Comcast moves GSN to Digital tier only

[radiophiler]

Just got my new as of June 1 Comcast analog cable lineup.

I don't watch a lot of TV. More than anything, I'd like to have a la carte cable, because I don't watch 75% of the channels.

But one I do watch is Game Show Network. As of June 1, at least in Lower Merion, it's off analog and only available through digital. As far as I can tell, the Food Network replaces it. Ugh.

Can't wait until Verizon becomes available in my township.

 

[BRNout]

This would seem to be emblematic of Comcast's continuing evacuation of the analog tier in favor of more bandwidth for digital. I would imagine that their eventual goal is to have only local (gov't required basic) channels on analog. Everyone else will need a digital box and the fees that go with it. I'm sure they are just salivating over that idea. Hey, someone needs to pay for that huge building downtown. And, it wouldn't surprise me to see them buy up another cable channel or two.

It surprises me that FIOS is not yet available in Lower Merion, as they seem to be up in Radnor and Devon. As those places are further from the city, I figured that points to the east of there would have the Verizon service. I really wish that Verizon FIOS was available in my neighborhood, as it looks like a superior service to what Comcast offers. At the minimum, you can get WGN superstation and (in my area) all of the area PBS signals and not just some of them. The international offerings are much stronger on FIOS too. The only hitch is that CSN isn't available - but I don't like the Phillies, so don't really care.

 

[Red_Bull_Ed]

Verizon FIOS TV does carry Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia! It's channel 65. They also carry it in HD on channel 629 in South Jersey, Delaware, and Metro Philly, and channel 630 in the Trenton area. In central New Jersey FIOS TV carries: Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, SportsNet New York, MSG, YES Network, and FSNY. 5 local regional sports channels! You can watch the Phillies.

 

[eatspaste]

But one I do watch is Game Show Network. As of June 1, at least in Lower Merion, it's off analog and only available through digital. As far as I can tell, the Food Network replaces it. Ugh.

They didn't even wait until June 1st in South Jersey. GSN is now buried at channel 179 on my line-up.

And C-SPAN2 is digital-only now, too. C-SPAN2?

 

[Bill_W]

If you switch to Verizon, they only have digital. There is no analog cable TV through their wire. It's all 100% digital so, you'll pay Verizon the $5 per digital box instead of Comcast. C-SPAN2 and GSN are also off analog Comcast Garden State-Cherry Hill. They're in the 100s now.

 

[wprt949]

when is comcast south philly picking up GSN ???

 

[eatspaste]

They didn't even wait until June 1st in South Jersey. GSN is now buried at channel 179 on my line-up.

And as of today, GSN is back on the analog side where it was two weeks ago, along with its digital channel assignment.

 

[Rockin Rob]

FIOS Review

My folks got FIOS about 2 months ago (Whitpain Township, Montgomery County, PA). The program guide could use a little overhaul (does not take you back to the guide after getting more info on a show causing one to start over again, plus no page up/down on remote making program searching tedious), but I am impressed. Plus, I hear it's loads cheaper than even the top 180 package from Dish Network. Another drawback, you will need their box at every TV where you want signal, unlike Comcrap where, as long as you have a cable-ready TV, you're golden. Also, Verizon offers some oddball channels (Wealth TV, American Life, etc).