Comcast and other cable customers who want FSC HD and FSC+

Discussion in 'TV, Satellite & Radio' started by matty311, Feb 5, 2010.

  1. matty311

    matty311 Member

    Jul 2, 2003
    Pittsburgh
    Club:
    AFC Ajax
    I'm a comcast man, we all can assume that Directv and Dish Network will probably step up and offer both of these channels before any cable company does. I know that all decisions regarding channel additions in specific cable markets are made at a local level, and I would assume the cities that Comcast offered Setanta in prior to its demise would probably be in good shape to get both of these channels asap.
    Now for the rest of us, what if anything can we do to ease the way for FSC HD and FSC+HD(or even SD for that matter) to offered in our areas sooner, rather than later?
     
  2. ovalball

    ovalball New Member

    Apr 10, 2008
    Beaufort, NC,
    Club:
    Fulham FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Here's the answer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Scream
     
  3. Johnny Bundesliga

    Aug 6, 2006
    Chicago
    Club:
    Manchester City FC
    I live in a Comcast area that finally got Setanta in December, and I used the Comcast executive customer service interface that was on one of these threads to ask a few questions. I got a callback, and here are the replies:

    Q: Will Setanta automatically be taken off my lineup on Feb. 28 and removed from my bill?
    A: Yes, Setanta will be shut down on Feb. 28. It should automatically be taken off your bill, but please confirm on the next bill you receive after Feb. 28.

    Q: Will you be offering Fox Soccer Plus as a replacement channel
    A: We have no information.

    Q: Will you be offering Fox Soccer Channel -- the current channel on Ch. 401 -- in HD?
    A: We have no information.

    She said she would forward my concerns to the marketing department. Not that I would get another call, I believe, just that my requests would be logged.
     
  4. richsavare

    richsavare Member+

    Ajax
    Netherlands
    Jan 28, 2003
    New Jersey
    Club:
    AFC Ajax
    Nat'l Team:
    Netherlands
    I used to have Directv and now Verizon, anyway the problem I just staretd to have is that it will not allow me to record matches on my dvd recorder from either FSC or GolTv. A message appears copy protected. In short what does this mean?

    The whole point of recording via a timer is so you can go to work, etc. and watch at your leisure, but someone explain not being able to record.

    What is going to happen to dvd recording for the World Cup for me as I cannot sit and watch matches Live as one needs to work.

    Someone please help!!!
     
  5. matty311

    matty311 Member

    Jul 2, 2003
    Pittsburgh
    Club:
    AFC Ajax
    dvr
     
  6. sfdanryan

    sfdanryan Member

    Jun 5, 2009

    I live in the East Bay Area of San Francisco. We had to wait until the middle of December to finally get Setanta on Comcast, which was ridiculous in itself. Unfortunatley I can't have a dish/sat provider due to the rules of my HOA at my complex (yeah I know, I can always move, but seriously, lets be realistic) so I'm stuck with Comcast.

    I really hope this transition to FSC+ doesn't interupt my footie access/coverage. I waited too long to get Setanta and the coverage they offer, so I'm really am worried that FSC+ won't be offered in my area on Comcast anytime soon.

    As for FSC-HD being offered, this is where I don't understand Comcast either. A few of the premium channels offered in HD are on two channels (ex. HBO West HD is on two separate channels). They obiviously have the capacity. They wouldn't be adding or having in increase their capacity in order to carry FSC-HD.

    I've requested FSC-HD and FSC+HD so many times so far, my fingertips are raw from typing so much
     
  7. Johnny Bundesliga

    Aug 6, 2006
    Chicago
    Club:
    Manchester City FC
    For people who have Setanta already available, it would be great if Fox could purchase the assets of Setanta lock, stock and barrel and assume their channel assignments. Unfortunately, we don't know if that makes financial sense to Fox. Since the Setanta coverage on cable was so poor, it may not be worth it to Fox--that's why they are instead just reclaiming broadcast rights, picking up Ligue 1, etc., piece by piece. Or maybe when it comes down to the last week of February, Setanta will be more willing to turn over everything at a discount price.

    Regarding HD, the techie types at places such as avsforum say that a channel appearing on two different numbers on your cable system isn't necessarily taking up twice the bandwidth -- those two assignments may represent how the channel is identified in different packages that the individual channel falls into, but it isn't actually taking up twice the capacity.
     
  8. Kryptonite

    Kryptonite Fancy Title Here

    Apr 10, 1999
    Columbus
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Yeah. Time Warner is starting to do the same thing as well. They'll put HBO HD in with the HBO channels, then again with the HD channels. I think they can do this because of their switched digital video system.

    Yet, AFAIK, they won't give you the option to ignore channels from the guide. Even if you use their parental controls to "block" the channel, it'll still show on the guide.

    If you search for a show on HBO, it seems like it will show up three times. Once for the east coast feed, once for the west coast feed, and once for the HD feed.

    Also, suppose HBO is channel 700. You'd think that if you had the HD box, channel 700 would be HBO HD. If you had the SD box, channel 700 would be HBO SD. (This is what DirecTV does, right?)
     
  9. blackhornet

    blackhornet Member

    Jun 26, 2008
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    If i understand correctly, that's what they do now. But back when there were only a few of them, the HD channels were all in the 70's
     
  10. matty311

    matty311 Member

    Jul 2, 2003
    Pittsburgh
    Club:
    AFC Ajax
    Comcast here in Pittsburgh just completed the digital migration a few weeks back and added 35 new HD channels bringing the total up to 78 I believe. We are still without ESPNU HD as well as MSNBC HD which I see are supposedly being added to Directv along with FSC HD in a few days. I don't imagine it would be a bandwidth issue to add both channels, but who knows.
    The issue that worries me is the fact that is all done on a regional basis. I'm assuming areas where Comcast, or any other cable provider rolled out Setanta wouldn't be too long in adding FSC +. As for both HD channels, all along cable companies have been griping on and on about how limited their bandwidth was due to all the analog channels hogging it. Now that they are in the clear I am curious as to how this will affect new HD channel rollouts.
    Also, I know alot of cable platforms don't currently offer Centre Ice, Full Court and Extra Innings packages in full HD like Directv does, and I would assume with all this freed up bandwidth that these would possibly be a priority over adding two new HD soccer channels. Hope I'm wrong.
    Has anyone spoken to anyone locally at their cable companies???? I've spoken to a few Comcast reps at their 1 800 number who didn't have any info.
     
  11. yaz96

    yaz96 Member

    Aug 5, 2006
    An HOA CAN NOT prevent you from having a sat dish. Federal law prohibits them from doing this. Do a Google search if interested.
     
  12. blackhornet

    blackhornet Member

    Jun 26, 2008
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    http://www.ccfj.net/FCClaw.htm
     
  13. Kryptonite

    Kryptonite Fancy Title Here

    Apr 10, 1999
    Columbus
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I heard a story where two elderly people lived in a community with such stringent rules on what can and can't be done. They had a small sign on their house announcing the residents of the house (such as "two elderly residents and their dog live here") in case emergency personnel would have needed to enter the house.

    Anyway, the community had an issue with the sign, which was much less a nuisance than a satellite dish ever could be.

    Interesting situation, i'd say.
     
  14. FCB02062

    FCB02062 Member

    Jun 20, 2007
    South of Boston, MA
    Club:
    FC Bayern München
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    Recently I spoke with a Verizon Fios CSR on the phone and asked if they would be adding FSC HD or FSC+. Response was "we have no information on those channels." Very encouraging, I tell ya...
     
  15. matty311

    matty311 Member

    Jul 2, 2003
    Pittsburgh
    Club:
    AFC Ajax
    How do cable negotiations work?? Does Fox first have to negotiate with Comcast or whatever cable as a whole at first, and then once that company gives the green light is it then up to each individual manager in each city/region to decide when, and if they are going to add said new channel?
     
  16. sfdanryan

    sfdanryan Member

    Jun 5, 2009

    I can safely say that whatever the negotiations are, anyone who has direct contact with customers in these companies is absolutely clueless. Before Comcast offered Setanta in the Bay Area I would always call them to request it to be added. Even though Comcast offered Setanta in other parts of the country (stupid that I would be paying the same price for cable but offered less channels than that of another customer of the same company IMO), the person in customer service in every instance never even heard of Setanta, let alone knew when or if it would be offered in my area. Worse part was, was that Comcast advertised offering Setanta under their International tier for months on their website. It's a joke that a customer has to explain to a rep of the company, THIER OWN PRODUCT! :mad::mad::mad:
     
  17. ovalball

    ovalball New Member

    Apr 10, 2008
    Beaufort, NC,
    Club:
    Fulham FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    To my knowledge, that is it exactly. The regional managers get to make those final decisions based on the economic viability of the channel/package in their region.
     
  18. luvean

    luvean New Member

    Apr 29, 2009
    Richmond, VA
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    I thought I saw something in one of these various BS TV threads that FiOS is transitioning Setanta to FS+, ie, channel 1009 will be FS+ come March 1?
     
  19. matty311

    matty311 Member

    Jul 2, 2003
    Pittsburgh
    Club:
    AFC Ajax
    So really there is no point in hassling anyone at your local Comcast office until the decision to carry FSC HD and FSC + is made by the company as a whole. Somehow March 1st seems way to quick for this to happen, judging by past instances.
     
  20. ovalball

    ovalball New Member

    Apr 10, 2008
    Beaufort, NC,
    Club:
    Fulham FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Wouldn't disagree with you, other than that all pressure is good pressure. So, why not be a pain in the ass? ;)
     
  21. yaz96

    yaz96 Member

    Aug 5, 2006
    That's it! Thanks

    A dish is protected by Federal law, unfortunately, a sign like that is not. Stupid HOA's!
     
  22. Kryptonite

    Kryptonite Fancy Title Here

    Apr 10, 1999
    Columbus
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Exactly. They're the lowest rung on the totem pole. The core of their primary job is to read their screen and troubleshoot customers problems. "Why am I not getting sound?" "Why am I not getting HD channels, when I have the HD box?"
     
  23. Kryptonite

    Kryptonite Fancy Title Here

    Apr 10, 1999
    Columbus
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'm not anti-dish, but coming from more of a common sense standpoint, you'd think that if only one of those (satellite dish or warning sign) would be protected, the sign would be protected, under some "occupant safety" law.

    Clearly, a satellite dish has the potential to be more obtrusive than a 2"x2" sign firmly affixed to the residence.
     
  24. yaz96

    yaz96 Member

    Aug 5, 2006
    You need to take that up with the stupid HOA and their stupid rules. They are the ones who decided a sign regarding safety wasn't OK. Apparently those old folks didn't have a lobbyist in Washington working for them.
     
  25. yaz96

    yaz96 Member

    Aug 5, 2006
    Do you think it's stupid that you pay more for gas than say, someone in Texas?

    Do you really think any CSR of any provider knows about every obscure channel they carry, even if it's on their website??? And yes, Setanta IS an obscure channel to everyone else outside of Big Soccer.

    Once Comcast gets their World of More and XFINITY projects in your area you are going to see a whole new world of channels available. More HD, more internationals, etc. Now what those channels are depends on local negotiations, so your lineup may be different than say, someone in Texas.....
     

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