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Post by adam on Jan 17, 2008 23:34:12 GMT -5
Alright, that makes sense.
Also, I received another, longer e-mail today from Time Warner that again said they were the only place to watch the Super Bowl so they did make the same error twice.
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Post by adam on Jan 17, 2008 23:59:23 GMT -5
Oh man, I just saw one of Time Warner's FreeHD commercials on TV. The fine print is as follows:
"To receive all services, Digital Cable, remote and lease of set top box are required. Some services are not available to CableCARD customers. Not all equipment supports all services. HDTV required for HD service. HD Movies On Demand are available for an incremental charge. All services may not be available in all areas. Subject to change without notice. Some restrictions apply."
Also it says in the commercial, "More Free HD Channels Than Satellite."
They are really riding this fake free stuff for all its worth, probably because they have to make things up to act like they are competitive.
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Post by adam on Jan 18, 2008 8:38:48 GMT -5
Mr. Girard,
Thank you for your note and for taking the time to contact me.
The advertisement campaign that you reference is a response to the competition’s claims about its HD service.
Unlike our satellite competition, Time Warner Cable does not charge extra for HD access if you are a Digital customer. If you are a Time Warner Cable Digital customer and have an HD TV, and have an HD converter, you pay nothing extra beyond your subscription to the Digital service and necessary equipment. With your Digital subscription you get access to local broadcast HD channels and many other HD channels at no extra charge. That is not the case with satellite which charges extra for any/all of its HD programming. Time Warner Cable’s HD converter is the same price as our Digital converter. The charges that you refer to are extra. You subscribe to the HD Tier which is an extra cost for four more HD channels and you subscribe to the DVR service which is an extra cost as well. These are premium services beyond that which is available as a Digital customer and they are referenced in the campaign as follows: "Some premium channels require separate subscription”. While this campaign is targeted to Digital customers, you may also be interested to know that even if you are a Basic-only customer, you can get the HD (if you have an HD set) and SD versions of the broadcast stations at no extra charge other than a converter which would be needed to receive the signal. Similarly, if you are a Basic and Standard customer, you can get the HD versions of Standard lineup channels such as HGTV (HGTV HD), as long as you have a HD set and a HD tuner (ie, our HD converter).
As for your mention of Direct TV, Direct TV does not offer local channels in HD in this market.
Lastly, to your question about fiber, Time Warner Cable's infrastructure has been fiber-rich for years following a multimillion dollar investment in the Capital Region and surrounding areas. It is this investment that has allowed us to be among the first to market every advanced technology that the cable industry has to offer...including Digital Cable, High Speed Internet, HDTV, DVR, Digital Phone service, and interactive capabilities such as On-Demand, Start Over and Caller ID on TV, among others.
I hope I have been able to respond to your questions. Should you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me again.
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Post by Skaggs on Jan 18, 2008 9:45:44 GMT -5
As for your mention of Direct TV, Direct TV does not offer local channels in HD in this market. What market are they talking about? DirecTV added the Albany/Schenectady/Troy local HD channels on January 3, 2008.
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Post by adam on Jan 18, 2008 11:06:30 GMT -5
As for your mention of Direct TV, Direct TV does not offer local channels in HD in this market. What market are they talking about? DirecTV added the Albany/Schenectady/Troy local HD channels on January 3, 2008. I sent him a reply e-mail telling him I have personally seen the locals on DirecTV and sent him a link to a news article on it. I also asked him to answer the Super Bowl question as well. I'll post his response on here, if he decides to get back to me.
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Post by adam on Jan 18, 2008 17:19:12 GMT -5
Mr. Girard:
I am getting back to you on your two remaining questions.
Regarding the email, I have reviewed it. Consistent with my previous response regarding the Home of Free HD, the Superbowl is available in HD at no extra charge from TWC. The reference to the Superbowl is clearly under the banner of Home of Free HD. Direct TV charges extra for HD, including local HD. That being said, I have brought your concern to the attention of the marketing department with a suggestion that in future materials the wording following the banner re-emphasize the free aspect consistent with the logo.
Second, with a previous announcement by Direct TV that local HD would be available this summer in this market, it’s certainly conceivable that that time frame was moved up. We’ve certainly known it was coming. Still, consistent with the purpose of the campaign, TWC provides local HD channels at no extra charge. Direct TV lists a charge.
Thank you for the follow up.
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Post by hurnik on Jan 18, 2008 18:13:33 GMT -5
There's a difference between "no extra charge" and "free". But then again, they don't seem to understand that DTV has locals in HD now either.
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