Cablevision Removing Analog Services

[Scott Greczkowski]

I just got the following in my INBOX. Looks like Cablevision will be doing their own Analog to Digital conversion soon on popular cable channels.

Cablevision carries virtually all of the programming it offers in digital format. Beginning Thursday, April 30 and continuing through Tuesday, May 19, 2009, the duplicate analog feeds of certain Family Cable channels are being eliminated. These channels include ABC Family, AMC, BET, C-SPAN, CNN Headline News, Fuse, Galavision, History, Lifetime, MSNBC, MTV, MTV2, Spike TV, TV Land VH1 and WE. Once the analog feeds are eliminated, a digital cable box and iO Navigation (or a CableCARD) will be required in order to continue receiving the affected Family Cable channels.

At the same time, the duplicate analog feeds of C-SPAN, which is part of the Broadcast Basic package will also be removed in certain areas. Once the analog feeds are eliminated, a digital cable box and iO Navigation (or a CableCARD or QAM tuner) will be required in order to continue receiving C-SPAN.

Customers in the Bronx and Brooklyn, Newark/Elizabeth, Hudson and Paterson service areas are not affected by this initiative because the duplicate analog feeds of the Family Cable channels have already been removed.

Additional Background Information

The elimination of the analog feeds of these services will allow Cablevision to offer more programming, particularly more free high definition programming and interactive services.

In order to ease the transition, residential customers who do not have a digital cable box or a CableCARD will be offered a digital cable box and iO Navigation for one year free.

[Cobra611]

Thanks for the heads up, Scott!!!

[RemyM]

Wonderful news!

[e2727]

That is good to hear, hope they add some new HD channels now thank's

[cforrest]

Appears if any HD will be added, will probably be around June. Hopefully they'll move some HD channels off the same frequency and improve the picture quality of existing channels that are 4 deep in the same QAM channel, while adding more HD in June. Since 16 analog channels will give them a nice chunk of bandwidth once all digital. Good news for those with Cablevision and waiting for more HD, thanks for the news Scott!

[hbk409]

hopefully they can take those premiums they recently added off sdv hate turning to a channel only to see channel not available try again later

[jpr281]

1 analog channel takes up 1 full QAM, correct?

[johnner1999]

this is great - thanks Scott!!!

[dm145]

more room=more HD
more room=should mean improved PQ

[rtt2]

Scott I am confused about this a bit.

I looked at the channel guide and do not see Galavision listed. I do not think any city in CV's footprint has it at all.

CSPAN is already digital only.

Was this an old memo? or was this an official notification?