Quote:
Originally Posted by jruhnke 
Didn't say it was a pre-req. You can build a house with a hammer and a handsaw, too, but it's a lot easier with power tools. But I said I didn't know that there was necessarily a dependency, just that there could be, and it might explain why Comcast's priorities appear different from yours. As RussB pointed out in his last post, maybe there's not.
Regardless, you're ignoring the larger point of my previous post. What is most valuable to you right now is not necessarily what's most valuable to Comcast. You said:
Do you know for a fact that HD choices is the #1 reason customers are leaving? More HD channels is only one weapon that Comcast can use in its struggle to ensure their continued existence in the long term, but they need a larger arsenal--I don't think HD channels alone will save them. Netflix, Hulu, et. al. are huge threats to Comcast's world--potentially far bigger threats than Uverse/FIOS/Satellite (which from a 20,000-foot overview all pretty much are about the same as cable in what they offer their customers).
Video over the internet is an entirely different competitor than Comcast's faced to date, and I bet it has them pretty scared. Personally, I know more people who have ditched cable/sat completely in favor of OTA + Netflix / internet video TV in the last 2 years than I know people who have swapped between Comcast/Uverse/Sat. I think Comcast is more worried about losing *that* battle over the next 2-10 years than about losing out to Uverse/Sat today, but maybe they figure their efforts against the former will also help in their battle against the latter. A unified software platform on which to build new features into the future is apparently a key part of their long-term strategy. As has been stated repeatedly over the last 8 months, the first look we get at the new guide will be essentially v1.0, and Comcast has said their plan is to deliver improvements and new features "rapidly" going into the future. (If they follow through, that will be a big change from what we saw during Time Warner's and then Comcast's management of our market, where we saw 2 or maybe 3 relatively minor software updates to the SARA interface over the last 7+ years.)
Didn't say it was a pre-req. You can build a house with a hammer and a handsaw, too, but it's a lot easier with power tools. But I said I didn't know that there was necessarily a dependency, just that there could be, and it might explain why Comcast's priorities appear different from yours. As RussB pointed out in his last post, maybe there's not.
Regardless, you're ignoring the larger point of my previous post. What is most valuable to you right now is not necessarily what's most valuable to Comcast. You said:
Do you know for a fact that HD choices is the #1 reason customers are leaving? More HD channels is only one weapon that Comcast can use in its struggle to ensure their continued existence in the long term, but they need a larger arsenal--I don't think HD channels alone will save them. Netflix, Hulu, et. al. are huge threats to Comcast's world--potentially far bigger threats than Uverse/FIOS/Satellite (which from a 20,000-foot overview all pretty much are about the same as cable in what they offer their customers).
Video over the internet is an entirely different competitor than Comcast's faced to date, and I bet it has them pretty scared. Personally, I know more people who have ditched cable/sat completely in favor of OTA + Netflix / internet video TV in the last 2 years than I know people who have swapped between Comcast/Uverse/Sat. I think Comcast is more worried about losing *that* battle over the next 2-10 years than about losing out to Uverse/Sat today, but maybe they figure their efforts against the former will also help in their battle against the latter. A unified software platform on which to build new features into the future is apparently a key part of their long-term strategy. As has been stated repeatedly over the last 8 months, the first look we get at the new guide will be essentially v1.0, and Comcast has said their plan is to deliver improvements and new features "rapidly" going into the future. (If they follow through, that will be a big change from what we saw during Time Warner's and then Comcast's management of our market, where we saw 2 or maybe 3 relatively minor software updates to the SARA interface over the last 7+ years.)
My $0.02 worth:
I don't understand how Internet TV can compete with HD cable channels that provide 5.1 sound. I've watched Internet TV and I couldn't get as good a picture as ESPNHD channel 633 or any of the HD channel movies. I know I can get a few OTA HD channels, but nothing like what Comcast provides at this time.
I tried Netflix PS3 and the content wasn't competitive with what I can get from Blockbuster mail. When Inception comes out on Blockbuster Blu-Ray weeks before Netflix, I decided Netflix just wasn't what I wanted.
For me, the more HD channels, the better, meaning the less likely I will switch to antother carrier like U-Verse. I don't care about the new Comcast interface, except I really use PIP. I guess I'll have to replace my 52" LCD with an LED PIP TV.
