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Os
join:2011-01-26
US

1 recommendation

Os to Acct101

Member

to Acct101

Re: So does Comcast ever add channels?

I don't know how believable it is, but someone at the Comcast forums was posting a couple weeks ago that Houston will be the first market to see a major HD upgrade of 37 channels between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and that other markets would follow.

In going through his posts, 4 of the 37 I pieced together were The Blaze HD, Fox Sports 2 HD, Universal Sports HD and beIn Sports HD. How believable this is, I don't know. But it's at least worth discussing that something might be in the works. I've not found anything more official yet, so for now, it's merely speculation. I would at least think that C-SPAN HD, Cooking HD, Disney Jr. HD, Ovation HD, Smithsonian HD, TVGN HD, IndiePlex HD and RetroPlex HD are included in that, as they've been commonly added in other Comcast markets this year out West.

It's not like they lack the bandwidth, and it's not like they don't have the contractual ability to get whatever they want.

falcor
@comcast.net

1 recommendation

falcor

Anon

With Comcast for me...it's I'll believe it when I see it

SeattleMatt
Streaming Tech Director
Premium Member
join:2001-12-28
Seattle, WA

1 edit

1 recommendation

SeattleMatt to Os

Premium Member

to Os
OS-
Is there a link for that?? Man, if that's the case...that's a juicy addition!

Acct-
To answer your question, there hasn't been an HD add here since May-June of 2012! Yes, that's 2012.

rej4sl
join:2008-07-11
Minneapolis, MN

1 recommendation

rej4sl to Os

Member

to Os
Here in Minneapolis, we have C-SPAN HD, Cooking HD, Disney Jr. D, Ovation HD, Smithsonian HD, Indieplex HD, Retroplex HD ... we have over 100 HD channels
Os
join:2011-01-26
US

1 recommendation

Os

Member

Minneapolis saw those additions this year, as did markets in Washington, Oregon, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. That's why I would figure Houston would at least get those channels as well.

Here is a link to the original post. His posts list some of the other additional channels throughout those forums.

»forums.comcast.com/t5/Ch ··· /1857299

SeattleMatt
Streaming Tech Director
Premium Member
join:2001-12-28
Seattle, WA

SeattleMatt

Premium Member

Yeah,
Hasn't posted in almost 2 weeks - hard to paste stuff together, but nice detective work.

Won't get my hopes up too much on just that 1 thread.
Os
join:2011-01-26
US

Os

Member

Right, at this point I wouldn't call it anything but speculation. But Comcast has fallen well behind almost every other provider when it comes to HD.

Time Warner Cable now has lineups crossing 200 channels, and with new deals coming for A&E Networks, Discovery Networks and Viacom, with a recently agreed to Starz/Encore deal, those markets should be seeing a lot of new channels, in addition to recent deals with Ovation and Al Jazeera America. Of course, Bright House Networks, who has content deals negotiated by TWC, is well over 200 HD channels in its core markets.

Charter is engaged in a digital transition through its markets. Rural markets that never had HD before are now reaching over 150 channels, and more urbanized markets are at 175-185 HD channels as this transition occurs.

DirecTV will launch the D14 satellite early next year, and with this, it is likely many new HD channels will follow, with DirecTV already having a substantial advantage in out-of-market sports and premium HD.

CenturyLink Prism deployment is increasing in its footprint, as is AT&T U-Verse, and both are over 200 HD channels, U-Verse with out-of-market sports, CenturyLink with a comprehensive network and premium HD lineup.

Verizon FiOS has migrated some channels from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 to clear up space, and has been adding HD channels fairly consistently the last couple months. While most have been international, Universal Sports, Sony Movie Channel, Oxygen, TV Land, and it looks like MTV2 HD are all coming on board, with more seeming to follow.

The competition is ahead of Comcast in every way, and it may become a detriment to maintaining customers for them down the road. Even small cable providers are going all-digital and reaching 100 HD channels now.

gar187er
I DID this for a living
join:2006-06-24
Seattle, WA

gar187er

Member

i have 220ish HD channels in my system; so i dont know why you are saying they are falling behind.

SeattleMatt
Streaming Tech Director
Premium Member
join:2001-12-28
Seattle, WA

SeattleMatt

Premium Member

Gar-
I assume you have DirecTV or something then?

B/c it's certainly not on the Georgetown system... I don't know of any Comcast system w/ more than 140 and definitely not here in the Mid-Atlantic.
Os
join:2011-01-26
US

Os

Member

No Comcast system has more than 134 channels. That is what the city of Chicago system has, and that's propped up by the numerous local channels. And that's counting G4 HD which will go away by January.

Most Comcast lineups are between 110-120 HD channels, including all locals, premiums, PPV and 3D.
rody_44
Premium Member
join:2004-02-20
Quakertown, PA

rody_44 to SeattleMatt

Premium Member

to SeattleMatt
You freekin guys always bitchin for these hd channels. I want my freakin three hd channels and analogs back. I only want to see hd on sports. Jesus christ, jillian mele looks so much better on sd it isnt funny.
Acct101
Premium Member
join:2011-09-20
Bensalem, PA

Acct101

Premium Member

LOL, I hear you, I had a lot more money in my wallet when I wasn't paying for cable and cell phones. I love the Comcast TV package; my only complaint is the lack of HD channels for MLB Extra Innings and the other sports packages. I would buy them all if they were in HD.
LoveHD
join:2011-07-31
Detroit, MI

LoveHD to Os

Member

to Os
said by Os:

The competition is ahead of Comcast in every way, and it may become a detriment to maintaining customers for them down the road. Even small cable providers are going all-digital and reaching 100 HD channels now.

That is quite revealing.

It sounds like Comcast has gone out of its way to create its own problems.

The No. 1 provider of cable television programming nationally should be able to lead on high definition programming nationally.
LoveHD

LoveHD to Os

Member

to Os
said by Os:

I don't know how believable it is, but someone at the Comcast forums was posting a couple weeks ago that Houston will be the first market to see a major HD upgrade of 37 channels between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and that other markets would follow.

In going through his posts, 4 of the 37 I pieced together were The Blaze HD, Fox Sports 2 HD, Universal Sports HD and beIn Sports HD. How believable this is, I don't know. But it's at least worth discussing that something might be in the works. I've not found anything more official yet, so for now, it's merely speculation. I would at least think that C-SPAN HD, Cooking HD, Disney Jr. HD, Ovation HD, Smithsonian HD, TVGN HD, IndiePlex HD and RetroPlex HD are included in that, as they've been commonly added in other Comcast markets this year out West.

It's not like they lack the bandwidth, and it's not like they don't have the contractual ability to get whatever they want.

Is there any reason Comcast has not yet added TV Land HD? The high def has been around, I think, for two years. Since November 2011. AT&T U-verse carries it. DirecTV carries it. Time-Warner Cable and Bright House Networks carries TV Land HD.

MTV 2 HD is another one. Both are part of the Viacom brands. Between the two, TV Land HD is more critical.
Os
join:2011-01-26
US

Os

Member

Comcast hides the status of their contract negotiations a lot more than Time Warner Cable does, so it's hard to say when their Viacom negotiations come up. Some of the new Viacom HD launches (Nick Jr. HD, Nicktoons HD) have been held back from TWC because of negotiations coming up right now.

I think it's really because Comcast is just ambivalent about HD. Not only do they lack MTV2 HD and TV Land HD, they lack Sundance HD, they lack OWN HD and Military HD. A lot of markets are still missing Cooking HD and DIY HD. Some still lack channels like GSN HD, NatGeo Wild HD, BBC America HD and BTN HD. All of these channels have either launched in the last 2 years or become much more commonplace, and it doesn't even touch the lack of HD premium content, both in movie channels and in sports packages.

Charter has received a lot of press recently for CEO Tom Rutledge calling their video product "inferior". Comcast now in many ways is where Charter was before Tom Rutledge, and since they're all digital, there's not really any technological reason that HD channels aren't being added.
joejoejeo
join:2006-04-02
Bloomington, IN

joejoejeo

Member

So as I said before there is so much contract renuals that Comcast has to do by the end of the year that they are focusing on that so that they can see how much space they have and want to keep people happy with the channels.they have first before adding any others.
Os
join:2011-01-26
US

Os

Member

95% of the things listed on Comcast's website regarding such negotiations are for local channels. At least according to that, they have no major negotiations occurring that would hold up HD channel additions.

Asom
@google.com

Asom

Anon

Also that Comcast page doesn't work anymore. FSN's have been on their. Like Olathe/MO doesn't have like Yes Network,NESN,FSN's,Sun Sports,Ovation SD because it has the HD version,WFN HD yet. Other HD Channels that Comcast doesn't have yet CSPN 2 and 3,Fusion TV,ZAPITTV and so on.
joejoejeo
join:2006-04-02
Bloomington, IN

joejoejeo to Os

Member

to Os
They are not adding any channels untill all the renewals happen by the end of the year, so they can know how many channels/quom locations are oppen so they can add more channels. And also Comcast does not a nounce upcoming channals being added until the month before. They only do the renewals so that you can see. tthat they are committed in getting these renewed. The renewels website does not just show local channels being renewed it also shows national channels as well
Os
join:2011-01-26
US

Os

Member

That's bull.

Comcast has tons of open QAM's. Space is not the issue. They have 20+ open QAM's in the Philadelphia region, and since most systems have the same amount of HD channels and are 750MHz, I'd venture to say the same exists on other systems.
kb1
join:2008-11-15
South Bend, IN

kb1 to Os

Member

to Os
said by Os:

I don't know how believable it is, but someone at the Comcast forums was posting a couple weeks ago that Houston will be the first market to see a major HD upgrade of 37 channels between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and that other markets would follow.

In going through his posts, 4 of the 37 I pieced together were The Blaze HD, Fox Sports 2 HD, Universal Sports HD and beIn Sports HD. How believable this is, I don't know. But it's at least worth discussing that something might be in the works. I've not found anything more official yet, so for now, it's merely speculation. I would at least think that C-SPAN HD, Cooking HD, Disney Jr. HD, Ovation HD, Smithsonian HD, TVGN HD, IndiePlex HD and RetroPlex HD are included in that, as they've been commonly added in other Comcast markets this year out

It's not like they lack the bandwidth, and it's not like they don't have the contractual ability to get whatever they want.

I wonder if Houston ever got there channels.
Os
join:2011-01-26
US

Os

Member

They didn't. That poster disappeared, and probably made the whole thing up. As for why someone would do that, trying to explain the logic of a troll isn't easy.

SeattleMatt
Streaming Tech Director
Premium Member
join:2001-12-28
Seattle, WA

SeattleMatt

Premium Member

OMG! A new channel! Just shoot me - new bill just posted today - looks like absolutely nothing other than this local must carry now through all of February.

Hell, maybe we aren't ever getting more HD. Very disheartening. Really hoped we'd start 2014 with a bang. Still in the Philly suburbs, no Cooking Channel HD, DIY HD, BeIN, FoxSports2, ehhhh..nevermind...i'm tired of repeating myself.

Latest news for New Castle County, DE -

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Effective February 27, 2014 the
following channel will change channel numbers: TWC from ch 2
to ch 55 and TV Guide Entertainment on ch 94 will no longer be
available. In addition, on February 27, 2014, KJWP SD and HD will be added to ch 2 and ch 788 respectively.

Apparently its some new local must carry Me TV affiliate (even though we already have one around here) that broadcasts in 720p (according to wikipedia)

»en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KJWP

mount laurel
@army.mil

mount laurel to Os

Anon

to Os
Saw this on January parents bill from NE Philly:

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Effective February 27, 2014 the
following channel will change channel numbers: TBS from ch 2
to ch 60. In addition, on February 27, 2014, KJWP SD and HD
will be added to ch 2 and ch 788 respectively.

Googled KJWP looks another ME TV affiliate from Delaware

cypherstream
MVM
join:2004-12-02
Reading, PA
·PenTeleData
ARRIS SB8200

cypherstream

MVM

It's a new channel. I guess a lot of markets will have to calculate it.

Here is when they went live, Nov 18th. Interesting shot of the broadcast equipment. They bought KYW 3's Harris transmitter.

»www.youtube.com/watch?v= ··· EAW3P5tU

SeattleMatt
Streaming Tech Director
Premium Member
join:2001-12-28
Seattle, WA

1 edit

SeattleMatt

Premium Member

What a dick! LOL.

Here in Wilmington, Delaware....errrrr, uhhhhh Philadelphia...

It's ok dude, Wilmington really is a city.

It's just strange b/c we already get MeTV via Channel 69 in Allentown on 249.
dishrich
join:2006-05-12
Springfield, IL

dishrich

Member

It's got an interesting "life", including where it's call letters came from:

»en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KJWP
said by SeattleMatt:

It's just strange b/c we already get MeTV via Channel 69 in Allentown on 249.

Agree, VERY strange that MeTV would allow 2 affiliates that are basically in the SAME DMA...

SeattleMatt
Streaming Tech Director
Premium Member
join:2001-12-28
Seattle, WA

1 edit

SeattleMatt

Premium Member

Well, Brighthouse - already over 200 HD channels - is adding another 5-8 at the end of the year.

It's astounding with the ease they do it. Handful of new HD's every month. Granted they're using SDV and it makes itsimple - but wow.
Acct101
Premium Member
join:2011-09-20
Bensalem, PA

Acct101

Premium Member

Yeah but like 30 of them are premium channels. Sorry, but I think having the premium content as VOD is a better option then having it as HBO, HBO1, HBO2, etc and seeing all same movies listed over and over again is a waste.
dishrich
join:2006-05-12
Springfield, IL

4 edits

dishrich

Member

said by Acct101:

Sorry, but I think having the premium content as VOD is a better option then having it as HBO, HBO1, HBO2, etc and seeing all same movies listed over and over again is a waste.

- Sorry, but you're probably in the minority that think "it's better" - OD sucks because:
*you have very limited skip/FF/REW options, than you do when you DVR something
*you have watch things dictated by when the content comes & goes on OD; when I DVR shows, I can keep them as long as I want them - & watch them on MY (limited) schedule!
*OD does NOT have ALL of the same content when it's on (ALL) the linear multiplex channels (I don't care what you or CC says...)
*I can watch shows I DVR'd, even AFTER I've canceled the premium channel(s) where those shows were recorded from

- I GUARANTEE you that Brighthouse has it BOTH ways...so their subs can watch it either way; everyone's happy (oh yea, U-verse has pretty much ALL the linear premium feeds AND the OD as well...)

- A "waste" of WHAT??? If you're talking about bandwidth, obviously it is NOT a problem for Brighthouse; nobody seems to know what CC's problem is...IN spite of the fact that CC has NO more analog signals to suck up bandwidth, (& IS sitting on gobs of empty QAM's!) while BH still has a full analog lineup!

So...now tell us why "it's better" that CC IS missing SO many other (basic) HD channels ENTIRELY in it's (limited) HD lineup???