(Sacramento) Look out: Comcast is making changes

[Mark Holtz]

From Sacramento Bee (http://www.sacticket.com/tv_radio/story/6536861p-7487412c.html)

Look out: Comcast is making changes

Here we go again. On Thursday, cable is going to go wacko for 250,000 homes as Comcast takes over the Sacramento system from AT&T Broadband and makes life hellish -- because that's what cable companies do.

To be fair to Comcast, it is reorganizing the channel lineup in the way it swears its customers prefer on other Comcast-run systems.
We'll take Comcast's word for that -- because what cable company would lie?

And then we come to your new bill. It seems anytime anything changes with cable, plus many days when nothing happens, the bill goes up. This time, it's going up for some folks, though Comcast says it's only 9,000 of its customers.

People with "expanded service" -- most of the major cable channels except TNT, TBS, Turner Classic Movies, TV Land and Discovery Channel -- will now get those channels but pay $1 a month more for six months, then $3.99 more after that (for a total hike of $4.99).

And people with "Tier 3" service -- who already get TNT, etc. -- will pay what they always have, and, yeah, it's probably too much.

Full article here (http://www.sacticket.com/tv_radio/story/6536861p-7487412c.html)

[waydwolf]

    Go back to the post on ESPN hiking its rates, check out the rates charged by all the content providers, then check out the financials on E* and DTV as opposed to Comcast.

    Comcast isn't making anyones' lives a living hell. Not when a hookup is as easy as a line from the street to the house and doesn't involve the remotest possibility of a $150 upcharge for a tripod or the final word, "no line of sight whatsoever from this property".

    I guarantee you DBS prices will be at the same level as cable in five years or they will go out of business. NO business can cut its throat as deeply as DBS has in the name of competition with something with which it cannot compete. If you think they can compete, show me a way for DBS to get signal to each and every house, apartment, and condo. Not without sharing dishes from properties with line of sight to those without and that goes to becoming cable which the DBS world irrationally hates.

 

[Chris J]

Comcast also offering there HD programming today in Sactown.

[tampa8]

Originally posted by waydwolf
    Go back to the post on ESPN hiking its rates, check out the rates charged by all the content providers, then check out the financials on E* and DTV as opposed to Comcast.

    Comcast isn't making anyones' lives a living hell. Not when a hookup is as easy as a line from the street to the house and doesn't involve the remotest possibility of a $150 upcharge for a tripod or the final word, "no line of sight whatsoever from this property".

    I guarantee you DBS prices will be at the same level as cable in five years or they will go out of business. NO business can cut its throat as deeply as DBS has in the name of competition with something with which it cannot compete. If you think they can compete, show me a way for DBS to get signal to each and every house, apartment, and condo. Not without sharing dishes from properties with line of sight to those without and that goes to becoming cable which the DBS world irrationally hates.

 

I have a bridge in brooklyn to sell you. Because if you really believe all that I'm sure I can talk you into most anything.

Dish Network is financially doing VERY well, Thank-you. Moody's just gave them a very good financial report overall. With their revelation of HD programming coming out,there is sure to be a surge of purchases for the new three satellite dish and for the new HD receivers coming out. And if you have been reading any of the posts recently, Charlie has been really holding the line on what he will pay for programming. Of course the price will go up over your five year example, but I am confident it will rise no where near what most cable prices do. Dish subscriptions have risen more than all other providers and again, with the addition of HD progamming and adding more locals, I see a very rosy picture for Dish. Compitition being what it is, I am also quite certain that with Ruport gaining control of Direct Tv, they too will become financially viable which I do admit at this time they are not.
Finally, if cable were as easy as a "line from the street" the hundreds of thousands who have switched to DBS would not have. Overall cable support is still poor. Even when we complain about DBS CSR'S, in comparison to Cable they are terrific. And even though many cable companies have gone to digital transmission over fiber optic, most are still using some analog signals producing only a fair picture. (Some cable transmissions are very good however) (Ironically, as I write this, my inlaws just instant messaged me, and said their neighborhood cable was out again tonight for awhile and a couple of friends were over to watch
ER.)
By the way,you don't beleive that cable doesn't charge for locals, do you?