Comcast HDTV - Page 8

Broedequin, always informative to put your location in your profile so we know what area just got the message that you received.

Rich N.

Sounds like you are in a 550 Mhz system. Otherwise jocularly known as the Comcast "2% Club"-- based on Comcast's statements to its investors that 98% of its systems are rebuilt. Such systems also exist in parts of the San Francisco Bay Area, the Pittsburgh, PA area, the Dallas, TX area and, I believe, the Los Angeles, CA area (and there may be other systems in other areas which are at 550 Mhz and thus bandwidth challenged in terms of adding additional HD channels).

SonomaSearcher - So it seems the CT (atleast the mid / southeast) Comcast area is a 550 Mhz system. You have stated on several occasions that they are rebuilding (updating) these systems. Do you know if Comcast has a rough ETA / Goal of completing the rebuilds (all 100% areas, as we unfortunate 2% are waiting) of the regional systems?

BTW I know that the New London County Comcast is a SA STB with SA software and what Andy238 described is 100% what we are going through. I wish they would dump the VOD (if it is hindering bandwith) for more HD channels. DiscoveryHD would be nice sometime this year (well early next year) along with ESPN2HD in January.

Is there any chance us 2% 550 Mhz areas will even get ESPN2HD in Jan?

Well that just sucks. I can barely stand 2% milk! Patience is a what again?

Andy

I have? You must be thinking of someone else. I wish I could say that Comcast is doing so for my good friends who live just to the north of me (in Santa Rosa, CA) but it appears they will be stuck on 550 Mhz for quite some time.

I cannot speak about other 550MHz areas, but SonomaSearcher is correct about Santa Rosa,CA. The prevailing position here is that Comcast is NOT going to upgrade from 550 to 860MHz, instead they are going to implement new compression technologies along with analog channel attrition, both of which are not things that are going to happen tomorrow, the next day or probably not even by sometime next year.



SonomaSearcher,
The mail delivery failed...you have PM

I live in central Florida and must be in that 2% club. Right now we get only 7 HD channels:
NBC
CBS
INHD
INHD2
ESPN
HBO
Showtime

In addition, we don't have VOD or PVR available. And the "digital" stations look like total crap. They compress them so much that there are large blocks of a solid color where there should be slight gradations. Faces look particularly bad on some channels, resembling blobs of solid color more that human faces.

As for the topic, I'd like to see any station added. I would hope to at least get ABC so that I can watch MNF, Desperate Housewives, and Lost. Would also like to see us get up to speed with other markets in getting DiscoveryHD.

Does anyone know or have an idea when Comcast will add the WB HD in the NJ/NY Metro area?

Would like to see WB HD here in Detroit also..

Please post in the appropriate local thread.

Or here:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...hreadid=375606

While we are on the topic, note the following:

In the San Francisco and Detroit areas, the WB stations are owned by Granite Broadcasting, which is offering up its digital/HD signal to Comcast with no strings attached (unlike some other WB station owners). So only Comcast knows why it does not carry WB HD in the Detroit and San Francisco areas.

I sure would like to see WB HD up on Comcast before the LOTR (FOTR) showing coming up later this month. I can receive Sacramento's WB station OTA, so I can watch it that way, but my OTA STB does not have firewire out, so I will not be able to record it.

This channel appeared in my COMCAST HD channel lineup several weeks ago, but until now has only been a static display of the "HDSE" logo with music.

Tonight they aired a one-hour telecast of the NFL Game of the Week: highlights of the Steelers-Patriots game. Of course, it was free. I suspect it was just a warmup for their usual PPV fare; e.g., $55 boxing matches.

That channel popped up here in Sacramento a few weeks ago, and it's only been used for the NFL Game of the Week...so far... I believe it will also be used for the CSN HD Kings games which start in December. It would be great to have it actually function as a PPV channel when not showing specific events. Comcast might actually get a few bucks from me for PPV then.

Well they must have been busy in Dallas because in DFW we are getting the following HD Channels on Comcast with VOD right around the corner:

ABC-HD
NBC-HD
CBS-HD
FOX-HD
WB-HD
PBS-HD
DiscoveryHD
ESPNHD
INHD1
INHD2
All of the HD versions of HBO, SHO, etc..

I would like to see Bravo-HD before TNT-HD myself.

Laters,
Jeff

More distressing news. To all those people who didn't think BravoHD+ was any good and Comcast shouldn't waste bandwidth....here comes NBC-U which will have unedited and uncut movies, along with other shows and sports. If we'd had BravoHD+ we'd be getting that now.

Just another channel that more and more people will have that we won't.

I'm getting concerned that Comcast feels no pressure to add obviously high-interest channels for whatever reasons. ESPN2HD, HDNET and NBC-U are "no-brainer" channels for a competitive situation with D*. (others would point to TNT-HD as well). With INHD running out of ideas (Eating contests in HD?!) we need some new HD non-commercial channels. And if you aren't a sports fan Comcast is definitely behind most HD suppliers.

Comcast does have a decent lineup, and was a leader. But they will fall quickly compared to D* and others now. I guess we'll just have to wait a year or so before they feel any pressure. I've heard nothing to give encouragement even in this thread.

Rich N.

From my discussions with various Comcast people, it would appear that the next two HD channels to be added will be ESPN2HD and BravoHD. It would appear that talks with HD Net and TNT are getting nowhere, at least for now.

SPICE HD?

Sure wish mcuban would chime in and tell us what the hold up is...

The next HD channel in NYC area will be MSG.

wait how is comcast gonna get msg when they're owned by arch rival cablevision?
is cablevision going to okay this? and when is this going to happen?

Do you have any idea when? ESPN2 in January, BravoHD....??

Same way most channel swaps occur. COmcast will get MSG and carry something else Cablevision wants or make available something Cablevision wants.

THe hold up with HD Net is likely money. ESPNHD@ will be on in January. Not sure about bravo.

LOL........KING KONG!

Here's the NE Comcast response Re: UniversalHD (nee BraveHD).


"At the present time, we do not have an agreement with Universal HD to
carry their HD programming. While we do not currently offer this
channel, it is possible that we may be able to bring it to you in the
future.

Comcast is constantly working on ways to provide the maximum range of
services to our subscribers. Unfortunately, for various reasons,
some services that we hope to provide at some point may not be available
to our subscribers at this time. When they become available to us, we
will be glad to add them to our existing lineup. Although High
Definition Television is still in its early stages, we are moving as
quickly as we can to provide as much content as possible.

When we are faced with programming decisions, input from our customers
is extremely important. While at this time, I cannot say that the _
will be added to our lineup, I can assure you that your request will be
forwarded to and given every consideration by our Marketing Team.

We value your opinion tremendously. Thank you for making this
suggestion and for being a Comcast customer.

If you have any additional questions, please call our customer service
department or contact us online. Our customer service department can be
reached at 1-888-COMCAST or 973-736-7400. We are open 24 hours a day, 7
days a week for your convenience."

As BravoHD becomes rebranded as Universal HD, I would definitely want Comcast to carry Universal HD based on the NBC Universal press release describing how it will be reconstituted. It is going to be a must have channel.

For me #1 would be WB-HD, #2 HDNet, and #3 ESPN2-HD

Chicago Comcast has had WGN (WB-HD) since April.

Oh how I wish this was true. Oh how do I. But I don't see it happening. The funny thing is we know that all these cable companies are rivals but I've NEVER seen an area where you had a choice. I get Comcast, but from the best of my knowledge I can't get cablevision.

The Canadian DBS system, BEV, has carried WGN HD for several months. Don't think I have ever watched it. WB doesn't have anything I would watch.

...mike