Comcast HDTV - Page 4

SonomaSearcher, do you really think that Comcast will add 2-3 national HD channels in the next 4-6 months? Would that be in the HDNET/Movies, BravoHD+, TNT-HD group? While I hope that eventually these will show up, I thought it would be longer before we'd see them.

Thanks for your insights.

Rich N.

Rich,

To be honest, this is just me extrapolating based on all that I have read and heard. I do believe bandwidth is reserved on 750 Mhz or greater systems for several more national HD channels (at least in the Bay Area).

Here are some reasons we probably will see 2 to 3 more national HD channels on Comcast in the next 6 months (in no particular order):

1) HDNet/HDNet Movies: All the scuttlebutt is positive that Comcast and Mr. Cuban are making significant progress. Both play hardball in negotiations but both are rational and appreciate the respective advantages of HDNet on Comcast. HDNet is not just a satellite channel, with carriage on Time Warner and the other major cable companies (Comcast, Cox and Cablevision being the only exceptions).

2) Bravo HD+: NBC recently announced a "makeover" and more HD content for this channel. Also, the U.S. Open will be carried in HD there-- I know there are some big tennis fans among some of those Comcast execs in HQ. More importantly, DirecTV's announcement of BravoHD+ carriage, combined with its existing carriage of HDNet/HDNet Movies, means that Comcast has to respond to this competitive development by adding one or more of Bravo, HDNet and TNT HD. Also, I suspect Dish has a deal for Bravo HD+ also, not yet announced, because it just negotiated a deal with NBC Universal for the HD Olympics and it would be surprising if Bravo HD+ did not enter into the negotiations.

3) TNT HD: Dish added this already, and its true HD content is increasing. NBA Basketball in HD on TNT HD will be a major marketing advantage for whoever carries it, even if it is only one or two games a week. Turner was scheduled to have completed its second HD mobile truck recently, giving it twice the ability to do sports/live events in HD. Also, Comcast and Time Warner seem to have a fairly close working relationship with a lot of joint ventures, so there should be relatively little difficulty negotiating a deal-- enough HD content is the critical factor.

In general, with DirecTV and Dish making significant HD additions lately (including NBC and FOX on DirecTV) and possibly more to come, Comcast will be behind the curve if it doesn't add at least one or two national HD channels in the next four months or so.

And, the big news lately on Wall Street is satellite taking even more customers away from cable.

Two words: Satellite competition. It is good for cable HDTV.

One final word: To the extent bandwidth is an issue in some areas, I think the next 6 months will show more bandwidth freed up by elimination of some analogs (or converting them to digital only).

And, the HDTV programmers (HDNet, Bravo, TNT) realize that Comcast does not have unlimited bandwidth and probably will not add all of them in the next six to nine months due to bandwidth considerations, so they will take that into consideration when negotiating. After all, they are competing with each other for carriage given the finite bandwidth resources.

SonomaSearcher, thanks for the detailed response.

I imagine even if there were a settlement with HDNET on the horizon, it would not be finalized until at least DiscoveryHD is implemented throughout all Comcast areas.

I like your reasoning. I too expect at some time for TNTHD and BRAVOHD+ or whatever it will become to be available. I really like your time frame of about 6 months. I hope Comcast thinks the same. Certainly having the HD locals as an exclusive for most people is a big advantage that the satellites have started to erode. I know Comcast people do participate in this forum and I hope they get the sense that their base is shrinking because they can't compete with SD satellites. So the only way for them to hold or get back subscribers is to excel in the HD market.

One of Comcast's problem is the range of technologies they must always consider. Old systems that must be upgraded, multiple types of STBs, analog still being needed for the 40% of people who don't even have an STB with Comcast.

Again, thanks for the information.

Rich N.

I can't believe Comacast hasn't added DiscoveryHD to our HD package yet. Wouldn't you think the greater Ft. Lauderdale area is a big enough market?

It has nothing to do with your market size...probably something to do with the infrastructure locally to support an additional new HD channel

It could be as simple as waiting for a part to arrive (like an additional encoder) or as complicated as being out of bandwidth and needing to expend alot of $/time to expand everything to the individual houses.

You'd need to find out from your local comcast group as to what the problem is (unfortunately getting that info out of them can be painful)

KRON HD Launches today on channel 704 in the bay area. The programming will be different from the Kron SD channel. KRON HD will feature selected HDNet programming but will not be identical to HDNet's programming available on satellite.

I cant speak for nationally, but there are 4 HD channels being planned for currently in the PA/NJ area by the end of this year..

I have been discussing in another thread about comcast beginning to, sometime in the very near future for some areas, deploy digital simulcast... getting rid of analog is a few years off easy, but the whole process is at least starting.

and what are those 4 channels?

Hopefully
HDNet
HD Movies
Bravo HD
UPN HD

Will UPN 57 show Phillies ,sixers and flyers in HD for games CSN does not carry next year, i find it really annoying that CSN does not carry all the home games because UPN57 doesn't show games in HD

I find your answer interesting. Here it is August and by the end of the year there will be 4 more? Where are you hiding the bandwidth? The city and most of the surrounding systems are OUT of space. Digital simulcast uses MORE bandwidth, not less. Simulcast means analog AND digital. More bandwidth, not less. With Comcast NOT compressing H signals this will be a tough timeline to meet.

I hope you are right though!

A little pessimism here. Planning for and actually getting may not be the same thing. I'm sure Comcast in Baltimore is planning for Fox in HD, even though Sinclair has yet to sign an agreement. If they did agree and then Comcast couldn't add it, more riots. I hope HDNET/Movies, BravoHD+ and TNT-HD were 3 of the 4. But TMCHD and ENCOREHD are still out there and would be cheaper to get. They may get channels we don't even count, such as an HD-VOD or NFL-Network HD or something.

But a positive trend is there, and competition from the satellites will help.

Rich N.

Rich,

If it makes you feel any better - I heard that ENCORE-HD was a non-starter - so you can cross that off.

David

David:

Thanks for the information. Passing information is what's so great about these forums. Hopefully TMCHD will also not make the list. I have HBO,MAX,SHO,STZ and TMC would really be overkill.

Rich N.

Actually, ENCORE-HD never happened. . .

David

CSN is discussing the possibility of showiung local home games in HD on UPN 57, those that are not on CSN. That will not happen until Comcast is carrying UPN 57's digital channel.

Do you mean never happened for COmcast? They have EncoreHD on Voom.

I was told by someone that Starz never launched EncoreHD due to the age of the films, and the costs of upconverting. HMMM, maybe I need better sources.

David

How much bandwidth on Comcast does an hd channel take ? I once heard it was equivalent to 5 digital channels ?

-Ken

4 or 5 Digital Channels can usually fit within 1 HD channel (it varies depending on the data rate of the specific channels)


Also

1 Analog Channel = 6 Mhz

2 HD Channels can fit in that space (or sometimes 3)

8-10 Digitial Channels fit in one Analog Channel

Ok-
Now everybody make a list of analog/digital channels to drop to make room for more HD!

I can think of plenty I would drop :-)

Here is a canned response I received from comcast, glad they list hd-net:

Thank you for taking the time to write us.


Thank you for your channel request, we are working to provide as many
high definition channel broadcasters as possible. Here are some of the
factors involved with expanding our high definition lineup:

-the negotiation and contract process required to obtain the rights to
carry a specific high definition broadcast, such as TNT-HD and HD-Net.

-the increased bandwidth resources that are required

-the relatively low subscribership (currently only a small minority of
customers have high definition compatible television sets)

We appreciate your channel requests, we hope to expand our high
definition channel lineup as fast as we can. Unfortunately we are unable
to provide specific details regarding the launch of new channels at this
time, please keep an eye on your monthly billing statement as the
announcement of any channel additions will appear on those statements

How's about ALL! That's what we really need.

David

Here's an article on Comcast's plans for DVR, with a pretty obvious announcement that they've rolled it out!

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040823/phm024_1.html

The interesting bit I will cut out and paste below...

---
This fall Comcast is also introducing a new Digital On-screen guide
that will allow consumers to more easily search for and access TV
listings. The new easy-to-use, interactive on-screen programming guide
will be rolled out on a system by system basis beginning in
late-September.

Features will include:

* Higher resolution interface for easier to view information
* New mini-guide, allowing viewers to browse through other listings
while watching a current program
* Increased speed for faster navigation
* Time-saving Quick Menu offering short cuts to features
* Enhanced display with a full 90 minutes of program listings.
---

(Sounds more like TIVO)

You're Welcome.

Thanks Dawn - I'll be interested in seeing which program guide we get.

David

I think someone said, iGuide. I got this link off another AVS Forum...

Conversations about Comcast DVR, or something like that!

The official plans are supposedly to drop ALL the analog channels in the near future. The problem is they would have to provide a digital box for all subs who don't have one now.
Down here on the suncoast of FLA, that is probably going to be a large problem, as many of the old(er) folks down here would probably not want "another gizmo" to have to fiddle with to watch "Golden Girls" etc etc.

They can add HDNet and HDN Movies anytime they want. I would agree with some of the previous posters as far as I would be willing to spend a couple bucks more a month to get more of the HD channels . . .

drcos: Are you saying that Comcast already has an agreement with Mr. Cuban about HDNET/Movies? I don't think that is true, or it would be trumpeted on these boards.

And I agree I would pay a few bucks more for more non-commercial (HDNET, BravoHD+) HD content, but not for something like TNT-HD, which is just the same as TNT with some HD and all its commercials (like ESPN-HD in this regard, I think).

Rich N.

The lead time a company has with it's billing vendor is 30 days prior to bill creation for a message of any type. That's why you see the lag in notice on bills. If Comcast or any cable company were to follow that criteria alone, they would be delaying launches to us to allow for this notice period.

Here in the Baltimore area Comcast launched Discovery HD literally within 24 hours of the contract being signed. They left a voicemail for customers to give them a heads-up that the channel was launching.

I would rather they keep operating this way than delaying lauch for a perceived more effective notice methodology. Especially for HD products.

Regards,
GoIrish