| reply to pnh102
20 cable channels set to debut when Comcast takes over June 13, 2007, 7:17AM
Twenty channels, including five high-definition channels, will join the cable lineup when Comcast officially takes over for Time Warner-Houston on Tuesday.
Mailers were expected to go out today to all current TW subscribers announcing the new lineup, which shows renamed tiers and new channel groupings but keeps pricing the same.
The high-definition channels being added are:
* ESPN2 HD. High-def version of the sports and information channel.
* MHD. Music High Definition, which Tony Speller, senior vice president for Comcast's Houston region describes as "a combination MTV, VH1 and Country Music Television."
* Versus/Golf HD. Two sports networks sharing the same channel number. Versus offers hockey, rodeo and other sports.
* Starz HD. Movie channel available to Starz subscribers only.
* Cinemax HD. Movie channel available to Cinemax subscribers only.
Comcast's HD offerings — 21 channels total — will be complemented by more than 100 hours of HD content available on Comcast's "video on demand" service, Spelling said.
"We're updating our VOD platform from a system that had roughly 1,000 hours of content to one that has 6,000 hours of content and 9,000 different programs," he said.
That programming will roll out gradually and should be available to all in the greater Houston market by year's end.
Fourteen non-HD channels also join the lineup. They are:
* The Africa Channel. All-English channel celebrating Africa.
* ESPN Deportes. Spanish-language sports channel.
* Flix. Films from the '60s, '70s and '80s.
* Fox Reality. New and off-network reality series from around the world.
* GolTV. Soccer channel available in two different packages, one in English, one in Spanish.
* Gospel Music Channel. Gospel music 24/7.
* ImaginAsian TV. Movies, animé, sports and music.
* Indieplex. Commercial-free independent and art-house movies.
* MTV Tr3s. Lifestyle and music channel aimed at Latinos.
* Logo. Original series, films and documentaries focused on gays, lesbians and transgenders.
* MoviePlex. An affiliate of the Encore movie channels, this one runs movies of a different theme (crime, Western, etc.) every day.
* NFL Network. 24/7 football channel offering multiple games during the season.
* PBS Kids Sprout. Aimed at preschoolers ages 2 to 5.
* Retroplex. Commercial-free classic movies from the '50s, '60s and '70s.
Comcast will introduce a new tiering system that has several notable upgrades or improvements.
The new "Basic Service" tier includes all local channels (and their HD signals) as well as Chicago "superstation" WGN, Tube Music (affiliated with Channel 39), and Spanish-language channels LATV (affiliated with Channel 2) and V-me (affiliated with Channel 8). Price: $16.42.
An "Expanded Basic" tier adds 55 channels to the "Basic" tier, including eight HD channels. Price: $44.99.
"Digital Basic" is for customers who want the first two tiers plus access to video on demand, including MoviePlex. Price: $51.99.
Niche channels such as ESPN News, Current TV, Gospel Music Channel and Toon Disney are on the "Digital Classic" tier. Price: $55.99.
"Digital Preferred" adds Logo, Indieplex, Sundance, four Encore channels and more. Price: $56.99.
A sports pack, which includes the NFL Network, goes for an additional $4, while a 15-channel Spanish-language package can be added for $5 more. Premium movie packages and international channels are also available. HDNet pack, offering Mark Cuban's HDNet and HDNet Movies, can be had for another $3.
A package that includes everything except the international channels is available for $86.99, which matches the current price for a similar offering on Time Warner.
All prices do not include the cost of equipment such as a digital box or an HD tuner.
Comcast enters a TV market more competitive than ever before. AT&T, Dish and DirecTV promise HD packages, for example, as good or greater than what Comcast is promising.
AT&T offers West Coast feeds of several cable channels and boasts 27 HD channels. Dish, like Comcast, offers 21 HD channels, but with a significantly different channel list. DirecTV has been advertising 150 HD channels by year's end.
"We're bringing customers the HD content they're demanding, the most popular channels they are asking for," Spelling said. "In addition, we have HD VOD, with more than 100 hours of HD content available. So I would say we are extremely competitive in that space."
He emphasized the quality, quantity and diversity of the programming Comcast provides as reasons to stick with cable. As for cost, the company noted that savings can be accomplished by bundling cable with other services Comcast offers, including phone and Internet access.
"We've been in the business a long time," added Ray Purser, Comcast's vice president of government and public relations in Houston. "We're investing $200 million in the market to launch new products and services. We have a call center of 900 employees who understand the business. Our competitors are trying to catch up to us, but they have a long way to go."
»www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/fro···763.html
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 pnh102Reptiles Are Cuddly And PrettyPremium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD | I was an Adelphia subscriber when Comcast took over. Since then:
We've lost HDnet and HDnet Movies. I never watched them much, but Comcast can't legitimately claim to be adding HD channels when they are getting rid of them instead. INHD2 is gone, but I don't think that is Comcast's fault. We got a new HD channel called MOJO.
On Demand never worked with Adelphia. It still doesn't work now.
I keep Comcast mainly for their Internet service, which has actually been quite solid and reliable. I retain their cable service, over the objections of my girlfriend, because they do not compress HD signals any more than the original HD source does, unlike satellite. Plus, Comcast charges us much less for 2 dual tuner HD-DVRs than the satellite providers.
Someday, someday, I keep telling myself, I will go mount an outdoor TV antenna 
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Only SHATNER is Kirk. |
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| said by pnh102:I keep Comcast mainly for their Internet service, which has actually been quite solid and reliable. I retain their cable service, . Someday, someday, I keep telling myself, I will go mount an outdoor TV antenna why not try or do as i do,1 suggestion,
try DIRECTV for say a month,(less then 30days-trial) and keep RR for your internet,
but then with a satallite, you have to think about how much BAD weather you have heavy rains or snow,if its heavy it could block the tv signal, (here where i am maybe,MAYBE once a month MIGHT loose signal under 1/2 hr because of a heavy thunderstorm.
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 djrobx
join:2000-05-31
Valencia, CA
kudos:1
 ·Verizon Wireless..
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| reply to whocares0
quote:
ESPN2 HD. High-def version of the sports and information channel.
* MHD. Music High Definition, which Tony Speller, senior vice president for Comcast's Houston region describes as "a combination MTV, VH1 and Country Music Television."
Heh. Time Warner picked up those stations (and several other HD ones) here when Comcast left.
-- Rob
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djrobx
join:2000-05-31
Valencia, CA
kudos:1 Reviews:
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| reply to whocares0
quote:
why not try or do as i do,1 suggestion,
try DIRECTV for say a month,(less then 30days-trial) and keep RR for your internet
He has Comcast HSI, not RR. That means if he switches to DirecTV, not only will he be hit with a $15 penalty in HSI pricing, but his internet speeds will go down as well.
With Time Warner you simply lose the $5 bundling discount.
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 Ebolla
join:2005-09-28
Dracut, MA | why is it a "hit with $15 penalty" when refering to comcast but "simply lose the $5 bundling discount" with TW? It's either a discount on both, or a penalty on both. |
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 PolarBear03The bear formerly known as aaron8301Premium
join:2005-01-03 | reply to djrobx
said by djrobx: quote:
why not try or do as i do,1 suggestion,
try DIRECTV for say a month,(less then 30days-trial) and keep RR for your internet
He has Comcast HSI, not RR. That means if he switches to DirecTV, not only will he be hit with a $15 penalty in HSI pricing, but his internet speeds will go down as well. I never experienced slower internet speeds when I had Comcast HSI sans video. Had DirecTV and Comcast HSI for YEARS and my 8000/768 HSI tier always tested at about 9500/700. And the "penalty" (actually just the discount that you will no longer get for bundling HSI with video) was only $10 for me.
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djrobx
join:2000-05-31
Valencia, CA
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| reply to Ebolla
Agreed. Ok, let me rephrase:
You simply have to pay a $5 penalty instead of a $15 penalty plus having your bandwidth cut.
TW's penalty stings a lot less.
-- Rob
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Laser eye surgery rocks! I love frickin' laser beams. |
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djrobx
join:2000-05-31
Valencia, CA
kudos:1 Reviews:
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1 edit | reply to PolarBear03
Before TW took over, the "standard" HSI tier was 4mbps without video, or 6mbps with video. It could vary by region and may not apply to the $10 add-on tier. The pricng here was $60.99 without video and $45.95 with video.
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Laser eye surgery rocks! I love frickin' laser beams. |
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 PiggieI Actually use WindstreamPremium
join:2005-11-23
Orange Springs, FL | Put your antenna back up and use ATSC I refuse to pay DirecTV for a handful of HD channels that are mostly Local Channels available off the air in HD via the new ATSC digital TV standards. And it's surprisingly clear if you haven't tried it. UHF channels that were snowy in analog are now sparkling clear in digital and HD!
Hit where it hurts till they actually have HD content to provide and not hype, put your antenna back up!
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 Mactronel Camino RealPremium
join:2001-12-16
CM94sv | reply to PolarBear03
Re: 20 cable channels set to debut when Comcast takes over said by PolarBear03:said by djrobx: quote:
why not try or do as i do,1 suggestion,
try DIRECTV for say a month,(less then 30days-trial) and keep RR for your internet
He has Comcast HSI, not RR. That means if he switches to DirecTV, not only will he be hit with a $15 penalty in HSI pricing, but his internet speeds will go down as well. I never experienced slower internet speeds when I had Comcast HSI sans video. Had DirecTV and Comcast HSI for YEARS and my 8000/768 HSI tier always tested at about 9500/700. And the "penalty" (actually just the discount that you will no longer get for bundling HSI with video) was only $10 for me. Depends on your local Comcast franchise. Here and many other Comcast franchises. Comcast CSR, "No Video services ? Ok here's your extra $15- Mo penalty. Oh, and by the way your HSI will only be 4000/384 and NO Powerboost. "
Sounds great HuH ? 
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If only the Verizon CSRs worked this well.  |
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| reply to Piggie
Re: Put your antenna back up and use ATSC said by Piggie:I refuse to pay DirecTV for a handful of HD channels that are mostly Local Channels available off the air in HD via the new ATSC digital TV standards. And it's surprisingly clear if you haven't tried it. UHF channels that were snowy in analog are now sparkling clear in digital and HD! Hit where it hurts till they actually have HD content to provide and not hype, put your antenna back up! piggy good argument,but again look cabletv or satellite tv are both still young when it comes to who started sending out HD tv to its customers,the locaare just the beginning,
i didn't put them on direct tv untl directv had 112 channels of hd total,now its growing with more 7 more H D channels, but it cannot be instant..
i started with dsl back in 1999 when dsl was just starting out, (swbell was giving away computers if you signed up for 2 yrs of dsl service) dsl stared off slow & is now going strong,
its will be the same with HD television its still growing..
direct says 500 channels
comcast says 800 channels,
[b] sounds like their playing OH YEAaaaaaa,I'll fix ya
next week some else will announce 1150 channels,
heck we'll be paying our bills & not watching anything because we're spending most of the time running through the program guilds,and when we find something we want to watch its almost over by the time we click onto itlol
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 CheesePremium
join:2003-10-26
Naples, FL
kudos:1 | reply to djrobx
Re: 20 cable channels set to debut when Comcast takes over said by djrobx:Agreed. Ok, let me rephrase: You simply have to pay a $5 penalty instead of a $15 penalty plus having your bandwidth cut. TW's penalty stings a lot less. -- Rob Um, I don't think they cut your speeds if you decide to not have TV through them, that's why the increase in price for service if you don't have them. |
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djrobx
join:2000-05-31
Valencia, CA
kudos:1 Reviews:
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| quote:
Um, I don't think they cut your speeds if you decide to not have TV through them, that's why the increase in price for service if you don't have them.
One would think so, but sadly that's exactly what Comcast did in my area and others.
»Re: Unofficial Next Comcast Speed Upgrade Rumor Topic
»Re: Oh what a great day! (Comcast HSI cancelled)
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Laser eye surgery rocks! I love frickin' laser beams. |
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CheesePremium
join:2003-10-26
Naples, FL
kudos:1 | That's bs man, f comcast!     |
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patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY
kudos:1 | reply to whocares0
said by whocares0:June 13, 2007, 7:17AM Twenty channels, including five high-definition channels, will join the cable lineup when Comcast officially takes over for Time Warner-Houston on Tuesday. HAHAHA, In NYC on TW we haven't had a channel added in years except for HD versions. Im waiting for MTV Hits to show up. CV has had it for years. |
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1 edit | Thank you Comcast, I hope comcast offers better service then this
»www.borednet.com/media/528 |
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