I'm back...

[skottey]

So I really got sick of waiting for FIOS to go live (even though this house was wired well over a year ago) at this location. I have DirecTV but I am sick of not getting all the channels I want and enough premiums in HD. So, I did the following......

DirecTV-

kept-
choice extra with HD-DVR plus an additional HD-DVR
Starz package with the Encores
Showtime Unlimited (includes TMC, Flix, Sundance)
HD Pack- cheaper than BHN and has all the same stuff plus HDNET movies for $1 less a month than the comparable BHN HD pack

dropped- HBO
dropped -Cinemax
dropped - Access Magazine (why I got this I don't know since I never look at it)
dropped- $6/month equipment insurance

----

Bright House Networks-
Service + HD converter box
two HD-DVRs in addition to the converter box
HBO and Cinemax deal (not really a deal at $22 but whatever) so I'll get all eastern feeds of the channels in HD, as opposed to the handful from DirecTV
Most importantly, I will now have a ton of channels like AMCHD, TCMHD History International HD, and others that DirecTV does not carry and appears to have no intention of carrying any time soon.

If it works out well with BHN I will eventually drop DirecTV. BHN needs to pick up some Starz HD though first.

I will finally get service to the third HDTV in my kid's room with the HD box (no DVR). I couldn't add equipment with DirecTV because they wanted to force me to start my contract over! No way!

 

[jcarrera]

"I had FIOS but moved and cannot get it again even though a house 200 feet away has it and my street is wired. "

That is interesting. What reason do they offer for not hooking you up?

 

[skottey]

"I had FIOS but moved and cannot get it again even though a house 200 feet away has it and my street is wired. "

That is interesting. What reason do they offer for not hooking you up?

They don't give a reason. Several engineering tickets were opened and they never called me back. Non of my immediate neighbors have it either. Just the guy less than 200ft away on the other street. I actually have customers for my computer business around my neighborhood that cannot get it either but they remember all the digging and they all have the green boxes and orange street tags.

I am just not going to worry about it anymore until I eventually move. It is a shame I have to mix and match DirecTV and BHN services to get what still falls short of the premiums that FIOS has and to get goodies like AMCHD and TCMHD.

This isn't cheap paying DirecTV for Starz and Showtime because they have more in HD and paying BHN for HBO/MAX because they have more in HD. I just kind of had to get creative too. DirecTV offers what BHN calls the movie pack as part of Starz... all the Encore channels. DirecTV includes TMC in the Showtime Unlimited as they should.

Other than the bill, I should be happy for a while now. I mean, I can live without the western feeds of the movie channels and now I have AMCHD for Mad Men and Breadking Bad. I get all the east HBO/MAX channels in HD.

Like I said, if BHN picks up Starz HD and makes some other adjustments, I will drop DirecTV. My contract is up.

 

[tim tim tim]

They don't give a reason. Several engineering tickets were opened and they never called me back. Non of my immediate neighbors have it either. Just the guy less than 200ft away on the other street. I actually have customers for my computer business around my neighborhood that cannot get it either but they remember all the digging and they all have the green boxes and orange street tags.

I am just not going to worry about it anymore until I eventually move. It is a shame I have to mix and match DirecTV and BHN services to get what still falls short of the premiums that FIOS has and to get goodies like AMCHD and TCMHD.

This isn't cheap paying DirecTV for Starz and Showtime because they have more in HD and paying BHN for HBO/MAX because they have more in HD. I just kind of had to get creative too. DirecTV offers what BHN calls the movie pack as part of Starz... all the Encore channels. DirecTV includes TMC in the Showtime Unlimited as they should.

Other than the bill, I should be happy for a while now. I mean, I can live without the western feeds of the movie channels and now I have AMCHD for Mad Men and Breadking Bad. I get all the east HBO/MAX channels in HD.

Like I said, if BHN picks up Starz HD and makes some other adjustments, I will drop DirecTV. My contract is up.

Im willing to bet it will only be a matter of time. Last I heard BHN wants to have 170 HD channels by the end of the year. I believe were in the 120's now, I can only imagine more of the premiums will help them reach that goal.

 

[skottey]

Im willing to bet it will only be a matter of time. Last I heard BHN wants to have 170 HD channels by the end of the year. I believe were in the 120's now, I can only imagine more of the premiums will help them reach that goal.

That would be good for BHN. Verizon has their head in the sand.

 

[tim tim tim]

And there out of space untill they start doing IPTV (similar to SDV). Thought that was pretty funny, they build a full fiber system and only built it to handle up to 860 mhz.

 

[The Insider]

Well the "fiber" system has little to do with the limitations on the coax equipment. The majority of cable systems in the US at still running 650mhz gear anyway, so be glad you are running 870 (not 860). All the nodes in Central Florida have been upgraded to 1ghz, (the nodes only not the "trunk/feeder" amps). So its likely they will eventually be upgrading everything to 1ghz, that is a VERY expensive project.. Each amp is over 1k$ a piece and you are talking about thousands of these things. Not to mention the cost to have the work done.

This huge cost is why most cable companies have opted to use SDV as it was quicker, cheaper and easier to get going. It is also why many are simply dropping their analog lineups (ala xfinity/comcast) Because analog is just wasted space. Not to mention WAY cheaper then then 10s of millions of dollars upgrading a single system to 1ghz. Reclaiming analog bandwidth will give the system more then enough bandwidth to take it into the future. At least another decade.

BHN Orlando has about 65 analog channels. If they reclaim that, and use it for digital that is room for 130-195 HD Channels depending on compression. Or WAY more then that using SDV. Or an even more shocking number over 650 Standard digital channels in that same space.

So if your a cable company, do you spend 10s of millions of dollars to replace a system that is working just fine, or spend less then 1/4 of that, to simply reclaim your bandwidth you already have..

I cant wait to see analog die.. the only problem is thats a big selling point for BHN and cable companies in general. The ability for customers to have near unlimited amount of tvs with service for the same price, and not needing a box on every tv. But thats a sacrifice im willing to make

 

[tim tim tim]

all of our system amps and LE's are 1 gig, were just not running that high. I think our highest frequency here is 861 mhz. I cant wait for analog to go away either. Atleast do like comcast and offer 2-25. Better than nothing, you still get your locals but free up half of that analog space.

Also my comment about the full fibr system. I think part of the reason cable companies arent rushing to use higher frequencies is because of the high end roll off. Fiber obviously has no issue there so why wouldnt they build for atleast 1 gig from the get go? We already have to use amps and inline eq's in alot of houses because of the roll off issue. Im sure it would only be worse with the higher frequencies.

 

[jcarrera]

Insider, I think BHN could solve the problem with digital requiring boxes on every TV ( = high cost to consumer) vs. analog by providing the 2nd and 3rd non-DVR STB at no additional cost when going to all-digital.

Yes, there is expense to that, but a lot of homes only have one TV anyway, and box cost is not really all that high. So, it would seem a small sacrifice on BHN's part to gain immense bandwith. Doing so would essentially eliminate the screaming. Oops--there is the cost of the 1st box that would be in there for people who use cable w/o a box. OK, give them a box for 1 year free.

 

[The Insider]

Insider, I think BHN could solve the problem with digital requiring boxes on every TV ( = high cost to consumer) vs. analog by providing the 2nd and 3rd non-DVR STB at no additional cost when going to all-digital.

Yes, there is expense to that, but a lot of homes only have one TV anyway, and box cost is not really all that high. So, it would seem a small sacrifice on BHN's part to gain immense bandwith. Doing so would essentially eliminate the screaming. Oops--there is the cost of the 1st box that would be in there for people who use cable w/o a box. OK, give them a box for 1 year free.

There are companies making Set top boxes (digital tuners basically) for around 100$ Those certainly would be an option, but lets assume the norm. A house has 3 tvs. Living room, bedroom and kids room/guest room etc.

BHN has a little over 2 million customers in all their footprint. So 2 million x 100 x 3. Thats a pretty big capital expenditure. But it certainly would make the system "future" proof and its a lot cheaper then what Verizon is doing.

 

[jcarrera]

I see your point, but all 2 million accounts won't have 3 TV's. Still, your valid point is that it is a large number.

Here's another idea--a monthly charge until the box is xx% paid for, then that charge goes away. That would be a terrific deal for BHN. Boxes would get paid for, and later many would be turned in. They could be reissued and charges resume even though a previous customer paid for it.

 

[tim tim tim]

I see your point, but all 2 million accounts won't have 3 TV's. Still, your valid point is that it is a large number.

Here's another idea--a monthly charge until the box is xx% paid for, then that charge goes away. That would be a terrific deal for BHN. Boxes would get paid for, and later many would be turned in. They could be reissued and charges resume even though a previous customer paid for it.

just doing very rough math, it would take over 5 years to pay off an average box. Honestly, 5 years tends to be an average number of years your DVR will last you (some longer, some less). Thats assuming the new dvr's dont cost more then the old ones (which im sure they do).

 

[HDOrlando]

Where did you hear 170 by the end of the year?

It would have to be a lot of premiums and RSN's given what they have available from TWC now. Here is Orlando's list.

HD Channels We Do Not Have On Other BHN Systems

Big Ten Network HD OD
C-Span HD
Discovery Kids HD (Soon to be The Hub)
Galavision HD
Gospel Music Channel HD
The Weather Channel HD (Need new deal for this before we can get HD version)
Game 2 HD (Another Hd feed for MLB Extra Innings and NHL Center Ice Packages)
Second HD PPV Channel (Not sure why this is even needed.)
6 Remaining HD West HBO's
9 Remaining Cinemax HD Channels
2 Remaining HD West Showtimes
Starz West HD (Likely need carriage deal to be renewed first)

On Time Warner Systems and Not BHN

3 new Showtime HD's
5 HD Starz/Encore (Need to renew Month to Month Deal with Starz/Encore)
C-Span2 HD
C-Span3 HD
EWTN HD
HSN HD
Jewlery TV HD
NASA-TV HD
NHK World HD (Need to pick up SD Channel first)
QVC HD
ReelzChannel HD (Need to pick up SD version first)
RFD-TV HD (Need to pick up SD Channel first)
Tru TV HD
TVGuide HD (Need to pick up SD Channel first)
VuTopia On Demand HD (No idea what this is)

Announced For October on TWC

Africa Channel HD
GSN HD
Ovation TV HD
Wedding Central HD

Announced but may not materalize

Lifetime HD (BHN/TWC need to renew carriage deal for SD Channel first)
Pentagon Channel HD
Sundance HD (Postponed Indefinitely)
TVLand HD