[Agent Fletcher]

Quote:

Indeed, roughly half of the residents in the city of Pittsburgh served by the old AT&T Broadband still can't order digital cable or high-speed Internet access enjoyed by most of the rest of Allegheny County. Comcast is finishing the upgrades begun by AT&T that will fill that gap and allow it to offer the next generation of products including video-on-demand and high-definition TV. The upgrades should be completed by late this summer or early fall, said Comcast's regional spokesman, Brian Jeter. The company is set to roll out video-on-demand and HDTV (which requires a special TV set) across the region sometime this year, he said.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


Reliable Pittsburgh news paper, but its source (Comcast) is far from a trustworthy in my opinion.

 

[jopapgh]

The trucks have been swarming all over my neighborhood, Friendship, where Bloomfiled and Shadyside meet. They are running one thick black cable, taking it all the way to buildings that have multiple units.


We are getting close...


Questions is, how much does it cost and do I want to pay for it?

 

[Agent Fletcher]

I couldn't find a price, and in my town, Elizabeth, I see no trucks running new cable. I'm going to give them a call and find out some info. If it's going to be a year or more I'm going to ask them "what reasons do I have to keep your services when I can get a dish with HD channels for cheaper?" If they don't have an answer, bye-bye Comcast.

 

[Agent Fletcher]

I called Comcast and asked about HD cable in my area.


ME: I wanted to know when HD Cable is going to be available in my area

REP: Whats your phone and zip (I gave info)

REP: HBO and Showtime is already broadcasting some movies in HD

ME: Can I get them now?

REP: Yes

ME: How?

REP: Through your box

ME: My STB?

REP: No through your Motorola cable box.

ME: My box only has S-Video out.

REP: Not every movie is in HD just some of them.

ME: I know, but a HD signal can't be carried through S-Video.

REP: Yes it's not all the movies, just some of them.

ME: Should I hook the cable up to my STB to get the HD movies?

REP: No, just through your digital cable box.

ME: My TV does not have a tuner built in so it needs to go through a STB box to get a HD signal. Should I hook my cable up to that?

REP: No, just your cable box.
(I knew this was going no where fast)

ME: Do you know when HD will be broadcast in my area?

REP: I can't give you a time frame on that.

ME: A Comcast rep told the Post-Gazette late summer early fall.

REP: I can't give you a date, because if it's not up you will call back and complain. (which tells me it's going to be longer)

ME: How much will it cost when it's available?

REP: I can't give you that info either in case the price changes.

ME: Is there any reason for me to keep digital cable and not get a satellite that is broadcasting HD right now?

REP: Yes you enter into a contract with them and they can raise their rates when the contract expires.

ME: Comcast raises its rates all the time with no warning and drops channels.

REP: You can't get good reception with a dish, the weather effects your signal, buildings, etc.

ME: Don't play that game with me, dishes get great reception %99 of the time.

REP: I don't know what to tell you then, anything else?

ME: No thats all, thanks for your help.

 

[MrGonk]

Fletcher-


Jeez. What god-awful customer service. I talked to a CSR at Comcast and he happily (and politely) told me that it was approximately the end of the summer that they were aiming for (presumably once they finish the bulk of the area upgrades), and that the only channels he could promise we'd be able to get in HD at the start are channels that Comcast already has contracts with (like HBO, Sho). Don't know exactly how well that bodes for CBS or ESPN, but I wouldn't hold my breath for those.

 

[Agent Fletcher]

So HBO and ST are not in HD they in Pittsburgh yet, they merely have contracts with them.

 

[MrGonk]

I suppose so. I think it also depends on the nature of the contract. For instance, both CBS and ESPN are asking that MSOs pay more to receive their HD channels in addition to their SD channels, whereas others (like HBO) give the HD channels for free to any MSO that carries the SD. As a result of this, Comcast refuses to carry ESPN-HD and the HD broadcasts of CBS owned-and-operated affiliates. Unfortunately, that means Pittsburgh.