Comcast: HDTV Is Booming
The cable operator says about 20 percent of all subs get a HD or DVR service, or both.
By Phillip Swann
Washington, D.C. (April 26, 2007) -- Comcast said today that roughly 20 percent of its 25 million customers now subscribe to a High-Definition or DVR service, or both.
In its first quarter report, the nation's largest cable operator also said that new High-Definition and DVR subs have jumped 72 percent over the last year.
The company said 535,000 customers added either a high-def or DVR service in the first quarter, compared to 310,000 in the first quarter last year.
Unlike most cable and satellite providers, Comcast does not break down how many subscribers have High-Definition TV and how many have Digital Video Recorders. They include both in the same category.
Comcast also countered those who say they will need to offer a large number of high-def channels later this year when DIRECTV expands its capacity. Company COO and President Steve Burke said the 'quality" of the HD channels is more important than the quantity.
You won't find me in this cheering section. Comcast forces customers who want HD to buy into the higher digital packages before they'll even let them sign on to pay the extra $10+/month to get HD. When they say their digital subscriptions are up that's because it's the same price as their "basic" cable. And when they say most customers pay $75 ($25 above basic) that's because they won't offer you HD until you hit that higher tier - even though all but one or two of their HD channels are already included in the "basic" package. Don't believe the hype, Comcast is screwing their customers and misleading you with their stats. 25 HD channels? I'm in Atlanta (I assume that's an above average market) and I get about half that number.
Gee, thanks Steve for thinking you know what we care about, because right now you DON'T have all the high-def channels that I care about!
I don't have Comcast, and don't care to. I have DirecTV, but I would like to know when the hell does this "Future of 100 High Def Channels" begin??????
Can you ever have the HD channels people care about? That comment shows the real lack of interest in their CUSTOMERS!! I'm sorry but 14 HD channels is not enough for me. After getting a beautiful 40" lcd, I still have to live with horrible picture on many stations I'd normally watch, like FOX Sports. I'd move to DirecTV in a heartbeat if I had another Broadband provider that could match the bandwidth speed of Comcast. Without Comcast cable, the costs for broadband jumps about $20 a month.
Where is HDNet? I've written Comcast several times about HDNet and HDNet movies and they don't have it. That is the reason I still have DirecTV along with Comcast. If Comcast added the HDnet channels I would drop DirecTV like a hot potatoe.
Comcast provides only 9 HD channels here in the heart of the Bay Area, CA. In addition, we do not have VOD. They just "upgraded" the guide on the hi-def DVR and stole two lines of the grid for promos. The DVR continues to randomly go into mute, cannot keep up with remote key presses when viewing HD and has started to exhibit visual artifacts in recorded material. A truly awful experience. Time to take my $130/month somewhere else I think.
HD LOCALS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE PART OF LIMITED BASIC!
HD SIMULCASTS OF SD CHANNELS SHOULD BE INCLUDED IF ONE GETS THAT sD CHANNEL (AND NOT JUST PAY CHANNELS)
HD only channels like Universal HD,Discovery HT,Mojo,MHD,and a pair of H channels I can see on an HD only tier.
i do hope comcast adds nationl geographic channel to our local hd pkg along with A&E channel we live in the hbg.pa. area and do not get these channels in hd.
I have Comcast HD and have about 10 channels. Had it installed three months ago and it has benn out more than it has been usable. Four service techs have ben out and they have re-intialized my cable card multiple times to reset it.
Do they know what they are doing, it sure doesn't look like it.
Comcast in the Chicago area is decent, but I got it only because I don't have the line of sight to go with Directv at my apartment. I have two cable cards installed in my HD Tivo and as Tony said the technicians seem rather clueless. It took 2 hours to get the cards working, because they don't really know what to do. Occasionally, the voices are noticebly out of sinc, but most often it's okay. I get about 25 HD channels, but about half of them show as much SD programming as HD. I really hopped for HDNet as well.
I read an article about Comcast removing 31 stations from analog in the Chicago area and using the increased bandwidth to offer more HD programming. I hope this is true.
A month or so ago, Comcast started removing channels from my Extended Basic service. I still pay the same amount per month. This, to me, is a reduction in service, yet they refuse to reduce my fees. Has anyone heard of a Class Action lawsuit going on, in this respect? I'd like to find it.
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