thechad708 said:
I am not saying Comcast is failing now, they are about average in HD programing. What i'm saying is for them to just say " no bandwidth available and a small HD market" is just crazy. Once the satellite companies switch to MPEG 4 it will be a different ball game. If they truely dont have bandwidth they better start rebuilding again.
Apparently, you haven't been reading any of the actual posts in this thread.
1. Cable is converting many areas to QAM256. This is similar to DBS converting to MPEG4, adding bandwidth.
2. Cable is removing PPV channels, relying on VOD as its PPV broadcast channel. This also frees huge amounts of bandwidth.
3. Cable provides local network HD, local sports HD, and local independant HD, which DBS does not, and will probably not ever do to the extent that cable does.
4. Cable is mirroring all analog channels in the digital band in many areas, with plans to remove all but the most basic "lifeline" type channels from the analog spectrum (for low income subs). This will free HUGE amounts of bandwidth.
5. Other than the 10 Voom originals currently available on Dish, Cable holds the HD edge right now. (They are currently adding TNT-HD, with Universal on the way. I have no doubt as to Voom Originals being added before the end of the year to the higher bandwidth systems.)
Unfortunately, different cable companies, and different areas within the same companies, do not offer all of these things. That nationwide uniformity of technology and programming is one of DBS' strengths.