Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Just saw an article that TWC and Disney agreed to a deal today so that TWC will add ESPN2 HD later this year. Hooray!
Here's the first part of the article:
NEW YORK, April 4 (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co. (DIS.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and Time Warner Cable Inc. (TWC.N: Quote, Profile, Research) reached comprehensive distribution agreements that will include the launch of new Disney high-definition channels on the No. 2 U.S. cable operator.
The two companies said on Wednesday Time Warner Cable will carry sports channels ESPN2 HD and ESPNU later this year. Some systems will also offer Disney Channel on Demand and ESPN Desportes.
Time Warner Cable, which has 13.4 million subscribers, also agreed to carry three new high-definition channels -- ABC Family HD, Disney Channel HD and ESPNEWS HD -- in 2008.
As part of the deal, the two companies extended their retransmission pact for Disney's ABC-owned broadcast television station on Time Warner Cable systems.
Retransmission discussions between cable operators and broadcasters have become strained in recent months as broadcasters started to demand that cable operators pay for the right to carry the 'free-to-air' stations.
Media companies like Disney, which owns broadcasters alongside cable channels and movie studios, typically reach agreements with operators by bartering channel carriage and advertising for retransmission of the broadcast stations.
^ Actually, TWC has actually *now added* ESPN2-HD and we should see ESPN-U later this year.
That news bit was enough for me to cancel my upcoming DirecTV installation and just stick with cable. If you bargain on the phone, you can apparently get a great 1-year promo deal to go w/ cable. And it makes "installation" a breeze considering our house is pre-wired for cable.
Not shilliing for TWC, but...
I have never had a bad experience, in 9 years, 3 homes.
I live a few miles from the office, so I drive down and talk to them, swap out modems, tuner boxes, etc.
Smooth sailing so far, every time.
Roadrunner has been great, and the handful of times I have needed to call for support, I have done quite well, with very helpful CSR's.
Credit card billing has been smooth.
I can't say the signal is better or worse than satellite, just that it is good enough for me. But I grew up with rooftop antennas, snow, etc. So, promises of improving what I have would not motivate me to change.
My experience thus far with TWC/RR is to fill out their online form for a business representative to call me so I can just find out the price of getting a static IP. The request just went into a black hole. Not important enough for a salesguy to waste his time on I guess. Sadly, there is no other way to get the information. Very old telco style business it seems to me
My understanding is you cannot get Static IP as a "normal" RoadRunner customer. You have to upgrade to Teleworker Business Class which is at minimum $89/mo and cannot be bundled with normal cable services so you get screwed there, too.
My understanding is you cannot get Static IP as a "normal" RoadRunner customer. You have to upgrade to Teleworker Business Class which is at minimum $89/mo and cannot be bundled with normal cable services so you get screwed there, too.
Sure, I worked that out and don't have a problem with that part of it. My issue is that *nowhere* in the business part of the TWC/RR site does it give prices, or plans. Just says to ask for a sales droid to contact you - which I did, and they didn't :-( $89 a month would be fine. Right now I pay $99 a month for 8 Static IPs on DSL.
Just saw an article that TWC and Disney agreed to a deal today so that TWC will add ESPN2 HD later this year. Hooray!
...
Retransmission discussions between cable operators and broadcasters have become strained in recent months as broadcasters started to demand that cable operators pay for the right to carry the 'free-to-air' stations.
Media companies like Disney, which owns broadcasters alongside cable channels and movie studios, typically reach agreements with operators by bartering channel carriage and advertising for retransmission of the broadcast stations.
By 1966, more than 1 million homes out of 60 million received cable, and more than 1,200 systems were operating. The FCC decided to limit and regulate the manner in which CATV competes with the basic off-air television broadcast service. The cable system must carry the signals of all local stations. Since the rules were specified by the government, no money changed hands in either direction.
By 1992 the laws of 1966 that were designed to protect now seemed problematic in light of the money that cable networks were collecting in fees. New shows that went straight to syndication, like Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994) were generating large income streams for cable networks.
The FCC changed the law so that a local station had to grant permission to re-transmit a broadcast channel. Initially the cable companies announced that they were not about to pay for "free television" so the media companies secured things besides cash. For instance in 1993 the cable companies could only air ABC if they agreed to air ESPN2 (a start up standard definition network) as well. Often cable companies would agree to purchase advertising time to secure permission.
But the FCC still required cable companies to leave local channels unencrypted so they could be viewed without renting a set top box. The TV's manufactured after about 2005 were required to have QAM tuners so they could handle the new digital cable systems. In October 2012 the FCC caved in and permitted the cable companies to encrypt local broadcast channels as well, so that a box was required to watch even local news and PBS.
In the last few years, media companies have decided to demand cash for permission, and so far most of the cable companies have complied. But one rumor is that cable companies will soon refuse to carry broadcast channels in an effort to reduce costs.
DirectTV all the way. We dropped TWC years ago and have never looked back.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
