US Cable Support > Comcast Cable TV > Could Comcast Be up to SDV?

SDV has been unfairly cast as a terrible technology, but there's no question it helps increase capacity. And TWC/BrightHouse have largely done that with their HD counts without killing off the analog channels (although that's starting to change). Don't forget that BrightHouse has started adding the out-of-market RSN's too in HD.

I hope Comcast turns on SDV or IP delivery or something and just adds anything imaginable in HD to do it. You know they've got the contracts to do it, and I hope that the premium channels come back for the ride.

There is no reason that the industry giant should not have a lot more available than they do. TWC's lineups are better, and I don't think there's any way of being able to deny that now with NFLN and RedZone finally on board. And BrightHouse lineups are the best in the country.

It's my understanding, and someone can correct me, but that SDV can handle 6 MPEG-2 HD channels per QAM or so?

I know everyone holds that AVSForum chart sacred, but there's tons wrong on it for Comcast.

I wouldn't consider AXS TV wide, BYU TV HD is available in UT, I've never seen Catholic TV HD on any Comcast lineup, C-SPAN HD could almost be called wide, Cooking Channel HD and DIY HD are not wide, and that doesn't even touch the premiums which are all wrong.

I trust my numbers a lot more than those ones, and I don't have a Comcast lineup anywhere with more than 111 HD channels (not counting locals or RSN's), and that's the city of Philadelphia systems.

The worst BrightHouse system of their major clusters is Michigan, and they're at 134 by my count (109 networks, 25 premiums). They're missing the Spanish HD's mainly, but also missing TV One HD. They're around 180 once you add everything together.

I think Comcast has a harder time justifying bandwidth for HD because they didn't hop on the bandwagon the way TWC did with free HD. That HD technology fee is a major obstacle to adoption by customers.

I know it's been discussed in the past that Comcast had "trialed" SDV previously, but no one thought there was much of a future for it.

I know that Time Warner and Brighthouse use it very successfully (and in turn have over 200 HD channels - the most of any provider in the country). They also can add channels with the blink of an eye (see the recent NFL Network / Red Zone add).

So, since I haven't been able to get any peeps out of anyone - does anyone think Comcast is reconsidering it?

I mean, seriously - they are sitting on 15-20 open QAM's of bandwidth here in the DE/PA/NJ area (Freedom Region). Cable cos would die for that much capacity. Comcast also doesn't carry the 60-70 additional HD's that are out there today that, for example, Brighthouse has. They have no HD's for the In Demand sports packages (which in 2012 is a shock, seeing as they both offer 9 HD stations per sport now).

There has to be something in the works for all that space. If it's a proven successful method of delivery - it would be a no-brainer for Comcast to allocate say, 10 (or however many) of those QAM's for SDV and add a boatload of new HD's instantly.

It's been shown now they WON'T be using QAM's for the 305 Internet product, so that shoots down that theory. From watching CC and VZ over the years - i've never once seen so much bandwidth sitting idly. Someone is up to something - but what I do not know.

Not adding HD versions of recent adds like WFN, Goal Line, beIN, etc - when you have all this capacity at your fingertips (or not adding DIY, Cooking HD that ARE on in Center City Philly) - just makes it even more fishy...almost like they're waiting for a "new method" of delivery, so to speak.

One could guess about an IP method of delivery - but hell, Verizon's been trying that for the past 3 years without success.

No, I'm not counting locals, RSN's, PPV or On Demand HD in that. BrightHouse has everything.

I'm not sure whether I'll count TWC SportsNet yet in my count. I've been counting YES and NESN, but not the other HD's because YES and NESN are marketing their RSN's nationally, and providing alternate programming during blacked out local sporting events.

But isn't a 2:1 ratio of what you gain in SDV, when you consider a standard MPEG-2 QAM for Comcast contains 3 HD channels effectively 6 like I said?

Also, I think it's safe to say that this much bandwidth exists throughout Comcast's systems, and maybe moreso as a lot of the areas don't have all the international SD channels Philadelphia does.

No, I'm not counting locals, RSN's, PPV or On Demand HD in that. BrightHouse has everything.

I'm not sure whether I'll count TWC SportsNet yet in my count. I've been counting YES and NESN, but not the other HD's because YES and NESN are marketing their RSN's nationally, and providing alternate programming during blacked out local sporting events.

But isn't a 2:1 ratio of what you gain in SDV, when you consider a standard MPEG-2 QAM for Comcast contains 3 HD channels effectively 6 like I said?

Also, I think it's safe to say that this much bandwidth exists throughout Comcast's systems, and maybe moreso as a lot of the areas don't have all the international SD channels Philadelphia does.

SDV has been unfairly cast as a terrible technology, but there's no question it helps increase capacity.

SDV has been unfairly cast as a terrible technology, but there's no question it helps increase capacity. And TWC/BrightHouse have largely done that with their HD counts without killing off the analog channels (although that's starting to change). Don't forget that BrightHouse has started adding the out-of-market RSN's too in HD.

I hope Comcast turns on SDV or IP delivery or something and just adds anything imaginable in HD to do it. You know they've got the contracts to do it, and I hope that the premium channels come back for the ride.

There is no reason that the industry giant should not have a lot more available than they do. TWC's lineups are better, and I don't think there's any way of being able to deny that now with NFLN and RedZone finally on board. And BrightHouse lineups are the best in the country.

It's my understanding, and someone can correct me, but that SDV can handle 6 MPEG-2 HD channels per QAM or so?

OK, so all 8 of you can just do without.

You do realize you're like .01% of Comcast's customers. Moxi is all but dead.

How many BrightHouse customers do you see complaining about SDV now? They've worked out the kinks. And now they're getting 3 more HD channels.

Hate it all you want, it works.