Watch HBO for free March 17-21 includes HBO HD

[dkennedy]

Watch HBO for free March 17-21 including HBO HD

March 6, 2006

Time Warner Cable News Release

Guess who's coming back to TV on March 12? Here's a hint: Bada bing, it's on HBO®.

"The Sopranos" returns for season six at 9 p.m. followed by a new series starring Bill Paxton called "Big Love".

Don't have HBO® and you want to check them out? Time Warner Cable is offering all customers in the Albany Division a free preview of HBO® and HBO® On Demand from Friday, March 17, through Tuesday, March 21. HBO® On Demand is on channel 700; all other HBO® channels run from 701 to 715.

You can block these channels from young eyes with Parental Controls on your digital cable box. Read our how-to instructions online.

[ebo]

Judging from past performance, they will do this by authorizing all their STBs rather than by unscrambling the channels, so viewers with clear QAM receivers won't get the preview (and so won't have any incentive to rent a suitable STB and subscribe). During an earlier free preview, one CableCARD customer complained that they refused to authorize his card for it.

[Skaggs]

Wendy from Albany TWC says Cable Card customers will receive the Free Preview.

See her email reply to my questions.

[dkennedy]

I've never had a problem receiving any free previews with my cablecard. For those new to cablecard, the only channels unavailable with be the On Demand free preview channels.

[Skaggs]

I tuned to channel 700 to test out HBO On-Demand, since it is free for the next few days, but I still got the "You have not subscribed" message. The screen says it costs $6.95 per month.

I called and spoke to a Customer Service Rep named Bill at Albany TWC. He said because I already have HBO, HBO ON-Demand was not being sent as part as the free preview. He remotely authorized my STB and now i have HBO On-Damand for free this weekend.

He also told me that a new policy started this past January 1st, where if you subscribe to HBO, you can add HBO On-Demand for only $1 more per month.