# Comcast Hits 500 HDTV Choices



## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

*Top Cableco Claims It's Offering More HD Fare Than Anyone Else*

Comcast has more than 500 HDTV choices available at any given time and is
significantly increasing on-demand HD programming from Showtime, Encore,
MoviePlex and Starz.

With the content increase, Comcast claims it is offering more HD movies and
programming than anyone else. However, DirecTV is still the leader in terms
of the number of linear HDTV networks it offers customers, about 95 channels.

Comcast claims it is continuing to deliver on its commitment to provide more
choice on TV, including more HD, movies, sports, kids' programs and network
TV, first announced at the January 2008 CES as Project Infinity.

"This month, we're adding the most HD content ever," Derek Harrar, Comcast's
senior vice president and general manager of video services, said in a statement.
"We're working with top premium channels like Showtime and Starz to add 100s
of entertainment options in the categories consumers say they want the most...
HD movies and television shows." >>>

More @ http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6562347.html?nid=3990&rid=


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## n3ntj (Dec 18, 2006)

More Comcrap.


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## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

So say you...if it's in the _MultiChannel News_, it's got to be Gospel!


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## Richard King (Mar 25, 2002)

I read it on the Internet, it must be right..


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## davring (Jan 13, 2007)

Todays Ft Lauderdale News had a Comcast notice to its customers about "price adjustments". It was an increase of approxamately $2.50 per month for most customers.


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## tcusta00 (Dec 31, 2007)

Spin it baby!!


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## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

Consider it _'spun'_... :grin:


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## Greg Alsobrook (Apr 2, 2007)

No comment...


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## Mark Holtz (Mar 23, 2002)

define choice


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## 408SJC (Sep 4, 2006)

comcrap sucks in my area. had it, and won't go back. I prefer channels to choices, there on demand guide sucks!!


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## HIPAR (May 15, 2005)

I was watching some sort of on-demand movie service on Comcast at my brother's house last weekend. There were lots of movies available but not everything was HD. My brother likes his Comcast service but says he plans to give it up because it's becoming too expensive. 

--- CHAS


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## tonyd79 (Jul 24, 2006)

I feel like spinning myself.

500 choices. Assuming movies and TV shows, let's say that we are talking about 90 minutes each choice. That is 750 hours.

But, wait. Of the choices, maybe 30 or so are linear channels, so we have 470 choices at 90 minutes each, or 705 hours.

DirecTV has at this very moment about 70 items in HD on VOD. With the same 90 minute swag, that would be 105 hours. 

Now let's talk linear channels. Comcast is somewhere around 30 including locals. Per day (assuming all is HD, forget the SD/upconvert issue, that is not Comcast or DirecTV's problem) that would be 720 hours a day.

For DirecTV, we are talking 105 linear channels or 2520 hours per day.

Since I am sure Comcast is including linear PPV in their choices, we have to throw in them in the mix. Comcast here has none of those (oops). But DirecTV has 7. We can say 20 hours per day for them, so we have an additional 140 hours per day.

Now, on any given day, DirecTV has plenty of HD sports. For baseball season, they typically have over 20 HD games on per day. Hockey would be about a dozen. Throw in basketball and you have about the same amount as baseball per day. Then toss in the out of market RSNs and the NFL, and it is safe to say that DirecTV averages about 20 HD sports events a year (and that doesn't even take into account the wall to wall coverage of the Masters, etc.) So, averaging 2.5 hours per event at 20 per day, that adds another 50 hours per day to DirecTV. Comcast does not have HD out of market sports.

So, the hourly tally per day?

Comcast

704 VOD hours
720 Linear hours

Total of 1424 hours (or about 60 HD hours per hour)

DirecTV

105 VOD hours
2520 Linear hours
140 PPV hours
50 Sports Hours

Total of 2815 hours (or over 117 HD hours per hour).

Oops. And DirecTV's linear and VOD hours are growing. And if we did this on a monthly basis, the linear hours grow and the data goes even more in DirecTV's favor.

Maybe Comcast should break movies into 10 minute incremeents so they can claim 5000 choices.

Is this serious analysis? Heck no, just fun to see how far you can spin something and still stay within "reality." The truth is that Comcast has to state things in a way that looks good for them.


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## n3ntj (Dec 18, 2006)

Comcrap is playing games by using the term 'choices' instead of "channels". Comcrap can't come close to D* when it comes to actual HD channels.


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## Nick (Apr 23, 2002)

I have Comcast. The service in my local franchise, both on-site and by phone
(CSR) is very good. Overall, my PQ is excellent and the HD PQ, in particular,
is quite stunning.

Let's assume, for the sake of argument, that, currently, my local Comcast
offers 500 HD choices (linear+VOD) available at any given time. When I
sit down tonight at, let's say, 8:00 pm to watch tv, how many HD programs
(choices) do I have to choose from? 

How many do you have to choose from?

These are not trick questions.


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