Time Warner Cable TV/Voice → Re: Time Warner Buffalo 100% Digital? Time Table?

TW Rochester does digital simulcast, if you have a box just about all channels are digital, except for a CSPAN, QVC, HSN and the community access channels. Most channels part of analog line up are also duplicated in the 100+ range, but whether you watch Fox News on channel 42 or 115, it's the digital version as long as you have a box. Unfortunately digital simulcast is just a bandaid on the problem, what needs to happen is complete and total analog removal and FORCE everyone to have a box on EVERY TV, just like satellite. Digital simulcast is nice, but it causes more bandwidth to be used. It's 2008, analog must go NOW!

And again, why the hell do you keep mentioning MoviePlex, the channel is pointless, it just shows the same movies Encore shows but different times. I'd rather not have that channel. Not every channel is carried by every TW division, contracts are national, but it is up to each franchise to pick up the channel or not. Next week we're getting National Geographic HD and TBS HD, TW Albany is up to about 35 HD channels. New channels will get added when they get added.

I have three TVs all wired by then Adelphia. The main TV has the DVR box. I would not object personally if TW went all digital if I or others could rent a basic box for less then they are charging now.

I just mentioned Plex as an example of stations not carried in the WNY market that are carried in other Time Warner divisions. In addition, there are two other Plex stations available in digital format called Indiplex and Retroplex. I wouldn't mind having all three.

On February 20, 2009, all analog stations will cease broadcasting over the airwaves. Just thought Time Warner would have everything in place before that date in effect for the Buffalo market. Prior to the Time Warner takeover. Adelphia did very little in the last 5 years updating their head-end and bandwidth.

Is not Buffalo a larger market than Rochester? Then why is TWC Buffalo so far behind in what it offers its customers?

If I'm not mistaken, the February, 2009 date is for OTA stations only. Cable and satellite are exempt or at least for a few more years.

Buffalo market was formerly owned by the bankrupt Adelphia cable which didn't do much upgrading. It was taken over by Time Warner over a year ago. Rochester has been run by Time Warner for many years.

Market size really has nothing to do with it, NYC is the largest market in the country, and other then recent HD additions TW Rochester beat them in just about every category. Rochester is also used as a test market. A lot of times were one of the first franchises to get upgrades and new features. And while TW Buffalo probably serves more people, TW Rochester covers more geography. Geographically speaking, TW Rochester and TW STNY cover more area in the Buffalo market then TW Buffalo does.

And you also have to look at market penetration. On the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle’s website I read Time Warner holds 68% of the TV market in Rochester. I can tell you, just by living here, in Buffalo, cable penetration is nowhere near that high, there are satellite dishes plastered on just about every house. In Rochester, just driving around you see a lot less houses with dishes.

And I’ll also tell you this, if I lived two miles west of where I do, no way would I have cable. From seeing it at relatives houses, while TW has done some major improvement over Adelphia, IMO, TW Buffalo still does not compare to TW Rochester.