# Comcast replaces Cinemax with on-demand service after dropping Tivo



## johnsom (May 30, 2001)

I just got a letter saying Comcast is going to drop Cinemax from my package and replace it with some on-demand service they came up with called "Hitz" with no reduction in price.
I find this even more offensive given they just dropped support for on-demand on the Tivo platform.
Effectively they are forcing me into "renting" their ad filled X1 box if I want the value for what I pay for.
I encourage you to vote with your dollars and your ballot to stop this monopolist behavior.


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## XIBM (Mar 9, 2013)

I was recently told that Cinemax was no longer in Charter/Spectrum Silver Package.


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## tim_m (Mar 8, 2017)

Spectrum recently did the same with cibemax and epix making them ql la carte


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## Series3Sub (Mar 14, 2010)

AT&T is really making hardball deals with MVPD's, I think they really don't want any other service to have HBO and Cinemax--and oh, yes, meanwhile AT&T is including HBO at no additional charge to their top tier wireless plans. So much for their statements filed with DOJ saying they would never use the HBO/Cinemax product (along with the Warner owned channels) use such tacticts. Of course, they sued DOJ and won, and it seems they are doing as they please.


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## BNBTivo (Sep 7, 2015)

It's not a monopoly. You can dump Comcast TV at any time. What is clear is that they have their own platform and would prefer their customers use it. If that's not for you, then go a different route for entertainment. You have lots of choices.


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## CloudAtlas (Oct 29, 2013)

Series3Sub said:


> AT&T is really making hardball deals with MVPD's, I think they really don't want any other service to have HBO and Cinemax--and oh, yes, meanwhile AT&T is including HBO at no additional charge to their top tier wireless plans. So much for their statements filed with DOJ saying they would never use the HBO/Cinemax product (along with the Warner owned channels) use such tacticts. Of course, they sued DOJ and won, and it seems they are doing as they please.


They want customers to pay full price for HBO and Cinemax.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

Based on info that has leaked out from AT&T/WarnerMedia, it looks like Cinemax may get subsumed into their upcoming "HBO Max" on-demand streaming service (which would make sense, given the name). Long-term, I doubt that HBO and Cinemax will survive as standalone services; instead, they'll be content brands that exist (alongside other WarnerMedia properties) under the broader HBO Max service. The good news is that AT&T is targeting a price of only $16-17/mo for this new service, which is barely more than the typical $15/mo price for just HBO.


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## PSU_Sudzi (Jun 4, 2015)

johnsom said:


> I just got a letter saying Comcast is going to drop Cinemax from my package and replace it with some on-demand service they came up with called "Hitz" with no reduction in price.
> I find this even more offensive given they just dropped support for on-demand on the Tivo platform.
> Effectively they are forcing me into "renting" their ad filled X1 box if I want the value for what I pay for.
> I encourage you to vote with your dollars and your ballot to stop this monopolist behavior.


I'm in the Philly area and the letter I received read that I was getting Hitz on demand but no mention of Cinemax going away. As of now I still have Cinemax but couldn't find Hitz on the soon to be defunct XoD app.


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## TonyD79 (Jan 4, 2002)

NashGuy said:


> Based on info that has leaked out from AT&T/WarnerMedia, it looks like Cinemax may get subsumed into their upcoming "HBO Max" on-demand streaming service (which would make sense, given the name). Long-term, I doubt that HBO and Cinemax will survive as standalone services; instead, they'll be content brands that exist (alongside other WarnerMedia properties) under the broader HBO Max service. The good news is that AT&T is targeting a price of only $16-17/mo for this new service, which is barely more than the typical $15/mo price for just HBO.


Yeah. Don't understand the separate branding between HBO and Cinemax. Never did.


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

TonyD79 said:


> Yeah. Don't understand the separate branding between HBO and Cinemax. Never did.


They used to have somewhat distinct "personalities" back in the day (as in, the 80s/90s)...they kind of still do, if you remember the old-school versions, but they blend together a lot more these days.


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## slowbiscuit (Sep 19, 2006)

This thread has nothing to do with Tivo.


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## CloudAtlas (Oct 29, 2013)

I wonder if the HBO Max app will come to *TiVO*?


slowbiscuit said:


> This thread has nothing to do with Tivo.


Now it does!


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## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

Rob Helmerichs said:


> They used to have somewhat distinct "personalities" back in the day (as in, the 80s/90s)...they kind of still do, if you remember the old-school versions, but they blend together a lot more these days.


uhh. I presume most everyone knows about late night Cinemax.


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## NorthAlabama (Apr 19, 2012)

mattack said:


> uhh. I presume most everyone knows about late night Cinemax.


you're referring to skinemax?


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## konnerth (Jun 4, 2004)

slowbiscuit said:


> This thread has nothing to do with Tivo.


Well, wait a second. I thought the point was Hitz is another Comcast On Demand service we would not be able to receive on our Tivo receivers. Is that not correct - we can watch Hitz movies?


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## nrnoble (Aug 25, 2004)

Its not making sense to me that Max needs to be dropped to add Hitz. 

I am guessing what they are really doing is creating an instant subscriber base by swapping Hitz for Max, rather than have Hitz struggle to gain a subscribers base that would take severals to reach the current numbers of Max. Instant several million subscribers that more-or-less are HBO subscribers that had Max.


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## Adam C. (Jul 24, 2017)

NashGuy said:


> only $16-17/mo for this new service, which is barely more than the typical $15/mo price for just HBO.


I don't know how you can think this is a good deal. I can subscribe to Netflix AND Hulu for less than the cost of HBO alone. HBO has very little to offer compared to these other services.


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## chiguy50 (Nov 9, 2009)

Adam C. said:


> I don't know how you can think this is a good deal. I can subscribe to Netflix AND Hulu for less than the cost of HBO alone. HBO has very little to offer compared to these other services.


Much of the comparison is entirely subjective and relative to your particular requirements, but if you want to compare apples to apples, you can not say that Netflix is appreciably cheaper than HBO at their current rates.

I have Netflix Premium, which is even more expensive than HBO ($15.99 p.m. vs. $15.00). But the true cost comparison would use Netflix Standard @$12.99 since it is the minimum requirement for the same HD video resolution that you get on HBO. That's a difference of just $2.00.

Moreover, some MVPD's have offered various discounts for the premium channels. I am currently paying market rate for HBO on my Comcast subscription, but up until last year I was on a 24-month contract that got me HBO and Cinemax for just $1.00 p.m. each. And before that, I had HBO for free over several years via a recurring "customer courtesy." Even now, Comcast offers a published discount if you subscribe to three or more premiums @$10.00 apiece. And some bundle packages include HBO at no additional cost.

Further mucking up the cost comparison, Comcast is apparently including Netflix streaming (presumably at only the basic level, which is limited to one screen at a time and in SD only) in some of their new X1 subscription plans.

As far as the quality of original programming is concerned, HBO has been an industry leader for many, many years and is largely responsible for setting the standard beginning with _The Sopranos_ and continuing to this day (it remains to be seen to what degree the new ownership at AT&T will bollix this up). Subjectively, Hulu offers absolutely nothing that interests me beyond what I get from other sources, but that's just me.

Bottom line: I maintain subscriptions to a lot of sources for movies and original programming (Netflix streaming and Blu-ray disc, UHD Blu-ray rental, Amazon Prime Video, HBO, Starz, and Comcast digital preferred channel lineup), and I consider HBO at the top of the heap for original programming.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

Adam C. said:


> I don't know how you can think this is a good deal. I can subscribe to Netflix AND Hulu for less than the cost of HBO alone. HBO has very little to offer compared to these other services.


The cheapest Hulu plan, which includes ads, costs $6. The cheapest Netflix plan, which is SD-only, is now $9. So together those cost $15. Although I subscribe to Hulu without ads for $12 and Netflix with 4K HDR for $16.

As for content in the upcoming HBO/WarnerMedia service that will reportedly be priced at $16-17, it is said to include all HBO content (movies and originals), plus Cinemax, plus decades of films, broadcast and cable TV series from the vaults of Warner Bros. movies and Warner Bros. TV (think Friends, Big Bang Theory, The West Wing, ER, etc). Beyond that, multiple other sources have indicated that the service will include current-season content from TBS, TNT and TruTV, as well as some content from DC Universe, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, CNN (original documentaries and docuseries), plus cartoons from Looney Tunes and Hanna-Barbera. In addition, they will license some outside content to round out one or two content areas where they are somewhat weak, plus make new original series and films that will be exclusive to this streaming service and not exist on any cable TV channel. Announced titles so far include Love Life (Anna Kendrick), Tokyo Vice (Ansel Elgort) and a new series based on Dune, among others. The idea is to build around the core HBO library, which is smallish but known for high quality, and expand to cover a range of content types aimed at various tastes and demographics.

This new "HBO Max" service may not feature as many hours of content at any given point in time as Netflix does but, in my opinion, it will offer a better average quality of content than does Netflix. And keep in mind that once Netflix's deal with Disney expires this year, they will not have any deals in place to stream films from any major theatrical studios; HBO will still have recent movies from Warner Bros., Universal, Fox, and Summit. I expect that HBO Max (or whatever they name it) will also offer 4K HDR on select titles throughout the service, but that's just my hunch.


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## chiguy50 (Nov 9, 2009)

NashGuy said:


> This new "HBO Max" service may not feature as many hours of content at any given point in time as Netflix does but, in my opinion, it will offer a better average quality of content than does Netflix. And keep in mind that once Netflix's deal with Disney expires this year, they will not have any deals in place to stream films from any major theatrical studios; HBO will still have recent movies from Warner Bros., Universal, Fox, and Summit. I expect that HBO Max (or whatever they name it) will also offer 4K HDR on select titles throughout the service, but that's just my hunch.


I appreciate the info (and speculation) you have been posting regarding HBO Max. Based on your descriptions, I am really looking forward to see it come to fruition.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

mattack said:


> uhh. I presume most everyone knows about late night Cinemax.





NorthAlabama said:


> you're referring to skinemax?


Both HBO and Cinemax got out of the soft-core pornography business last year. There's plenty of that crap (and far worse) floating around on the internet for those who want it.

HBO drops porn from all its channels - Metro Voice News

I suspect that the risks that such content entailed -- casting HBO as an unflattering, non-mainstream consumer brand -- outweighed any continued commercial benefit of airing that material, which was probably drawing in fewer and fewer viewers since virtually everyone has internet access now.


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## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

That's funny, because Game of Thrones (which I've actually only seen a couple of episodes of.. I'll watch it some eon) has far more raunchy stuff that Skinemax did.


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## zalusky (Apr 5, 2002)

NashGuy said:


> Both HBO and Cinemax got out of the soft-core pornography business last year. There's plenty of that crap (and far worse) floating around on the internet for those who want it.
> 
> HBO drops porn from all its channels - Metro Voice News
> 
> I suspect that the risks that such content entailed -- casting HBO as an unflattering, non-mainstream consumer brand -- outweighed any continued commercial benefit of airing that material, which was probably drawing in fewer and fewer viewers since virtually everyone has internet access now.


So how do they classify one as porn vs another? Does it mean shows like Masters of Sex would no longer be shown? Where is the line?


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

zalusky said:


> So how do they classify one as porn vs another? Does it mean shows like Masters of Sex would no longer be shown? Where is the line?


First off, Masters of Sex is on Showtime. Second, that's a show in which sex and the sexual revolution are completely integral to the narrative. Despite the fact that many episodes had zero sex and/or nude scenes, one could still make a case that the series is at times needlessly overly explicit in its depiction of sex. But the counterargument would be that those scenes don't serve merely or even primarily to titillate and appeal to prurient interests but rather to advance a story with actual artistic and historical merit. I don't think anyone could say the same thing about the stuff that aired late night on Cinemax, or HBO's reality series about a Nevada brothel.

If you need another guidepost in terms of how content outlets such as HBO might approach the question, think about it this way: Is this sexually explicit show something you can imagine the television academy possibly nominating for an Emmy? If the answer is yes, it probably goes in their "not porn" category. If the answer is no, well...


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## zalusky (Apr 5, 2002)

NashGuy said:


> First off, Masters of Sex is on Showtime. Second, that's a show in which sex and the sexual revolution are completely integral to the narrative. Despite the fact that many episodes had zero sex and/or nude scenes, one could still make a case that the series is at times needlessly overly explicit in its depiction of sex. But the counterargument would be that those scenes don't serve merely or even primarily to titillate and appeal to prurient interests but rather to advance a story with actual artistic and historical merit. I don't think anyone could say the same thing about the stuff that aired late night on Cinemax, or HBO's reality series about a Nevada brothel.
> 
> If you need another guidepost in terms of how content outlets such as HBO might approach the question, think about it this way: Is this sexually explicit show something you can imagine the television academy possibly nominating for an Emmy? If the answer is yes, it probably goes in their "not porn" category. If the answer is no, well...


So your saying people did not jerk off to Lizzy Caplin in all her glory. So if it was Cinemax it's different? I realize in the old days they had less talking but it's not clear to me where the line is. How about Eyes wide shut with all the orgy scenes?

I think the real bottom line is the old fashioned pseudo sex we used to see on cable is not helping subscriber growth anymore.


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## wmcbrine (Aug 2, 2003)

NashGuy said:


> Beyond that, multiple other sources have indicated that the service will include current-season content from TBS, TNT and TruTV, as well as some content from DC Universe, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, CNN (original documentaries and docuseries), plus cartoons from Looney Tunes and Hanna-Barbera.


I hope this will be without commercials, or have a commercial-free option. I assume it will, if this is taking the place of HBO Go/Now. (?)


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

wmcbrine said:


> I hope this will be without commercials, or have a commercial-free option. I assume it will, if this is taking the place of HBO Go/Now. (?)


The rumors/leaks on that front haven't been very clear and consistent. The latest idea seems to be to roll this service out as totally commercial-free (like Netflix) but then later on (next year?) offer a cheaper plan that has targeted ads on at least some of the content (like Hulu).

And while I have speculated that this new app will replace HBO Go/Now, it's not clear that that will happen either, at least initially. Well, I do still think it will immediately replace HBO Now, because who would sign up for that at $15 when they could pay another $1-2 and get so much more via HBO Max? It's possible that HBO could discount HBO Now by a few dollars but I don't see them doing that. Their strategy seems to be "the cable channel bundle is crumbling, so let's build a new direct-to-consumer service that contains all of our content (except live sports and live news, for now)."

The initial plans for HBO Max, stated last fall, was to offer multiple content tiers at different prices but they've now abandoned that plan as too confusing. When it comes to their standalone streaming subscribers, I think they've decided it's going to be all-or-nothing: take HBO plus all our other stuff in this new app or nothing at all.

Things get more complicated, though, when it comes to the bulk of HBO's subscribers, who come through traditional cable TV distributors. It isn't clear to me what their game plan is in terms of how to integrate HBO Max into that situation, which is why we may see the HBO Go app live on for awhile. In fact, one source I read indicated that they WILL keep HBO Go around, as well as the option for cable subscribers to stay on "just HBO".

Perhaps what they'll do is let their cable partners distribute HBO Max at $17 but with the partners getting a smaller cut of that price (maybe 30%) than they've always gotten for regular HBO (about 40-50%). So then you'd have Comcast, for instance, selling HBO for $15 (their current standard price) and HBO Max for $17. If that happens, a lot of Comcast customers would be incentivized to "trade up" to HBO Max for just $2 more. (This will especially be the case if AT&T shuts down Cinemax as its own standalone service, making it exclusively available as a sub-brand within the new HBO Max.) But Comcast wouldn't like that development if they actually pocket LESS money on each HBO Max subscription at $17 (maybe $5.10) than they would on a regular HBO subscription at $15 (maybe $6.75). And keep in mind that HBO Max will get a lot of national advertising by AT&T, regardless of whether Comcast markets it internally to their own customer base. Comcast's customers will know about it and, moreover, they'll have the option to sign up for it directly (just like Netflix), _completely cutting out the cable middleman and his share of the price. _Maybe if they sign up directly online, the price for HBO Max will be only $16, a buck less than if they had it billed through Comcast. Sure, that would mean using the HBO Max app only on devices that they own (Roku, Apple TV, Android phone, etc.) rather than Comcast's own X1 cable boxes, but some folks would be fine with that.

This scenario might put pressure on the cable companies to reduce their prices for regular HBO below the standard $15 price, with all of that price reduction coming out of their own margins. Maybe Comcast lowers the price of HBO by $3, down to $12 (same as the other premiums) but that means they'd only keep $3.75 out of that new price as opposed to the $6.75 that they get now. If cable distribution partners do something like that, you can see how regular HBO would live on and the existing HBO Go app would continue to be needed.

OTOH, maybe Comcast and other cable distributors decide that it doesn't make sense to lower the pricing and their profit margins on regular HBO. Why even offer it any more? Why make $3.75 per HBO subscription when they could make $5.10 per HBO Max subscription?

And remember too, that Comcast is developing their own home-grown alternatives to HBO and Cinemax. Next month, Comcast is replacing Cinemax in those packages that include it (e.g. Digital Premiere) with a new on-demand movie service called Hitz that they own. (For now, though, Cinemax will remain available a la carte for $12.) Next year, Comcast will roll out a new nationwide OTT streaming on-demand service featuring current and classic NBCUniversal content, plus new original premium-quality series. Once the output deal for Universal theatrical films to air on HBO ends in 2022, everyone expects that those movies will shift to Comcast's own OTT service, which will aim to evolve into a full-fledged competitor to HBO Max (and Hulu and Netflix).


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## johnsom (May 30, 2001)

BNBTivo said:


> It's not a monopoly. You can dump Comcast TV at any time. What is clear is that they have their own platform and would prefer their customers use it. If that's not for you, then go a different route for entertainment. You have lots of choices.


I wish we had a choice. It's only Comcast or satellite here.


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## johnsom (May 30, 2001)

slowbiscuit said:


> This thread has nothing to do with Tivo.


Seriously? It's about comcast dropping the on-demand functionality from Tivo and then replacing Cinemax with an on-demand only offering.


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

Series3Sub said:


> AT&T is really making hardball deals with MVPD's, I think they really don't want any other service to have HBO and Cinemax--and oh, yes, meanwhile AT&T is including HBO at no additional charge to their top tier wireless plans. So much for their statements filed with DOJ saying they would never use the HBO/Cinemax product (along with the Warner owned channels) use such tacticts. Of course, they sued DOJ and won, and it seems they are doing as they please.


And this is why NBCU/Comcast and AT&T/TW should be broken up. Content and the distribution networks being vertically integrated just doesn't mix well.


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## smark (Nov 20, 2002)

johnsom said:


> Seriously? It's about comcast dropping the on-demand functionality from Tivo and then replacing Cinemax with an on-demand only offering.


Nothing to do with it. If you want Cinemax, it's still available but ala carte.


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## Series3Sub (Mar 14, 2010)

CloudAtlas said:


> They want customers to pay full price for HBO and Cinemax.


They want customers to sign up with AT&T's MVPD/VMVPD, not their competitor's.


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## spiderpumpkin (Dec 1, 2017)

Looks like I still have Cinemax after yesterday’s removal date. Not sure when Comcast plans to remove the Cinemax channels from my Premiere plan?


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

spiderpumpkin said:


> Looks like I still have Cinemax after yesterday's removal date. Not sure when Comcast plans to remove the Cinemax channels from my Premiere plan?


Some Comcast folks are reporting that the only Cinemax channels that remain on their cable boxes are the east and west feeds of the main Cinemax HD channel. All the other ones (MoreMax, MovieMax, etc.) are now gone, replaced by placeholders in the channel grid to launch Comcast's new Hitz on-demand library.


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## wmcbrine (Aug 2, 2003)

All my Cinemax channels are gone. (No placeholders, but I didn't expect any on a TiVo.) Hitz is available on the Xfinity app on Roku, has ~250 movies IIRC.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

wmcbrine said:


> All my Cinemax channels are gone. (No placeholders, but I didn't expect any on a TiVo.) Hitz is available on the Xfinity app on Roku, has ~250 movies IIRC.


Do you subscribe to Cinemax as an a la carte service or was it part of a channel bundle, e.g. Digital Premiere? If the latter, then yeah, it was supposed to completely disappear for you as of yesterday, I think.


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## dishrich (Jan 16, 2002)

NashGuy said:


> All the other ones (MoreMax, MovieMax, etc.) are now gone, replaced by placeholders in the channel grid to launch Comcast's new Hitz on-demand library.


If they go up into the MCLU (1800+) channel range, they should still find all their previously available Cinemax channels 



spiderpumpkin said:


> Looks like I still have Cinemax after yesterday's removal date. Not sure when Comcast plans to remove the Cinemax channels from my Premiere plan?


Comcast never said it was being removed from EVERY plan, so you're probably safe at least for awhile. Did you check to see if you're now getting Hitz for free? (as part of your package now)
I have a client that's grandfathered on the Complete plan, & as of today, they are still getting Cinemax, & also now getting Hitz.


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## PSU_Sudzi (Jun 4, 2015)

I’m in the Philly suburbs and all of my Cinemax channels are gone, the main HD feed and all others in SD as well as the “duplicates” in the 1000’s channel range.

Edit: I don’t know the name of my plan but it’s one of the upper end ones with almost all channels.


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## reneg (Jun 19, 2002)

Houston area - Cinemax channels are gone here too.


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## astrohip (Jan 7, 2003)

reneg said:


> Houston area - Cinemax channels are gone here too.


Houston area? I haven't rec'd any letter or notice about this. I've been following this thread, but figured since I didn't get any notification, Houston was safe.

ETA: I just dbl checked, haven't received any emails about this from Xfinity. I'm not at home so I can't check until Monday. But I got Jett recording tomorrow night.


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## spiderpumpkin (Dec 1, 2017)

astrohip said:


> Houston area? I haven't rec'd any letter or notice about this. I've been following this thread, but figured since I didn't get any notification, Houston was safe.
> 
> ETA: I just dbl checked, haven't received any emails about this from Xfinity. I'm not at home so I can't check until Monday. But I got Jett recording tomorrow night.


Comcast put a small footnote in the bill a month or two back. I think that was the only official announcement sent to subscribers.


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## reneg (Jun 19, 2002)

astrohip said:


> Houston area? I haven't rec'd any letter or notice about this. I've been following this thread, but figured since I didn't get any notification, Houston was safe.
> 
> ETA: I just dbl checked, haven't received any emails about this from Xfinity. I'm not at home so I can't check until Monday. But I got Jett recording tomorrow night.


I was thinking the same thing. Look at your May bill in the fine print of Additional Information.


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## sehale (Jun 28, 2007)

I noticed a $30 jump in my Comcast bill last month. I called and they said my old plan was a "dinosaur" and no longer available. They are no longer bundling the router and cable cards/boxes, etc. - all are a la carte now and charged per device. And they told me that Cinemax was no longer available. When I asked "why wasn't I notified?," they said it was on page 3 of the bill... After some haggling, I dropped all premium channels. Saved $20/month off regular bill ($50/month if you add in their proposed rate increase).


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## astrohip (Jan 7, 2003)

spiderpumpkin said:


> Comcast put a small footnote in the bill a month or two back. I think that was the only official announcement sent to subscribers.





reneg said:


> I was thinking the same thing. Look at your May bill in the fine print of Additional Information.


Yep, it was there. They put it in the May statement, but not the June statement, which is the one closest to the cutoff date. I'm sure that met any legal obligations was to keep my bill from being too cluttered. 

Dayum. I like Cinemax. If it wasn't for my TiVos, I'd leave Xfinity in a heartbeat.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

dishrich said:


> If they go up into the MCLU (1800+) channel range, they should still find all their previously available Cinemax channels


Comcast being Comcast (a bunch of slightly different systems in different regions that they've cobbled together over the decades), it sounds like maybe these changes with which Cinemax channels are showing up and for whom differs a little from one area to another. We'll see.

At any rate, I still predict that Cinemax will cease to exist for everyone in the US, regardless of provider, once HBO Max launches. But that's probably not until around next March.


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## stannenb (Nov 28, 2006)

smark said:


> Nothing to do with it. If you want Cinemax, it's still available but ala carte.


Right. But my bundle, which used to include Cinemax, has now been "enhanced" with HITZ. For all I know, it's actually enhanced for many people, but, since HITZ is OnDemand and one can no longer watch Comcast OnDemand via a Tivo, it isn't for me or anyone with a Cablecard/Tivo combination.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

astrohip said:


> Dayum. I like Cinemax. If it wasn't for my TiVos, I'd leave Xfinity in a heartbeat.


Well, in the meantime, you can still subscribe to Cinemax via Comcast a la carte for $12/mo, I think. Or you can add it to your Amazon Prime Video subscription, or subscribe standalone via Apple TV Channels, for $10/mo. Whether or not Cinemax is worth that on top of whatever you're already paying is, obviously, up to you. Just trying to point out your options.

And if you subscribe to HBO Max when it rolls out early next year, I'll bet you'll see all those Cinemax Originals in its on-demand library. I expect the current series, like Warrior and Jett (should they be renewed for new seasons), to just be rebranded from "Cinemax Originals" to "Max Originals," which is what WarnerMedia is calling their line of new originals exclusive to HBO Max.


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## stannenb (Nov 28, 2006)

NashGuy said:


> Well, in the meantime, you can still subscribe to Cinemax via Comcast a la carte for $12/mo, I think..


In theory, you're right. In practice, there's no current option on the Comcast web site to add Cinemax back a la carte.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

stannenb said:


> In theory, you're right. In practice, there's no current option on the Comcast web site to add Cinemax back a la carte.


Wow. Interesting. Comcast's official statement on this awhile back was that they would still offer it a la carte.

It's _probably_ just a temporary fluke in their online ordering system, meaning you'd need to call in to add Cinemax to your account for now.

I notice that if I go into Comcast's ordering system as a new customer without an existing account to order broadband and TV service (I chose the 125+ channel "Extra" package), as of just now, it DOES give me the option of adding Cinemax a la carte for $12/mo, same as Showtime, Starz and The Movie Channel (ha). Epix is $5.99 and HBO is $15. The "More Sports & Entertainment" add-on pack (including NFL Red Zone and other channels) is $9.95. And Comcast's very own StreamPix is included, whee.

Meanwhile, under "On Demand Packages," I can a la carte add Hitz for $12 (bet that gets a lot of buyers), Disney StoryCentral for $4.99, Acorn TV for $5.99, Curiosity Stream for $5.99, etc.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

My cable company is going to have a free weekend of HBO/Cinemax on 8/16 to 8/19. I wonder if this will be affected? I don't use Comcast.


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## wmcbrine (Aug 2, 2003)

JoeKustra said:


> My cable company is going to have a free weekend of HBO/Cinemax on 8/16 to 8/19. I wonder if this will be affected? I don't use Comcast.


This is strictly a Comcast happening (+ NashGuy's speculation, but that wouldn't be yet).


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## sicariis (Jul 27, 2012)

I called and complained about the removal of cinemax from my package, they gave me a $25 credit and added cinemax back at $12/mo. Ill keep it until Jett ends and then drop it.


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## spiderpumpkin (Dec 1, 2017)

Gotta love Comcast. They literally removed Cinemax just before the new episode of Jett was about to record.


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## NorthAlabama (Apr 19, 2012)

3 new hitz placeholders appeared in our guide (tba), cinemax still active in our market (for now)...


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## nrnoble (Aug 25, 2004)

From what I understand, MAX is will remain on xFinity, its only removed from all packaged deals and replaced with Hitz. It only affects package deals, not individual subscriptions to Max.

Seems like they are setting themselves up for a lawsuit even if their fine prints says they can replace\remove any channel at any time, and the customers is SOL. I have yet to call, to see what happens when I express my unhappiness with the swap out. Its not like MAX is gone, it still there for customers who want to pay for it.

Wouldn't it be interesting if they swapped out HBO for The Movie Channel (or whatever), and point to their fine print as justification, and tell unhappy customers "You agreed to the fine print, so don't blame us that we screwed you over, you agreed to be screwed over when you signed the contract, so what did you expect?"


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

nrnoble said:


> From what I understand, MAX is will remain on xFinity, its only removed from all packaged deals and replaced with Hitz. It only affects package deals, not individual subscriptions to Max.
> 
> Seems like they are setting themselves up for a lawsuit even if their fine prints says they can replace\remove any channel at any time, and the customers is SOL. I have yet to call, to see what happens when I express my unhappiness with the swap out. Its not like MAX is gone, it still there for customers who want to pay for it.


Saw where someone posted he called in to complain and was given a $25 credit on his bill, which would cover 2 months worth of Cinemax a la carte at $12/mo. May as well give it a shot. That should give you time to watch the remainder of the current seasons of Jett and Warrior, if you care.


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## dishrich (Jan 16, 2002)

nrnoble said:


> From what I understand, MAX is will remain on xFinity, *its only removed from all packaged deals and replaced with Hitz.*


Not true; I have a client on a grandfathered Complete plan & not only are they STILL getting MAX, they now ALSO get Hitz. (was just over there again today & tried it again) This is a plan that they get EVERY premium channel (except EPIX), the sports & entertainment tier, 1 DVR & 3 additional TV boxes & gateway rental, all in 1 inclusive price. It's been grandfathered for quite some time now.


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## wizwor (Dec 18, 2013)

Series3Sub said:


> AT&T is really making hardball deals with MVPD's, I think they really don't want any other service to have HBO and Cinemax--and oh, yes, meanwhile AT&T is including HBO at no additional charge to their top tier wireless plans. So much for their statements filed with DOJ saying they would never use the HBO/Cinemax product (along with the Warner owned channels) use such tacticts. Of course, they sued DOJ and won, and it seems they are doing as they please.


When Cable was magic, HBO stood for Home Box Office. It played a short list of blockbuster movies over and over and over. The schedule was such that if you turned on the TV during Prime Time, you got three hours of amazing tv. Then they decided that Boxing qualified as a Box Office event then comedians then sports shows then talk shows and finally episode television. Along the way, Pay-Per-View replaced HBO as must see tv (before NBC's famous Thursday lineup).

I would LOVE to see HBO return to its roots. Fourteen blockbuster movies in three hour blocks seven days a week.


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## wizwor (Dec 18, 2013)

XIBM said:


> I was recently told that Cinemax was no longer in Charter/Spectrum Silver Package.


Likewise, Skinemax should return to its roots.


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## astrohip (Jan 7, 2003)

wizwor said:


> I would LOVE to see HBO return to its roots. Fourteen blockbuster movies in three hour blocks seven days a week.


???

HBO has become must-see TV, the top of the cable mountain, because of its programming. Monstrous award winning series (Sopranos, GoT, Band of Brothers, yada yada), docs (Chernobyl), on and on.

Blockbuster movies? A dime a dozen on whatever channels.


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## astrohip (Jan 7, 2003)

wizwor said:


> Likewise, Skinemax should return to its roots.


Now THAT I miss.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

When I get my quarterly "free preview" on HBO and Cinemax, it reminds me why I don't subscribe to them anymore.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

wizwor said:


> Likewise, Skinemax should return to its roots.


This association of Cinemax with soft-corn porn is why it's a now a busted brand that's worse-than-useless for WarnerMedia. Note how all of the official communications that came out recently about the upcoming HBO Max service name checks ALL of the company's other brands (e.g. HBO, DC Comics, Looney Tunes, TBS, TNT, CNN, etc.) but Cinemax is conspicuously absent. I think that all those hours of Cinemax originals (e.g. Strike Back, Banshee, The Knick, etc.) will actually be available for on-demand streaming in HBO Max (as the WSJ reported would be the case) but the company doesn't want to advertise the name Cinemax in connection with HBO Max, because HBO Max will (like Netflix) offer content targeting all ages, including kids and families. HBO Max will be the home of Sesame Street and a reboot of Family Matters. "Skinemax" might appeal to dirty old men but it's not an image the company wants associated with HBO Max.

I still believe that Cinemax, both as a pay TV service and as a brand, will cease to exist once HBO Max launches next year. And that's part of the reason that Comcast is now extracting Cinemax from their channel bundles. But HBO ought to take the original main Cinemax linear channel and rebrand it as HBO Cinema or HBO Movies and include it in with the regular HBO service (and HBO Max). Take it back to what Cinemax was when it first launched: 24/7 theatrical films.

As for the movies not being as good on HBO now as when HBO launched back in the 70s, well, that's because there were almost no exclusive deals for movie access in the 70s, so both HBO and Showtime (and then The Movie Channel too) got virtually every movie from every studio. But then in the 80s, the services began striking deals for exclusive access to certain studios' films. HBO got Columbia and Tri-Star Pictures, Showtime got Paramount Pictures, etc. Then Starz came along in the 90s, then Netflix and Epix and Hulu and Prime Video, and Hollywood movies are now scattered around everywhere with almost all movies locked up in exclusive access deals.


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## wizwor (Dec 18, 2013)

astrohip said:


> HBO has become must-see TV, the top of the cable mountain, because of its programming. Monstrous award winning series (Sopranos, GoT, Band of Brothers, yada yada), docs (Chernobyl), on and on.


Winning awards, but not my patronage. I only care about what I care about.


astrohip said:


> Blockbuster movies? A dime a dozen on whatever channels.


Maybe this is related to the whole Live vs On-Demand discussion -- something imprinted in the days before remote controls -- but I like to turn on the television, select a channel, then drift off. I don't want to hunt for entertainment. I want to be entertained.

It's not true that blockbuster movies are a dime a dozen. One of the reasons I left Netflix was that their library was in decline -- in quantity and quality. In the beginning, they had a great and growing library of discs. Then they he added streaming but thinned their disc collection. Then they charged separate admission. Then they trimmed their streaming media library while replacing stuff I liked with stuff they made. Then I left. Apparently, I am not alone in not appreciating their product because they lost 126,000 subscribers in the last quarter.


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## astrohip (Jan 7, 2003)

wizwor said:


> Winning awards, but not my patronage. I only care about what I care about.


That's true for everything in life. But your lack of patronage doesn't diminish the fact HBO is considered THE pinnacle of must-see TV.


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## Series3Sub (Mar 14, 2010)

wizwor said:


> When Cable was magic, HBO stood for Home Box Office. It played a short list of blockbuster movies over and over and over. The schedule was such that if you turned on the TV during Prime Time, you got three hours of amazing tv. Then they decided that Boxing qualified as a Box Office event then comedians then sports shows then talk shows and finally episode television. Along the way, Pay-Per-View replaced HBO as must see tv (before NBC's famous Thursday lineup).
> 
> I would LOVE to see HBO return to its roots. Fourteen blockbuster movies in three hour blocks seven days a week.


I hear what you're saying. But everyone I talk to about HBO just goes on and on about the original series content, and how that's the only reason they subscribe to HBOs very high price service. I have even known a few people who subscribe to HBO only when their favorite original series airs and then they cancel subscription until their next favorite series airs. it seems that people don't really care to watch the movies on HBO and channels like it probably because they can watch some of the same movies on demand anytime they want on Netflix or Amazon Etc. I believe some of the biggest box office movies are being turned around in something like barely a week from the theaters and then on one of the major streaming services. the whole way we watch movies in the theater or services like HBO, have really changed over the years.


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## wizwor (Dec 18, 2013)

It's just a different channel. Home-Box-Office. It was stretch to include marquis boxing matches. The rest is simply misplaces. With all the channels, I'd like to see an HBO Classic which was just like the old product. Of course, part of the problem is that there are no great movies coming out right now. Like everything else, the box office is fragmented. I would not pay for a Saturday night featuring Disney and Marvel products. I would, however, pay to see very good serial movies in 4kStar Wars 4-6, Indiana Jones, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, etc. Event television I do not have to work at.


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## astrohip (Jan 7, 2003)

wizwor said:


> The rest is simply misplaces.


Misplaces?

Channels evolve. There are dozens of ways to watch movies now. But if I want marquis TV, I go to HBO. Along with tens of millions of others. You can pine all you want for the way it was, but that's not the way it is. But more importantly, it's not what people want.

FWIW, they still have top-tier first-run big-name movie premieres many Saturday nights. The 8E/7C time slot.


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## PSU_Sudzi (Jun 4, 2015)

Called Comcast tonight to gripe about Cinemax as well as the fact that my old promotion had expired and they offered me "semi-permanent" costing (semi-permanent as in no promotion expiration on costs, only when Comcast raises their pricing). I am getting Cinemax as an add on as well as gigabit internet for only 2 dollars more a month than my old plan. This is actually a pretty good deal in my eyes.

Maybe this is a new Comcast strategy?


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## chiguy50 (Nov 9, 2009)

PSU_Sudzi said:


> Called Comcast tonight to gripe about Cinemax as well as the fact that my old promotion had expired and they offered me "semi-permanent" costing (semi-permanent as in no promotion expiration on costs, only when Comcast raises their pricing). I am getting Cinemax as an add on as well as gigabit internet for only 2 dollars more a month than my old plan. This is actually a pretty good deal in my eyes.
> 
> Maybe this is a new Comcast strategy?


What did your old plan encompass and how much were you paying for it? Do you have more services than just CTV + HSI?

I used to have the gigabit tier for $70 when the retail price was $140. Retail is now $110 but they seem not as inclined to offer discounts so I am curious to hear more about the circumstances behind your offer.


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## PSU_Sudzi (Jun 4, 2015)

My previous deal was a triple play with the highest tier including all sports and premium movie channels for 262 (total bill with taxes sports fees etc). That expired at the end of May and with Comcast’s increases prices my most recent bill was 344 bucks. I complained and threatened to drop down to only internet and basic cable and they gave me the same channel package plus and add on of Epix and Cinemax and gigabit internet for 264.


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## chiguy50 (Nov 9, 2009)

PSU_Sudzi said:


> My previous deal was a triple play with the highest tier including all sports and premium movie channels for 262 (total bill with taxes sports fees etc). That expired at the end of May and with Comcast's increases prices my most recent bill was 344 bucks. I complained and threatened to drop down to only internet and basic cable and they gave me the same channel package plus and add on of Epix and Cinemax and gigabit internet for 264.


Good work on negotiating a better deal.

Still, for a grand total of about $3,200 a year, you also should be entitled to at least two weekends on Brian Roberts' private yacht (complete with bartending hostesses).


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## PSU_Sudzi (Jun 4, 2015)

chiguy50 said:


> Good work on negotiating a better deal.
> 
> Still, for a grand total of about $3,200 a year, you also should be entitled to at least two weekends on Brian Roberts' private yacht (complete with bartending hostesses).


Ha, yeah a yacht ride would be nice but I doubt I would get along with Mr. Roberts. Agreed $3200 is a lot of paper but watching movies and sports is big entertainment for me so worth every penny.


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## stevepow (Sep 3, 2014)

slowbiscuit said:


> This thread has nothing to do with Tivo.


It does because I lost Cinemax and gained...nothing! VOD doesn't work with Xfinity on TiVo. Even if I wanted the Hitz content, I can't get it. So - yes, both my Xfinity service and TiVo services have been diminished. I'm actually considering cancelling my Lifetime Bolt upgrade and downgrading my Xfinity package. I see a future of more streaming from Apple TV and Prime and less of a role of Xfinity or TiVo - at least to the point, I don't feel like putting anymore money into either. There's not a clear enough path for either of them going forward. It's a pain, but I reckon that's what riding this shakeout is going to be like.


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## slowbiscuit (Sep 19, 2006)

Lack of Cinemax VOD has nothing to do with Tivo service.


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## mschnebly (Feb 21, 2011)

slowbiscuit said:


> Lack of Cinemax VOD has nothing to do with Tivo service.


So we shouldn't talk about the TiVo apps? I thought that was part of their sales pitch.


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## slowbiscuit (Sep 19, 2006)

There's never been a Cinemax app and never will be.


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## spiderpumpkin (Dec 1, 2017)

Sounds like Starz may be next to be removed from Comcast packages.

Exclusive: Comcast is Moving Some Channels to More Expensive Packages - Cord Cutters News


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

spiderpumpkin said:


> Sounds like Starz may be next to be removed from Comcast packages.
> 
> Exclusive: Comcast is Moving Some Channels to More Expensive Packages - Cord Cutters News


Yeah. The set-up for new Comcast TV customers in the Central region where I live is this:

three base packages: Basic (pretty much just your locals), Extra (150+ channels), Preferred (220+ channels)

If you just get Basic, you can add theme-based channel packs called Sports & News, Entertainment, and Kids & Family. But all the channels in Basic plus all three of those packs are included in Extra.

Everything else is an a la carte add-on: HBO, Showtime, Starz, Cinemax, Epix, Acorn TV, Curiosity Stream, etc.

This is the system that Comcast, and I expect all other cable operators are moving to: the channel packages only include ad-supported linear channels. Anything ad-free and/or anything that's also available as an on-demand streaming service will be a la carte only.


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## BNBTivo (Sep 7, 2015)

PSU_Sudzi said:


> My previous deal was a triple play with the highest tier including all sports and premium movie channels for 262 (total bill with taxes sports fees etc). That expired at the end of May and with Comcast's increases prices my most recent bill was 344 bucks. I complained and threatened to drop down to only internet and basic cable and they gave me the same channel package plus and add on of Epix and Cinemax and gigabit internet for 264.


Woah! $264 for TV and internet? That's steep. And this assumes you are not renting equipment either being a tivo user. That's nuts.


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

BNBTivo said:


> Woah! $264 for TV and internet? That's steep. And this assumes you are not renting equipment either being a tivo user. That's nuts.


My local Comcast won't tell me over the internet how much gigabit internet costs here, but I'm guessing it's pretty steep?

[edit] According to news reports, when it was introduced two years ago it was $160/month...


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

Rob Helmerichs said:


> My local Comcast won't tell me over the internet how much gigabit internet costs here, but I'm guessing it's pretty steep?
> 
> [edit] According to news reports, when it was introduced two years ago it was $160/month...


Around here, the regular price for Comcast Gigabit internet is $110/mo. If you do paperless autopay, you get a $10 discount. If you're a new customer, you get a further $10 discount in the first 12 months, or a $20 discount if you take a one-year contract. So you're looking at $80-90/mo your first year, then $100/mo thereafter.

AT&T Fiber here has a regular ongoing price of $100 for gigabit but that's gigabit in both directions (while Comcast's has an upload speed of only 35 Mbps). AT&T also includes their gateway in the price while Comcast does not. They require an initial one-year contract (it's not optional in exchange for a discount) but the first year promo price is only $70/mo and comes with a $100 Visa gift card. Gigabit on AT&T has no data cap. Not sure about Comcast.

Anyhow, if you're lucky enough to have AT&T Fiber at your address, it's easily the better option around here if you decide you need/want gigabit for some reason.

Even better is Google Fiber, with their regular price of $70/mo, no contract, no data cap, all equipment included and free 1 TB of Google Cloud storage. But then they're available only in some high-rise condos and a few core urban neighborhoods here in Nashville. I've given up on them ever expanding out to my neighborhood. If they did, I'd opt for their $50/mo symmetrical 100 Mbps plan.


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## chiguy50 (Nov 9, 2009)

Rob Helmerichs said:


> My local Comcast won't tell me over the internet how much gigabit internet costs here, but I'm guessing it's pretty steep?
> 
> [edit] According to news reports, when it was introduced two years ago it was $160/month...


Currently the typical retail pricing for Comcast's Gigabit HSI service is $110, but you can often get that discounted to $70 depending on the local competition.

I believe that at your location (depending on your address in Minneapolis), there is a Comcast offer for stand-alone Gigabit HSI for $70 guaranteed for two years with a one-year commitment and including free installation AND free XB6 gateway. There are also bundle offers that include Gigabit HSI, such as an "X1 Preferred Pro Triple Play" for $130 (plus additional fees, of course, but guaranteed for two years with a one-year commitment) that includes free installation, Digital Preferred TV, HBO, Showtime, DVR, and unlimited calling nationwide (but no free gateway in this offer).

You can access the local retail services and pricing list on-line if you log in to your Comcast account; the link ("Service Rates in Your Area") is under Billing.


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## chiguy50 (Nov 9, 2009)

NashGuy said:


> Yeah. The set-up for new Comcast TV customers in the Central region where I live is this:
> 
> three base packages: Basic (pretty much just your locals), Extra (150+ channels), Preferred (220+ channels)
> 
> ...


We shall see what happens after the programming changes in October, but I have Starz included in my Digital Preferred bundle as a separate item (see below). I don't see how Comcast can remove it or start charging me for it seeing as the bundle is guaranteed for one year. At the most, they could start adding a fee for Starz and then credit it back to my account each month, such as they have been wont to do for certain promos or customer courtesy items in the past.

As I mentioned in my post above, there are a number of bundle offers that include many of those a la carte channels, so the end result is the same to the end user for the term of the bundle.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

chiguy50 said:


> You can access the local retail services and pricing list on-line if you log in to your Comcast account; the link ("Service Rates in Your Area") is under Billing.


Thanks for that link. I'm seeing some interesting stuff on there that I'll post about..


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## chiguy50 (Nov 9, 2009)

NashGuy said:


> Gigabit on AT&T has no data cap. *Not sure about Comcast.*


I had Comcast's gigabit service up until March of this year and it was subject to their typical 1TB data cap. I think there are some conditions under which they will waive the cap altogether, but those have been the exception to the rule.


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## smark (Nov 20, 2002)

Gigabit Pro (Ethernet service) which is twice as much as Gigabit has no cap (for Comcast).


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## lessd (Jan 23, 2005)

I have a new one year Comcast package for $159 that includes 1G internet, HBO, SHO, Netflix, and some other movie ch. I don't watch along with a land line phone, I do get charged above that for sports at $10/month and broadcast fee of $8/month + taxes, total about $200/month using all my own equipment. (modem (with phone connection), router TiVo with free cable card). This is in the Hartford CT area.


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## NashGuy (May 2, 2015)

chiguy50 said:


> Currently the typical retail pricing for Comcast's Gigabit HSI service is $110, but you can often get that discounted to $70 depending on the local competition.
> 
> I believe that at your location (depending on your address in Minneapolis), there is a Comcast offer for stand-alone Gigabit HSI for $70 guaranteed for two years with a one-year commitment and including free installation AND free XB6 gateway. There are also bundle offers that include Gigabit HSI, such as an "X1 Preferred Pro Triple Play" for $130 (plus additional fees, of course, but guaranteed for two years with a one-year commitment) that includes free installation, Digital Preferred TV, HBO, Showtime, DVR, and unlimited calling nationwide (but no free gateway in this offer).
> 
> You can access the local retail services and pricing list on-line if you log in to your Comcast account; the link ("Service Rates in Your Area") is under Billing.





lessd said:


> I have a new one year Comcast package for $159 that includes 1G internet, HBO, SHO, Netflix, and some other movie ch. I don't watch along with a land line phone, I do get charged above that for sports at $10/month and broadcast fee of $8/month + taxes, total about $200/month using all my own equipment. (modem (with phone connection), router TiVo with free cable card). This is in the Hartford CT area.


Because I thought it was getting a bit off-topic for this thread that's mainly about Cinemax, I posted on another thread my newly revised Comcast services local rate card, as well as my thoughts about what the changes I see on it may portend for the future of Comcast TV service via QAM (and therefore via CableCARD TiVos). See here:

Years and Years (of Pay TV Industry Predictions)


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## humbb (Jan 27, 2014)

I just signed up for two years with Comcast on this package for $160 ($20/mo discount with the contract):
X1 Premier Pro Triple Play Includes Digital Preferred, Showtime, Starz, Hitz, The Movie Channel, Sports Entertainment Package, HD programming and choice of HBO or Netflix Standard HD Plan for primary outlet, DVR Service, Gigabit Internet and Xfinity Voice Unlimited Select $180.00
With taxes/fees, equipment credit (all user owned equipment) it comes to about $183/mo.
-SF Bay Area


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## spiderpumpkin (Dec 1, 2017)

chiguy50 said:


> We shall see what happens after the programming changes in October, but I have Starz included in my Digital Preferred bundle as a separate item (see below). I don't see how Comcast can remove it or start charging me for it seeing as the bundle is guaranteed for one year. At the most, they could start adding a fee for Starz and then credit it back to my account each month, such as they have been wont to do for certain promos or customer courtesy items in the past.
> 
> As I mentioned in my post above, there are a number of bundle offers that include many of those a la carte channels, so the end result is the same to the end user for the term of the bundle.
> 
> View attachment 42951


My Premiere package said Cinemax in that "includes" line but they still removed it last month.


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## PSU_Sudzi (Jun 4, 2015)

BNBTivo said:


> Woah! $264 for TV and internet? That's steep. And this assumes you are not renting equipment either being a tivo user. That's nuts.


Everyone has their own ideas of what's nuts-I'd categorize a lot of people's TV/movie/streaming/TiVo habits that I read here as lunacy but I just read their posts and keep it to myself.


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## chiguy50 (Nov 9, 2009)

spiderpumpkin said:


> My Premiere package said Cinemax in that "includes" line but they still removed it last month.


 You don't have to take it sitting down, ya know.






Here endeth the lesson.


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## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

smark said:


> Gigabit Pro (Ethernet service) which is twice as much as Gigabit has no cap (for Comcast).


Is that the only difference? Asking since we don't have caps locally at least on our lower Internet packages (wonder if they would institute a cap on Gigabit service though).


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## chiguy50 (Nov 9, 2009)

HerronScott said:


> Is that the only difference? Asking since we don't have caps locally at least on our lower Internet packages (*wonder if they would institute a cap on Gigabit service though*).


I believe that the 1TB cap is standard in most places for the 1GB service, but you would probably have to ask if you want to verify whether it would be applied on your account.

If you log in and then check out the Comcast offerings in your area, you will find the below caveat under the details of service for Gigabit HSI:

An XFINITY Internet Data Usage Plan may apply

IDK how accurate it is, but if you scroll to the bottom of the page at that link and look for "Do I Have a Data Plan," you can also check applicability by zip code.


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## wmcbrine (Aug 2, 2003)

HerronScott said:


> Is that the only difference?


No... Gigabit Pro is symmetric, fiber to the premises. They install a whole rack of equipment at your location.

The data cap on regular DOCSIS service doesn't apply in areas where Comcast competes with Fios (like here). It has nothing to do with the speed tier.


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## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

chiguy50 said:


> I believe that the 1TB cap is standard in most places for the 1GB service, but you would probably have to ask if you want to verify whether it would be applied on your account.
> 
> If you log in and then check out the Comcast offerings in your area, you will find the below caveat under the details of service for Gigabit HSI:
> 
> ...


Yep, just went there and according to it we don't have a terabyte data plab.


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## HerronScott (Jan 1, 2002)

wmcbrine said:


> No... Gigabit Pro is symmetric, fiber to the premises. They install a whole rack of equipment at your location.
> 
> The data cap on regular DOCSIS service doesn't apply in areas where Comcast competes with Fios (like here). It has nothing to do with the speed tier.


FYI, we don't have data caps here and no competition in our small town unless you consider Verizon 7-15Mbps DSL competition. 

That makes more sense about Gigabit Pro being that much more expensive if it's symmetric versus DOCSIS Gigabit.

Scott


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## chiguy50 (Nov 9, 2009)

HerronScott said:


> FYI, we don't have data caps here and no competition in our small town unless you consider Verizon 7-15Mbps DSL competition.
> 
> That makes more sense about Gigabit Pro being that much more expensive *if it's symmetric versus DOCSIS Gigabit*.


FWIW, full duplex (FDX) DOCSIS 3.1 (or the soon-to-be released 4.0 specification) can do symmetric speeds up to a theoretical 10GB.

Full Duplex DOCSIS® 3.1 Technology: Raising the Ante with Symmetric Gigabit Service


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## wmcbrine (Aug 2, 2003)

chiguy50 said:


> FWIW, full duplex (FDX) DOCSIS 3.1 (or the soon-to-be released 4.0 specification) can do symmetric speeds up to a theoretical 10GB.


Yeah that's nice in theory, but Comcast doesn't offer anything like that, now or in the foreseeable future. Their best DOCSIS offering is 1000/35 (not a typo -- thirty-five up).


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## Rob Helmerichs (Oct 17, 2000)

Yeah, according to SpeedTest I'm at 180/6.


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## chiguy50 (Nov 9, 2009)

wmcbrine said:


> Yeah that's nice in theory, but Comcast doesn't offer anything like that, now or in the foreseeable future. Their best DOCSIS offering is 1000/35 (not a typo -- thirty-five up).


I know that very well, having had that gigabit service myself up until March of this year.

But they are also in the process of upgrading their hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) system to accommodate FDX DOCSIS, at which point I believe they should be able to provision symmetrical 2GB at a minimum without deploying FTTH.


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## wmcbrine (Aug 2, 2003)

chiguy50 said:


> But they are also in the process of upgrading their hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) system to accommodate FDX DOCSIS, at which point I believe they should be able to provision symmetrical 2GB at a minimum without deploying FTTH.


Whatever they're allegedly in the process of doing, in some unknown time frame, is irrelevant to someone shopping for service today.


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## chiguy50 (Nov 9, 2009)

wmcbrine said:


> Whatever they're allegedly in the process of doing, in some unknown time frame, is irrelevant to someone shopping for service today.


That is not the point I was addressing. Rather, I was pointing out for clarity that DOCSIS is not limited to asymmetrical transmission.

For that matter, Gigabit Pro is irrelevant to the vast majority of residential HSI shoppers since its availability is severely limited (not to mention exorbitantly expensive at $300 p.m. plus around $500 installation cost).



HerronScott said:


> That makes more sense about Gigabit Pro being that much more expensive if it's symmetric versus DOCSIS Gigabit.


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