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Comcast adds additional partners to growing online Web presence

Comcast has strengthened its efforts to bring content online, with more than a dozen broadcasters, including CBS and other rivals, joining in the expanding project.

Last month, CBS was expected to enter into a working agreement with Comcast and its On Demand Online trial, which has been finalized.  Starting later this month, CBS and Comcast will offer a combination of current content alongside older content no longer shown on the channel.

Joining CBS will be BBC America, BBC, A&E, History, IFC, HGTV, Sundance Channel, and several other popular channels available on Comcast.  Already available through Fancast, CBS has content available for Comcast users who are able to pass through an authentication process to confirm a person is truly a Comcast subscriber.

All CBS shows are available on a three-day delay, but the companies expect to make content available sooner.

Financial information about Comcast's latest deal wasn't publicly announced.  CBS will, of course, receive publicity, and can look forward to working with Comcast, though it should be interesting to see if the company is able to actually make any money from the deal.

The news comes just one day after Comcast announced it added HBO and Cinemax to its online portfolio, which was seen as a strong move.  But adding shows from CBS, AMC and other channels further legitimizes the company's online efforts, with additional deals expected soon.

Cable providers are now facing increased pressure from Hulu and other free online video sites that offer popular movies and TV shows online for free through ad-supported websites. The cable providers hope their own custom Web sites will help them better combat Hulu.

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Finally!
By AntiM on 7/15/2009 8:10:30 AM , Rating: 2
An ISP finally doing something halfway intelligent. Working with the trends and capitalizing on customer behavior instead of sitting around thinking of ways to screw their customers. If people prefer their content online, it only makes sense to provide that service and make a few dollars at the same time; all parties involved benefit.




RE: Finally!
By tmouse on 7/15/2009 8:19:21 AM , Rating: 3
I think the greatest problem has been getting the content providers to agree. Depending on whether or not this has any exclusive threads attached maybe this will filter down to other providers.


RE: Finally!
By SublimeSimplicity on 7/15/2009 8:54:56 AM , Rating: 2
I can guarantee this was the case. I work in the cable industry, but not for a cable provider. I can tell you that while their action often seem odd, it's because they are constantly trying to find the equilibrium between FCC mandates, content provider requirements, customer needs, and being profitable (which includes keeping their advertisers happy).


RE: Finally!
By tdktank59 on 7/15/2009 2:02:06 PM , Rating: 2
No id say the hardest part for them is going to be the increase in bandwidth over there crappy infrastructure that can barely handle what we want to throw at it right now...

Ive got their Performance pack which is speeds up to 12Mbps connection and I rarely see about half of that with my average speed around 700KBps (roughly 5Mbps)

Anyways the fact that they cant give me the 12Mbps sustained worries me when they want to bring more online content...


RE: Finally!
By JarredWalton on 7/16/2009 2:39:33 AM , Rating: 2
I guess I'm lucky... at all five Comcast locations I've used in the past month while traveling around visiting family and friends. Every location provided maximum sustained transfer rates of pretty much exactly what Comcast stated, with their "Power Boost" rates bumping that up to about twice as much for around the first minute or so. I routinely see 2MBps (over 16Mbps) for short durations on my 12Mb connection at home.


RE: Finally!
By Lerianis on 7/19/2009 1:39:38 AM , Rating: 2
HUH? Where in the boonies are you? I'm living in Aberdeen, Maryland and I get about 1.5MB's speeds using Bittorrent. It might be that the places you are going to do not have high bandwidth to access them with or you are going extremely LONG distances.... then, the speed does slow down dramatically.


RE: Finally!
By MrBlastman on 7/15/2009 10:14:47 AM , Rating: 2
No, they're screwing their customers already, this is just some icy hot they are putting on the sore spots or a little lube to help it go in. I'm pretty darned close to telling ComCrapTastic to take a hike and go to AT&T U-Verse.

Ever since Netflix, I've seen zero need to pay for anything extra on top of basic cable. That includes premium channels. These cable companies are starting to feel the pain and it is about time. They've been giving us, the customer, the shaft for long enough.

My grudge has more to do with Comcast's internet than their cable though, as it always seems to be laggy and slow at the time I need it the most. Their support is just horrible - plus, they'll try to sneak in charges whenever they can.


RE: Finally!
By Lerianis on 7/19/2009 1:43:15 AM , Rating: 2
Laggy and slow? Again, like I asked the other person, where in the boonies are you? I am in a 'rural' area about 60 miles from Baltimore (two-way), and I don't have 'laggy' connections.

I did, until we realized that when we moved into our new house (put on the site of our old house), that the cable wasn't installed correctly. Went underneath our house, tightened a few connections and replaced one line from the Comcast box to our home (something had chewed through it)..... fixed.


RE: Finally!
By Mitch101 on 7/15/2009 10:21:23 AM , Rating: 3
I agree with you.

Cable has been losing subscribers to Satellite. But Satellite internet connections are costly and have high latency compared to cable internet connections. If cable learned to leverage High Speed Internet as an advantage over Satellite instead of cap/crap limiting it like the morons at Time Warner are trying to do they might be able to retain some of their market or even grow it.

Eventually Time Warner will market itself out if they continue to believe and act like they have a monopoly. Granted in most areas they do have a monopoly because you cant get satellite, dsl, fios, or another cable provider, but that wont last, its only a matter or time before wireless internet speeds arrive at acceptable levels for most people. Time Warner would be best suited to figure out how to use what they have as an advantage instead of trying to figure out how to screw their customers out of more cash.


By ThisSpaceForRent on 7/15/2009 8:42:22 AM , Rating: 4
...streaming online content? Wtf? Did I read that right?




By FITCamaro on 7/15/2009 9:20:59 AM , Rating: 2
Exactly. They're doing all this because while they might eliminate your cable bill, they'll hit you on the flip side. Granted Comcasts data cap of 250GB is fairly reasonable. But that's today. If you started watching all your TV (some in high def) through the web, you'd easily surpass that cap.


By Lerianis on 7/19/2009 1:48:18 AM , Rating: 1
Yep..... I had a Comcast person moan and bitch at me about that about a week ago, and I told her "Listen.... I am an AVERAGE user.... if I am going over your 250GB monthly cap, then you need to up the cap, because I am not downloading things all the time, watching online video all the time, etc.! Most of what I do is TEXT-BASED SURFING to news sites and internet forums, with a little picture downloading as well! May I please speak to your supervisor to lodge a formal complaint!"

The Supervisor came on, I told him the exact same thing.... he agreed and put me on a list they keep to not be called about going over the cap again, since I am not a 'heavy user' but barely average - low user!
He also said that he would bring it up in his next meeting, since he had noticed that 'average' is getting closer to 200GB's a month, with heavy being 2TB a month.


By WoWCow on 7/15/2009 9:22:43 AM , Rating: 2
In case you are wondering High Def streaming takes quite an amount of bandwidth.

Assuming they get their "tiered" bandwidth caps pushed through and this is provided, you can well imagine quite a number of people would be paying a premium for "top tier" bandwidth limits.

I recall someone on WoW from Alaska (so he claims) who wasn't able to play during last week of the month because he exceeded his cap through netflix!

I think his cap was between 20~40 GBs. Don't take my word for it though.


By FITCamaro on 7/15/2009 10:33:22 AM , Rating: 2
Yeah I do a lot of Netflix streaming through my 360. Been watching old episodes of South Park.


By dxf2891 on 7/15/2009 3:34:45 PM , Rating: 2
I was a Comcast customer from the Detroit MI area. I had their triple pack (phone, internet and TV). The phone and tv had issues from the time it was installed. I got rid of the phone and tv and downloaded or streamed shows. I was told on April 5 (for a monthly contract that ended on the 21st of every month) and was told that I exceeded the cap of 150GB for the month. I was told that I had to pay for the month, but not have access until the next billing cycle. There was no warning, my service was interrupted. I promptly cancelled and moved to a slower DSL without a cap.


By Lerianis on 7/19/2009 1:53:15 AM , Rating: 1
The cap is 250GB's, so I think your lying, to be bluntly honest.
Personally, I have gone over that 250GB's cap MULTIPLE TIMES since it went into effect and have never gotten a phone call from them until last month.

Read my earlier posting to see how I took them to task for bothering me, when I am an average user when it comes down to it.

I also have to say that they would NOT tell you that you have to pay for the month, but not have access. Bullshit. They WARN YOU after the first month that you go over the bandwidth cap that if you do it again, you will be totally DROPPED as a customer.... they don't tell you that you will not have access until the next month.

If someone called you and told you that...... they weren't Comcast! Never would be Comcast, because that is something that they would never tell you either by phone or e-mail, but on your monthly bill.


Good but....
By ExarKun333 on 7/15/2009 9:15:56 AM , Rating: 2
Don't get me wrong, this sounds great (especially as a "forced" Comcast customer) but I can see the negatives too. As time goes on, and rates increase (and they will) Comcast will do the song and dance of "we need to raise rates in order to keep the contect and ...... you are all used to." It's another feature they are adding to the download service, and it's another excuse for them when they raise rates later...




RE: Good but....
By Lerianis on 7/19/2009 1:56:22 AM , Rating: 2
They are liars as well. Comcast gets a VERY good rate for 500GB's of bandwidth, only 5 dollars per 500GB block from their Tier 1/2 providers.

So there is no reason why they have to 'raise rates'. In fact, they should be LOWERING rates in order to compete in the new economy.


its not the isp
By lenardo on 7/15/2009 10:12:02 AM , Rating: 1
the isp people- and i know one of the guys in charge of,...well pretty much everything...who is holding back comcast, it is the suits who do not follow trends.

wait til you see what is coming these deals are just the tip of the iceberg, i know what he has been working on, and it'll be great.




RE: its not the isp
By ClownPuncher on 7/15/2009 11:24:34 AM , Rating: 1
Thuper!


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