than 1 million HD set-top boxes to customers, and it had 734,000 HD customers as of March 31 -- an 85% increase in HD customers over the previous year.

The Voom networks are already available on EchoStar Communications’ Dish Network HD offering. While Voom is being offered to other cable operators, as well, Cablevision and EchoStar are its only current customers.

This could change, Rainbow CEO Josh Sapan said in an interview.

“I think this [deal] is an indication that Voom is a sensible product for the time,” Sapan said.

Voom, the brainchild of Cablevision founder and chairman Charles Dolan, was the source of some friction between Dolan and his son, Cablevision CEO James Dolan, in 2005. After a contentious battle, the Dolans agreed to sell Voom’s satellite to EchoStar that year, scrapping its plans to launch its own separate HD satellite service and offer its programming to cable and satellite operators.

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6454390.html

Easy way for Comcast and other cablecos to boost their channel totals for HD. Let's hope they bite, if offered.

Having left VOOM (or VOOM leaving me) for Comcast, it'd be nice to have some of that programming back w/o switching to E* (and lose the things I like about Comcast).

Simple question...how does Cablevision magically have the capacity to offer this many channels???? In certain areas? Everywhere that "Io" HD is already available??

Simple question...how does Cablevision magically have the capacity to offer this many channels???? In certain areas? Everywhere that "Io" HD is already available??
Good question. First, it is easy to claim 500 HD channel capacity when you know that there won't be anywhere close to 500 HD channels available for years. Maybe 50+ national HD channels by the end of the year (depending on how many HD channels HBO, Starz, Showtime, Discovery with all their multiple channels start up his fall). Maybe we should have a pool on who will the first service provider to claim they have the capacity for 1000 HD channels (knowing that it is total BS)? Got to give D* credit, they have really stirred things up on the HD front.

Where does the capacity come from? SDV? Shutting down analog channels? Compressing the heck out of the HD channels? All of the above? How many analog channels does CableVision have in their current line-ups?

So if Cablevision is getting Voom, how about Verizon Fios? They have the capacity, so I hope this motivates them to add the Voom channels, even if it is on a separate tier.

Great...just more programming (in addition to HDNet movies) that Comcast will not provide. Right now, we don't even have the "No HD content" channels (such as A&E-HD), though I'm sure that's what they'll offer before Comcast subscribers will ever see any of this.)

This will put FIOS on high alert...it better!

But the cable operator added that it will have the "capacity" to offer up to 500 HD channels by year's end by using a new technology called Switch Digital Video.

The SDV system, which is expected to be deployed by other cable operators later this year, saves system space by only transmitting a channel when a viewer requests it.

http://www.tvpredictions.com/cablevision062107.htm

The press release:

June 21, 2007 11:26 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Rainbow Media's VOOM HD Networks to be Carried on Cablevision

VOOM's 15 High Quality, High Definition Niche Channels Provide an Immediate and Significant Increase in MSO’s Consumer HD Offering

JERICHO, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cablevision will now carry Rainbow Media's fifteen channel suite of VOOM HD Networks, it was announced today by Joshua Sapan, Rainbow President and Chief Executive Officer. The VOOM HD Networks will be available to Cablevision subscribers beginning July 1, 2007.

“Cablevision’s addition of the fifteen VOOM channels to its HD lineup reinforces our long held view that consumer demand for more and better HD programming offers MSOs a compelling business opportunity,” said Sapan. “Cablevision continues to lead the industry with its vision and its products, and they have recognized that VOOM provides a compelling opportunity to respond to consumer demand with a quality product designed to appeal to a wide breadth of interests.

“We believe that consumers with new HDTV sets consistently look for programming of interest in HD before they settle for SD programming. This has far-reaching implications for the television business in general, but it offers the cable industry an incredible and timely opportunity to respond quickly and competitively to the shifts in the marketplace.”

Cablevision subscribers will now be able to watch the VOOM HD Networks (www.voom.com), television’s largest and most diverse suite of high-definition channels. Fifteen commercial-free, wide-screen channels, all delivered in true 1080i HD and 5.1 Dolby Ditigal surround sound, VOOM offers an extraordinary breadth of movies, sports, fashion, music, travel, lifestyle and adventure programming.

VOOM HD Networks’ robust suite of 15 channels provides an HD tier that hits both a multi-cultural audience and a multi-generational household. The programming offers something for everyone in the family crossing a broad spectrum of content. With the expectation of the growing population of HDTV households, VOOM fills a void in the marketplace for the shortage of high-caliber HD programming in the home.

VOOM’s original programming has been building an audience and gaining popularity. From the star studded VOOM Robert Wilson Portraits, which attracted some of today’s biggest stars, to the current high- definition documentation of an historic Mount Everest expedition, VOOM offers a wide variety of compelling original programming for every interest with stunning, eye-popping HD clarity.

Recent VOOM programming highlights include the VOOM PORTRAITS BY ROBERT WILSON, an artistic venture of over 30 high-definition video portraits, created by the celebrated theater icon and visual artist Robert Wilson. Gallery HD will feature the works as well as a behind the scenes documentary on air in October. The PORTRAITS feature celebrity subjects including Brad Pitt, Winona Ryder, Johnny Depp, Monaco’s Princess Caroline of Hanover, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Robin Wright Penn, Juliette Binoche, Isabelle Huppert, Isabella Rossellini, Jeanne Moreau, Steve Buscemi, Alan Cumming and Willem Dafoe.

Coming in 2008, VOOM HD Networks and British production company, Altitude Films will debut The Altitude Everest Expedition 2007, a major multi-platform documentary film that follows a team of the world's leading high altitude climbers as they retrace the last steps of British climbing legend George Mallory on Mount Everest. Globally, VOOM and Altitude launched ueverest.com, an online portal that allows audience is able to follow the progress of the expedition on a fully interactive web portal, to be launched earlier this month

http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070621005671&newsLang=en

The Magic SDV Number: Cablevision VP of technology Bob Clyne, also speaking on the SDV panel, described how the MSO selected its core group of channels to switch. Cablevision polled usage data from 4,000 set-top boxes for 24 hours per day, for four weeks, to discover which were the least-watched channels.

What Clyne and his team found: Over every 24-hour period, the same 92 channels on the network were viewed by no more than 52 people. “If there’s a magic number for us, it’s 52,” he said.

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6454471.html

Simple question...how does Cablevision magically have the capacity to offer this many channels???? In certain areas? Everywhere that "Io" HD is already available??

They haven't said if VOOM will be SDV or not but earlier announcements said they would be ready to use SDV for HD by then end of this year. Recently they announced that they were moving MLBEI to SDV and are making two analog channels digital only tomorrow. Don't know if that was enough to add these 15 HD channels without SDV. iO is available to all of CV's service area which is only in the New York Metro area. Currently 25% of their 3 million subs have HDTV's and 80% of their subs have upgraded to digital cable.

Quote:
The Magic SDV Number: Cablevision VP of technology Bob Clyne, also speaking on the SDV panel, described how the MSO selected its core group of channels to switch. Cablevision polled usage data from 4,000 set-top boxes for 24 hours per day, for four weeks, to discover which were the least-watched channels.

What Clyne and his team found: Over every 24-hour period, the same 92 channels on the network were viewed by no more than 52 people. “If there’s a magic number for us, it’s 52,” he said.


Can someone interpret what he means by the same 92 channels and 52 people? Is he saying that 92 channels out of X? were watched only by 52 out of 4000 STBs over a four week period? If so, I wonder what were the 92 channels?

I can see a new game for high school students or hacker groups within a community to play. Everyone agrees to watch an different assigned channel at the same time on their cable provider. Get 50? people in a community all each watching a different less watched channel on each STB at the same time to see if they can crash the system. :D

I assume they set the threshold of 52 people out of 4000 (1.3%) - then monitored which channels never had more than 52 viewers at any time (24/7) for four weeks. 92 channels fell into that category. I'd guess that threshold was actually established after they had the data and saw where the significant dropoff point was.

If Cablevision weren't pro-alacarte, something tells me they wouldn't release that little tidbit. ;)

It would be nice if FiOS would add these channels, they certainly have the bandwidth. At least we will be getting MOJO soon (yawn).

Nice, Voom is no longer exclusive to E* anymore. Hopefully, cable systems will pick those up too, it looks the providers are scrambling to match the challenge the D* has put forth. Interesting..............

I keep hearing this provider or that provider talk about *hundreds* of HD channels, just around the corner. What are they going to show??? It doesn't seem like there's that much HD content being produced. Also, I constantly hear people complain about HD lite and such, it's sound like many providers are squeezing/multicasting or whatever just to get by with their available bandwidth...so what's about to suddenly happen that's going to give them more multiple times the amount of bandwidth they currently have? None of this adds up. It would make more sense if they said they were going to increase HD content 20% per year,but not hundreds.

...Also, I constantly hear people complain about HD lite and such, it's sound like many providers are squeezing/multicasting or whatever just to get by with their available bandwidth...so what's about to suddenly happen that's going to give them more multiple times the amount of bandwidth they currently have? None of this adds up. It would make more sense if they said they were going to increase HD content 20% per year,but not hundreds.

Cablevision hasn't stated whether these 15 Voom channels will use the Switched Digital Video method when they are added to their lineup. If they do use SDV though, it won't affect the picture quality of those channels since its not a compression or multicasting method. It increases capacity on the network by using a more efficient system of streaming channels to the set-top box in the home. The possible downside to this is that certain channels can then only be tuned using a set-top box from the cable company, not by using a CableCard equipped tuner like those in an HDTV or a Tivo S3.

Since Cablevision has been granted a two year delay to the July 1 implementation of CableCard equipped set-top boxes, they probably won't be worried about adding SDV channels to their lineup.

CV's official release:

CABLEVISION EXTENDS LEADERSHIP POSITION IN DELIVERY OF HIGH-DEFINITION PROGRAMMING WITH ADDITION OF 15 VOOM HD NETWORKS

Significant Expansion To 40 High-Definition Programming Services Make Cablevision's iO® Digital Cable Product The Nation's Leading Source Of HD, Company Announces Capability To Carry More Than 500 HD Channels This Year

Bethpage, NY, June 21, 2007 - Cablevision Systems Corp. (NYSE: CVC) today announced that it will add 15 new high-definition channels from VOOM HD Networks, beginning June 26. The additions will bring Cablevision's iO digital cable customers a total of 40 HD programming services - the most HD available anywhere in the nation, from any provider. The company also announced that by the end of this year it will have the capability to carry more than 500 channels of HD programming on its advanced fiber optic network.

In addition to the best HD picture and sound, iO customers receive HD channels without the fees and charges Cablevision's competitors require customers to pay for HD, and without the compression satellite providers use to deliver HD programming. Cablevision was the first provider in the nation to launch HD video on demand, and is still the only source of HD VOD within its service area. VOOM's 15 high-definition channels will become available to iO customers beginning next week and will be fully deployed across the company's entire service area by June 28. The channels will be located with Cablevision's other high-definition programming starting on channel 700.

"Satellite and phone company TV providers continue to talk about their plans for HD, but Cablevision is actually doing something about it, by delivering more high-definition programming to our customers than anyone else, including the most local sports in HD, without the extra fees our competitors charge for HD. In fact, iO is the only choice for New York-area fans who want to see all of the HD games of all nine area professional sports teams," said John Trierweiler, Cablevision's senior vice president of product management.

"The VOOM channels represent the pinnacle of high-definition and we are pleased to extend our leadership position in this important category through the introduction of these exciting services," Trierweiler continued. "While we carry the most HD channels today, by the end of the year Cablevision will have the capacity to launch more than 500 HD channels on its advanced fiber optic network."

VOOM HD Networks (www.voom.com), offer television's largest and most diverse suite of high-definition channels. Fifteen commercial-free, wide-screen channels, all delivered in true 1080i HD and 5.1 Dolby® Digital surround sound, VOOM offers an extraordinary breadth of movies, sports, music and original programming.

The VOOM 15 includes:


HDNews - The only HD source for 24/7 news, sports and weather, HDNews offers news headlines, sports highlights, in-depth features and national weather reports supported by five news bureaus across the nation.

Equator HD - The first high-definition channel dedicated to exploring the world's most intriguing people and amazing places with intelligent programs about global adventure and green living.

Gallery HD - Stunning imagery and stories from the front line of the art world. Gallery HD is the first and only HD channel that defines the most talked-about artists of today and tomorrow.

Rush HD - Life on the edge with adrenaline junkies of adventure sports.

Rave HD - Live music as a whole new experience in crystal clear HD and 5.1 surround sound.

Ultra HD - The hottest fashion, the coolest styles and insight into the 'luxe' life from around the world. Ultra HD delivers coverage of the fashion industry's hottest events, shopping, cuisine and interior design.

Animania HD - Eye-popping HD animation from the groundbreaking to the classic.

Monsters HD - The masters of movie horror in terrifying HD clarity.

Gameplay HD - Enter the virtual worlds of video gaming for the first time in HD.

Treasure HD - A channel dedicated to pursuing stories about people and their passions. Original, innovative, entertaining, it's a high-definition look at what people treasure in life, from antiques to adventures.

Worldsport HD - Live sports coverage from premier arenas around the globe.

Family Room HD - Movies, series and specials suitable for the whole family.

Film Fest HD - A non-stop film festival for movie fans, remastered in HD.

Kung Fu HD - All martial arts action, all the time. From Bruce Lee to Jet Li, all in HD.

World Cinema HD - Award-winning and top-performing movies without borders, featuring award-wining movies and stars from around the globe.

Cablevision customers have demonstrated a growing appetite for the best in HD content. The company has deployed more than 1 million high-definition set-top boxes to customers, and had 734,000 HD customers as of March 31 - an 85 percent increase in HD customers over the previous year. The company's current HD line-up includes a diverse mix of local broadcast stations, premium movie channels, established cable networks and an unbeatable array of sports programming, featuring more local sports in HD than any other provider.

iO customers today enjoy access to the following services in high-definition: CBS HD, NBC HD, FOX HD, ABC HD, My9 HD, CW 11 HD, Thirteen HD (PBS), MSG HD, FSN NY HD, YES HD, SportsNet New York HD, ESPN HD, VERSUS HD, The Golf Channel HD, National Geographic Channel HD, Discovery HD Theatre, TNT HD, Universal HD, MOJO, Starz HD, HBO HD, Showtime HD, Cinemax HD, The Movie Channel HD, and high definition video on demand (VOD).

For iO customers with high-definition television sets, Cablevision offers HD-capable converter boxes at no additional cost over the standard box rental fee, unlike competitors who assess additional equipment and/or service charges in order to see HD programming. In addition, high-definition feeds of premium movie networks are available to all customers who subscribe to the standard-definition version of the networks. High-definition video on demand movie titles are available anytime for $4.95 each, which includes full control over the viewing experience with the ability to pause, fast-forward and rewind.

About Cablevision
Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE: CVC) is one of the nation's leading entertainment and telecommunications companies. Its cable television operations serve more than 3 million households in the New York metropolitan area. The company's advanced telecommunications offerings include its iO: Interactive Optimum® digital television, Optimum Online high-speed Internet, Optimum Voice digital voice-over-cable, and its Optimum Lightpath integrated business communications services. Cablevision's Rainbow Media Holdings LLC operates several successful programming businesses, including AMC, IFC, WE tv and other national and regional networks. In addition to its telecommunications and programming businesses, Cablevision owns Madison Square Garden and its sports teams, the New York Knicks, Rangers and Liberty. The company also operates New York's famed Radio City Music Hall, and owns and operates Clearview Cinemas.

http://www.cablevision.com/index.jhtml?id=2007_06_21

It took them long enough. Although I can't help but wonder what the pq for the other HD channels will be. It seems the bandwith on CV is always on the brink. Still waiting for HDNet and ESPN2 though. These channels weren't a huge priority for me but it's nice to see them add these channels finally. Afterall, they do own and operate them.

"The VOOM channels represent the pinnacle of high-definition "

forgive me but 1280x1080 is not the de-facto "pinnacle". unless they have plans for 1920x1080 broadcast it's D* on cable.

"The VOOM channels represent the pinnacle of high-definition "

forgive me but 1280x1080 is not the de-facto "pinnacle". unless they have plans for 1920x1080 broadcast it's D* on cable.

1280x1080 may be a E*-specific resolution (CV will be VOOM's first cable-company carrier, so we will see). However, the fact that they are specifically stating that they will use SDV to free up spectrum for VOOM (and that VOOM will be part of their existing free-but-tiered HD service) could mean that it will be semi-switched (available, but only to customers with HD STBs or CableCARDs). What is more telling is that it is *Cablevision* that is carrying VOOM, not any other non-satellite carrier (and particularly not VZ FIOS TV, which is in a heated battle for subscribers with, among others, Cablevision). Even more surprising is that CV will *not* be charging subscribers any extra money for VOOM (instead, VOOM's channels are being added to the existing free basic HD tier); why would Rainbow Media Holdings (which sells distribution rights to VOOM) basically cut their own throats with such a low-ball (even if it is region-specific) deal, as opposed to a larger national deal (with VZ, Comcast, or TWC, all of which have expressed interest in carrying VOOM's programming). If I were VZ, I would be screaming "Blue Bloody Murder!" as loudly as I can, and right now, at both the FCC and Congress; this deal smacks of the same sort of tactics that landed Comcast in hot water (with regards to CSN Philadelphia) but on a much larger scale (while CV and RMN are under separate ownership groups, the timing of this deal and its structure indicates otherwise).

Wow, Charlie will be eating crow if these channels show up full rez (1920x1080) on other providers. From what I recall, when cornered he has always insisted that the V* channels are delivered to E* in HD-Lite.

Hammer

This is a nice and all, but WHERE IS MY ESPN2HD?? That is all I really want them to add.

Nice, Voom is no longer exclusive to E* anymore. Hopefully, cable systems will pick those up too, it looks the providers are scrambling to match the challenge the D* has put forth. Interesting..............
Funny how D* issues challenges without the infrastructure in the sky nor one single additional national HD channel nor one single true existing HD channel. Nothing but watered down crap and the least amount of HD channels I can find. All the while proclaiming thier PQ the best and their HD selections more than anyone elses. :rolleyes:

This is a nice and all, but WHERE IS MY ESPN2HD?? That is all I really want them to add.
15 new HD channels at once is great but ESPN2HD & BBC America included too would be even better....... Wake up CV!!

Funny how D* issues challenges without the infrastructure in the sky nor one single additional national HD channel nor one single true existing HD channel. Nothing but watered down crap and the least amount of HD channels I can find. All the while proclaiming thier PQ the best and their HD selections more than anyone elses. :rolleyes:

The challenge was for # of HD channels, not for best resolution. if that's the case, D* loses hands down.

A Senior CV official on another forum has said that the VOOM channels will not use Switched Video at this time. So I guess they freed up enough space by moving the subscription sports packages to SDV and converting two analog channels to digital only.

Funny how D* issues challenges without the infrastructure in the sky nor one single additional national HD channel nor one single true existing HD channel. Nothing but watered down crap and the least amount of HD channels I can find. All the while proclaiming thier PQ the best and their HD selections more than anyone elses. :rolleyes:

AGREED!! I added CV HD a couple of months ago so I could FINALLY see local sports in HD (Rangers hockey on MSG)-- plus as a bonus I get channels 9, 11 and 13 (PBS) in HD, etc., etc. Plus, I forgot how good Music Choice was!! The picture is better on CV vs. HD-LITE on D*TV too (side by side comparisons on Mits 65' Diamond)!!! I still have D*TV and am still WAITING, WAITING and WAITING for a delivery of over 2 years of "promises"..... :eek:

Ok. Here are two things that might explain things, if not, make them more confusing. I work for VOOMHD, have for almost 2 years, in the promotional department as a freelancer and we here at VOOMHD take all technical HD issues very seriously.

1] Everything we do here, I mean everything, ends on Sony HDCAM at 1920x1080. If the material started as HDV, SD or other non (1920x1080) HDCAM 1080i format, then it either gets resized using a Teranex upscaler, or we will use the material in its best resolution and then matte it (i.e., letterbox it on the sides) so that the maximum possible resolution is preserved. The editing and compositing suites all run at 1920x1080 and all pre-built materials are also created at 1920x1080. So if you are getting less than 1920x1080, it is not coming from VOOM that way, it is being manipulated at the satellite end or at another place, but it is not coming out of VOOM's facility at any other resolution than 1920x1080.

2] My understanding about how CV can deliver all the HD channels through existing lines of coax wires when it could not do it before has to do with "node technology". Essentially, nodes are created at key areas of CV distribution, so instead of delivering all of the channels via coaxial cable all of the time to each cable box, your cable box really "calls for" access to whatever channel you want to be tuned to from one of the nodes. You should see no difference in changing channels, but the distribution of the channels to you by CV is very different.

No, I do not work for the Marketing department at VOOM HD, and I am not even subscribed to the service because I could not get Echostar where I live, but now I will by subscribing to CV so I can at least be able to see the work I do at my home.

Hope this helps...

I noticed in the promo for Monsters HD on their website, as part of a montage, a brief clip of the Creature from the Black Lagoon from the Monster Squad. I certainly hope that's on sometime soon. One of the few things I'd keep on my DVR permanently.

premierm, do you have any info if Voom will ever show up on D*?

VOOM HD in DirecTV is something that has been discussed many times in these hallways. Us, the freelancers (since I cannot speak officially for VOOMHD), have always seen VOOMHD as another HBO, STARZ, etc. So we would be delighted to be on DirecTV, however, now with the CV deal, who knows. I used to be a DirecTV customer from the moment they went on the air. I was also one of the first DirecTV HD users. I finally gave up DirecTV for Verizon FIOS and have not looked back. Once, when DirecTV called me in the middle of my dinner with my family (for the 50th time, even after the do not call registry) I made it clear, get VOOM HD and I will switch back. No calls since then. So, No, I do not believe VOOMHD will be on DirecTV. Not because VOOMHD doesn't want to, but probably because DirecTV does not want to. That is, my view.

So, it should be on as of today. Any early reactions?

VOOM HD in DirecTV is something that has been discussed many times in these hallways.

hey Premierm, have u heard about VoomHD & TWC?

thanks

Hi, AndyHDTV. The short answer is no. I have not heard anything about TWC or any other cable system. Only about DirecTV, and now, about CV. And yes, the service should be up and running by today.

P.

Anyone have the VOOM channels yet? I don't. I'm on Long Island

Nevermind, just found out that the Island doesn't get them until Thursday.

Does anyone know when Brooklyn will get the VOOM channels? As of right now, all of the HD channels are "frozen"...there's sound, but the image freezes at whatever frame it's at when you turn to the channel.

Does anyone know when Brooklyn will get the VOOM channels? As of right now, all of the HD channels are "frozen"...there's sound, but the image freezes at whatever frame it's at when you turn to the channel.Try rebooting the receiver.

Thanks, that fixed it

I'm in Rockland Co., NY, and the VOOM HD channels are up and running over here.

Who is watching 24 hours of kung fu? Anyway, there's some pretty cool stuff on here, and I'm always happy when CV adds new HD programming.

So at this rate, we should have those 500 HD channels by . . . 2017? ;)

I got my VOOM channels last night (Bergen County NJ). Was watching that flight over Provence show on EquatorHD. Very nice, although I had the occassional CV pixelization (using SA4200HD box). I also saw some of the crazy StarCraft tournament on the Game channel.
Always nice to have more options, even if most of them weren't showing anything I wanted to watch at the time!

yup just got mine today, awesome to see so many more HD channels! I counted about 10+ or so. Is there a list anywhere of what we have now?

Brooklyn, NY...channels still not up. Did the new channels just show up for you guys? Or did you have to reboot?

Brooklyn, NY...channels still not up. Did the new channels just show up for you guys? Or did you have to reboot?

I'm in CT, and they seemed to just show up possibly from an update last night, I just turned my box on today in the afternoon and was like wth, where'd these come from?!

doh nevermind, didn't realize the channel list was already on page 1, my bad

Brooklyn, NY...channels still not up.

Brooklyn, and LI get them tomorrow.

Brooklyn, and LI get them tomorrow.

Thanks

Well, got the channels, and they look great, but there is no info in the program guide. Anyone else have this problem? I've tried rebooting.

Last time I checked the info was there on my system.

No Voom guide info out of the Warwick, NY/Northwest Jersey system...

All Cablevision needs to do now is add MTVHD, HDNet and HDNet movies and it is a complete home run!

I have heard that MHD (MTVHD) is not that good...mostly replayed music/concerts.

I have heard that MHD (MTVHD) is not that good...mostly replayed music/concerts.

Thats fairly accurate, but there are some good HD shows in there

I'm still having the lacking of program info in the channel guide as well.. Hopefully they add it soon so I can set to record a movie or two.

I'm a cablevision user, and I'm really happy with the new additions.

The HD gaming channel which is awesome, much better than crap G4. And all it's commercials are HD gaming trailers :D

I also love the UltraHD channel. I was watching D&G fashion show in Milan last night, and the picture quality is fantastic for cable.

These VOOM channels are great since these lifestyle, travel/culture programmings shine on HD. Excellent job Cablevision and VOOM :)

For once it is nice to live in NY. 40 HD channels!

When will they add the programming info?

The HD gaming channel does make me want to run out and buy a laptop and an XBox 360, 2 purchases I have been putting off for a while now. But those games in beautiful HD...!

For once it is nice to live in NY. 40 HD channels!

When will they add the programming info?

I'm getting all the guide info for the VoOM channels?

Is anyone able to record the new channels in HD using a Tivo Series 3? Eariler in the thread I read about some concerns that it would not work. Would be very interested.

I was all ready to switch to Verizon (they have just hit my area) and now this. I have to say that I am very serisouly considering staying now. I have DirecTV as well (for the last 6-7 years) and think it is finally time to dump it. The whole phasing out of my HD Tivo has soured me on them.

-Greg

Guide info is there now for me!

The HD gaming channel does make me want to run out and buy a laptop and an XBox 360, 2 purchases I have been putting off for a while now. But those games in beautiful HD...!

Been watching the gaming channel for a few days and i feel the same way, ready to buy either the xbox360 or PS3. :)

I stopped playing games when I got a DVD player and started buying movies. They are a lot less stressful for me. But I would like to see the pretty HD graphics on the game channel.

Cablevision: HD Subs Up 78 Percent

The cable operator issues its second quarter report.

By Swanni

Washington, D.C. (August 8, 2007) -- Cablevision today said it had 809,000 High-Definition TV subscribers at the end of the second quarter.

That's an increase of 78 percent over the last year, the cable operator said.

Cablevision now offers 40 high-def channels, including the 15-channel suite from Voom Networks, which is owned by Cablevision's Rainbow Media.

"We continue to make our HD offering more attractive and most recently have added the 15 VOOM HD networks all at no additional charge to our customers," Tom Rutledge, Cablevision's COO, said today during an investors call with analysts.

Cablevision also reported that Rainbow Media's net revenue increased 16 percent in the second quarter, largely due to increased programming fees for Voom which is now carried by several international TV providers as well as Cablevision and EchoStar in the U.S.

The cable operator, which provides service in the tri-state New York area, also reported higher-than-expected profits for the second quarter.

But Cablevision reduced its annual cable subscriber and revenue forecast, noting the "expectation that the company will remain in a competitive environment."

Verizon's new FiOS TV service has targeted Cablevision's viewing area with an aggressive marketing campaign and the latter revealed today that it has increased its marketing budget to counter the effort.

"We have upped our marketing spending so that our position in the marketplace is not drowned out by that kind of marketing," Rutledge said.

http://www.tvpredictions.com/cablevision080807.htm

They better add TBS-HD before October 1.

Looks like both the Yankees and Mets will be making the playoffs.

They better add TBS-HD before October 1.

Looks like both the Yankees and Mets will be making the playoffs.

I'm rooting for the Yankees to make it as the WILDCARD! :)

Hate to say it , but, if they don't pick up a couple of decent, experienced arms soon before the season gets too old, they aren't going to go that far even if they DO make the playoffs.

Pitching is what matters most once you get to that level.

FOlks,

The NBA Playoffs 2008 on TNT and the NHL Playoffs on Versus in HD both look very poor for HD feeds on Cablevision in NJ(North Bergen)

I would first chalk it up to something wrong with my setup BUT, switching over a few channels to both the Yankees and Mets games in HD looked absolutely vivid, razor sharp and very 3D! So it's not anything wrong with my setup



What's going on with TNT and Versus, the actual broadcast feeds last night were so bad, that i could actually see the MPEG artifacting on fast transitions and even when there wasnt much quick action....I almost though for a moment that this was an SD feed simply being stretched on my Panasonic 1080P Plamsa display! I had to check just to make sure....is this some kind of glimpse into things to come with Cablevision and overcompression????


WHat's the deal folks?...Usually the HD looks really vivid and amazing on these channels but the last few days of watching the Action on the ICE and COURT looked very bland for a HD feed


AM I the only one who noticed this?

This post belongs in our local Cablevision thread.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=446219

If you read through that you will see we have talked about this.

I have TimeWarner and i was switching back and forth between Mojo's NBATV feed, and TNT's NBA coverage. TNT looked like 480i widescreen while NBATV was crystal clear. No idea what's going on there, but TNT looks atrocious.

Agreed that NBATV HD games look significantly better than TNT's so far. Watching via D*.

I'm in Westchester and have FIOS. It looked terrible. Macroblocking everywhere. I couldn't watch it.

Agreed. TNT has been absolutely, inexcusably bad. Watching on D*. When on NBATV HD or OTA or even ESPN2 HD (which is 720p MPEG2 for D*), it's infinitely better. I'd guess this is TNT's problem since reports seem to be across providers (Fios, D*, and Cable); they should be ashamed.

--Mav

Topic title changed.

Cablevision offers 60 HD channels (ch #'s may vary):

700 Hi-Def On Demand
701 MOJO HD
702 CBS HD
704 NBC HD
705 FOX HD
707 ABC HD
709 My9 HD
710 HDNews
711 CW HD
713 Thirteen HD
714 Gallery HD
715 YES HD
716 MSG HD
717 MSG Plus HD
718 SportsNet New York HD
719 VERSUS HD/The Golf Channel HD
720 WorldSport HD
722 Family Room HD
723 Animania HD
724 Treasure HD
725 CNN HD
726 National Geographic Channel HD
727 HD Theater
728 Equator HD
729 Ultra HD
730 HGTV HD
733 Nickelodeon HD
734 Rush HD
735 ESPN2 HD
736 ESPN HD
737 TNT in HD
739 TBS in HD
740 Starz HD
741 Spike HD
742 WE HD
743 AMC HD
744 Universal HD
750 HBO HD
757 Animal Planet HD
759 Science Channel HD
760 Showtime HD
761 FOX News HD
762 The Weather Channel HD
763 Travel Channel HD
764 TLC HD
765 Discovery Channel HD
766 Food Network HD
767 FX HD
769 Speed Channel HD
770 Cinemax HD
776 Kung Fu HD
777 Monster HD
778 Film Fest HD
779 VOOM HD Movies
780 The Movie Channel HD
782 Hallmark Movie Channel HD
783 IFC HD
785 Rave HD
786 GamePlay HD
789 PPV HD

HD Channels Not Available on Cablevision

HDNet
HDNet Movies
Palladia-HD
A&E-HD
History Channel-HD
Biography-HD
Crime & Investigation-HD
Lifetime Television-HD
Lifetime Movie Network-HD
NFL Network-HD
Big Ten Network-HD
NBA TV-HD
Fox Business Network-HD
ESPN News-HD
ESPNU-HD
Disney Channel-HD
ABC Family-HD
Toon Disney-HD
The Outdoor Channel-HD
Planet Green-HD
Game-HD (MLB Extra Innings & NHL Center Ice in HD)
Team-HD (NBA League Pass in HD)
Wealth TV-HD
Cartoon Network-HD
Smithsonian-HD
CBSCS-HD
WGN-HD
The Tennis Channel-HD
QVC-HD
HSN-HD
World Fishing Network-HD
MAV TV-HD
Fuel-HD
TBN-HD
RFD-HD
MGM-HD
5StarMAX-HD
ThrillerMAX-HD
WMAX-HD
ShowExtreme-HD
TMCxtra-HD
Starz Comedy-HD
BBC America-HD --- (Channel Launching in Fall of 2008)
TV One-HD
E! Entertainment-HD
Style-HD
G4-HD
MSNBC-HD --- (Channel Launching in Q2 of 2009)
ION TV-HD --- (Channel Launching in 2009)
SI TV-HD --- (Channel Launching in 2008)
Chiller-HD --- (Channel Launching in 2008)
Sleuth-HD --- (Channel Launching in 2008)
OWN-HD (Discovery Health) --- (Channel Launching in 2009)
BTNC-HD --- (Channel Launching in 2009)
ShowBeyond-HD --- (Channel Launching in Q1 2009)
ShowWomen-HD --- (Channel Launching in Q1 2009)
ShowFamilyZone-HD --- (Channel Launching in Q1 2009)
ShowNext-HD --- (Channel Launching in Q1 2009)
FLIX-HD --- (Channel Launching in Q1 2009)
Al Jazeera-HD --- (Channel Launch TBA)
Soundtrack Channel-HD --- (Channel Launch TBA)
BET-HD --- (Channel Launch Rumored)
MTV2-HD --- (Channel Launch Rumored)
TruTV-HD --- (Channel Launch Rumored)
Oxygen-HD --- (Channel Launch Rumored)
Headline News-HD --- (Channel Launch Rumored)

HD Channels Not Available on Cablevision

You do not even have Cablevision, you are a TWC sub. Stop trolling!

You do not even have Cablevision, you are a TWC sub. Stop trolling!

I have both, so watch yourself, just because you got 500 more posts then me doesn't give you the right to talk smack for absolutely no reason. I would like to think I'm providing useful information to my NY/NY neighbors.

Cablevision will be adding 5 additional HD channels to their lineup. This brings the total to 65 HD channels.

The new additions are as follows

VH1-HD
MTV-HD
Fuse-HD
CMT-HD
NHL-HD

Our sources tell us that Cablevision will use their traditional 3 day rollout, starting on Tuesday, October 14th.

http://www.cablerant.com/index.php?topic=943.0

CableRant.com sources have told us exclusively that between December 2nd and 5th, Cablevision will launch four new HD Channels.

USA HD will be on Channel 738
CNBC HD will be on Channel 771
Bravo HD will be on Channel 745
Sci-Fi HD will be on Channel 748

http://www.cablerant.com/index.php?topic=1028.0

CableRant has learned that on December 5th Cablevision will carry the full time feeds of Golf HD and Versus HD.

Our sources tell us that Versus HD will be on channel 719 and Golf HD will be on channel 787.

http://www.cablerant.com/index.php?topic=1026.0

Cablevision has reached its bandwidth limit. They can keep rolling out more HD channels but the pictures are only getting worse. I can't wait for FIOS to come around.

Cablevision To Launch Four HD Channels From NBCU

MSO’s Lineup to Include CNBC HD, USA HD, Sci Fi Channel HD and Bravo HD

By Todd Spangler -- Multichannel News, 12/1/2008 3:24:00 PM

Cablevision Systems this week will launch six new channels from NBC Universal, including four in HD: CNBC HD, USA HD, Sci Fi Channel HD and Bravo HD.

CNBC HD will launch on channel 771, USA HD on channel 738, Sci-Fi HD on channel 748 and Bravo HD on channel 745, the cable operator said in a filing with the Connecticut Department of Public Utility Control.

In addition, Cablevision will launch two new standard-definition channels from NBCU—Chiller, specializing in horror and suspense programming, and Sleuth, dedicated to crime and mystery fare—available to customers subscribing to iO Silver or Gold packages.

Cablevision also said it will be making Comcast’s Golf Channel HD and Versus HD available as full-time channels. Golf HD is expanding to full-time and will move from channel 719 to channel 787; Versus HD will occupy the 719 slot. The channels will be available to video customers with HD equipment subscribing to iO Sports Pak or above.

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6618794.html

Much to my surprise the new channels were live this morning. We usually have to wait til last day of roll out.

VersusHD - was black screen
USAHD - Monk in HD
SciFiHD - paid programming
BravoHD - paid programming
CNBCHD - no interest did not check
GolfHD - SD programming

Cablevision Adds Popular HD Channels from NBC Universal to iO TV(r) High-Definition Lineup
iO TV Now Offering Customers 68 HD Channels Of Free HD Including Bravo HD, CNBC HD+, Sci-Fi HD and USA HD

BETHPAGE, N.Y., December 2, 2008 -- Cablevision Systems Corp. (NYSE: CVC) today announced the addition of four popular high-definition channels from NBC Universal to the iO TV digital cable lineup, which now offers customers access to 68 channels of free HD. The new channels - Bravo HD, CNBC HD+, SCI FI HD and USA HD - feature a compelling mix of business news, groundbreaking original series, reality programming and sports, and will become available to customers across Cablevision's service area over a four-day period that begins today.

With 68 channels, Cablevision's high-definition programming line-up has more than tripled since the beginning of 2007, supporting the increasing demand for programming in this superior format among an HD customer base that has grown by 50 percent over the last year, to more than 1.3 million iO TV customers with at least one high-definition television and HD-enabled set-top box in the home today.

"Bravo, CNBC, SCI FI and USA are among the most popular channels on television and Cablevision is pleased to be able to now offer these compelling programming services to our expanding base of high definition customers at no additional charge," said John Trierweiler, Cablevision's senior vice president of product management. "Truly free HD, without the extra equipment costs or programming package fees required by our competitors, is one of the key benefits of iO TV, and just another reason why customers continue to choose our superior television service."

Bravo HD (iO TV channel 745) offers Bravo's critically acclaimed arts and entertainment programming devoted to the food, fashion, design, beauty and pop culture genres including critically acclaimed series "Top Chef 5," "Top Design 2," Shear Genius 2," "Tim Gunn's Guide to Style 2" and "The Real Housewives of New York City 2."
CNBC HD+ (channel 771) has become the essential service for the investor, providing all the elements of CNBC with greater levels of information equipping the viewer with more tools necessary to make investment decisions.
SCI FI HD (channel 748) continues to fuel the imagination of viewers with original series and events, blockbuster movies, and classic science fiction and fantasy programming including "Sanctuary," "Stargate Atlantis," "Battlestar Galactica," "Ghost Hunters" and "Eureka."
USA HD (channel 738) is the #1-rated television network in all of basic cable for the past three years. USA offers hit original series and feature movies, sports and entertainment events, off-net television shows and blockbuster theatrical films. Hit original series include: Emmy-winning "Monk;" Friday night comedy "Psych; #1-rated cable show of summer, "Burn Notice;" the #1-rated new show of the summer "In Plain Sight;" and the Emmy-winning series "The Starter Wife."
With more than 2.8 million iO TV customers, 90 percent of Cablevision's cable customers are iO TV digital cable customers, the highest digital penetration in the nation. iO TV offers customers access to up to 390 channels, including 53 premium movie channels, 48 channels of commercial-free digital music, more than 4,000 titles available on demand at all times, an interactive programming guide, 68 high-definition programming services and uniquely valuable and relevant interactive television applications including News 12 Interactive. A high-definition cable box and HD-ready television set are required to view high-definition programming.

About Cablevision
Cablevision Systems Corporation (NYSE: CVC) is one of the nation's leading media and entertainment companies. Its cable television operations serve more than 3 million households in the New York metropolitan area. The company's advanced telecommunications offerings include its iO TV® digital television, Optimum Online® high-speed Internet, Optimum Voice® digital voice-over-cable, and its Optimum Lightpath integrated business communications services. Cablevision operates several successful programming businesses, including AMC, IFC, Sundance Channel and WE tv, through Rainbow Media Holdings LLC, and serves the New York area as publisher of Newsday and other niche publications through Newsday Media Group. In addition to these businesses, Cablevision owns Madison Square Garden and its sports teams, the New York Knicks, Rangers and Liberty. The company also operates New York's famed Radio City Music Hall, the Beacon Theatre, and the Chicago Theatre, and owns and operates Clearview Cinemas.

http://www.cablevision.com/about/news/article.jsp?d=120208

i count 67?
what am i missing?
are they counting HDPPV or HD OnDemand? (not free)

702 CBS HD
704 NBC HD
705 FOX HD
707 ABC HD
709 My9 HD
710 HDNews
711 CW HD
713 Thirteen HD
714 Gallery HD
715 YES HD

716 MSG HD
717 MSG Plus HD
718 SportsNet New York HD
719 VERSUS HD
720 WorldSport HD
722 Family Room HD
723 Animania HD
724 Treasure HD
725 CNN HD
726 National Geographic Channel HD

727 HD Theater
728 Equator HD
729 Ultra HD
730 HGTV HD
733 Nickelodeon HD
734 Rush HD
735 ESPN2 HD
736 ESPN HD
737 TNT in HD
738 USA HD

739 TBS in HD
740 Starz HD
741 Spike HD
742 WE HD
743 AMC HD
744 Universal HD
745 Bravo HD
748 SciFi HD
750 HBO HD
752 VH1 HD

753 MTV HD
755 CMT HD
756 fuse HD
757 Animal Planet HD
759 Science Channel HD
760 Showtime HD
761 FOX News HD
762 The Weather Channel HD
763 Travel Channel HD
764 TLC HD

765 Discovery Channel HD
766 Food Network HD
767 FX HD
769 Speed Channel HD
770 Cinemax HD
771 CNBC HD
776 Kung Fu HD
777 Monsters HD
778 Film Fest HD
779 VOOM HD Movies

780 TMC HD
782 Hallmark Movie Channel HD
783 IFC HD
785 Rave HD
786 GamePlay HD
787 Golf HD
791 NHL Network HD

i count 67?
what am i missing?
are they counting HDPPV or HD OnDemand? (not free)


You're not missing anything. On their website they haven't added the 4 new ones yet and there they list 63 (counting Golf and Versus separately). Perhaps the PR department is counting WLIW-DT on 721.

i count 67?
what am i missing?
are they counting HDPPV or HD OnDemand? (not free)

702 CBS HD
704 NBC HD
705 FOX HD
707 ABC HD
709 My9 HD
710 HDNews
711 CW HD
713 Thirteen HD
714 Gallery HD
715 YES HD

716 MSG HD
717 MSG Plus HD
718 SportsNet New York HD
719 VERSUS HD
720 WorldSport HD
722 Family Room HD
723 Animania HD
724 Treasure HD
725 CNN HD
726 National Geographic Channel HD

727 HD Theater
728 Equator HD
729 Ultra HD
730 HGTV HD
733 Nickelodeon HD
734 Rush HD
735 ESPN2 HD
736 ESPN HD
737 TNT in HD
738 USA HD

739 TBS in HD
740 Starz HD
741 Spike HD
742 WE HD
743 AMC HD
744 Universal HD
745 Bravo HD
748 SciFi HD
750 HBO HD
752 VH1 HD

753 MTV HD
755 CMT HD
756 fuse HD
757 Animal Planet HD
759 Science Channel HD
760 Showtime HD
761 FOX News HD
762 The Weather Channel HD
763 Travel Channel HD
764 TLC HD

765 Discovery Channel HD
766 Food Network HD
767 FX HD
769 Speed Channel HD
770 Cinemax HD
771 CNBC HD
776 Kung Fu HD
777 Monsters HD
778 Film Fest HD
779 VOOM HD Movies

780 TMC HD
782 Hallmark Movie Channel HD
783 IFC HD
785 Rave HD
786 GamePlay HD
787 Golf HD
791 NHL Network HD

I think they were still counting Mojo, but 721 (WLIW) could easily be what they are counting.

You're not missing anything. On their website they haven't added the 4 new ones yet and there they list 63 (counting Golf and Versus separately). Perhaps the PR department is counting WLIW-DT on 721.

Which is erroneous, WLIW-DT is not HD

thanks

I think they forgot to remove Mojo from the count.

With more than 2.8 million iO TV customers, 90 percent of Cablevision's cable customers are iO TV digital cable customers, the highest digital penetration in the nation.

The 10% that still has analog represents 380,000 customers.
That's pretty easy to convert and drop analog channels for more bandwidth.

Adding two more HD channels:

MLB Network in HD and SD --- December 16-18

Comedy HD --- January 13-15 (still not clear if its Comedy Central or Comedy TV)


http://www.satelliteguys.us/cablevision-cable-forum/157895-new-channels-services.html

free MLB or is there a service charge?

free MLB or is there a service charge?

Think free if you have iO or the Sports pack.

Adding two more HD channels:

MLB Network in HD and SD --- December 16-18

http://www.satelliteguys.us/cablevision-cable-forum/157895-new-channels-services.html

now live

MLB Network is a "Family Cable" bundled service as required by the "MLB EI" contract.

MLB Network is a "Family Cable" bundled service as required by the "MLB EI" contract.

Well Cablevision didn't get that memo then. I have Family Cable and it isn't authorized on my box. I got rid of iO and lost Versus-HD, Golf-HD, Nat Geo HD, Sci Channel HD, CMT-HD, and Hallmark Movie Ch. HD due to them being on the iO tier. MLB is in that tier as well. Would be nice if it wasn't, but that is not the case.

All 15 Voom channels are going to be discontinued by Rainbow, probably in late January.

Details: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1097720

Will be interesting to see what 15 HD channels replace Voom. Can't say this wasn't expected, but thought they would consolidate channels first. WOnder if the SDV debacle aided in their decision?

Will be interesting to see what 15 HD channels replace Voom. Can't say this wasn't expected, but thought they would consolidate channels first. WOnder if the SDV debacle aided in their decision?

The replacement channels will be SDV as well.

They already pulled the plug on HD News. According to my guide channel the rest of the VOOM channels will go away on 1/20/09.

The replacement channels will be SDV as well.

link?

how does cablevision hd compare to directtv hd??? I'm switching from directtv to cablevision because having the 3 services bundled is 100 dollars cheaper than what i'm paying for directtv

i'm worried that the hd material might not be as good and i'm sad not to have a&e and bio hd and cartoon network and disney hd

how does cablevision hd compare to directtv hd??? I'm switching from directtv to cablevision because having the 3 services bundled is 100 dollars cheaper than what i'm paying for directtv

i'm worried that the hd material might not be as good and i'm sad not to have a&e and bio hd and cartoon network and disney hd

PQ seems to have gone down over the years as they add HD channles. Hope is after February moving more ch's from analog to digital would help free up much needed bandwidth. OOL is 15/2 with no added cost. I have not heard to many complaints with their VOIP service either. I don't think Directv is 100.00 a month better than any service?

link?

Use some common sense. They dont have 9 available QAMs to put pet.tv on. This has been well documented in the threads over and over. If they did, the Voom channels would not have been put on SDV.

wow i just switched to cablevision from directtv...and hands down directtv is so much better in terms of hd quality ...its no contest

watching transformers on hbo hd there is blurry pixelation and choppiness whenever something moves

And the motion blur of my lcd doesn't work anymore like it did on direcctv...

darn...100 bucks a month is 100 bucks though...i'll just keep my movie watching on blu ray for now

wow i just switched to cablevision from directtv...and hands down directtv is so much better in terms of hd quality ...its no contest

watching transformers on hbo hd there is blurry pixelation and choppiness whenever something moves

And the motion blur of my lcd doesn't work anymore like it did on direcctv...

darn...100 bucks a month is 100 bucks though...i'll just keep my movie watching on blu ray for now
And of course you know that 100 bucks is only for 1 year...& then after that you will be paying whatever the rate are then...there are a few people @ work who think that will be the permentent price until I tell them to "read the fine print" & then they go ...WTF!!

And of course you know that 100 bucks is only for 1 year...& then after that you will be paying whatever the rate are then...there are a few people @ work who think that will be the permentent price until I tell them to "read the fine print" & then they go ...WTF!!

yeh by then i'll just switch back to directtv or maybe fios will be in my area...they have me at 2 years though...

i really switched for the 250 dollar gift card and the 100 dollars helps my budget but the sharpness is lacking on their hd ...i might switch back to directtv in 2 months but i'll wait till february see if they add more hd channels and their quality improves

its not bad its just a lot less sharp and their colors seem off and darker (yes i'm using the same input with the same tv settings)

thank goodness these guys have no contract

Use some common sense. They dont have 9 available QAMs to put pet.tv on. This has been well documented in the threads over and over. If they did, the Voom channels would not have been put on SDV.

Common sense doesn't always dictate. Your opinion was stated as fact and without proof that is irresponsible.

maybe I missed a previous post... but how did you get those gift cards?

my back story:

I have D* with the big 5LNB dish and two HD DVRs... I pay about $90 a month for the extra pack and HD. The hardware sucks - very slow to respond and searching for shows is a chore. I "want" to switch back CV and buy two HD TiVo boxes which would be about $15 a month cheaper - BUT TiVo is worth it I think (since I would have to pay D* a LARGE ETF :-( )

So a gift card might make it it worth even more. My other hang up is picture quility of SD/HD content with CV. And lack of HD channels being added (and I hope not on SDV) if it matters I'm on the Litchfield County Market with CV)

let me know your thoughts

Anybody know what will replace all those Voom channels on Cablevision in nyc when they are droped

Anybody know what will replace all those Voom channels on Cablevision in nyc when they are droped

I don't think it's known yet. Check the last few pages of this topic.

Comedy Central HD is being rolled out today, tomorrow and thurs.
(1/13/09 - 1/15/09)

Anyone with Cablevison getting it yet on 768?

Comedy Central HD is being rolled out today, tomorrow and thurs.
(1/13/09 - 1/15/09)

Anyone with Cablevison getting it yet on 768?

Not yet for me.

The news about the loss of VOOM lineup really saddens me. I have movies on my DVR from like March, before they expanded their lineup. And now it's gonna be gone. =(

Voom replacements reported by SatGuys to be rolled out next week (1/21 - 1/23):

http://www.satelliteguys.us/cablevision-cable-forum/161338-voom-replacement-channels.html

Encore HD - Channel 772 (350)
Starz Kids & Family HD - Channel 773 (342)
Starz Edge HD - Channel 774 (343)
HBO Signature HD - Channel 775 (301)
HBO Family HD - Channel 776 (302)
HBO Comedy HD - Channel 777 (303)
HBO Zone HD - Channel 778 (304)
HBO2 HD - Channel 779 (96)
HBO Latino HD - Channel 793 (305)
Action Max HD - Channel 794 (371)
More Max HD - Channel 795 (372)
@MAX HD - Channel 796 (375)
Outer MAX HD - Channel 797 (377)
Showtime Too HD - Channel 798 (90)

Voom replacements reported by SatGuys to be rolled out next week (1/21 - 1/23):

http://www.satelliteguys.us/cablevision-cable-forum/161338-voom-replacement-channels.html

Encore HD - Channel 772 (350)
Starz Kids & Family HD - Channel 773 (342)
Starz Edge HD - Channel 774 (343)
HBO Signature HD - Channel 775 (301)
HBO Family HD - Channel 776 (302)
HBO Comedy HD - Channel 777 (303)
HBO Zone HD - Channel 778 (304)
HBO2 HD - Channel 779 (96)
HBO Latino HD - Channel 793 (305)
Action Max HD - Channel 794 (371)
More Max HD - Channel 795 (372)
@MAX HD - Channel 796 (375)
Outer MAX HD - Channel 797 (377)
Showtime Too HD - Channel 798 (90)

Well I guess if you subscribe to IO Gold you'll be happy. No benefit to non-premium customers.

Well I guess if you subscribe to IO Gold you'll be happy. No benefit to non-premium customers.
Was just thinking the same thing.
Us lowly $130/month Cablevision customers won't be watching any of those new HD channels :(
Guess I don't need the SDV Adapter (when Cablevision finally releases it) for my TiVo-HD now.

Comedy Central HD is being rolled out today, tomorrow and thurs.
(1/13/09 - 1/15/09)

Anyone with Cablevison getting it yet on 768?

I got it

Voom replacements reported by SatGuys to be rolled out next week (1/21 - 1/23):

http://www.satelliteguys.us/cablevision-cable-forum/161338-voom-replacement-channels.html

Encore HD - Channel 772 (350)
Starz Kids & Family HD - Channel 773 (342)
Starz Edge HD - Channel 774 (343)
HBO Signature HD - Channel 775 (301)
HBO Family HD - Channel 776 (302)
HBO Comedy HD - Channel 777 (303)
HBO Zone HD - Channel 778 (304)
HBO2 HD - Channel 779 (96)
HBO Latino HD - Channel 793 (305)
Action Max HD - Channel 794 (371)
More Max HD - Channel 795 (372)
@MAX HD - Channel 796 (375)
Outer MAX HD - Channel 797 (377)
Showtime Too HD - Channel 798 (90)

Too bad i cancelled all my movie channels. The movies Optimum plays suck. Also, when are we getting EspnewsHD and NBATVHD

Well I guess if you subscribe to IO Gold you'll be happy. No benefit to non-premium customers.


Replacing a bunch of free HD channels with a bunch of pay HD channels is not a nice deal :mad:

Unfortunately, there is nothing we can truly say about this decision. They said HD is free with iO. HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, Starz were always in the counts they were touting.

The question I have is, what is the 15th Voom HD replacement channel? Are they counting Comedy Central HD as part of the 15? If not, then there is still one more HD channel to come. Will there be a News12 HD? Will it be a mix of all the local News12s? I doubt they would do seperate Jersey, Bronx, Brooklyn, and LI ones as they do in SD. They could still do a News12 HD (with a mix of all the operations) from the Voom HD set (if its not shut down and dismantled already).

Was just thinking the same thing.
Us lowly $130/month Cablevision customers won't be watching any of those new HD channels :(
Guess I don't need the SDV Adapter (when Cablevision finally releases it) for my TiVo-HD now.

How are you paying $130/month?

Even the top package, io Gold, costs about $96/month.

How are you paying $130/month?

Even the top package, io Gold, costs about $96/month.


Most likely a triple-play customer like myself.

Being an ioGold and OOL customer (@173.00 per month), I am thrilled to have more HD I will actually watch :):):):):):):)

How are you paying $130/month?

Even the top package, io Gold, costs about $96/month.

Most likely a triple-play customer like myself.
Yup.... triple pay.... er, triple play customer :D

Showtime Showcase HD will also be added on 1/23/09 along with the 14 other channels previously listed.

Any word if they'll be broadcasted or SDV?

Any word if they'll be broadcasted or SDV?

SDV in non 100% digital systems

Comedy Central HD is GARBAGE. Got the channel early Thursday morning, haven't seen anything in HD yet and tonight I look forward to at least seeing the South Park episode ''About Last Night'' in HD, but nope, it's in SD. What a ****ing joke.

Comedy Central HD is GARBAGE. Got the channel early Thursday morning, haven't seen anything in HD yet and tonight I look forward to at least seeing the South Park episode ''About Last Night'' in HD, but nope, it's in SD. What a ****ing joke.

I noticed sometimes a show will air in HD, then later that day it's not?
VH1 does this also. You would think these channels with limited HD to begin with would air the HD shows they have in HD?

Anyone know why the Voom and Cablevision websites still show TV listings through the end of January if they're supposed to be pulling the plug tomorrow? :confused:

Anyone know why the Voom and Cablevision websites still show TV listings through the end of January if they're supposed to be pulling the plug tomorrow? :confused:

Probably because the VOOM employees that update that information have either already been laid off, or knowing they are getting laid off soon could care less about updating it.

As advertised, all the Voom channels are gone.
They are showing the "this channel has ceased operations" message.

As advertised, all the Voom channels are gone.
They are showing the "this channel has ceased operations" message.
Voom "ceased operations" for me (and other TiVoHD users) last year when it went SDV :mad:

I am very disappointed that Cablevision pulled the plug on VOOM...that to me was their ace in the hole, no other cable network offered those channels...16 HD channels with no commercials. Any replacements would merely be HD clones of regular cable channels with the usual 5 minutes of "loud" commercials for every 10 minutes of programing.
Shame on you Cablevision...I am hoping Verizon FIOS enter my area so Cablevision can have some competition.

I am very disappointed that Cablevision pulled the plug on VOOM...that to me was their ace in the hole, no other cable network offered those channels...16 HD channels with no commercials. Any replacements would merely be HD clones of regular cable channels with the usual 5 minutes of "loud" commercials for every 10 minutes of programing.
Shame on you Cablevision...I am hoping Verizon FIOS enter my area so Cablevision can have some competition.

There are reasons no one else offered these channels!
Lack of:
Content
Demand
Profit

Cablevision Adds 15 Channels To iO TV® High-Definition Lineup
Now Offering Customers Access To 70 HD Channels At No Additional Cost

Bethpage, NY (PRWEB) January 21, 2009 -- Cablevision Systems Corp. (NYSE: CVC) today announced the addition of 15 high-definition channels from HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, Starz and Encore to the company's iO TV high-definition lineup, which now offers customers access to 70 channels of free HD. The networks, spanning an array of entertainment genres, will become available to customers across Cablevision's service area over a three-day period that begins today.

With more than 1.3 million customers taking HD service, Cablevision's HD penetration has reached nearly 50 percent of all iO TV households, demonstrating the rapid adoption of this superior television format. In addition to 70 channels of high-definition programming, iO TV features an expanding library of HD video-on-demand titles including critical favorites and top blockbusters from the summer of 2008, available through the On Demand menu.

Cablevision is pleased to add 15 new channels to the iO TV high-definition lineup, and expand the range of entertainment options available to customers in the superior HD format
We continue to enhance the iO TV experience by delivering more value and customer choice without the extra equipment costs or programming package fees charged by our competitors.
"Cablevision is pleased to add 15 new channels to the iO TV high-definition lineup, and expand the range of entertainment options available to customers in the superior HD format," said John Trierweiler, Cablevision's senior vice president of product management. "We continue to enhance the iO TV experience by delivering more value and customer choice without the extra equipment costs or programming package fees charged by our competitors."

The new channels can be found on iO TV in the following channel positions and require an HD capable set-top box.

772 Encore HD 793 HBO Latino HD
773 Starz Kids & Family HD 794 Action MAX HD
774 Starz Edge HD 795 More MAX HD
775 HBO Signature HD 796 @MAX HD
776 HBO Family HD 797 Outer MAX HD
777 HBO Comedy HD 798 Showtime Too HD
778 HBO Zone HD 799 Showtime Showcase HD
779 HBO2 HD

With more than 2.8 million iO TV customers, more than 90 percent of Cablevision's cable customers are iO TV digital cable customers, the highest digital penetration in the nation. iO TV offers customers access to up to 410 channels, including 53 premium movie channels, 48 channels of commercial-free digital music, more than 4,000 titles available on demand at all times, an interactive programming guide, 70 high-definition programming services and uniquely valuable and relevant interactive television applications including News 12 Interactive. Viewing high-definition programming generally requires a high-definition cable box or CableCARD and an HD-ready television set. HD VOD titles are available starting at $4.95.

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/01/prweb1893504.htm

Sounds like these channels may be free? Just a straight replacement. Let's cross our fingers

Sounds like these channels may be free? Just a straight replacement. Let's cross our fingers

And the check's in the mail.

Does anyone know if Nba TV Hd is coming in the near future?

And the check's in the mail.
Also true :-)

Sounds like these channels may be free? Just a straight replacement. Let's cross our fingers

They're free if you have the channels in SD. From their letter to the CT DPUC.

"All customers with the appropriate HD equipment (digital television customers with a high-definition cable box and HD-ready television set) subscribing to iO Silver, iO Gold or an a la carte subscription to Cinemax, HBO, Showtime and/or Starz/Encore will be able to view this programming."

Does anyone know if Nba TV Hd is coming in the near future?

good questions, as well as espnews hd.

Do folks want ESPNNews in HD because they actually watch it or do they just want it because it is available in the sky? Not trying to offend anyone, but I could think of others that would be wanted before ESPN News HD. That channel is in the digital tier for SD. So, not everyone would get it even if it were added. I think we would get the rest of the Disney family along with ESPN News HD before we get just ESPN News HD. I would suspect they add channels in the Family Cable tier in HD first (A&E, History, Lifetime, E!, Disney, Cartoon Network, ABC Family)... especially after the removal of 15 channels to those who don't have premiums. Actually after taking a look, and correct me if I'm wrong, there is not much of the current SD channels CV has left to be added in HD if your honest with yourself. Please remember we are not talking of channels they don't already carry.

But, this is just one man's opinion.

Do folks want ESPNNews in HD because they actually watch it or do they just want it because it is available in the sky?

I watch it every day. Its the only station that gives you sports news every half hour plus some interviews. ESPN doesnt do this, they have a variety of shows. Espnews is strictly that, News. And i could think of a few more channels that CV can add, A&E, TCM, BET, Oxygen, tvland.

which brings another question, why do we have nhl, mlbhd and golf hd, and not nbahd? Do they really think that more people watch golf than basketball?

And if they add channels in those tiers first, why do we already have espnhd, espn2hd, yeshd, msghd, etc. those are sports channels.

I watch it every day. Its the only station that gives you sports news every half hour plus some interviews. ESPN doesnt do this, they have a variety of shows. Espnews is strictly that, News. And i could think of a few more channels that CV can add, A&E, TCM, BET, Oxygen, tvland.

You do know that ESPNEWS-HD doesn't show highlights in HD right? They just use the extra space to show stats and scores. They are still struggling to get carriage on a lot of cable companies.

As for the other channels you list only A&E has a HD version and CV is the only major TV service not carrying it, don't know why.

TCM, BET, Oxygen and TV Land do not have HD channels. What exactly would TV Land show in HD anyway.:confused:

You do know that ESPNEWS-HD doesn't show highlights in HD right? They just use the extra space to show stats and scores. They are still struggling to get carriage on a lot of cable companies.

ahhhh, i didnt know that. but thanks for the info.

TCM, BET, Oxygen and TV Land do not have HD channels. What exactly would TV Land show in HD anyway.:confused:

I know they dont have those channels, i was just replying to this comment
Actually after taking a look, and correct me if I'm wrong, there is not much of the current SD channels CV has left to be added in HD if your honest with yourself

BET has an HD channel with comcast.

You do know that ESPNEWS-HD doesn't show highlights in HD right? They just use the extra space to show stats and scores. They are still struggling to get carriage on a lot of cable companies.

As for the other channels you list only A&E has a HD version and CV is the only major TV service not carrying it, don't know why.

TCM, BET, Oxygen and TV Land do not have HD channels. What exactly would TV Land show in HD anyway.:confused:

Thats incorrect about ESPN News. The extra graphics create 16:9 window for the live image. Inside that window, when showing SD material little bars show up. But they do show HD content inside that window often.

Thats incorrect about ESPN News. The extra graphics create 16:9 window for the live image. Inside that window, when showing SD material little bars show up. But they do show HD content inside that window often.


Really, guess I haven't watched it enough when they show it on ESPN2 to notice. When they first went live and they showed the preview on ESPN or ESPN2 I got a headache watching it. There was way to much information being presented at once.

only A&E has a HD version and CV is the only major TV service not carrying it, don't know why.


This is the part that continues to boggle my mind a major cable network in HD that is viewed by many people and a large, metropolitan cable provider like CV doesn't carry it, along with History HD and Bio HD.

I thought for sure they were going to add these networks when Voom croaked, but I just don't get it either. You mean to tell me that CV doesn't have one more non SDV QAM to add these three channels to for its customers.

Is there a way to contact CV, because I am about to send requests for these channels. Enough is enough. No more excuses. If enough people request it they have to pay some attention to it, especially with this recent stunt of 15 Premium HD channels and not one HD offering is provided to help maintain the count for non premium consumers.

Is there a way to contact CV, because I am about to send requests for these channels.

You can use this to get back the canned response in 3 days.
http://optimum.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/optimum.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php?p_sid=9QTQlAoj&p_accessibility=0&p_redirect=&p_lva=359&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ 9Nyw3JnBfcHJvZHM9MCZwX2NhdHM9JnBfcHY9JnBfY3Y9JnBfc2VhcmNoX3R 5cGU9YW5zd2Vycy5zZWFyY2hfbmwmcF9wYWdlPTEmcF9zZWFyY2hfdGV4dD1 SRVFVRVNUIE5FVyBDSEFOTkVMUw**&p_srch=1

This will not get you back a response.
http://www.optimum.com/support/suggestion_box.jsp

You can use this to get back the canned response in 3 days.
http://optimum.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/optimum.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php?p_sid=9QTQlAoj&p_accessibility=0&p_redirect=&p_lva=359&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ 9Nyw3JnBfcHJvZHM9MCZwX2NhdHM9JnBfcHY9JnBfY3Y9JnBfc2VhcmNoX3R 5cGU9YW5zd2Vycy5zZWFyY2hfbmwmcF9wYWdlPTEmcF9zZWFyY2hfdGV4dD1 SRVFVRVNUIE5FVyBDSEFOTkVMUw**&p_srch=1

This will not get you back a response.
http://www.optimum.com/support/suggestion_box.jsp


Thx a lot Remy, I sent an email requesting the A&E Networks Suite of History HD, A&E HD and Bio HD. May not do much good but got nothing to lose after all.

This is the part that continues to boggle my mind a major cable network in HD that is viewed by many people and a large, metropolitan cable provider like CV doesn't carry it, along with History HD and Bio HD.

I thought for sure they were going to add these networks when Voom croaked, but I just don't get it either. You mean to tell me that CV doesn't have one more non SDV QAM to add these three channels to for its customers.

Is there a way to contact CV, because I am about to send requests for these channels. Enough is enough. No more excuses. If enough people request it they have to pay some attention to it, especially with this recent stunt of 15 Premium HD channels and not one HD offering is provided to help maintain the count for non premium consumers.

I will agree that its baffling why A&E and History are not already added. But, we do not know if those networks are up for renegotiation yet. It may be in talks already. Who knows. I'm hoping it will be happening soon considering they are obligated to show something for the 15 lost by those on levels below Silver and Gold. Although being called the Voom replacements, I don't think CV considers them, or has announced them as, the Voom replacements. They just happen to be 15 in count.

This is the part that continues to boggle my mind a major cable network in HD that is viewed by many people and a large, metropolitan cable provider like CV doesn't carry it, along with History HD and Bio HD.

I thought for sure they were going to add these networks when Voom croaked, but I just don't get it either. You mean to tell me that CV doesn't have one more non SDV QAM to add these three channels to for its customers.

Is there a way to contact CV, because I am about to send requests for these channels. Enough is enough. No more excuses. If enough people request it they have to pay some attention to it, especially with this recent stunt of 15 Premium HD channels and not one HD offering is provided to help maintain the count for non premium consumers.

i was wondering what cablevision's take is on getting History HD to the lineup. all the other providers in the area offer it, and also offer HD Net. whenever i email cablevision, i get a call from corporate saying they are working to get that channel "soon".....

so instead of adding these mainstream HD channels, they add 15 premium channels to clog up the bandwidth....

it's a mystery to me....

Cablevision to stop selling analog TV by year-end

Thu Mar 12, 2009 12:39am EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York cable operator Cablevision Systems Corp (CVC.N) said on Thursday it will stop selling analog television packages by the end of 2009 as it moves to become an all-digital service.

The company said just five percent of its 3.1 million video customers currently receive its analog expanded basic package and these customers will continue to receive the limited service without any required action.

But the cable company, which has the highest digital service penetration of any major U.S. cable operator, will no longer market analog TV packages to customers.

A company spokesman pointed out that Cablevision is already going all-digital in some parts of New York City including parts of the Bronx and Brooklyn.

One advantage of going all-digital for cable companies is that it frees up capacity on an operator's system. One analog TV channel takes up the capacity for up to eight to ten digital channels. Most operators deliver an analog simulcast alongside the digital signals.

Cablevision, like other U.S. cable operators, has traditionally delivered analog TV signals and gradually converted its customers to digital packages since the introduction of broadcast digital signals in the U.S.

Satellite TV providers like DirecTV Group (DTV.O) and DISH Network Corp (DISH.O) as well as newcomers like Verizon Communications (VZ.N) and AT&T Inc (T.N) only deliver digital video signals.

With more customers expecting to watch high definition programing on flat-screen TVs many customers have already converted to digital TV.

The migration of cable subscribers to digital comes ahead of a U.S. government mandated switch-off of free, over-the-air, analog signals on June 12.

http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE52B0Z120090312

How long before they faze out the 5% holdouts?
I hope they move all but the basic channels to digital, ASAP.
That should free up enough BW for more high quality HD and faster OOL.

How long before they faze out the 5% holdouts
That 5% (analog users) figure is misleading....
In my house for example, we have one TV on a TiVoHD and one other TV using the Cablevision rental SA8300HD DVR. The other 4 TV's are connected directly to cable without a cable box. Those 4 TV's still use analog channels. Once Cablevision phases out analog- those 4 TV's would each require a cable decoder box. I do not plan to rent 5 cable boxes from Cablevision in order to watch TV.
We're taking a step backwards to having only 2 TV's in the house at this point. It's a total money grab by cable with the pretense of being helpful to it's customers. Who knows when they'll shut down the analog channels, but it's going to be a major PITA when they do.

Perhaps they will start to offer a DTA like Comcast to convert clear QAM to analog for older TV's that people only want basic on when they finally make the full switch.
http://picasaweb.google.com/virgegx/ComcastDTAUnboxing#

That 5% (analog users) figure is misleading....
In my house for example, we have one TV on a TiVoHD and one other TV using the Cablevision rental SA8300HD DVR. The other 4 TV's are connected directly to cable without a cable box. Those 4 TV's still use analog channels. Once Cablevision phases out analog- those 4 TV's would each require a cable decoder box. I do not plan to rent 5 cable boxes from Cablevision in order to watch TV.
We're taking a step backwards to having only 2 TV's in the house at this point. It's a total money grab by cable with the pretense of being helpful to it's customers. Who knows when they'll shut down the analog channels, but it's going to be a major PITA when they do.

Yup, its an issue in my house too. We have one HD box, a second TV on QAM and 4 tvs on analog but we're counted as a digital house. With my brother out of the house and me gone by July, I doubt they'll get extra boxes and thus will be loosing service.

That 5% (analog users) figure is misleading....
In my house for example, we have one TV on a TiVoHD and one other TV using the Cablevision rental SA8300HD DVR. The other 4 TV's are connected directly to cable without a cable box. Those 4 TV's still use analog channels. Once Cablevision phases out analog- those 4 TV's would each require a cable decoder box. I do not plan to rent 5 cable boxes from Cablevision in order to watch TV.
We're taking a step backwards to having only 2 TV's in the house at this point. It's a total money grab by cable with the pretense of being helpful to it's customers. Who knows when they'll shut down the analog channels, but it's going to be a major PITA when they do.

You would have the same issue with any other provider (box for every tv).
No pretense, with all digital systems they could offer better service for the customers that are actually willing to pay.

Per SatGuys:
Cablevison is adding 30 HD channels in the Bronx and Brooklyn and 8 HD everywhere else.

http://www.satelliteguys.us/cablevision-cable-forum/172052-cablevision-goes-hd-crazy.html

Ch. 746 A&E HD
Ch. 747 History Channel HD
Ch. 751 E! HD
Ch. 754 BET HD
Ch. 781 BIO HD
Ch. 784 Crime & Investigation HD
Ch. 785 Palladia HD
Ch. 786 G4 HD
Ch. 788 Outdoor Channel HD
Ch. 789 NBA TV HD
Ch. 807 HBO West HD
Ch. 808 HBO 2 West HD
Ch. 809 HBO Signature West HD
Ch. 810 HBO Family West HD
Ch. 814 Starz West HD
Ch. 815 Starz Comedy HD
Ch. 823 Showtime Extreme HD
Ch. 824 Showtime West HD
Ch. 825 Showtime Too West HD
Ch. 826 Showtime Showcase West HD
Ch . 8** Cinemax West HD (wasn't on list but I think it was skipped)
Ch. 833 Thriller Max HD
Ch. 834 WMAX HD (Cinemax for Women)
Ch. 836 5 Star Max HD
Ch. 841 TMC XTRA HD
Ch. 842 TMC West HD
Ch. 843 TMC XTRA WEST HD
Ch. 845 QVC HD
Ch. 846 Planet Green HD
Ch. 847 Style HD

Free HD Is In Bloom This Spring For Optimum Customers

30 New High-Definition Channels Arriving In New York City This Week, Popular AETN-Affiliated Channels Launching For All iO TV® Customers iO TV's Free HD Line-Up Will Exceed 100 Channels Across Cablevision's Service Area By June

Bethpage, NY (PRWEB) April 20, 2009 -- Cablevision Systems Corp. (NYSE: CVC) today announced a significant expansion of the free high-definition programming available to its iO TV digital cable customers - starting this week with the addition of 30 new HD channels in New York City, popular AETN-affiliated channels launching everywhere and more than 100 HD channels available across the company's service area by June.

Cablevision's approach to offering an expansive and diverse HD line-up, without the extra equipment or programming fees competitors charge for HD, has resulted in an extremely high rate of HD adoption, with half of all iO TV digital cable customers taking HD service.

"Free HD has become a hallmark of iO TV, and a key point of differentiation over our competitors, so we are very pleased to announce this significant expansion to more than 100 channels of free HD available across our service area," said John Trierweiler, Cablevision's senior vice president of product management. "With unique local services like News 12 and News 12 Traffic & Weather, a dozen international programming options, advanced features like Caller ID on the TV and every HD game of all nine professional New York-area sports teams, iO TV delivers unbeatable value and choice to our digital cable customers."

The spring HD additions consist of popular networks including: A&E HD, BET HD, E! HD, History HD, Bio HD, Crime & Investigation HD, G4 HD, Palladia HD, Planet Green HD, Style HD, Outdoor Channel HD, NBA TV HD, QVC HD as well as additional HD channels from HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, Starz and TMC.

With more than 2.8 million iO TV customers, more than 91 percent of Cablevision's cable customers are iO TV digital cable customers, the highest digital penetration in the nation. iO TV offers customers access to up to 400 channels, including 53 premium movie channels, 46 channels of commercial-free digital music, more than 4,000 titles available on demand at all times, an interactive programming guide, free HD and uniquely valuable and relevant interactive television applications including News 12 Interactive. Viewing high-definition programming generally requires a high-definition cable box or CableCARD and an HD-ready television set. A full array of approximately 100 HD VOD movies are also available, starting at $4.95 for a 24-hour rental.

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/04/prweb2337654.htm

Perhaps they will start to offer a DTA like Comcast to convert clear QAM to analog for older TV's that people only want basic on when they finally make the full switch.
http://picasaweb.google.com/virgegx/ComcastDTAUnboxing#
Why not simply offer "extended basic" in ClearQAM and use addressable pole traps?

Despite the additional bandwidth being a boon for HD customers; it's a tremendous loss for every customer with SD sets. OTA is becoming the most convenient choice for my family. I REFUSE to pay an additional $25/month to simply maintain "Family Cable" level services.

Why not simply offer "extended basic" in ClearQAM and use addressable pole traps?

Despite the additional bandwidth being a boon for HD customers; it's a tremendous loss for every customer with SD sets. OTA is becoming the most convenient choice for my family. I REFUSE to pay an additional $25/month to simply maintain "Family Cable" level services.

Pole traps are a costly alternative and limit flexibility in a digital world. They were the only option with analog, but are not practical anymore.

Cablevision's approach is simple, keep the customers paying the highest bills happy at the expense of those with smaller bills.

Pole traps are a costly alternative and limit flexibility in a digital world. They were the only option with analog, but are not practical anymore.

Cablevision's approach is simple, keep the customers paying the highest bills happy at the expense of those with smaller bills.

it's working, i'm happy :)

Remy, did you take the day off yesterday?

it's working, i'm happy :)

Remy, did you take the day off yesterday?

I'm happy too.:D

Yes, I failed to visit AVS at all yesterday. But on the plus side my property looks very nice after putting down 100 Cu Ft of red cedar mulch in my plant beds.

Pole traps are a costly alternative and limit flexibility in a digital world. They were the only option with analog, but are not practical anymore.

Cablevision's approach is simple, keep the customers paying the highest bills happy at the expense of those with smaller bills.
The pole trap infrastructure is already in place though (for Long Island at least). I can't see Cablevision abandoning pole traps anyway. It's the only way to protect "Broadcast Basic" subscriptions.

How are addressable pole traps limiting? They provide the MSO the flexibility to set permissions without a truck roll. This is a money grab pure and simple. Forget "ala carte". The FCC needs to tackle the "ClearQAM" issue. STB costs will outpace any savings ala carte will bring subs in multiple TV households.

I can't wait for Hulu/Netflix integration in future TVs. MSO greed and inconvenience are going to price their video service down an abyss (I HATE the iO Guide and DVR). I made this clear to Cablevision when I cancelled service. All the iO Gold subs aren't going to offset a 50% "expanded basic" customer loss.

Considering what passes for HD on cable today (G4-HD), I'd sacrifice further additions to keep analog cable. In fact, analog cable was the SOLE reason my family stayed. To think there was a time when Cable MSOs lobbied for cable tuners in TVs.

The pole trap infrastructure is already in place though (for Long Island at least). I can't see Cablevision abandoning pole traps anyway. It's the only way to protect "Broadcast Basic" subscriptions.

All the iO Gold subs aren't going to offset a 50% "expanded basic" customer loss.

100% digital will protect BB
Where are you getting 50% churn?

its about time i'm going to be able to watch History in HD....

still experiencing problems with my service tho....

is it a glitch in service or just the 4250HD box, when i'm viewing non-HD channels the 1080i indicator is lit on the box. no gray bars appear on the tv because the tv thinks it's getting a 1080i signal....

it's intermittent, and happens with the 720p indicator as well....

i just got a brand new box a few weeks ago from cablevision, but the issues still persist. perhaps there is a better box to use ? (if it's the box that's the problem)

^^^^I assume you just hooked up the box and didn't run the setup. The boxes come defaulted to 1080i. It sometimes help to RTM.

http://optimum.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/optimum.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=1511&p_sid=72MZdVvj&p_lva=1508&p_accessibility=0&p_redirect=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ 9MzAsMzAmcF9wcm9kcz0mcF9jYXRzPSZwX3B2PSZwX2N2PSZwX3BhZ2U9MSZ wX3NlYXJjaF90ZXh0PWhkIHNldHVw&p_li=

http://optimum.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/optimum.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=1508&p_created=1122318366&p_sid=72MZdVvj&p_accessibility=0&p_redirect=&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ 9MzAsMzAmcF9wcm9kcz0mcF9jYXRzPSZwX3B2PSZwX2N2PSZwX3BhZ2U9MSZ wX3NlYXJjaF90ZXh0PWhkIHNldHVw&p_li=&p_topview=1

you're right, i wasn't aware of this setup feature...but i did choose "Auto DVI/HDMI" as the picture output. not sure if this makes any difference....

so i ran went thru the setup proceedure and ran the advanced setup. in the main settings menu, if i select "Fixed" as the picture format, then i have to choose what format I want to view from the quick settings, otherwise changing the channel will not change the indicator accordingly on the box display.
but if i set the Picture format to "Auto DVI/HDMI", then the options available to me in the quick settings are "Normal", "Stretch", "Zoom"....no specific resolutions are available as with the "Fixed" setting.

i can see how this would be a bit confusing as far as settings are concerned....

100% digital will protect BB
Where are you getting 50% churn?
How does 100% digital protect the unencrypted "Broadcast Basic" tier? Any DTV with a QAM tuner can potentially tune these stations without pole traps.

The 50% number is fabricated. That being said, MSO greed is going to cost them dearly as DTVs converge with the web. LG incorporating Netflix, as well as Adobe AIR for TV platforms are the start. If customers can access services like Hulu directly through their TVs without costly STBs; why pay? People are going to drop cable in droves. My ultimate point was premium subs won't replace revenues from losing half of your standard customer base.

you're right, i wasn't aware of this setup feature...but i did choose "Auto DVI/HDMI" as the picture output. not sure if this makes any difference.....

If you are using a HDMI cable and set it to "Auto DVI/HDMI" it will stretch SD 4:3 content.

http://optimum.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/optimum.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=2354&p_created=1227191381&p_sid=PN3qGVvj&p_accessibility=0&p_redirect=&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ 9MjEsMjEmcF9wcm9kcz0mcF9jYXRzPSZwX3B2PSZwX2N2PSZwX3BhZ2U9MSZ wX3NlYXJjaF90ZXh0PWhkIGhkbWkgc3RyZXRjaA**&p_li=&p_topview=1

So if you want all the various resolutions and don't want SD stretched then you need to use component and not HDMI. If you want to use HDMI but don't want stretching of SD then choose either 720p or 1080i as your fixed setting.

If you are using a HDMI cable and set it to "Auto DVI/HDMI" it will stretch SD 4:3 content.

http://optimum.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/optimum.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=2354&p_created=1227191381&p_sid=PN3qGVvj&p_accessibility=0&p_redirect=&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ 9MjEsMjEmcF9wcm9kcz0mcF9jYXRzPSZwX3B2PSZwX2N2PSZwX3BhZ2U9MSZ wX3NlYXJjaF90ZXh0PWhkIGhkbWkgc3RyZXRjaA**&p_li=&p_topview=1

So if you want all the various resolutions and don't want SD stretched then you need to use component and not HDMI. If you want to use HDMI but don't want stretching of SD then choose either 720p or 1080i as your fixed setting.

i always had it set to "Auto DVI/HDMI", but didn't try the setup until your post....
contrary to what you're saying, i use HDMI and it does not stretch SD channels....it never has even before i did that set-top box setup.

Sox vs Rays
I'm getting black screen on 739 TBSHD but it's airing on 39 TBS.

Sox vs Rays
I'm getting black screen on 739 TBSHD but it's airing on 39 TBS.This is the same problem we had last week, I think it was Phillies vs Braves(?), but nonetheless it was still incorrectly blacked out.

The newly available TCM HD will be available on Cablevision in the very near future.

as reported by mws194
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=446219&page=999

TCM HD and other new HD channels will be added this week:

Some previously announced:
4 HBO (west coasts)
2 Starz (west coasts)
4 Cinemax (west coasts)
3 TMC (west coasts)
4 Showtime (west coasts)

Planet Green HD
NBATV-HD
Style-HD
QVC-HD
Outdoor Network HD

Some not:
truTV-HD
CartoonNetwork HD
Turner Classic Movies HD
Big Ten Network

MSNBC-HD (starting 6/29)

Cablevision Now Offering More than 100 Channels of Free HD Across Entire Service Area

Significant Expansion Of High-Definition Line-Up Includes Launch Of MSNBC HD, Additional Sports, News And Entertainment Services

Bethpage, NY (PRWEB) June 23, 2009 -- Cablevision Systems Corp. (NYSE: CVC) today announced the launch of nearly 30 new free HD channels available to iO TV® customers in Connecticut, New Jersey, Long Island and the Hudson Valley, with more than 100 channels of free HD now available across the company's entire service area. The significant expansion of high-definition programming also includes additional HD services for customers in New York City, where most of the new services have already launched, and MSNBC HD.

Cablevision continues to offer customers a broad array of quality HD programming, without the extra equipment or programming fees many competitors charge for HD, which has resulted in the rapid adoption of HD's superior technology. Approximately 1.6 million iO TV digital cable customers are taking HD service, an increase of nearly 40 percent from one year ago.

"We launched HD in 2003 with a philosophy that high-definition programming should be available free to our digital cable customers, and more than 100 HD channels later we have held firm to that commitment, with a great and diverse array of programming that includes all HD games of all nine professional sports teams in our market," said John Trierweiler, Cablevision's senior vice president of product management. "With more than 100 channels of free HD, thousands of titles of free video on demand, a dozen in-language international programming options, unique local services like News 12 and News 12 Interactive and advanced features like Caller ID on the TV, iO TV offers the best quality and value to our digital cable customers."

The HD additions consist of popular networks including: Big Ten Network HD, Cartoon HD, Turner Classic Movies HD, Planet Green HD, Style HD, Outdoor Channel HD, NBA TV HD, QVC HD, truTV HD as well as additional HD movie channels from HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, Starz and TMC.

Additionally, Cablevision will launch full-time standard definition religious-themed networks Daystar, Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) and Trinity Broadcasting Network in all service areas. For complete local channel information, please visit http://optimum.com/channel_lineups.jsp

With more than 2.8 million iO TV customers, more than 91 percent of Cablevision's cable customers are iO TV digital cable customers, the highest digital penetration in the nation. iO TV offers customers access to more than 400 channels, including 53 premium movie channels, 46 channels of commercial-free digital music, more than 6,000 titles available on demand at all times, an interactive programming guide, free HD and uniquely valuable and relevant interactive television applications including News 12 Interactive. Viewing high-definition programming generally requires a high-definition cable box or CableCARD and an HD-ready television set. A full array of approximately 100 HD VOD movies are also available, starting at $4.95 for a 24-hour rental.

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/06/prweb2563784.htm

Comcast, Cablevision Don’t Want to Carry Viacom’s Epix Channel

By Andy Fixmer and Sarah Rabil

July 9 (Bloomberg) -- Comcast Corp., the largest U.S. cable-television provider, and Cablevision Systems Corp. said they aren’t interested in carrying the new Epix premium movie channel.

“It’s a bad idea,” Stephen Burke, Comcast’s chief operating officer, said in an interview at the Allen & Co. media conference in Sun Valley, Idaho. “I haven’t heard of anyone that’s interested.” Consumers already have an adequate number of choices, he said.

Cablevision Chief Executive Officer James Dolan said in a separate interview at the conference that he’s “in perfect agreement” with Burke. Cablevision is the fifth-biggest U.S. provider of cable-TV service.

Epix, owned by Viacom Inc.’s Paramount Pictures, Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., was created after the three studios failed to reach new agreements to show their movies on CBS Corp.’s Showtime pay channel last year. Epix, which pits Sumner Redstone’s CBS and Viacom against each other, has yet to announce pickup by cable systems ahead of its planned October debut.

“We are in advanced discussions with a number of distribution partners and remain very confident that we will have agreements with them in place at our launch in October 2009,” Mark Greenberg, head of Epix, said in an e-mailed response to the cable companies’ comments.

Epix plans to provide films and original series on pay TV systems and the Internet. Burke said he hasn’t looked at a preview of Epix that was put online to entice cable and satellite TV companies to carry the channel.

Rights to ‘Transformers’

The network will have rights to the studios’ films such as “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” “Iron Man,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” It will go head-to-head with pay channels including Showtime, Time Warner Inc.’s HBO and Liberty Media Corp.’s Starz.

“Transformers,” from Paramount, is the top-grossing film in the U.S. this year with box-office revenue of $310.4 million as of today, according to Box Office Mojo LLC, a Sherman Oaks, California researcher that tracks receipts.

Cablevision, based in Bethpage, New York, rose 20 cents to $17.82 today in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. Viacom, based in New York, rose 19 cents to $21.98. Lions Gate, run from Santa Monica, California, gained 12 cents to $5.77. Philadelphia-based Comcast fell 11 cents to $13.39 on the Nasdaq Stock Market.

MGM is controlled by Providence Equity Partners Inc. and TPG. Sony Corp. and Comcast have 20 percent stakes, with the remainder belonging to DLJ Merchant Banking Partners and Quadrangle Group.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=akMbpdAiHm2w

Cablevision Looks To Serve Up Tennis Channel For the U.S. Open

Operator Invokes Network's NCTC Contract For Sports Tier Positioning

Mike Reynolds -- Multichannel News, 8/26/2009 2:32:29 PM EDT

Cablevision subscribers may get a chance to see Tennis Channel's coverage of the U.S. Open next week after all.

Availing itself of the network's agreement with the National Cable Television Cooperative, Cablevision has opted to add Tennis Channel to its iO Sports Pak, which includes 15 other networks and retails for $5.99 monthly.

Cablevision would like to position Tennis on channel 399 in standard-definition and 795 in the high-definition format, beginning Friday Aug. 28, three days before the 2009 U.S. Open begins, should Tennis provide its signal.

Cablevision said Tennis is required to do so by its contract with NCTC, which negotiates programming deals for member cable operators.

Tennis couldn't be reached by press time. NCTC declined to comment about member contracts.

A Cablevision spokesman said the operator had informed NCTC of its intention to avail itself of the contract clause this morning, and similarly communicated its wont to Tennis.


The sports network ran print ads last week decrying its inability to come to terms with the New York area's predominant cable operator, and how area tennis fans would miss its extensive coverage of the Grand Slam event, which includes some 72 hours of live match coverage.

The parties have been discussing positioning for many years, with the sports tier being at the crux of those talks. However, Cablevision more recently has offered Tennis both placement on the iO Sports Pak, as well as its iO Gold package, which counts some 300,000 customers. Tennis believes it deserves wider penetration.

"We think this is a great solution that will allow New York tennis fans to see the Tennis Channel's coverage of the U.S. Open," said John Trierweiler, Cablevision's senior vice president of product management, in a statement. "We have opened up channels 399 and 795 for the standard-definition and HD feeds of the Tennis Channel and are looking forward to making the network available to our Sports Pak customers by Friday, in time for the start of the U.S. Open. We hope the leadership of the Tennis Channel will work with us to expedite this process and ensure that New York tennis fans are able to enjoy its coverage of this major event."

http://www.multichannel.com/article/329000-Cablevision_Looks_To_Serve_Up_Tennis_Channel_For_the_U_S_Ope n.php

Cablevision fired a new salvo Wednesday in its very public dispute with Tennis Channel, asserting it has a contractual right to carry the channel in its iO Sports Pak and that it intends to do so beginning tomorrow - in time for the start of the U.S. Open Monday.

For that to happen, though, Tennis Channel must make its signal available, and as of early last evening it was assessing its legal options.

The strategic twist came when Cablevision joined the National Cable Television Cooperative, which has an existing agreement with Tennis Channel that Cablevision states it now has a right to exercise.

NCTC members primarily are small and mid-size companies that negotiate deals collectively. When did Cablevision decide to join?

"Recently," a spokesman said.

Cablevision owns Newsday, which last week declined to accept a Tennis Channel ad harshly critical of the company for not carrying the channel. A person familiar with the often convoluted workings of TV distribution who requested anonymity said he was intrigued by Cablevision's tactic, which he called "creative."

Tennis Channel CEO Ken Solomon was less kind, calling Cablevision's move "one of the craziest things I've ever heard'' in a Sports Business Daily report.

http://www.newsday.com/sports/cablevision-insists-on-right-to-tennis-channel-1.1397373

Speaking of "creative" tactics, they even put out this press release:

Cablevision Will Add The Tennis Channel to iO Sports Pak

Existing NCTC Contract Paves Way For Channel To Be Made Available In Both Standard-Definition And HD To Any Cablevision Customer Who Wants To Receive It

BETHPAGE, N.Y., Aug. 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cablevision Systems Corp. (NYSE: CVC) today announced that it has opted to add the Tennis Channel to the iO Sports Pak, in both standard-definition and HD, by virtue of an existing agreement between the channel and the National Cable Television Cooperative (NCTC), of which Cablevision is a member. Other cable operators, including at least one in Cablevision's market, are today carrying the Tennis Channel through this NCTC agreement.

Cablevision has accepted in full the Tennis Channel's agreement with NCTC, granting Cablevision the right to carry the network. The final step in the process will be the Tennis Channel providing its broadcast signal to Cablevision as required by its contract with the NCTC.

"We think this is a great solution that will allow New York tennis fans to see the Tennis Channel's coverage of the U.S. Open," said John Trierweiler, Cablevision's senior vice president of product management. "We have opened up channels 399 and 795 for the standard-definition and HD feeds of the Tennis Channel and are looking forward to making the network available to our Sports Pak customers by Friday, in time for the start of the U.S. Open. We hope the leadership of the Tennis Channel will work with us to expedite this process and ensure that New York tennis fans are able to enjoy its coverage of this major event."

Available for just $5.95 per month to digital cable customers who have Family Cable service and above, the iO Sports Pak already includes 15 top sports and lifestyle networks, many available in both standard-definition and HD. The Tennis Channel and its comprehensive coverage of the sport is a perfect addition to this exciting service.

For more information on the iO Sports Pak, visit http://www.optimum.com/io/sports.

http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/08-26-2009/0005083560&EDATE=

The Tennis Channel says: not so fast, Cablevision.

http://www.multichannel.com/article/329098-Tennis_Channel_Checking_Legality_Of_Cablevision_s_NCTC_Play. php

Costlier Cablevision Plan Angers Tennis Channel

By RICHARD SANDOMIR

Published: August 26, 2009

Cablevision reignited hostilities with the Tennis Channel on Wednesday by declaring unilaterally that it will carry the network on its digital sports tier in time for Monday’s start of the United States Open.

The Tennis Channel said it was discussing its options with lawyers. “This is highly suspect and makes little sense,” said Ken Solomon, the channel’s chief executive. “I don’t know if this will stand up legally.”

Early last week, the Tennis Channel’s frustration with years of failed negotiations with Cablevision spilled over into print ads that said, “Thanks for Nothing Cablevision,” and depicted a tennis racket smashing a cable box.

A mobile billboard with the same message drove around Cablevision headquarters in Bethpage, Long Island.

Newsday, which is owned by Cablevision, refused to carry the ad. But Cablevision responded, in Newsday, with an ad that ignored the Tennis Channel and cited United States Open programming on CBS and ESPN2.

Cablevision’s decision to put the Tennis Channel on a tier that costs consumers an extra $5.95 a month was made without consulting the network. Instead, Cablevision said it had signed on to a seven-year-old contract between the network and the National Cable Television Cooperative, which negotiates deals with programmers for member cable operators.

The N.C.T.C. said that Cablevision had joined the organization “recently,” but Patrick Wilson, a senior vice president of the Tennis Channel, said that he was told by an N.C.T.C. member that Cablevision had joined Wednesday. “That says to me that it joined the N.C.T.C. in an effort uniquely designed to try to access their way into a deal for the Tennis Channel that was cut in 2002 for small providers,” he said.

A spokesman for Cablevision, Jim Maiella, said the company had a “valid affiliation agreement” to carry the Tennis Channel, “and we expect the Tennis Channel to authorize its signal, which is literally a matter of flipping a switch, so our customers in New York can watch its coverage of the U.S. Open.”

Solomon said Cablevision had not hinted during discussions as recently as Sunday that it would use the N.C.T.C. contract as a way to carry the network to a limited part of its subscriber universe. “They’re talking to us and simultaneously talking to the N.C.T.C.?” he said. “That’s bad-faith negotiation on their part.”

The best offer Cablevision has made to the Tennis Channel, which was rejected, was to make it available to 300,000 subscribers to its iO Gold package. Those with lesser packages would need to buy the sports tier.

“We’ve built this into a broadly distributed service so that people wouldn’t have to pay extra; people don’t pay extra for the majors in any other sport,” Solomon said. The channel has cable rights to all four Grand Slam events.

Solomon said he would be happy if Cablevision made the same deal that Verizon FiOS did through N.C.T.C. to make the Tennis Channel available to about 40 percent of its subscribers.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/27/sports/27cable.html?_r=1

Gee, something new.... Cablevision playing hardball with yet another net.
It just never gets old :(

I'm sooooo glad I dropped to basic cable @ $13.95/month, Cablevisions "it's my way or the highway" attitude with it's content providers and customers is just awful.

Maybe it's working...

Tennis Channel Serves New Proposal To Cablevision In Carriage Negotiations Match

Operator, Citing Validity Of NCTC Contract, Eyes Sports Tier Launch Friday

Mike Reynolds -- Multichannel News, 8/27/2009 8:35:46 PM EDT

This time, Tennis Channel has put the ball in Cablevision's court.

After receiving word Wednesday that Cablevision, as a new member of the National Cable Television Cooperative, wants to launch the network Friday on its sport tier as part of a longstanding co-op contract, Tennis sent a new proposal to the New York area's predominant distributor
Tennis CEO Ken Solomon said Cablevision had not responded to the proposal, which has been scaled back from earlier offers, but still falls within its business model's penetration threshold levels.

Cablevision's iO Sports Pak houses 15 other sports networks and retails for $5.95 per month. Tennis' monthly per subscriber license fee is about 15 cents monthly, according to SNL Kagan.

The distribution ground strokes are being exchanged just days before Tennis commences 240 hours, including 72 featuring live matches, of its initial U.S. Open coverage on Aug. 31.

Tennis, according to Solomon, did not hear from NCTC on Thursday. Officials at the coop, which negotiates programming contracts for members, declined comment Thursday night.

For its part, Cablevision confirmed that it received an email from Tennis shortly before 5 p.m. An MSO spokesman said Thursday night: "We have a valid affiliation agreement, which was reiterated earlier today by the NCTC, and we expect the Tennis Channel to authorize its signal, so our customers can watch its coverage of the U.S. Open."

Whether the parties exchange more negotiating volleys tomorrow or in the days before the Open begins in Flushing Meadows Monday, remains to be seen. Either way, Solomon avers that the contract is not binding and the network does not plan to authorize its signal on Friday. "Legally, NCTC can't do it," he said.

Solomon said Tennis' new proposal to Cablevision is different from what it offered as recently as last weekend, reflecting "a creative way" in which the network could reach about half of Cablevision's universe. The Bethpage, N.Y.-based operator counts some 3.1 million video subscribers in the nation's No. 1 DMA.

He said the penetration level is in line with how Cablevision competitors, Verizon FiOS, Dish Network and DirecTV, position Tennis in the Big Apple and its environs.

"The U.S. Open is a major event, particularly for those in the tri-state area," Solomon said. "Our goal has always been to reach a deal with Cablevision and give our subscribers access without them having to pay extra."

http://www.multichannel.com/article/331023-Tennis_Channel_Serves_New_Proposal_To_Cablevision_In_Carriag e_Negotiations_Match.php

Back and forth. Back and forth. This is getting comical.


Mike Reynolds -- Multichannel News, 8/28/2009 1:36:58 PM EDT

With the first serve of the U.S. Open scheduled for Aug. 31, Cablevision on Friday urged the Tennis Channel to make its service available to the operator's sports tier.

The New York DMA's predominant cable operator also noted that it will make its iO Sports Pak free for the next month upon Tennis authorizing the signal for the launch of the service in both standard and high-definition formats.

Cablevision said it has opened up standard channel 399 and HD 795 (HD) for the Tennis Channel, and had provided the Santa Monica, Calif-headquartered programmer with all of the technical information it needs to "flip the switch" and authorize the signal.

Cablevision believes it has the right to carry Tennis under the agreement between the programmer and the National Cable Television Cooperative, of which the MSO "recently" became a member.

Cablevision and Tennis, which will provide 240 hours of Open coverage, including 72 dedicated to live match play, have been publicly exchanging volleys in newspaper ads and in the press recently over their long-running carriage contretemps. On Aug. 26, Cablevision said it was availing itself of the NCTC contract to put the network on its iO Sports Pak, which houses 15 other sports networks and retails for $5.95 per month.

Tennis CEO Ken Solomon said yesterday that the network had sent Cablevision a revised proposal from the one it had offered last weekend. In an interview with MCN.com Thursday night, Solomon also indicated that Tennis doesn't believe the NCTC contract is binding and that he didn't expect the network to authorize the signal.
Tennis officials were not immediately available to respond to Cablevision's latest return at press time Friday afternoon.

http://www.multichannel.com/article/338761-Cablevision_Still_Looking_To_Ace_Tennis_Channel_Sports_Tier_ Positioning.php

Cablevision's Sports Tier Contract For Tennis Channel is 'Enforceable And Valid': NCTC

Network Calls The Play A 'PR Ploy'; Seeks Direct Negotiations With MSO

Mike Reynolds -- Multichannel News, 8/28/2009 6:25:57 PM EDT

The National Cable Television Cooperative, functioning as a doubles partner to member Cablevision in the operator's distribution dispute with Tennis Channel, stepped onto the court Friday afternoon.

A spokesman for the coop, which operates as a programming and hardware purchasing agent for distributors, said the contract with Tennis Channel, calling for its positioning on a sports tier, is "enforceable and valid."

With the U.S. Open set to begin Aug. 31, Cablevision on Wednesday, citing its "recent" membership in the coop, said it wanted to launch Tennis in both standard and high-definition on its iO Sports Pak on Friday Aug. 28 and was waiting for the programmer to authorize the signal.

"Cablevision is also a participating member under our agreement with Tennis Channel, and as such is entitled to carry the network," NCTC said in a statement Friday afternoon.

Tennis, which has been seeking to gain a wider carriage berth with the New York DMA's predominant cable operator for years, cited such issues as extending 30-day notice before gaining access to the network and the unilateral press release Cablevision issued Wednesday afternoon as legal points of contention

To that end, NCTC said it was "unaware of any previous launch request where Tennis Channel delayed authorization for 30 days. The only real issue is if Tennis Channel feels it is prudent and appropriate to delay authorization, preventing Cablevision's customers from enjoying this year's U.S. Open."
Tennis is scheduled to provide 240 hours from Flushing Meadow, including 72 showcasing live match play.

On Friday, Tennis issued its own statement: "Cablevision, one of the nation's largest cable companies, is trying to use NCTC, a representative of the nation's smallest cable companies, to enable it to provide Tennis Channel only to a narrow band of its customers willing to pay a steep, premium subscriber fee. We have submitted a new proposal to Cablevision to provide Tennis Channel to its subscribers broadly and at no additional cost to them. Cablevision is trying to use NCTC as a PR ploy, and it will not work. If Cablevision were really interested in providing Tennis Channel to its customers, it would negotiate with us directly."

Earlier, Cablevision had issued its own statement on Friday afternoon, urging Tennis to make its service available to the operator's sports tier. The operator noted that it would make its iO Sports Pak free for the next month upon Tennis authorizing the signal for the launch of the service in both the standard (channel 399) and high-definition (channel 795) formats and that it had provided the programmer with all of the technical information it needs to "flip the switch."

Tennis CEO Ken Solomon in an Aug. 27 interview with Multichannel News indicated that the network had sent Cablevision a scaled-back offer from the one it had presented last weekend. Cablevision's Sports Pak currently carries 15 other networks and retails for $5.95 per month.

Asked what would happen if Tennis didn't activate the signal, NCTC said "the next step would be Cablevision's."

Presumably, that would put more lawyers into the distribution match.

http://www.multichannel.com/article/338798-Cablevision_s_Sports_Tier_Contract_For_Tennis_Channel_is_Enf orceable_And_Valid_NCTC.php

Fault: Tennis Channel Will Go Missing On Cablevision During U.S. Open

CEO Solomon Says Tennis Hopes To Get Deal With Operator 'In the Future'

Mike Reynolds -- Multichannel News, 8/31/2009 10:45:18 AM EDT

Tennis Channel CEO Ken Solomon appeared on CNBC this morning talking about the network's inaugural coverage of the U.S. Open. Part of that message: the network won't be appearing before Cablevision Systems Corp. subscribers in time for this year's Grand Slam event.

Asked about a deal Cablevision has to put Tennis on its sports tier via a contract with the National Cable Television Cooperative, Solomon said "we don't have a deal right now. We hope to get in one in the future."

Solomon, being interviewed on the grounds of the U.S. National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y., where the Opn begins today at 11 a.m., said Tennis deserves to be seen by a "broad range" of viewers and that positioning on Cablevision's iO Sport Pak would only put it before 3% of the MSO's subscriber base, which totals around 3.1 million video customers. He said that's "not right for the U.S. Open."

On Aug. 26, Cablevision announced that through its NCTC membership it wanted to launch Tennis on its sports tier, which carries 15 other sports network and retails for $5.95 per month, in both standard and high-definition formats by Aug. 28, in time for the Open. The New York metro area's predominant cable operator said it was waiting for Tennis to authorize its signal. Last Friday, NCTC said Tennis channel's contract was "enforceable and valid."

Cablevision couldn't be immediately reached for comment Monday morning.

http://www.multichannel.com/article/338888-Fault_Tennis_Channel_Will_Go_Missing_On_Cablevision_During_U _S_Open.php

http://www.multichannel.com/article/338888-Fault_Tennis_Channel_Will_Go_Missing_On_Cablevision_During_U _S_Open.php

The article has since been updated with CV's response:

Early afternoon, Cablevision served up this statement: "We have a valid agreement that will immediately make the Tennis Channel available to any Cablevision customer who wants it. Thus far, the Tennis Channel is claiming a technicality allows it to delay the launch by a few weeks, and is refusing to do the right thing by authorizing Cablevision to receive its signal. Any further delay by the Tennis Channel is at the expense of New York-area tennis fans. Fortunately, Cablevision customers can already view more than 130 hours of the best live U.S. Open coverage on CBS and ESPN."

Lawyers Could Settle Cablevision-Tennis Carriage Tiebreak

September 1, 2009

It was hardly business as usual for Venus Williams, who overcame tendonitis in her left knee to defeat Russian Vera Dushevina 6-7 (5), 7-5, 6-3 in just under three hours to win her opening match at the 2009 U.S. Open.

Then again, perhaps it’s just the way things get done at Flushing Meadows, where ESPN2 got a taste of what USA Network faced during its quarter-century of Open telecasts — the second match of the night, featuring No. 5 seed Andy Roddick, didn’t begin until after its primetime window was supposed to close at 11 p.m.

But there wasn’t any business done, as usual, by Cablevision and Tennis Channel, as the network’s inaugural day of coverage of the Grand Slam event landed outside the doubles alley for the MSO’s subscribers.

Tennis Channel CEO Ken Solomon, appearing on CNBC this morning, said the parties don’t have a deal. Cablevision, a “recent” member of the National Cable Television Cooperative, begs to differ, lobbying for Tennis to authorize its signal so the operator could launch the channel in both standard- and high-definition. The co-op agrees that the contract — calling for placement on a sports tier was concluded some seven years ago during the prior management’s regime — is in fact enforceable and valid.

Tennis, which has 240 hours of Open coverage, including 72 allocated for live matches in store for the fortnight, has lobbed up legalities, notably a 30-day notice period before the network can launch, as its defensive move for not playing doubles with Cablevision. NCTC says it is “unaware of any previous launch request where Tennis Channel delayed authorization for 30 days.”

The question remains is Tennis merely buying time until the end of September. At that point, the Open will have crowned new champions and closed entirely in the minds of most local sports fans in favor of a presumed Yankees playoff push and the Giants and Jets NFL seasons.

I’m not suggesting that Tennis took the New York’s DMA’s top distributor lightly when it ran ads in Big Apple area newspapers admonishing “Thanks for Nothing Cablevision” on Aug. 17 (Trucks with the ad were reportedly rolling in Bethpage again on Monday).

The track record shows that the Bethpage, N.Y.-headquartered operator is quite content playing by its own terms. Just ask New York Yankees fans. They got shut out in 2002, the rookie season of the YES Network. And suffice it to say in these parts, Derek Jeter is just a little more popular than Roger Federer or any other tennis player, including those named Connors and McEnroe.

Sure, Tennis wants and deserves wider distribution for its year-round presentation of the global sport, which includes coverage of all four majors and a bevy of original programming, in HD. At about 15 cents, it’s monthly subscriber license fee is certainly less costly than many other sports networks.

But if Tennis is contractually obligated to Cablevision’s iO Sports Pak (said to have about 90,000 subscribers at $5.95 per month) and is going to wind up there at the end of the September — after the 30-day notification period expires — then its Open shot fell into the net for naught.

However, one has to think that the network’s lawyers are warming up on the practice courts — with what, a new real deadline of next August, when the 2010 U.S. Open approaches, looming.

That’s a game that may prove interesting to industry watchers and reporters, but not Cablevision subscribers who are tennis fans — they’re still waiting to gain access to a network that tossed in its first serve during 2003.

Posted by Mike Reynolds on September 1, 2009

http://www.multichannel.com/blog/Reynolds_Rap/22544-Lawyers_Could_Settle_Cablevision_Tennis_Carriage_Tiebreak.ph p

Cablevision Debuts Web DVR Scheduling

First Cable Operator to Introduce Feature Across Service Footprint

http://www.multichannel.com/article/354904-Cablevision_Debuts_Web_DVR_Scheduling.php

Cablevision Debuts Web DVR Scheduling

First Cable Operator to Introduce Feature Across Service Footprint

http://www.multichannel.com/article/354904-Cablevision_Debuts_Web_DVR_Scheduling.php

Have been using for a couple of weeks, works fine.
Still has 7 day limit and no ability to adjust start/finish on scheduled recording.

This afternoon, the network issued this statement: "Effective September 24, 2009, Tennis Channel has elected for now to grant signal access to Cablevision pursuant to its request under Tennis Channel's agreement with the National Cable Television Cooperative. We remain deeply concerned about Cablevision's tactic of using our agreement with NCTC to undermine the parties' longstanding negotiations and to carry Tennis Channel on terms that do not serve the interests of its customers. Cablevision's actions are particularly alarming in light of the recent change in NCTC, which has transformed itself from a small-operator buying cooperative into an entity that reaches 26.7 million cable subscribers. That is more than the number reached by the largest cable provider in the United States. These actions have industry-wide ramifications and should be addressed by the appropriate regulatory authorities."

For its part, Cablevision volleyed this reply: "We welcome the Tennis Channel to the iO Sports Pak. It is unfortunate that the leadership of the Tennis Channel decided to withhold its programming until now, denying our customers the ability to receive its U.S. Open coverage, but we look forward to now making it available to any Cablevision customer who wants to receive it."

http://www.multichannel.com/article/355176-Tennis_Will_Authorize_Signal_To_Cablevision.php

Cablevision Looks to Lock Up Basic Video Tier

September 23, 2009 | Jeff Baumgartner

Cablevision Systems Corp. (NYSE: CVC) wants the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to lift a rule that keeps it from encrypting its basic video tier. If the FCC does so, consumers who use digital TVs with embedded QAM tuners to receive basic channels "in the clear" today would be forced to rent or buy a set-top box capable of displaying the newly encrypted programming.

Cablevision wants the rule lifted as it makes plans to convert its New York City system to all-digital, claiming the move will "have virtually no negative impact on customers" while reducing costs and helping the MSO to improve customer service. On that last point, Cablevision's emphasizing that a waiver of the encryption rule coupled with an all-digital cutover would also help it "activate and terminate service without appointments," while also beefing up the overall security of the network.

Going all-digital, of course, would likewise allow the MSO to reclaim valuable analog spectrum for more HD services, even more channels for Docsis 3.0 services, and capacity for the streams it will need to support its ambitious RS-DVR service. (See Supremes Stand Clear of RS-DVR Case.)

Cablevision has already made a move in this direction, announcing in March that it plans to stop marketing its expanded basic tier in analog format by year's end. At the time, the MSO said just 5 percent of its subs get that tier, which is made up of about 60 channels. Basic tiers generally contain far fewer channels, relegated to local broadcast stations and PEG (public, education, and government) access channels). [Ed. note: We've asked Cablevision for an update on how many channels currently make up its basic video tier.] (See Cablevision Eyes All-Digital Future .)

UPDATE: A Cablevision spokesman says about 20 channels, mostly broadcast networks, make up the basic video tier, with everything else above that's already encrypted. Among other updates, the company noted in the original petition that encrypting the basic tier will reduce on-site visits to service drops, estimating that the number of eliminated truck rolls would save more than 3.5 million gallons of fuel annually. It also believes the encryption of the basic tier will help to reduce service theft.

Cablevision claims that 99 percent of its customers now take digital video service, so the vast majority already use either a digital set-top box or some other CableCARD-equipped device to decrypt and view digital programming. "Granting the waiver in these circumstances will not lead to any 'widespread' compatibility problems that would justify denial of the waiver," Cablevision argued.


But if the waiver is granted and encryption is added, the few Cablevision basic tier customers still using TVs with QAM tuners will need to obtain a box to get that programming.

The FCC Media Bureau has put the request out for comment, with comments and opposing views due by Oct. 22, 2009. Cablevision's replies to those comments will be due Nov. 6, 2009.

The whole matter will be discussed in docket No. 09-168 for those of you out there who want to watch the fireworks fly.

The FCC alert did not go into detail on how Cablevision intends to encrypt the basic tier. Today, its digital boxes use a mix of CableCARDs and SmartCards. Cablevision has also recently introduced a downloadable conditional access system based on the NDS Ltd. "key ladder." (See Cablevision Starts Downloading .)

— Jeff Baumgartner, Site Editor, Cable Digital News

http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=182232&site=cdn&f_src=lightreading_gnews

The NYC system is already all digital. With a high number of rental units in that system I'm sure they spend a lot of time putting on and taking off traps. This move is really a solution against service theft which is why that is one of their only fully digital systems now.

It's at the point where it's not worth spending even one extra penny on a TV with a QAM tuner over a similar set with no tuner at all.

Cablevision Systems Corp. (NYSE: CVC) wants the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to lift a rule that keeps it from encrypting its basic video tier. .... claiming the move will "have virtually no negative impact on customers"
Well, I have 3 QAM TV's and we use them all without a cable box, so now I'll need a cable box for each one just to watch ch2-21 in hi-def. Cable boxes are $6/month- 3 new boxes = $216 extra per year.... I'd call that "negative impact".

Cablevision=Greed + Greed + Greed + Greed..........

Simple solution: Force Cablevision to grant customers as many STBs or CableCARDs as requested gratis. Ban all install and "digital port fees" in perpetuity; and conditionally revoke its CableCARD waiver.

I have no doubt this is a test case for Cablevision; with system wide ramifications. I really need to drop OOL for FiOS simply on principle.

The NYC system is already all digital. With a high number of rental units in that system I'm sure they spend a lot of time putting on and taking off traps. This move is really a solution against service theft which is why that is one of their only fully digital systems now.

That seems pretty bogus to me. You don't need traps unless your actually going to try to block people that have Internet access from getting basic cable. Cable companies everywhere I've been haven't bothered doing that, partly because the rate you pay for just Internet access is about the same as what you pay for Cable+Basic TV (since you get a small discount for having an internet-TV bundle). You don't need to install or remove traps for people that are simply upgrading to expanded basic or downgrading to basic, since the encryption on the expanded basic lineup handles that.

And is theft really a probably for basic TV? A lot of people can get all the channels for free over-the-air anyway. Keep in mind basic cable here is not the same thing as expanded basic. Cable cable is just the local broadcast networks and the public access stations. I find it hard to believe that cable companies are losing a significant amount of money because people in condos and apartments are stealing basic cable TV (since those are the ones that likely can't get things OTA).

This is just about Cablevision not wanting to ever have to physically disconnect people from their cable lines. But, they can't say that because I don't think cost is an allowable excuse for requesting a waiver. Cable theft is specifically mentioned in the FCC regulation forbidding encryption of basic cable, so that's why they're bringing it up.

Simple solution: Force Cablevision to grant customers as many STBs or CableCARDs as requested gratis. Ban all install and "digital port fees" in perpetuity; and conditionally revoke its CableCARD waiver.

I have no doubt this is a test case for Cablevision; with system wide ramifications. I really need to drop OOL for FiOS simply on principle.

fios requires a box for every tv, as does dish and directv
maybe they should charge a smaller fee for additional boxes
i think 1.99 is fair

fios requires a box for every tv, as does dish and directv
Yes, but their customers knew this going in and factored this cost in their monthly bill, they're not forced to use them later at additional expense(s).


maybe they should charge a smaller fee for additional boxes- I think 1.99 is fair
Free or under $2 would be acceptable to me, but $6.75/month per box is too much.




Other thing no body seems to ever mention is the high electrical usage of the SA Cable boxes that Cablevision uses.
My last SA4200HD (non DVR- no hard drive) consumed 47 watts while on. Here electricity is about $0.25/kwh, so SA4200HD each box costs about $8.46/month to run. Multiply that by 3 new boxes needed and now it's $25.38/month just to power the 3 cable boxes. For the year that comes in at about $304 in added electricity cost.
... So add the $6.75/month rental for each new cable box... 3 boxes @ $6.75/month= $20.25/month x 12 months= $243 for the year rental + $304 for electricity = $547 additional per year over what I pay cable now.

$547 additional per year- how is that "virtually no negative impact on customers" ?

fios requires a box for every tv, as does dish and directv
maybe they should charge a smaller fee for additional boxes
i think 1.99 is fair

FiOS sends sends its "broadcast basic" equivalent in "Clear QAM". $0.01 isn't fair considering Cablevision's petition to sidestep a federal mandate. This is purely for their own enrichment.

Cablevision could use addressable pole traps, eliminating "truck rolls" and the need for STBs. They could also negotiate property access rights like a utility, without need of a landlord's presence.

The FCC route is the cheapest way long term. An approval would also set precedence. The petition's language is so specious, it would be logical to request application system wide.

NEW YORK, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Cablevision Systems Corp(CVC.N) reached a new deal with CBS Corp (CBS.N) to carry its broadcast network as well as Showtime, the Smithsonian Channel, and CBS College Sports Network, the companies said on Friday.

In the New York, Cablevision will continue to carry WCBS2, while Cablevision customers in central and southern New Jersey will receive Philadelphia's KYW, which is the local CBS station, and WPSG, which is the local CW network.

http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssTechMediaTelecomNews/idUSN097926320091009

Cablevision To Raise 2010 Video Rates 3.7%

High-Speed Internet, Phone Prices Remain Stable For Seventh Straight Year

Mike Farrell -- Multichannel News, 10/29/2009

Cablevision Systems said it would raise video rates an average of 3.7% in 2010, but added there would be no increase for voice or high-speed Internet service for the seventh consecutive year.

The increases will take place over the next few months depending on a customer's specific location and billing cycle.
Cablevision provides service to about 3.1 million customers in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

The increase is slightly higher than 2009, when video rates rose an average of 3.5%. But it is substantially below the 21% increase Cablevision rival Verizon Communications implemented for its legacy FiOS TV Premier Package earlier this month.

Cablevision has been busy so far this year rolling out new products and services -- it continued to deploy its Optimum WiFi wireless Internet service free to subscribers of its Optimum Online high-speed data service; added new features like Web-enabled remote DVR scheduling and content management; launched 55 new free HD channels; and expanded its free VOD content to include programming from Bloomberg Your Money, Cartoon Network, SyFy, Shalom TV, Bravo, CNN, USA, Adult Swim, Martha Stewart, A&E, Boomerang and truTV.

"Cablevision continues to deliver reliability, simplicity, advanced technology and unbeatable value across our full range of television, high-speed Internet and phone services," said Cablevision senior vice president John Trierweiler in a statement. "We've been successful in a highly competitive market because our customers love our products, which we continue to enhance through new features and functionality. Whether it's more free HD, additional video on demand or broad access to free WiFi, we work every day to demonstrate an unwavering commitment to quality and service."

Ken: guess they are not making enough $$..they more than tripled their 3rd quarter profit:

http://www.newsday.com/business/cablevision-s-3rd-quarter-profit-more-than-triples-1.1566758..:mad:

Ken: guess they are not making enough $$..they more than tripled their 3rd quarter profit:

http://www.newsday.com/business/cablevision-s-3rd-quarter-profit-more-than-triples-1.1566758..:mad:I don't know if he can read that. Is he a CV or Newsday.com subscriber?

Cablevision Systems Corp., the largest cable television operator in the metropolitan area, said Tuesday third-quarter profits more than tripled on better results at its cable TV systems and networks.

Bethpage-based Cablevision said net income was $98.9 million, or 33 cents a share, compared with a profit of $30.9 million, or 10 cents a share, in the same period last year.

The company, which owns Newsday, said revenues rose to $1.84 billion in the latest quarter, from $1.75 billion in the year-ago period.

Cablevision beat estimates by analysts, who were expecting a per-share profit of 26 cents on sales of $1.82 billion.

"We are pleased with our momentum in what remains a challenging environment and continue to focus on building our business for the long term," Cablevision chief executive James Dolan said in a statement before the markets opened.

Cablevision chief operating officer Tom Rutledge said in a conference call with analysts that advertising revenue was up in the third quarter.

"There are more traditional advertisers back in the market, and there was more political advertising," he told analysts. "There seems to be some economic rebound occurring that's manifesting itself in advertising."

Dolan also said Cablevision is "on track" to complete the spinoff of its Madison Square Garden unit.

Cablevision said Newsday sustained an $800,000 loss in the third quarter, compared with profit of $4.2 million in the same period last year. The newspaper industry has been hit hard by declining ad revenues in the recession. Analyst Craig Moffett of Sanford Bernstein & Co. said the loss was expected.

"The consensus [on Wall Street] was that the business [Newsday] would make no money," Moffett said. But, he said, "Overall, the results were very strong. It's remarkable that in this economic environment Cablevision is not only growing but expanding margins."

Cable television revenues rose 4.5 percent, to $1.303 billion. The company said that revenue increased as the result of "growth in digital video, high-speed data and voice customers, as well as higher rates reflected in third quarter 2009 results."

The company said that basic video customers were down 27,300, or 0.9 percent, from June 2009 and down 46,200 or 1.5 percent from September 2008. Rutledge said the company has seen some "slowing growth in areas where unemployment is higher."

Looks like we are getting the Smithsonian Channel HD next week

November 13, 2009

Ms. Kimberley Santopietro
Executive Secretary
Department of Public Utility Control
10 Franklin Square
New Britain, Connecticut 06051

Re: Programming Change

Dear Ms. Santopietro:

In accordance with the provisions of C.G.S. 16-331k, we are hereby providing your agency with notice of upcoming programming changes in Connecticut.

Effective Monday, November 16, 2009, Cablevision will launch two (2) Standard Definition channels and one (1) High Definition channel. Tele El Salvador is the first international channel from El Salvador. This 24-hour standard definition channel features exclusive live coverage of news, sports and special events. Tele El Salvador will be available to iO en Espanol customers on digital channel 228. The Smithsonian Channel features original documentaries, explorations, innovative, groundbreaking programs highlighting America’s historical, cultural and scientific heritage. The Smithsonian Channel will be available as both a standard definition channel on digital channel 163 and a high definition channel on channel 780 in the iO Gold Package.

Customers are being notified via channel guide banners and bill messages. Customer service personnel have been informed of this change and are available to answer individual subscriber inquiries. I have attached a copy of the revised channel line-up for the Cablevision franchise areas.

Sincerely,




Jennifer Young, Director
Government Affairs

Effective Thursday, November 19, 2009, Cablevision will launch FOX Business in both Standard Definition on channel 106 and High Definition on channel
772.

FOX Business News is a financial news channel that delivers real-time information across all platforms that impacts both Main Street and Wall Street. FOX Business is available to all residential customers with a subscription to the iO Package and above.

http://www.dpuc.state.ct.us/DPUCUndocketed.nsf/88f12116235902e185256a860056babb/85256a63004def9685257672004f54db?OpenDocument

http://www.dpuc.state.ct.us/DPUCUndocketed.nsf/6e9beec82815c42f85256a61005a47fc/85256a63004def968525768d0075eb59?OpenDocument

Effective Wednesday, December 16, 2009, Cablevision will launch News 12 HD on channel 712. News 12 HD will be made available as an HD digital service in the Broadcast Basic Package. News 12 Connecticut is the leaders for breaking local news and programming and is only available on Cablevision.

(expect usual three day roll out)

http://www.dpuc.state.ct.us/DPUCUndocketed.nsf/6e9beec82815c42f85256a61005a47fc/85256a63004def968525768d0075eb59?OpenDocument

Effective Wednesday, December 16, 2009, Cablevision will launch News 12 HD on channel 712.
Should look good as Cablevision can't blame poor PQ on the feed from someone else this time.

CBS College Sports HD addition, added to iO tier

Effective Tuesday, December 29, 2009, Cablevision will launch CBS College sports (Channel 143) and CBS College Sports HD (Channel 793) into the iO Package making both Standard and High Definition versions available to Residential iO Package, iO Silver, iO Gold and iO Sports Pak subscribers as well as Business Class iO package and iO Sports Pak subscribers. CBS College Sports is a multimedia network and the first dedicated exclusively to college sports 24 hours a day.

posted on local forum by mws192
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=446219&page=999

Milford/New Haven System only (and Litchfield already has it)

Effective Tuesday, December 29, 2009, Cablevision will launch NESN Standard Definition and NESN High Definition (HD) on channels 65 and 721, respectively. NESN and NESN HD will be made available as a digital service in the Family Package or above with the correct digital and/of HD equipment. NESN features Boston Red Sox and Boston Bruins games while providing generals news coverage of the entire Boston sports market.

http://www.dpuc.state.ct.us/DPUCUndocketed.nsf/88f12116235902e185256a860056babb/85256a63004def9685257693005f7913?OpenDocument

Food Network and HGTV, both owned by Scripps, went dark at midnight on 1/1/2010 as a result of failed carriage renewal.


Edit:

Adding links

http://www.cablevision.com/scripps/

http://www.ilovehgtv.com/category/cablevision/

Food Network and HGTV, both owned by Scripps, went dark at midnight on 1/1/2010 as a result of failed carriage renewal.

The wife is not happy about this at all. I think these channels will be back. Cablevision has to compete with fios in almost all their markets.

The wife is not happy about this at all. I think these channels will be back. Cablevision has to compete with fios in almost all their markets.

I'm with you on this, especially after seeing Cablevision renew its contract with Rainbow. Hopefully it won't last too long.

tried to get thru to CV to complain, lines jammed, wonder why?

tried to get thru to CV to complain, lines jammed, wonder why?

Because it is New Years Day!
Try again on Monday and you will get right through.

Because it is New Years Day!
Try again on Monday and you will get right through.

no I think its all the complaints about food network and HGTV being cancelled that is jamming up the lines..

no I think its all the complaints about food network and HGTV being cancelled that is jamming up the lines..

LOL.....It's a holiday. No one is working because they have the day off like everyone else.

It doesn't look good for getting the channels back.

"We wish Scripps well and have no expectation of carrying their programming again, given the dramatic changes in their approach to working with distributors to reach television viewers," said Cablevision in a statement."

It doesn't look good for getting the channels back.

"We wish Scripps well and have no expectation of carrying their programming again, given the dramatic changes in their approach to working with distributors to reach television viewers," said Cablevision in a statement."

posturing

LOL.....It's a holiday. No one is working because they have the day off like everyone else.

Companies that do 24 hour customer service don't take holidays off. The call center is always staffed.

E-mail Cablevision here with your complaints ;

http://optimum.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/optimum.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php

I sent them a profanity laced email yesterday. I hate Cablevision with a passion. I never liked satellite TV but I may go Direct TV. The problem is the one and only thing CV does right is HD. Yes the picture sucks cause its compressed but they have the most HD movie channels that I can find. Other than that I HATE Cablevision. Why is the cable box so slow? It takes forever for the channels to change! and its takes forever for the guide to come up! WHY! Its sooooo annoying. My friend has Fios and the guide comes up in less than a split second. J.H.

E-mail Cablevision here with your complaints ;

http://optimum.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/optimum.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php

CV will not pay Scripps ransom, period!
Emailing them is a joke.

CSR - Boss we are geting tons of people complaining about Food Net and HGTV.

Boss - Thanks I'll pass that along

Dolan - How much are we saving?

Accountant - Millions

Dolan - Perfect

CV will not pay Scripps ransom, period!
Emailing them is a joke.

CSR - Boss we are geting tons of people complaining about Food Net and HGTV.

Boss - Thanks I'll pass that along

Dolan - How much are we saving?

Accountant - Millions

Dolan - Perfect

Agree Dolan is an A-hole. He destroyed the Knicks and the Rangers. He has the worst HD picture in the business and their internet service is highway robbery for 45 dollars a month. Fios internet is more than twice faster than CV. J.H.

Agree Dolan is an A-hole. He destroyed the Knicks and the Rangers. He has the worst HD picture in the business and their internet service is highway robbery for 45 dollars a month. Fios internet is more than twice faster than CV. J.H.
I wish Cablevision Broadband Internet was only $45/month.... I have just basic cable with Cablevision- no packages for VOIP, etc and my internet service from Cablevision is $49.95/month.

I wish Cablevision Broadband Internet was only $45/month.... I have just basic cable with Cablevision- no packages for VOIP, etc and my internet service from Cablevision is $49.95/month.

I hear that they just overall suck. I feel your pain believe me. After dealing with this company for years now I can honestly say I with a passion hate them. J.H.

From Channel Tech Center.com
Profitable Technology

Will Cablevision’s Actions Push Internet TV?

By Frank Ohlhorst

Cablevision’s customer forums are abuzz with complaints against the company and threats to drop Cablevision’s services – all relating to Cablevision’s decision to drop HGTV and the FoodNetwork – two very popular cable channels with unique content.

Cablevision blames a contract dispute with Scripps Networks as the root cause of dropping Scripps Networks’ HGTV and The FoodNetwork channels, yet the whole situation stinks of corporate greed and the need to maximize profits at the expense of the customer, a practice that cablevision has become very adept at.

When it comes down to it, the Scripps debacle is only the icing on the cake of cablevision’s anti-consumer practices – 2009 has been filled with examples of Cablevision’s questionable practices that have one goal in mind – Increasing revenue, regardless of how customers are affected, an ideology leveraged by monopolies for centuries. However Cablevision needs to be very careful – the company is no longer a monopoly and each strike at the consumer moves those customers closer to the competition – namely satellite and phone company alternatives.

Over the last year, cablevision has made several changes that highlight the company’s goal to increase billing, while limiting services. One of the first concrete indications of Cablevision’s anti-consumer practices came with the company’s switch to digital broadcast technology – the company removed popular analog channels from their system, under the guise of creating more bandwidth for digital TV. While on the surface, that sounds like a customer-orientated goal, a deeper dive shows how the move was engineered to force consumers to pay additional fees for services that were once free.

First off, a look at the analog channels that were eliminated shows that the company targeted popular channels such as TLC, SyFy, MSNBC, AMC, MTV, VH1, Lifetime, Spike, ABC Family, BET, WE, History Channel, CNN Headline News, Fuse, C-Span, and others (for more info, please read this consumer reports post).

Consumers who used to get those channels for free now had to pay for digital equipment to receive them – in other words, consumers were forced to rent a digital cable box at $6.75 per month for each television in the household and with many households having three or more TVs, that could really boost cablevision’s profits. The move to digital would not have been so bad if Cablevision did not decide to scramble that digital content, which forces consumers to use Cablevision’s proprietary equipment. It seems that the only reason that cablevision would scramble those channels is to prevent consumers from using integrated digital TV tuners, clearQAM or other technologies to receive those channels – one has to wonder who benefited from the move to digital and the scrambling of content.

In 2009, Cablevision was also pushing the move to HDTV, by offering High-definition content (on their own digital equipment of course) to consumers. One of the highlights of Cablevision’s HDTV content was VOOM networks, with offered 15 channels of unique specialized content to Cablevision subscribers. Cablevision dropped VOOM (which is owned by Cablevision’s subsidiary Rainbow networks) in January of 2009, claiming that VOOM would cease operations due to financial reasons – yet, VOOM still offers HDTV content internationally. One could believe that VOOM was eliminated simply because Cablevision had reached it HDTV subscription goals and VOOM was no longer needed to entice new customers. Once again, Cablevision showed that it could eliminate services, without lowering prices to customers.

The examples of Cablevision’s anti-consumer posture abounds. One just has to cruise the various blogs and forums to find many more examples of how Cablevision can offer less and charge more, or see examples of how over the years Cablevision has argued for rate increases, yet has had ample cash reserves to purchase Madison Square Garden, News Day and even the failed Wiz electronics store chain.

Perhaps things will change, the latest problem created by Cablevision is based upon a claim against HGTV and The Food Network’s provider wanting higher fees for content, while that may be true – it is interesting that no other Cable TV providers, Phone Company TV service providers or Satellite TV providers have dropped Scripp’s programming. So, what is the truth here? Is Cablevision the bad guy or is it Scripps Networks’ fault? One may never know – but the stage has been set for a potential industry change to occur that will harm broadcasters and change the way content is consumed – and that is called on-demand Internet TV.

Those that have been denied access to channels are turning to the Internet to watch their shows, and are able to do that according to their own schedules. As Internet enabled digital TV devices arrive on the market and more people adopt entertainment system PCs – there will be a shift and once that happens, a combination of over the air digital broadcasts and internet enabled TVs might just meet the typical consumers needs – good news for PC vendors, bad news for Cable, phone-company and satellite TV broadcasters. All the technology needs is a little push – and perhaps Cablevision inadvertently gave a that new technology a much needed push.

"Those that have been denied access to channels are turning to the Internet to watch their shows, and are able to do that according to their own schedules. As Internet enabled digital TV devices arrive on the market and more people adopt entertainment system PCs – there will be a shift and once that happens, a combination of over the air digital broadcasts and internet enabled TVs might just meet the typical consumers needs – good news for PC vendors, bad news for Cable, phone-company and satellite TV broadcasters. All the technology needs is a little push – and perhaps Cablevision inadvertently gave a that new technology a much needed push. "

that would normally be a threat, except CV owns the pipe to the internet.
all the ISP's are in control and networks will soon be dead, just look at NBC.

I'm writing Cablevision a profanity laced email every day until we get back these 2 channels. So help me god if we do not get them back they will get a email till the day I DIE! I'm also personal bringing Dolan into each email. J.H.

Only part I disagree with is the part about moving channels to digital. It is never bad to make channels digital.

First off, a look at the analog channels that were eliminated shows that the company targeted popular channels such as TLC, SyFy, MSNBC, AMC, MTV, VH1, Lifetime, Spike, ABC Family, BET, WE, History Channel, CNN Headline News, Fuse, C-Span, and others (for more info, please read this consumer reports post).

Gee, too bad TWC won't "target" these popular channels to give all their customers better quality picture by making them digital. Plus it would free up bandwidth so they could be carried as linear channels, not compressed and on the often faulty SDV technology. What a horrible thing, making channels digital.:rolleyes: I'm astounded how these "technology" articles appease the lowest common denominator. I remember around the time many markets started carrying the CW on subchannels, there was whining about it not being on analog cable. Uhh, you're lucky it was on digital cable(where subchannels are). Considering I was watching an analog CW with fuzz and streaks in the picture at that time, I'd kill for it in digital.

I'm writing Cablevision a profanity laced email every day until we get back these 2 channels. So help me god if we do not get them back they will get a email till the day I DIE! I'm also personal bringing Dolan into each email. J.H.

That's so mature of you. I bet he can't wait to read them. You should write letters like that to everyone you have an issue with.

That's so mature of you. I bet he can't wait to read them. You should write letters like that to everyone you have an issue with.

No just Cablevision! I hate them and they keep screwing their own customers. You have no idea what is like dealing with these baffoons on a daily basis. My favorite is on HD channels A LOT! There is a blank screen for 15 to 20 SECONDS! and it says "Channel is not available at this time,please try again later"! Why on gods green Earth does it say that? Why does it do that? I HATE CABLEVISION! HATE! J.H.

I'm writing Cablevision a profanity laced email every day until we get back these 2 channels. So help me god if we do not get them back they will get a email till the day I DIE! I'm also personal bringing Dolan into each email. J.H.

After several of those they will most likely block your email address from sending any more. Immature letters will get you nowhere, just as immature posts will get you put on ignore here.

My favorite is on HD channels A LOT! There is a blank screen for 15 to 20 SECONDS! and it says "Channel is not available at this time,please try again later"! Why on gods green Earth does it say that?

You have a signal issue, call for service and they will redo the wiring, for FREE.

And Dolan is a miserable moron too. He destroys everything he touches. The Knicks,the Rangers,Cablevision need I say more. He took the greatest arena in the world [MSG] and made it a place no wants to go because he ran both teams in the ground! Anyone want to defend this moron? Anyone? Speak up? J.H.

After several of those they will most likely block your email address from sending any more. Immature letters will get you nowhere, just as immature posts will get you put on ignore here.

Do you deal with this company? They are so incompetent its a joke? Not the guys that come to the house,they are good guys and friendly guys. They will gladly tell you how incompetent management is their. By the way the channel going out in not a signal issue to me. It happens at every CV house I have been to that has HD. My house,my moms house and my friends house. It happens all the time. I don't mind paying 157 a month for entertainment I just wish to god they would get their act together. Do the right thing by the customers. HGTV and the Food network are just 2 public examples that people see. Their are lots underneath that people don't see. We still don't have the NFL network because CV say it would cause them to raise rates and they don't want to do that. MY RATE GOES UP EVERY SINGLE YEAR ANYWAY DOLAN YOU BUM! J.H.

And Dolan is a miserable moron too. He destroys everything he touches. The Knicks,the Rangers,Cablevision need I say more. He took the greatest arena in the world [MSG] and made it a place no wants to go because he ran both teams in the ground! Anyone want to defend this moron? Anyone? Speak up? J.H.

I hear you dude, Cablevision are some of the biggest weasels and snakes arounds. Their simple goal is to milk every last dime they can from their customers to go into their pockets.

In my apartment Cablevision has the building wired, when you move in you are told by the landlord that the building doesn't want dishes placed on their property, so if you want "paid tv" CV is your only option, CV even has its own satellite and security channel for my building.

They have built a nice monopoly, where my only other option would be to disconnect their service and watch OTA, not much of a choice exactly.

Yet you will still find the shills who defend the CV bloodsucking pigs. I for one won't in a million years believe that because Food Network and HGTV are no longer on that my bill will not be raised by January 1st 2011 and one would have to be a crackpot to believe that.

This issue is about CV continuing to try and get ever increasing profits, whatever the means, they don't want anything cutting into that . The profits must go up, up, up.

I didn't need this issue with Scripps and CV to have a bitter taste about them, it existed long before this. Bunch of swines at Cablevision, I have nothing but utter contempt for them.

J.H. You need to get out of your NY mindset.

To call MSG the greatest arena in the world might have been accurate several decades ago.

But get around the country and you will find literally dozens of arenas far better than MSG.

Aside from that, it is hard to see why Cablevision wouldn't spend about 25 cents a month for each of Food and HGTV, since during 2009 they had prime time 18-49 ratings about half (Food) and 40% (HGTV) of ESPN -- which gets over $4 a month. And Cablevision has never, that I know of, complained about the rapidly escalating fees ESPN charges.

ESPN’s Rise in Sub Fees:
ESPN, 1997 $0.73
ESPN, 2006 $ 2.91
ESPN, 2007: $3.26
ESPN, 2008: $3.65
ESPN, 2009: $4.09
ESPN, 2010: $4.58 (Kagen estimate)
ESPN, 2011: $5.08 (Kagen estimate)

Main Source: SNL Kagan Research

MSG is still considered the mecca of pro Basketball. Leave that aside as you said I mean who cares. CV is just an awful miserable company. As I said I like the guys who comes to the house. They are nice knowledgeable guys who care but the company itself sucks bad. I love HGTV and I love Guy Fierie on the Food network but now I can't watch either yet my 157 dollars is still do next month!

Aside from that, it is hard to see why Cablevision wouldn't spend about 25 cents a month for each of Food and HGTV, since during 2009 they had prime time 18-49 ratings about half (Food) and 40% (HGTV) of ESPN -- which gets over $4 a month. And Cablevision has never, that I know of, complained about the rapidly escalating fees ESPN charges.


Because people actually watch ESPN. Check out Nielsen's recent Cable TV Network Weekly Ratings and you'll find out why very few will notice Food and HGTV missing. The channels aren't even in the top 20. On the other hand, ESPN (and USA) dominate the ratings. This is why DirecTV feared little turnover for dropping Versus and Time Warner feared little turnover for dropping HDNet. It reminds me of the saying, "If a tree falls in a forest and there's no one there to hear it, does it make a sound?"

J.H. You need to get out of your NY mindset.

To call MSG the greatest arena in the world might have been accurate several decades ago.

But get around the country and you will find literally dozens of arenas far better than MSG.And that could be interpreted as ownership neglect.

All I can say on the subject is that everyone I know (a dozen or so) in CV's service area switches to FiOS when it becomes available.

MSG is still considered the mecca of pro Basketball.Dream on.

Dream on.

Hey I hate the Knicks that's just what I hear. I'm a Nets fan now how sad is that? they suck but that's my team and I'm sticking with them. J.H.

Hey I hate the Knicks that's just what I hear. I'm a Nets fan now how sad is that? they suck but that's my team and I'm sticking with them. J.H.

I don't hate or love the Knicks. I feel sorry they got stuck with Isaiah for so long, as most in the Detroit area knew that was a train wreck waiting to happen.

My comment was about MSG. It's no longer considered a top venue. As fredfa noted, there are dozens of better NBA arenas.

Hey I hate the Knicks that's just what I hear. I'm a Nets fan now how sad is that? they suck but that's my team and I'm sticking with them. J.H.

It's promoted as the "World's most famous arena", not the world's greatest.

It's promoted as the "World's most famous arena", not the world's greatest.

Ok that's what I mean I guess. Also radio guys here still call it the mecca of pro basketball. I've only been to Metallica concerts there and loved it. Trains run right to it! That is the best part. No driving,Take the train,walk upstairs and your there.

It's promoted as the "World's most famous arena", not the world's greatest.

In New York, everything's the 'world's most famous/best....'.

In New York, everything's the 'world's most famous/best....'.

correct

In New York, everything's the 'world's most famous/best....'.

I'll concede the point on "World's Greatest...". I would believe "North America's Greatest" or "North America's most accessible by mass transit".

This morning watching "don't mess with the Zohan" on channel 816 Encore HD at 6:30 AM,the channel goes blank WHILE WATCHING THE MOVIE,A box pops up [CHANNEL NOT AVAILABLE] THIS CHANNEL IS CURRENTLY NOT AVAILABLE. PLEASE TRY AGAIN LATER. Its now 9:35 and the same dam thing. DON'T TELL ME NOT TO BE PISSED OFF AT THESE CABLEVISION LOSERS! I hate them. I am 2 seconds away from calling Direct TV. This channel along with HGTV and the Food Network are OUT but they still want my full 157 bucks this month I bet! Dolan is a jerk and his company sucks!

The channels aren't even in the top 20.

Not according to todays NY Newsday: Cablevision disputes the presence of the two networks in the top 10 of cable networks. According to Nielsen, HGTV ranked No. 12 and the Food Network ranked No. 20 among 66 basic cable channels in 2009.