Cable Network Sees 50 HD Channels by 2009

[Nick]

"...we are seeing very aggressive demand for HD.
If someone is buying a TV today, it doesn't make
sense to buy a standard-definition set."

While smaller operators have been particularly hurt by satellite’s large high definition channel
packages, Bresnan Communications has been fighting back with aggressive plans to expand
its HD lineup. The MSO’s VP of Strategic Engineering, Pragash Pillai, talks about its efforts to
upgrade their networks and more efficiently use available bandwidth.

Q: How much high-definition content are you planning to add?

A: We are going to very aggressively ramp up our HD offering. Our target is to have 50 linear
HD before the end of the year, not including our VOD offering.

We started some preliminary work last year and now, certain markets can get up to 30 linear
HD channels. Most markets have over 20 and we continue to add more all the time. About 89
percent of our total subscribers have access to HD and that number will go to 97% before the
end of 2008.

Q: What are your plans for HD VOD?

A: We have some high def VOD deployed now and we are in the process of increasing that. I
would say we will have a couple of hundred hours by the end of the year. ...

More @ Multichannel News (http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6533878.html)

[Steve Mehs]

Yep, competition is grand. What the mighty DirecTV has done, every one is reaping the benefits. Here TBS HD and National Geographic HD were just added, LMN HD, HGTV HD and History Channel HD get added next week. MSG HD sometime in March, Food Network HD, NHL Network HD, Outdoor Channel HD, CNN HD, and the suit of HD channels from Discovery are in the works as well. That will bring the total for me to 35 HD channels, Time Warner in Albany is already pushing 40. Not quite the 75 or 100 or 175 D* has, but we’ll get those in time. Looking at what DirecTV offers, what I will soon be getting with Time Warner and comparing that to what the former self proclaimed HD leader a Dish Network offers, and what Verizon Fios, the ‘future of HDTV’ offers is just laughable.

From various sites, TW has agreements in place with programming providers for 53 HD channels, with another 20 on the way. SDV is here, DirecTV watch out, you have competition on the way.

[n3ntj]

Our target is to have 50 linear HD before the end of the year

What is linear HD?

[Stuart Sweet]

wow, 50Hds. If DIRECTV wants to compete, they will have to go back in time to when they had only 51!

[Steve Mehs]

wow, 50Hds. If DIRECTV wants to compete, they will have to go back in time to when they had only 51!

I wouldn't talk. It wasn't too long ago when D*s HD [Lite] selection was piss poor pitiful. Like I said competition is grand, I'll soon have pretty much what D* offers without actually subscribing to their service. Dish Networks reign of HD leader was pretty long lived, D*s won't be for areas that have decent cable systems. I'm not married to my TV service provider like some of you guys and I really don't care if D* has 982 HD channels, most of which have very little if any real HD content, but I'll get them in time, thanks to something D* doesn't like, competition.

[Kheldar]

What is linear HD?

Linear HD is what most people consider HD channels. One program right after another, in a "line", so to speak.

They specify LINEAR to differentiate it from Video-On-Demand, which is not a linear format, i.e. you don't have to wait for the program to start, you can watch it at any time.

[n3ntj]

Gotcha. So the only way Comcrap wins any HD contests is by including their HD non-linear programming..

Kind of funny...the local Comcrap outfit here moved a bunch of channels to their digital service and people around here are in the newspapers, on the 6:00 news, etc. complaining about it. Comcrap is requiring people to get converter boxes if they want to receive these channels again, yet they didn't tell anyone about these channels moving to the digital service until people turned to those channels and low and behold, a message on the screen telling them to upgrade to digital. The newspaper articles kept saying cable has no competitor or government oversight.

So, I wrote a letter to the editor last week about how people should investigate their options, besides Comcrap. I started it with "ever hear of satellite TV"? It goes on tell you what you get from D* and E* that Comcrap doesn't give you (such as around 75 HD channels with E* and around 100 HD channels with D*), plus HD locals from D*. The local Comcrap only offers approx. 24 HD channels now. Plus, with satellite, you can also get HD sports packages, such as NHL CI, MLB EI, etc. Comcrap locally doesn't offer these in HD.

[Nick]

Good for you. :rolleyes:

[Steve Mehs]

omcrap is requiring people to get converter boxes if they want to receive these channels again, yet they didn't tell anyone about these channels moving to the digital service until people turned to those channels and low and behold, a message on the screen telling them to upgrade to digital.

And then you have people here bashing cable for their crappy analog picture quality with ghosting and fuzz. I swear some of you wouldn't be happy no matter what. You can't have it both ways, and Comcast is doing the right thing here, looking at the calender it is 2008, it's time analog cable goes bye bye. And I'm sure it was mentioned somewhere, but most people don't care to read and then cry about things they should have already known about because of those own ignorance.