Yeah we aren't going to get anything like ala carte "packs" like in Canada for a long time... I have to move to cable due to LOS sight issues at a new rental, and I thought Comcast (as evil as they are) were finally going to lead the charge on ala carte--in my Seattle market as well as a few others, they are offering MyTV Choice, and promoting the hell out of it for the last month or 2--see
Introducing the All New MyTV Choice? ...seemed like a pretty good deal--I wanted to ditch the Sports and Kids channels right off the bat (the "Get Started Plus" is the exact same as Get Started, only 20 bucks cheaper and no ESPN of RSN)--until I went to order...
Here is how you can tell Comcast *really* doesn't want to really put their muscle behind this (seems like more of a CYA strategy the more I look at it), and why MyTV Choice is worthless PR garbage:
1. You can't get it without a triple play--my cell phone is my only phone. I don't need their voice--fail
2. They cannot apply ANY promotions to the package--e.g. the 2 for 1 movie channel deal for 2 years--double fail
3. If you get MyTVChoice they charge the $10 HD access fee, even with a CableCard (I bought a Tivo Premiere) With Digital Premiere they gave me free HD for life (after I told them I was a D* customer and would be switching back as soon as physically possible unless they blew me away with how great they were) on my CableCard, and a 2nd Motorola HD box (non DVR) for free upstairs--triple fail (although it ties in with #2)
SO when it came right down to it, MyTV Choice with 2 of the packages gone, and HBO & Showtime added (with the most minimal local phone service possible), 10 meg internet and the HD fees were ~$150 per month, whereas their Digital Premiere package with 2 for 1 movie channels for 2 years, free HD for life on my CableCard w/ an extra HD box for upstairs for free, and 20 meg internet service was priced for me at $99 bucks for 2 years ($159 after)--and the CSR (local guy) told me that in 2 years to call and say you're going back to D* and it will be extended over and over. He also said that less than 5% of people who call for MyTV Choice end up getting it and that it was designed to NOT be a good deal unless you need the phone, and only need the most basic of digital cable without HD.
My point is that I feel like Comcast didn't screw me--but that their advertising for this ala carte scheme is basically a lie--and that they'd rather give me a great deal on their regular packages and match the free HD for life that D* has--so that about a year from now (I hear it now), they can lobby against it with the industry because "We tried offering ala carte, and less than 5% of people took us up on the offer--they prefer our full packages instead".
--Nat
