Comcast HDTV - Page 3

The Tyson fight was on there on Friday night. It's going to be interesting to see if it's still there after the Sports Tier Launches (I'm hoping it is).

ENJOY!

David

except that it is right in the middle of comcast's hd channels. it was the same way when they added pbs hd.

chas

I just read the announcement that NBC will expand BravoHD+ to include programming from USA and SCI-FI channels in HD. Also they will carry around 65 hours of HD tennis in the next 6 weeks. NBC is also looking for a new name for the service.

OK, Comcast, is that enough commitment to get you to pick it up? Or does the 1 1/2 years (the time it took to get DiscoveryHD) start now?

For those of you who don't think BravoHD's current programming is compelling enough, I hope this makes a difference.

Rich N.

I would still prefer HDNet if I had to choose between the two, but this development definitely makes it a closer call.

I did not wish to imply that I would rather have the new Bravo instead of HDNET/Movies.

I just want to make Comcast aware that this will increase the rather lukewarm interest of many people about BravoHD's programming.

I hope all you who wanted SCI-FI in HD and denigrated BravoHD+ understand what I've been saying. Get the bloody channel and then when new programming comes on we've already got it. Now we still have to continue to bug Comcast about it. It could take years to add the channel. This is the same argument about TNT-HD.

From what I've read I would rather have HDNET/Movies as well, even with BravoHDs new programming (or really, because of it). I would rather had about 50-100% more new programming along the performance lines that was BravoHD's original purpose than more prime-time reruns remastered for HD. But that's just me and I could be wrong.

Rich N.

Deals with Sinclair and Cox are going to have to be reached soonish. Going into football season without all of the HD football they could possibly have would be a black eye for them, and I'm sure they know it.

That said, please, Comcast, Sinclair and Cox own too much stuff for you to totally ignore them. There needs to be carriage for the football season! Also, thanks for Discovery HD (it's very entertaining) and all the improvements you've done in Pittsburgh. We saw more new stuff in one summer than AT&T/TCI had given us in 20 years. You've done a great job here. Also, Fox sports would be nice to have in HD. I don't exactly know how it works, but I know there's a lot of PNC park action going SOMEWHERE in HD (the stadium is wired for it from the ground up), and FSN Pittsburgh carries all the Pirate games. I'd love to watch them in HD...

And Sinclair, because I know you're reading too, please STOP BEING SUCH BITCHES TO EVERYONE! There are a lot of people who want to watch your HD programming, and right now you're tapping that market share of people too old or poor to bother with cable or satellite. Ooh, more power to you. Lots of HD viewers there. Get a clue: every guy with an HDTV on earth will be watching any HD fooball that is offered. You have a lot of it. There are a lot of potential viewers you are losing because of your inane demands. If there's football on CBS and football on Fox, but I get CBS in HD and not Fox (because I'm a Comcast subscriber like most people in Pittsburgh), guess which station I'm going to watch.

Dan

Dan,

Are you groveling for HD??

I hope it works, and yes WPGH, I seldom to never watch you, but a HD Comcast signal would give you immediate status you had never dreamed of attaining.

I just figure - give credit where it's due (Comcast), and call Sinclair "bitches" whenever the opportunity arises. Because they really, really are.

What are you guys in Pittsburgh going to do about watching the Olympics in HD since it appears that Comcast will not have an agreement with Cox, part owner of WPXI in time to get us the HD feed. I am so angry that we as the customer are going to suffer.

Channel 225 in Dallas is ABC News Now, ABC's new 24 news service. It is simply a re-broadcast of the sub-channel 8.2 that WFAA has been multi-casting on for months.

Also it could be your local town holding up HD rollouts. Here in Plano TX we cannot get INHD1 & 2 because the town will not give up some of it's 10 or so public access channels for the needed bandwidth. The rest of DFW has had these channels for months.

Laters,
Jeff

Wow, that sux. I live in irving and get them. hope it changes for you soon.

chas

I was getting frustrated with Comcast's rollout of the HD-capable PVR the past couple of days, but at the same time, I appreciate seeing Discovery HD in their lineup (guy at Tweeter's told me they didn't carry it). I'm new to having HDTV in my home, I'm kinda frustrated over the lack of programming....but then, it's summer repeat season, no football, no new CSI or Smallville or Enterprise

Can anyone outline the issues surrounding UPN in HD on Comcast in the Philly area? Is it a bandwidth issue or a contractural one? Or both? This is one of the channels I'd really like to see, and since it offers commercial revenue and is offered digitally in the Philly area, i can see it having at least a few advantages over other channels...any rumors?

Searching does wonders

Those in the know say UPN will be available in the Fall for the Philly area. I would suggest you search under the local area for Philly.

Right now, Comcast is carrying every Braves home game broadcast by Turner South and TBS (collectively they have every home game except the occaisional one by ESPN or Fox) in HD. This has been a real boon to Atlanta based Braves fans.

I am curious, is this a local to Atlanta offering only, or could this be a next HD channel for some other markets?

Cheers,

Bernd

This is already offered elsewhere, I believe in South Carolina and Tennessee or Alabama at least. While this is nice if you are a Braves fan, it is very much a part time offering and there is sometimes more than a week between games. I would much rather see TNT-HD, Bravo HD or especially HDNET instead of this but I guess you can look at this as gravy if you like baseball.

I check here every few months or so to see if there is any news on the addition of ABC HD to Comcast. Haven't seen anything of late.

Wondering if anyone has any news (factual, gossip or otherwise).

There has to be an explanation (financial negotiation, political spats, etc.) because I don't see any rational reason why we would have 13 channels on Comcast HD and one of them would not be ABC.

Appreciate any insights on this.

So, my hopeful answer to this thread for Atlanta is that we get ABC added next. Curious if any other cities are having trouble getting ABC added to their Comcast HD lineup.

The answer lies at Cox Enterprises (Cox Television) HQ in the Atlanta metro area. Give them a call or drop them an email and ask "Why?" and "When?"

Read posts #39 and #41 (and the linked news stories), above.

Maybe Comcast should just start buying up Cox Cable stock. If Cox ever wants to see that stock again, then make a deal. Otherwise, consider it a down payment on a hostile acquisition.

Al,

Check this out - Cox is trying to buy back their stock and go private.

http://www.iht.com/articles/533072.html

David

It's going to vary greatly with each city. Here in Portland, OR, we have ABC, NBC, PBS and WB, but not CBS, Fox or UPN. Fox and UPN are both owned by Meredith, and apparantly Comcast already has a digital carriage agreement with them, so why we're not getting them is completely unknown. As for CBS, owned by Emmis, well they're in a pissing match. Emmis claims that Comcast charges their customers extra for the channel (which isn't true), Comcast claims that Emmis wants more than acceptable rates for digital carriage (which probably is true, but who decides what's acceptable?). Suffice it to say, these are deal-breakers, regardless of who's to blame. With Digeo Moxi's coming to town by the end of the year, I so want to go with cable, but without those channels, it won't be possible. If they at least put an ATSC tuner in these boxes, I wouldn't have a problem

Moorebid
I am in Portland and share your frustration. I assume Comcast realizes that once Fox starts Hd football and local Fox is not available in HD on Comcast, it could be a deal killer for many. Especiaqlly if they have a Digital carriage agreement already signed. It sounds as if KPDX may not br ready for HD by Sept 12, but will be by the end of Sept.
CBS, Koin and Emmis are just hopeless. It is a shame since CBS still has the best HD offerings
Michael

Don't take my word as God's honest truth that's just what I've read here in the forums, so grain of salt, as with everything. I find it very difficult to believe that is the case; there's no technical reason not to have them, Comcast has bandwidth to burn. And it's not like they would've taken much bandwidth anyway, they've been SD up to this point.


That's just an estimate, and could go either way depending upon when they actually receive their equipment, how long it takes to get it installed, tested and operational. I would worry more about their determination to get it working (not Ed's, he's a good guy, but the people for whom he works ). Regardless of what you, me or the rest of this forum thinks, HD is still very much niche, and as such does not receive a lot of attention - either monetarily or in assigned man-hours - from the top brass. As big a draw as football may be, 95% of those fans still don't have HD. I'm just trying not to be disappointed, but I'm keeping my finger's crossed


I wouldn't go so far as to say "hopeless," but the fact that there's been no word of successful negotiations (or any negotiations whatsoever) is disconcerting. There's got to be a breaking point somewhere, but where - and when - that's reached is still a mystery.

THere seems to be a lot of discussion on this thread for local Comcast issues (often with Sinclair or Cox). It seems most areas have a few of the big 4 with local problems between Comcast and digital providers. And satellite or antenna (many of us don't have tuners in our TVs) won't help with these local HD issues. And I don't think any regulations will help, only a concern for customers, which is rare in this environment. Only constant harping by folks like us can make a change.

Comcast has started offering a sports tier in some markets. Maybe they can offer an HD tier for those channels not in their lineup now. They could make some money off of me and other HD nuts who don't like commercial programs by adding Bravo and the HDNETs for an additional charge. Then they could add TNT-HD before the NBA season.

I'm just disappointed that nationally we won't be getting any new content any time soon. Sorry for repeating myself.

Rich N.

I read on dslreports that right now comcasts big push is to get everyone the same channels before bringing on new ones. The issue here is that a lot of local areas dont have the bandwidth and that will need to be addressed first.

here is the quote:

Comcast has said that getting all of their networks "in line" after their purchase of AT&T broadband is 99% or more complete.

It may be that they still need to move the PPV and premium movie channels off of analog and onto the digital tier in some markets to free up more bandwidth.

One small addition in the SF Bay Area is they are adding KRON-HD to the system ~8/18

KRON used to be the NBC affliate but they lost that a couple years ago and now are independent (and are still bitter)...They have no HD programming of their own but instead use their Digital channel to broadcast old HDNet stuff (last years stuff etc...)..some good Eye Candy but nothing current

KRON is owned by Young Broadcasting and has the following stations

http://www.youngbroadcasting.com/ire...tations.htm%27

I have no idea if all of these are carried by Comcast locally, but it may be good news if some other markets are missing the other Young Stations

-Steve

The only other independent (non-network affiliated) local station whose digital/HD signal is carried by Comcast anywhere, AFAIK, is KONG in Seattle. Every other local digital/HD signal carried by Comcast in the U.S. is affiliated with one of the 7 major networks.

This shows that the Bay Area has plenty of bandwidth for HD (except for the areas still stuck at 330 or 550Mhz), since we have yet to add the local FOX, WB or UPN-- and I am sure they must be reserving bandwidth for those three and at least two or three more HD channels (national HD channels) for additions in the next 4 to 6 months. And this is without eliminating any more analogs. (All PPV and premium analogs have already been eliminated in the Bay Area.) The local FOX is the only HD channel I would not expect to see begin using its reserved bandwidth in the next 6 months.

KONG is actually owned by KING, which is the NBC affliate in Seattle. It must have been a condition for getting KING on the system. When KING preempts NBC programming, they frequently put the programs on KONG.