Which Cable System Channel Lineup Has the Most Channels in the USA

[HoustonListener]

For some reason, I am thinking about which cable system channel lineup has the most channels on it -- in other words, where are the most viewing choices. Where in the country would this be? I would guess in NYC or Los Angeles, but I could be dead wrong about that. And I suppose a more fair question would be the number of channels available in one package, perhaps, because particular with the foreign language networks they get sold a la carte or in bundles of language channels that no one would likely ever subscribe to all of the foreign language offerings (not many people would want to pay extra per month for both Polish and Tagalog channels, for example since there are not that many Polish/Tagalog bilingual households (although by posting this likely someone will point out that they are a member of such a household).

so what is the cable system that holds the most channels (or is it one of the satellite services)
(and also, I don't know how you want to count the on-demand channels, they often are cited in channel counts but they don't seem to count as real "channels" as far as regular content filled channels that I am thinking about)"

 

[quadraphonic]

For some reason...

Boredom, perhaps?

 

[K6JHU]

The only thing that would really affect the numbers would be the number of local stations. LA would have a lot more than, say, Bismark. And also more foreign language packages.

But looking around the country while travelling, it appears that the numbers of 'cable' channels seems to be plus or minus a couple due to local origination, local interest (e.g. BYU Channel), and what other channels are willing to be paid for by the distributor or free (I suspect QVC and HSN).

It also to do with the amount of bandwidth on the ssytem and most cable systems are getting to be bandwidth limited. Hence an interest in 'switched' channels. That is why a lot of the 'HD' channels are compressed. BTW, in your count, do you want to include the SD and HD feeds of the same channel in the count?

A better idea would be to try and make a list of the cable TV universe. As in, what is really out there for a cable system to carry.

 

[Bill_W]

I would say look at one of the Comcast or Verizon lineups in say Mercer County, NJ. It's 1/2 between Philly and New York. In addition to all the digital cable chanels out there on both Xfinity & FiOS, this area has all the Philly and NYC broadcast channels and RSNs on their lineups.

 

[mnradiofan]

FIOS or Uverse probably both compete for this, since they have the same lineups nationwide. I can't tell who has more channels, but it MIGHT be Uverse.

 

[Gregg]

I just happened to luck out in that my building in North Jersey made a deal with Time-Warner for an amazing package of standard, upper tier and premium channels (HBO and Showtime). Since I'm a renter, it's all included in my rent.

We get all sorts of channels that are hard to find on most other systems, if not on standard channels, then on HD-only channels. I just realized the other day that Hallmark Movie Channel (which double runs Perry Mason at noon) comes in on Ch. 287, among the HD movie channels (including Sundance and Independent Film Channel).

In a previous thread, I remarked how we get seven English-language international news channels: Russia Today (also RT Espanol), France 24, UNTV plus from China: CCTV News, CNC and BON, as well as CNN International. Oddly, this system doesn't have BBC World News (but it does have BBC America). Espana 24 and CNN Espanol are also available as premiums.

Due to this area's large Asian population, we get about 7 Korean channels and 3 Chinese channels unscrambled. Several run English subtitles.

And being in the NYC metro, we get nearly all the NYC channels plus most (but not all) of their subchannels. I'm not sure why we get Antenna and Estrella, two of WPIX's subchannels, but not This TV.

We get three PBS channels (13 WNET, 21 WLIW, 50 WNJN) plus World, Create, Kids 13 and V-Me. And WNYE-TV 25 which runs some public TV shows as well as their own produced NYC programs. I have a friend who lives in Columbia, SC, right in the middle of his state, so his cable system only carries the one SCTV channel. They could easily pull in the Georgia PBS station from Augusta, only 40 miles away, but they don't. And the last time I talked to him, he said there's no Create or World on his cable system, also owned by Time-Warner. (I don't know if SCTV is providing those subchannels over the air.)

I couldn't imagine living in a market where there's only one PBS station and the cable system didn't carry the two PBS subchannels, World and Create. Or where all the local channels can fit between 2 and 13, common on many systems.



Gregg
[email protected]

 

[ding12]

I would say look at one of the Comcast or Verizon lineups in say Mercer County, NJ. It's 1/2 between Philly and New York. In addition to all the digital cable chanels out there on both Xfinity & FiOS, this area has all the Philly and NYC broadcast channels and RSNs on their lineups.

And both sets of networks in HD too. I think that I saw a few lineups in other areas with Comcast skimping out and just supplying one HD feed etc. when two NBCs (for example) cover a county. In Reading, PA Comcast provides WGAL 8(NBC) on Ch.8 but only in SD. With the Fios competition, Comcast has to match Fios. People in Princeton prefer the NY channels and won't pay for Comcast if Comcast is just providing the Philly HD.

Fios has just been slower adding the subchannels however. I'm not sure if they have a plan to carry Me-TV (from WFMZ) and Bounce-TV (from WMCN) in the near future.

 

[DToTheJ]

Look on the bright side: It took Fios less time to add GSN in the Philly area than it did Comcast.