kcharg
Kcharg
Premium,VIP
join:2000-10-28
Forney, TX
1 edit | [Comcast] Dallas/Fort Worth Metro Vol. I
Guys I work for Comcast in Dallas and I have been told that we are going to have what Comcast calls a "Soft" launch on HDTV here in the Dallas MetroPlex. From what I have been told we are going to be offering 4 channels to start off with that will be in HD. Two of which are HBO and SHO but the other two are TBA. I am speculating that they will be NBC and ABC. I hope we get ABC so we can watch some Monday Night Football in HD. But I just wanted to spill some beans on this subject.
kcharg
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kcharg
»home.attbi.com/~kcharg/ |
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lazybum1979
Premium
join:2002-07-28
Burkburnett, TX
clubs: | Re: [COMCAST] HDTV in Dallas MetroPlex
I woulda thought a market as big as D/FW would've had HDTV kickin already. Hope ya like it! |
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kcharg
Kcharg
Premium,VIP
join:2000-10-28
Forney, TX
| reply to kcharg
Well we should have HDTV but the Dallas Market as a whole was in such ruins because of the AT&T Broadband nightmare that when Comcast took over we had to all slow down and somewhat re-evaluate things. But I can't wait for this to come down, because I just purchased a 46-inch Philips Widescreen HDTV Monitor and I am ready to put it to use!!!
kcharg
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kcharghttp://home.attbi.com/~kcharg/ |
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hdindallas
@attbi.com
| reply to kcharg
hey man are you for real? i have been waiting so !#$#% long for HDTV over cable..
when is this going to be available? is it available right now?
i am fired up because even if HBO is only being offered right now, i'd sign up just to watch Carnivale
also, any word on ESPN?? you would think that the Sunday Night Football would be a big draw |
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PlanoHDTVfan
@Dial1.Dallas
| reply to kcharg
Somehow, a four channel HD package doesn't seem all that impressive in an area that has six HD channels available off the air for free -- and where OTA reception is generally pretty good. So while it is a start, I can't really understand how this is going to provide any incentive for people to keep cable in lieu of going with OTA HDTV and/or satellite. |
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imrf
Premium
join:2002-06-06
Utica, MI
 ·WOW Internet and C..
| said by PlanoHDTVfan:
I can't really understand how this is going to provide any incentive for people to keep cable in lieu of going with OTA HDTV and/or satellite.
An OTS receiver costs $400, and a sat HD system even more. Why pay that kind of tag when the cable company can just rent you a box for roughly $5 a month with out any other changes in billing or wiring of the house. |
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panth1
The Coyote
join:2000-12-11
Boca Raton, FL | reply to kcharg
Explain the "AT&T nightmare" that you are referring to.
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ISPs: Road Runner/Powerlink Status: Road Runner |
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kcharg
Kcharg
Premium,VIP
join:2000-10-28
Forney, TX
| reply to kcharg
Well to give an overall response, I am scheduled to receive an HDTV Box from my company sometime next week. They are telling me that HBO and Showtime are definitely being released and probably WFAA-8 (ABC) also is going to be released but the 4th channel is still being worked on.
kcharg |
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OTAHDTV
@advantexcom.net
| reply to imrf
I paid $350 for my OTA HDTV STB and $50 for my antenna for a total of $400. I receive 16 digital OTA HDTV channels in the Dallas,TX area and pay NOTHING per month!
Most of the cable companies force you to purchase their expensive digital cable package instead of the low end basic package before you can get their HD channels plus you have to pay the monthly fee for their STB and the quality is not as good as OTA or SAT.
HDTV Picture quality is always in this order:
1 OTA - signal is native/untouched from broadcaster
2 SAT - signal is modified - compressed/decompressed for uplink
3 Cable - signal is modified and muxed with 80 other channels to compete for bandwidth over poor quality equipment/cable/wiring |
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hdindallas
@attbi.com | reply to kcharg
so if you're receiving your box next week, the service should probably be turned on by then
hmm..i just called comcast and they said that it would come out by the end of the year
so this "soft" launch is internal right now? |
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stewlevine
join:2002-05-28
Dallas, TX
| reply to kcharg
A couple of questions...
1. Can non-employees sign up yet?
2. Does the box being used let us integrate our over the air antennas like the DirecTV boxes do?
3. Can we use HD in room where we only have one (the 'A') wire run into the room?
4. Do we need to provide our own component video cables?
5. Where's ESPN HD? |
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imrf
Premium
join:2002-06-06
Utica, MI
·WOW Internet and C..
| 1. Don't know.
2. No. The box only decodes QAM signals, 8VSB is not inserted into any Comcast plant, nor do any on their boxes decode 8VSB signals.
3. Some one else can answer this one.
4. Should not have to, Comcast charges roughly $30 for the installation of the HD boxes, which includes 1 component video cable, a new drop to the house and the replacement of the cable line that feeds the HD box.
5. Many markets already have ESPNHD, its on here in MI. |
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mikedz4
join:2003-04-14
Weirton, WV
 ·DIRECTV
 ·Verizon Online DSL
 ·Comcast Digital Vo..
·Comcast
| reply to OTAHDTV
from what I recall you can get HDTV and VIDEO ON DEMAND with just basic service with comcast at least here. You won't get channels like showtime or hbo but you will get all of the other services at least with video on demandand i think with hdtv as well. |
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hdindallas
@attbi.com
| reply to kcharg
mits integrated tuner picks up scrambled channels here
the channel numbers coincide with the analog numbers for HBO and showtime
i don't know if that means HBO and show are on there but it definitely implies that some channel is on the air
i got the message "this channel is scrambled and cannot be viewed" |
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PlanoHDTVfan
@Dial1.Dall
| reply to kcharg
> An OTS receiver costs $400, and a sat HD system even more. Why pay that kind of tag when the cable company can just rent you a box for roughly $5 a month with out any other changes in billing or wiring of the house.
To receive six channels of OTA HD instead of just two channels -- and to not pay any monthly fee to receive them. From my viewpoint, the cost of the Comcast HD service is the $5 plus whatever basic cable costs -- and that to avoid buying a $300 OTA receiver (cheapest price I've seen) and using an antenna.
But I presume at this point the primary intent of this service is to keep current subscribers with HD-ready sets from defecting to satellite or OTA, not attracting new subscribers. |
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mikedz4
join:2003-04-14
Weirton, WV | I can't see paying $300+ for a hdtv receiver. Comcast HDTV gives you everything you need for $5/month. |
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lazybum1979
Premium
join:2002-07-28
Burkburnett, TX
clubs:
| reply to kcharg
How much does it run you to get a HD setup from the cable company? I can't seem to find that information anywhere in this post.
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Crunch, Crunch, Crunch, Crunch, Wouldn't you like to be a cruncher too? |
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mikedz4
join:2003-04-14
Weirton, WV | I think $5-10/month plus a $20 install fee. |
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OTAHDTV
@advantexcom.net
| reply to kcharg
Whats this $5-$10 per month crap?
The cheapest price for Comcast basic digital cable is $50 per month, thats $600 per year! Does the basic digital cable package include HDTV? or is there an additional charge to add the HD channels?
I pay $33 per month for basic non digital cable from my cable company, a difference of $17 per month which in 2 years will cover the cost of my OTA HDTV STB and antenna and I dont have to pay a monthly fee for a STB and I receive 16 OTA HDTV channels + 60 non digital cable tv channels. |
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kcharg
Kcharg
Premium,VIP
join:2000-10-28
Forney, TX
| reply to stewlevine
1. Only employees can get it now, hence the word "Soft Launch." They are (For Once) doing a beta test before they release it mainstream.
2. The Motorola boxes will not perform this function. »broadband.motorola.com/hdtv/dct5100.html
3. As far as I know if you only have your A-side running to that room then know you'll need a B-side. Our Digital Signals run over the B-side and I am pretty sure that they will be putting HD over the B-side.
4. NO
5. ESPN HD is being worked on, one of the Big Wigs I spoke with yesterday said that they were working hard to get ESPN HD soon.
Anymore questions?
kcharg |
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