Comcast HDTV - Page 9

Ahhh, it must be nice to have bandwidth. Sigh....

Seattle is still waiting for CBS

With $2 to $3 per month rate increases for digital packages (and full analog or "standard" cable), that's more money Comcast can put toward acquiring digital and HD programming rights.

8 million digital subscribers x $2 per month x 12 months = an additional $192 million in subscriber fees for the 2005 calendar year. Anyone think Comcast can throw some of that $192 million toward new national HD channels (Universal HD, HDNet & HDNet Movies, Outdoor Channel HD {coming July 2005}, TNT HD, TCM HD {are the rumors about this new HD channel for real}, Encore HD, TMC HD)??

Or will the whole $192+ million go toward paying off debt? (Note I am NOT including the additional $2 per month to be paid by "standard"/"expanded" cable subscribers.)

I still think Universal HD will be the first to arrive (after ESPN2 HD, which is already in contract). It will be a big combined HD/VOD deal sometime within the next 45 days. (This is a speculative prediction only-- not fact based, other than what I know about Universal HD and Universal's new VOD library, as well as Comcast's general approach to HD and VOD programming.)

According to the two customer service emails I received from Turner Classic Movies (not form letters, which I have received in the past, but a real letter) and according to the FAQ section of their web site, TCM in HD is supposed to launch "soon". (They were saying by the end of 2004...)

http://www.turnerclassicmovies.com/f...00000000000040

I just wish they would add TNT-HD and Universal HD in the Colorado Market.

I will be waiting for Direct TVs answer to more HD in the mean time.

Espn2HD already in contract?if it were we'd have it by now imho.

maybe this is a dumb question, but wouldn't HDNet be about the last channel comcast would add since it competes with InHD?

Probably but if we ask for it often enough they'll have to add HDNET or they'll never hear the end of it.

HDNet back doored it's way onto Comcast in the SF bay area. One of the local independents is running year old HDNet programming on a digital HD sub-channel that Comcast carries..

Yes, ESPN2HD is either under contract or damn close to it. There will be an annoucement on this near the end of summer. I fully anticipate that ESPN2HD and UniversalHD will be added by Comcast in the fall, bandwidth permitting. In September or October, these two plus TNT-HD will be added in the Philly market.

Too bad it can't be sooner with the college world series being on Espn2HD as we speak.

I'm hoping ESPN2HD by Sep so that when ESPN shows SNF I'll be able to see SNB in HD.

As for HDNET, I don't think Comcast believes that a significant number of people want it. I can't understand (well, I'm weird) how people are so anxious for a channel like UniversalHD which is basically weekly series reruns and not clammering for the unquestioned leader in original HD programming. I'm afraid HDNET just isn't in our future.

But with ESPN2HD and Universal HD added I hope to have enough HD to always have something to watch. And that's about all we can expect I guess.

Now when Comcast offers free VODHD like they have free SD VOD (we watch it a lot) that will really be great. How many years away do you think that is?

Rich N.

I can't see them offering it free, the whole point of VOD is for Comcast to make money on it, to take advantage of the money they invested in the MGM library among other things.

They'll probably continue to offer some free stuff to whet the customers appetite, but the meat of the material will have a charge. What that charge will be will determine my personal interest in VOD. For example, the upper limit of what I would pay for a VOD-HD movie would be $2, for a previously aired network show, maybe, just maybe, 50 cents.

I've seem reports that HD-VOD has had a charge of either $5.95 or $6.95 for it and to me that is way too much. VOD make take off like gangbusters but I think it will have to find it's pricing level first.

I believe that HDNet is one of the most highly requested channels out there and for whatever reason Comcast likes to make up, they would rather not add it. Its a shame because they do have some decent programming. I believe Mark Cuban posted that isn't true HDNet programming or something similar to that statement, refering to what is being shown in SF. Keep writing to Comcast and request HDNet. The customer reps will keep giving you the same response but keep hounding them. The more people keep requesting HDNet, you would have to think eventually they'll add it.

It's definitely HDNet programming, it's just older stuff from a year or longer ago. It's on KRON's HD sub-channel. KRON has an agreement with Comcast to carry their HD channel, and on that channel, KRON has an agreement to carry older HDNet programming.

It also gives HDNet an OTA presence, in fact it's one of the few channels I can get OTA, being 60 plus miles from the tower, and it looks great both OTA and through Comcast.

So while Comcast is not carrying HDNet per se, HDNet programming is actually on the Comcast system here in SF through it's partner KRON. That's why I said it was sort of a backdoor type of thing regarding HDNet on Comcast.

does this include south jersey

Since TNTHD is still not available in many markets, do I assume that bandwidth is not permitting it? If so how are they going to add anything at all?

A tech was out to my house 3 days ago and he told me there are no bandwidth issues, at least here in south jersey

So who is the best person/people to write to at Comcast?

-B

No.

Probably got the info from a CSR.....

Try the web site or the corporate offices.

President and CEO of Comcast Brian L. Roberts

Executive Assistant to the President of Comcast
Miss Lucille Fatil
1500 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102

I have had many dealing with both TECHS and CSRs and the techs seem to know what they are talking about, and are helpfull, the CSR on the other hand are just flat out ignorant and rude. anyway the tech told me comcast in south jersey has the ability to add any channel they want right now including HD, especially since going to 256 QAM

I've never had a rude CSR, less than knowledgeable yes, as far as techs, you want to try and find out who the service manager is for your system. Those guys seem to be ones that have the answers concerning an area before anyone else. I had a pretty good relationship with one here until he went to a new area, now I have to train a new one..

You're missing the point.

Yes Shades, including South Jersey. BTW, the tech who came to your house fed you a line of BS. Most of the techs really have no clue on this subject. Regarding HD Net, it is nowhere near being a highly requested channel in surveys conducted by Comcast. lat time I checked, it was way down the list. People here know about it but a tiny percentage of Comcast subscribers know the HD Net channels even exist. Keep requesting it.

Any idea if they had to pick up ESPNU with ESPN2 HD? I hope so.

I'd bet if they did ESPNU'll end up on the sports tier

That's the reason ESPN2HD isn't on yet. ESPN said to get ESPN2HD Comcast would have to launch ESPNU on the main tier of digital service that all digital customers get, not the Sports Tier where Comcast wants to put it.

ESPN scenario is price increase for all digital customers (more $ to ESPN) v. the scenario Comcast wants of putting the cost only on the sports junkies (like me...) through the sports tier.

Hopefully they'll work out a compromise.

GoIrish