There will be a reported price increase for subscribers of Comcast’s cable TV services next month, and the blame is being placed squarely on the shoulders of HDTV. Citizens of California and Washington have been warned by Comcast that their rates will be increasing anywhere from 1.6% to 2.7% in the upcoming year. Additionally, cable modem rental rates will increase from three dollars monthly up to five. Comcast could not give specifics on who the rate hikes will affect, but said that they will happen market to market, but are starting this fall. Cross your fingers and hope that Portland isn't an area affected, and if it is I would be happy to provide you with my DirecTV referral # which would get you and myself $100 credit on our bills! http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/s...ising_Prices,_Places_Blame_on_HD_Signals/3458
I'm so glad I just pulled the fucking plug on those bitches a week ago and got myself a kickass high gain outdoor antenna. I figured if I'm going to pay $90 a month just so I can get Comcast to watch the games I'd rather spend it on beer at Peter's Nineteenth Hole 3 blocks from my house and watch the games on a 50" HD TV.
This year the excuse is HD channels. HD on Comcast..a joke within itself! Next year it will be because migrant raccoons have been chewing through their wires!
They have very specific reasons each year of why they increase prices. And it changes yearly. One thing that is a fact. Networks increase their rates each year. The ESPNs, TNTS, Fox News Networks, CNNs, etc. So it's understandable if those same networks are increasing their rates at the same time.
I called Verizon FiOS a few months ago when a bunch of new HD channels started showing up that I didn't get... I called up and they said I was on an old package and they said I would have to switch to a new Extreme HD package or whatever to get them. I thought great... jacking prices... then I asked what the difference was... it was $5 a month cheaper!!! =) Uh... OK... I will do that. And they gave me 3 months of HBO/Cin too just because. Now... it would have been nice if they would have switched me packages automatically... but Verizon doesn't really have to TV support stuff down yet like DirectTV.
If Verizon FIOS TV had Comcast SportsNet in HD, every argument that I ever had of DirectTV vs. Comcast would be moot.
I actually called Verizon yesterday. FiOS isn't in my area. CSN NW is, but I haven't seen an HD game on that channel yet. In fact, they're worse than the SD. But I get to watch Blazers' games.
Call me crazy, but hasnt the price of EVERYTHING gone up over time? Bread, milk, cars, beer, electricity, water, taxes, etc. etc. etc. Where is the thread about Direct TV and Dish Network raising their rates earlier this year? http://www.dish-television.com/2009/02/13/direct-tv-raising-rates/ http://www.dish-television.com/2009/02/02/dish-network-raising-rates/ I'm waiting for a thread where we can bitch about Comcast not giving us the Playboy channel as part of basic cable!
Actually inflation was negative earlier, so...no. And while some networks do negotiate year to year, others I would imagine negotiate multi-year. It's a little funny how each of the big three (Comcast, DirectTV, DishTV) all seem to go up at the same time as each other. But Comcast is more fun to make fun of and I'd be curious as to their % increase year-over-year compared to the others.
