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Suddenlink swings recent HD trio to Arkansas
Our HD senses are tingling, but it's still too early to tell if Suddenlink is onto a regional rollout here. Late last month, the cable company dished out Animal Planet HD, TLC HD and Discovery HD to customers in Lubbock, Texas; now, those same three have arrived in Batesville, Arkansas on slots 758, 756 and 757, respectively. The newcomers are available on the HD Basic tier, which is provided gratis with an HD DVR rental, bringing the grand total in the area up to 23. Be sure and keep an eye on your Suddenlink EPG for this trio -- it could be making the rounds.
Suddenlink sneaks in a new trio at Lubbock, Texas
Suddenlink isn't about to just let AT&T waltz into Lubbock, Texas and steal away customers, and just a month after rolling out HD VOD in the region, along comes a trio of new channels to bring the grand total (video-on-demand options notwithstanding) to 30. As of now, customers in the area can treat their senses to Discovery HD, TLC HD and Animal Planet HD. Let's keep it up, okay Suddenlink?[Thanks, Aaron]
Suddenlink rolling out HD VOD
Down in Lubbock, Texas -- which just so happened to get gifted with AT&T's U-verse a few days ago -- Suddenlink is attempting to stay competitive by rolling out HD VOD to its customers. It's unclear whether or not the rollout will affect more markets than this, but at least for those in the Lone Star state, you can expect lots of free SD material and "44 new high-definition [VOD] channels." As for costs, look to cough up between $0.99 and $3.99 for an SD film, while Hollywood titles in high-def will run $2.99 to $5.99. We appreciate this and all, but how's about some fresh HD channels while you're at it, Suddenlink?
Suddenlink adds 7 new channels for Eureka, Magellan said to be thrilled
In good news for castle dwellers everywhere, Suddenlink is throwing seven new channels into the mix for Eureka, California area customers effective July 16. Say hello to Fox 29 as a clear QAM channel, while TBS HD, USA HD, FX HD, Travel HD and Sci-Fi HD are added to the HD Basic tier, and History HD slots into the HD Plus level. We TV and Chiller are also being added (sure to excite Bogge and Quagmire), but really, SD? We have standards.
Suddenlink, LIN TV reach retrans deal, restore KXAN & KBIM
New Years Day was a sad one for cable customers served by Suddenlink and LIN TV, when their previous retransmission consent agreement expired, KXAN-TV (NBC) in Austin and KBIM-TV (CBS) in Albuquerque went dark. Three months later, they've come to terms and restored the channels to 30,000 affected customers. No word on what it took, but LIN TV claims all subscription services have to recognize "fair market value" of its stations. (Warning: PDF read link.)
SuddenLink makes investment in Eastern NC, plans for more HD channels
Details are admittedly scant on this at the moment, but what is clear is that SuddenLink Communications is writing a check for $16 million in order to improve services in and around Eastern North Carolina. According to Phil Ahlschlager, SuddenLink's North Carolina Regional Vice President, the capital improvements "will enhance the overall quality and reliability of the company's services." Additionally, the 95,000 or so homes in the area currently using SuddenLink can reportedly expect "faster internet connections, better phone service and more HD channels," though we're not told when the improvements will start nor what high-def channels are slated to get added. Looks like it's wait-and-see from here, sadly.
Engadget HD definitively answers: does cable, satellite, or fiber provide more HD?
You want to know -- nay, you deserve to know -- which service provides the most HD content. Engadget HD's got the answer, see how your HD provider stacks up.
Ask Engadget HD: Does cable, satellite, or fiber provide more HD?
Particularly of late, cable television providers have been bullying each other on the air and proudly proclaiming superiority in the high-definition department. One would immediately assume that there's some black and white somewhere in this equation, but honestly, things are pretty gray. Hard though it may be to believe, there actually isn't a clear cut answer to this week's Ask Engadget HD question, which comes to us from the bewildered mind of Brian: "I want an unbiased opinion, and more importantly, the facts. DISH Network is looking more and more like the leading HD provider with its weekly HD additions this past fall. However, now my local cable provider, Comcast, is running ads stating that it has More, More, More HD. My question is simple: who has more HD channels including and not including HD VOD?"The inability to find a clear cut answer hasn't stopped us from forging ahead in the past, and it won't be slowing us down today, either. Ready to plunge deep into the increasingly murky waters of HD offerings? Join us after the jump as we take a critical look at high-def options from DirecTV, DISH Network, Verizon, AT&T and a slew of traditional cable operators in order to best address the above inquiry.
SuddenLink gifts West Virginia subscribers with four new HD channels
SuddenLink customers in West Virginia have been longing for a more fleshed out HD lineup for some time now, and while things have been improving slowly (albeit surely), news of four newcomers all at once is quite thrilling. According to an anonymous tipster, HD junkies from Huntington to Morgantown can now enjoy ESPN2 HD, History Channel HD, MHD and TBS HD, which are placed on channels 774, 767, 762 and 798, respectively. Hang in there, Mountain Staters, things are lookin' up on the HD front.
SuddenLink adds FOX HD to Longview, Texas lineup just in time
NFL fans calling Lufkin, Nacogdoches or a surrounding locale home may be thrilled to know that SuddenLink and the Longview, Texas FOX affiliate (KFXK) have finally decided to put their differences aside and shake hands. Merely days before Super Bowl XLII kicks off from nearby Arizona, the station has apparently landed an agreement with SuddenLink (cash very likely involved, by the way) that will enable the cable company's subscribers to finally receive FOX in HD on channel 705. Better still, these very customers will also be able to tune into Fox Sports Network HD on channel 750 if they decide to plunk down $7.95 per month for the SuddenLink HD Plus package. According to Gene Regan, director of corporate communications at SuddenLink, the firm still plans on juicing up its lineup with additional high-def options in the near future, but unfortunately for Austin-area folks, there's still no end in sight to the drama keeping NBC HD off of your EPG.
SuddenLink drops Austin, Texas NBC affiliate (KXAN-TV)
For SuddenLink subscribers in the Austin, Texas area, we certainly hope you've got a spare antenna laying around. As of today, KXAN-TV (the Austin NBC affiliate) will no longer be carried on its cable system, and in case you haven't already guessed the reason, here's the long and short of it: cash. Apparently, LIN TV (KXAN's owner) and SuddenLink have not been able to agree on the station's fair market value, and rather than just taking what's offered, it has decided to simply pull away from the operator. It was noted that LIN TV had successfully reached agreements with other cable operators, telephone companies and satellite providers, and its president and GM suggested that SuddenLink subscribers view the channel in SD or HD via "alternative means, such as an antenna or by switching to a satellite service." Of course, it seems that negotiations will continue, but there's no way to know when (or if) the station will reappear on SuddenLink's lineup.
