Universal HD channel on TWC

[Mark Strube]

Customer (Mark Strube)   01/14/2006 01:16 PM
Hello,

I just read a press release that said MTV will be launching an HD music
network on Jan. 16th. Is your Milwaukee area service planning on
carrying that at launch or will it get picked up later?

Also, other areas with Time Warner have picked up Universal HD and I'm
highly interested in getting that... more than the MTV channel,
especially before the Olympics start next month.

You guys haven't added a single HD channel for a long time now, yet the
price on the bill went up... if this lasts much longer I'll be very
tempted to switch to a satellite service.

Thanks for your time,
-Mark Strube



 Response    01/15/2006 05:44 PM
ACCOUNT# 001-108513601-000

Mr. Strube:

Thank you for writing to Time Warner Cable! My name is Bryon from Time Warner Cable's Correspondence Department.

Unfortunately, we can't give you a definite launch date for the channels you are requesting

Our Time Warner Cable Milwaukee Division has not yet reached an agreement with the network to carry the channel. The FCC requires that we have an agreement with a network before we can add it to our lineup.

We are anxious to please our customers and we appreciate your feedback. Your request is being forwarded to the Programming Department.

If we can answer any additional questions or account concerns, please feel free to respond to this email below. You will notice that your email has been assigned an incident number as to remain in constant contact with me until you feel your questions and concerns have been answered to your satisfaction. If we can assist you in the future with any questions or account concerns, please feel free to visit us online at http://www.timewarnercable.com/milwaukee or email us at timewarnerwi@custhelp.com.

Thank you for using Time Warner Cable!

Consumer Contact Department
Time Warner Cable

[kevbeck122]

Typical response.. same thing I got about WB back in May or June.  Obviously getting new channels that customers want is one of their lowest priorities.

[FiberOptic]

Maybe it is time to bombard them with requests and threats of switching to sat :guns:

[LoadStar]

For the record, here's the response I got:

Recently you requested personal assistance from our on-line support center. Below is a summary of your request and our response.


We will assume your issue has been resolved if we do not hear from you within 24 hours.

Thank you for allowing us to be of service to you.

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Subject
Request: add Universal HD channel
Discussion Thread
Response (Vikisha A.)	01/11/2006 06:03 PM
Thank you for choosing Time Warner Cable. Hopefully the channel will be added by the end of the month. Please email us at timewarnerwi@custhelp.com if you have any concerns or questions regarding your cable service. You can find immediate answers to some your questions by visiting http://www.timewarnercable.com/Milwaukee">http://www.timewarnercable.com/Milwaukee. Under the Customer Service Section, "Get Answers Now". Sincerely, Vikisha M Akbar Consumer Contact Representative Time Warner Cable, Milwaukee
Customer (xxxxxxxxx)	01/11/2006 02:47 PM
I'm an existing customer and subscriber to the HD package (among other services). I'm writing to find out if Time Warner (SE Wisconsin) has any plans to carry "Universal HD," the High Definition channel from NBC Universal. If not, please log this as a request to add the channel as soon as possible. With the Winter Olympics to begin on February 10, NBC and NBC Universal plan to carry some of their HD coverage of the Olympics exclusively on the Universal HD channel. I did a quick web search and found a press release from Time Warner corporate (http://www.timewarner.com/corp/newsroom/pr/0,20812,1122634,00.html">http://www.timewarner.com/corp/newsroom/pr/0,20812,1122634,00.html) that indicates that a distribution agreement is already in place for the channel, so it'd be excellent if the channel were to be added in time to see some of the Olympics in HD. --
Question Reference #060111-000054
Product:  Programming Sub-Product:  Program Info Contact Information:  xxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx Date Created:  01/11/2006 02:47 PM Last Updated:  01/11/2006 06:03 PM Status:  Waiting

[Tom Snyder]

Tim Cuprisin reports it's happening on January 31... Channel 532... In time for NBC's HD Olympics coverage.

See the article

[LoadStar]

I'll hold off saying anything until we actually see it.

[gparris]

Many TWC locations had the UHD channel before as a temporary channel
(not us, of course), then it disappered from the lineup to their dismay.

This was before the NBC-Universal contract signage, too, however, more recently.

So can mhz40 tell us if this channel will be permanent as is this channel's availability in other TWC regions?  

By this I mean is it going to be a part of the HD package like it is in those other locations?
Is this channel 532 being a free "teaser" until the Olympics are over and done with (then it is charged for by ordering the HD package)?

Note, too, that the location of this channel (532) is between the most under-used 531 (that special-events FSN-HD channel) and TNT-HD channel 533 which is part of the standard digital package you get along with channel 541, the Discovery HD channel.
That seems suspicious to me as this could be a temporary channel like those other locations experienced, not in line with the 545-548 HD package number lineup.
I think that this needs some clarification....thanks in advance.

[Mark Strube]

I won't let myself get too excited...

Ahh screw it... Battlestar Galactica in HD!!!!!!! {fart}  

[mhz40]

[clip]So can mhz40 tell us if this channel will be permanent as is this channel's availability in other TWC regions?  
[clip]Note, too, that the location of this channel (532) is between the most under-used 531 (that special-events FSN-HD channel) and TNT-HD channel 533 which is part of the standard digital package you get along with channel 541, the Discovery HD channel.
That seems suspicious to me as this could be a temporary channel like those other locations experienced, not in line with the 545-548 HD package number lineup.
I think that this needs some clarification....thanks in advance.

It will launch as a permanent HD service on 1/31.  Enjoy...

[gparris]

Quote from our very-own mhz40:
"It will launch as a permanent HD service on 1/31. Enjoy..."

Thank you! :wave:

But will it be part of the HD package after the Olympics?
Other TWC locations (including the TWC-clone, Brighthouse Networks)
have it as part of their HD package...any details you can give us on that?
http://www.timewarnercable.com/albany/products/hdtv/tier.html

 

[mhz40]

I have no specifics on package info, but my guess it that it would be stuffed into the HD package; since there is no analog counterpart like TNT or Discovery.

[gparris]

Thank you for your reply and we'll just have to wait and see...your assistance with this is appreciated.

[TPK]

I guess if I were to put some sort of date on when I would like to see Universal added to the TWC lineup here, it would be sometime before the Winter Olympics (I read earlier in this thread that Universal HD will carry some of the Winter Olympic games)...   I would love to watch the Olympics in HD this year (woulnd't you?)..   But I know that the Olympics are only 2 months away, so I would be shocked and surprised (albiet pleaseantly surprised) if we had Universal HD before then

Call me PLEASANTLY surprised!!!!

 :rock:  :rock:  :rock:  :rock:  :rock:  :rock:  :rock:  :rock:

This is what I wanted, and never expected!!

Kudos to TWC....   This is good news indeed....  This is really REALY REALLY sweet!!!!

I promise I will wait at least 6 months before I bug TWC for more HD channels...  

[gb4fan92]

I promise I will wait at least 6 months before I bug TWC for more HD channels...  

     You are being WAY TOO kind!!!

[TPK]

You are being WAY TOO kind!!!

Well,  I suppose I just have some low expectations....   :rofl:

But seriously, I would be quite satisfied if, at this point in time, TWC adds an HD channel to their regular HD lineup every 6 months...  That would be 2 channels a year, and I wouldn't expect TWC to do much more than that until HDTV has a much larger penetration into their customer base...  Of course by adding more HD channels to their lineup it will drive a lot of their customers into getting an HD television in the first place...

Once, say, 50 percent of their customer base has an HDTV set in their home, then I would expect to see a wholesale shift of their channel lineup from SD to HD television...  Their customer base will demand it, and by that time a majority of cable stations will be broadcasting in HD..

I suppose next I would like to see ESPN2 (before Badger football next year) and National Geographic added into the lineup...