Comments on: Clever commercial, Comcast...but you're wrong

Cable company is taken to task over a misleading advertisement about how its high-definition programming compares with that of satellite TV provider DirecTV.

[Sagmag]

Typical fanboy analysis.

Your statement "because you can't watch 500 channels at one time" is exactly the point of the commercial. With DirecTV you have 88 channels (which the other replies here already point out is an inflated number in itself - HBO East HD and HBO West HD are the same channel broadcast to the Eastern and Pacific time zones, etc.) giving you 88 "choices" at any given moment of HD programs that you can watch.

Comcast's claim is correct, that given the huge variety of OnDemand programming, the user can select from up to 500 different shows available at any given moment.

Now, that is not to say that for the average user this statistic isn't a bit misleading. More to the point, the OnDemand content is only refreshed once a week, so DirecTV's real claim against this ad is that over the course of a month the 88 channels of HD on their service offers more options.

Meaning, admittedly, Comcast needs to expand their HD line-up. However, if you knew the dynamics of adding HD channels to a cable line up (which is regulated BY ZIP CODE - meaning every time a channel is added Comcast has to renegotiate what is called a "franchise agreement" with literally every zip code in their footprint, as opposed to DirecTV which can add channels without the same degree of red tape - not saying it's impossible, just saying it's time consuming, which gives DirecTV the edge in how fast they can transport a channel to market)

Add to that fact that a huge portion of the channels mentioned are owned by NewsCorp (owners of the FOX family of channels) who happens to be a majority shareholder in (wait for it....) DirecTV and DO NOT OFFER THEMSELVES to Comcast in out of market areas, I think it's fair to say that this article can be dismissed as typical DirecTV bandwagon fanboy BS, or worse yet, the unfounded anti-Comcast venom that is so easily propogated on the .net - the home of unresearched positions and unfounded opinions.

You want to say "Comcast's Ad Is Misleading" that's fine. In fact, I'd agree. But to call it "wrong" is factually inaccurate, and worse yet, conducive of the kinds of short-cuts to thinking that feeds on unsubstantiated angermongering.

Maybe you too should have a job at Fox.

[john55440]

I live in a suburb of Minneapolis, and Comcast has a monopoly on high-speed internet service in my area. Thanks for nothing Qwest!