Does anyone's cable TV provider offer HDTV?

Comcast will have HDTV soon in the Michigan area, I don't know about other areas though.

Here in NYC, Time Warner has a digital cable package that includes a HDTV set-top converting box for no extra charge. I think they're carrying four or five network channels with limited HDTV content as well as HD HBO and Showtime channels. Here abouts, you can currently get more HD programming over cable than on satellite. Been eyeing it myself, but have to get a TV that can show the stuff first....

Follow-up... Comcast says that they will soon offer HBO and Showtime in HDTV here in the Atlanta area. My concern is that the 3 major networks are offering many of their prime time programs and sports in HDTV in 2003, but Comcast has only mentioned the 2 movie cahnnels so far.

Comcast is either in a trial, or just finished a trial of HDTV in the Northern VA area--Alexandria & Arlington. I haven't paid too much attention b/c I went for DirecTV and now have to wait out the 1 year subscription period anyway.

In Northern New Jersey Time-Warner is offering a Digital Cable Box with a HDCD Decoder attached at no extra charge. They are offering 13 channels of HDTV including the national broadcast channels, HBO, and Showtime. I just purchased an HDCD compatible television set, Toshiba CN36HFX, and I am picking up the cable box tomorrow. I will let you know how it looks.

Drew

Hey Y'all,

I've had my HDTV set and cable box for eight months. I live in NYC and work for Time Warner Cable. The picture is sharper then regular cable broadcast signals but the only channel showing an organic HD picture, meaning from HD cameras to broadcast and processing equipment, is PBS. Every other channel is sending out shows that are originally taped in NTSC and then formatted to fit the wide aspect ratio of HD sets. There are exceptions, of course, like The Tonight Show and some sporting events. All the movies that you see on HBO and Showtime are NTSC and are only being shown in wide screen format. Some of the live events such as the Rolling Stones concert on HBO will be organic, but not the movies. I just read on AudioRevolution.com that RCA has struck a deal with CBS to sponsor the AFC Divisional and AFC Championship games in organic 1080i HDTV. That will be an exciting broadcast. I'm sure, as mentioned above, there will be much more organic HD programming coming up this year, from the networks and other cable channels to satisfy everyone who is converting.......John

I was under the impression that the majority of the programming on HDNet, as well as what is/will be on Discovery HD is organic HD...

Rochester NY ,Time warner offers HBO and Showtime only.

I've had a Time Warner HDTV cable box for several months (Scientific Atlanta Explorer 3100HD) in Manhattan. I get ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, PBS, HBO and Showtime. PBS shows endless loops of incredibly dreary documentaries, but shot in true 1080i and it looks just jaw dropping real. Through my Sony 10WHT projector it looks like a 92" diagonal window onto whatever flower show or seafood festival is being shown. I've found myself watching crap for 30 minutes or more in HDTV that previously wouldn't have made it past a 1/2 second channel surf. Every other HDTV channel basically looks as good as a progressive scan DVD, which is still a big step up from standard DTV.

Cox in Southern California.

Every now and then an episode of CSI appears in HDTV through Rochester's T/W cable.

I've also had a Time Warner HDTV cable box for several months now (but here in San Diego). My experiences mirror Seth's above. The Sopranos, on HBO, looked stunning in HD - significantly better than the standard HBO feed. Some of the movies played on HBO have been impressive in HD as well. I watched JAG for the first time on CBS-HD last night though and wasn't as impressed.

Anyone know if ATT's got a plan for HD in the northeast?

I have Time Warner H.D. cable since October. Four channels at this time, they will be adding more this year.

A followup to my original post on this subject. I got the new HDTV cable box today. I have to say that the PBS HDTV channel is nothing less than awe inspiring. I have never seen anything like this in my system. The other HDTV channels are very good, as others have previously mentioned very similar to my Phillips SACD 1000 DVD presentation. The PBS HDTV feed is just unreal. I would suggest to anyone that they go out and get an HDCD compatible set. It is my understanding that Federal Law mandates that more HDTV broadcasts be made available in 2003. I certainly hope that this is the case.

Drew