After freeing up bandwidth headroom with its analog-to-digital conversion project, Comcast has launched 119 new channels in its Santa Barbara County footprint.
Starting today, Comcast is offering 52 new HD networks, 29 international channels, 21 Hispanic networks and 17 SD channels in the Santa Barbara area of its California Region.
The new channels were the result of Comcast’s analog-to-digital conversion project, which it started three years ago under the internal name of Project Cavalry. By using digital terminal adapters (DTAs), Comcast is able to free up bandwidth for HD and VOD offerings, as well as clear up some room for other services such as DOCSIS 3.0 data tiers.
In its February year-end and fourth-quarter earnings call, Comcast said Project Cavalry was completed in 75 percent of its systems.
Comcast subscribers across nine communities in the county also have access to the new programming, as well as 6,000 HD entertainment choices on-demand as part of a growing Xfinity TV lineup that has expanded as a result of Comcast’s recent digital upgrade of customers from analog to digital.
“We’ve heard from customers that they can’t get enough HD and multicultural programming, so we’re excited to exponentially increase our offering of those networks and give even more value to our customers as part of our digital upgrade,” said Cristina Villanueva, Comcast’s general manager for north Santa Barbara. “These channel launches are about delivering on Comcast’s promise to customers that by converting to digital, we could offer more of the products and services they want, right away.”
The new programming is now available to residential homes and businesses in the following cities: Ballard, Buellton, Lompoc, Los Olivos, Orcutt, Santa Maria, Santa Ynez, Solvang and Vandenberg Village. The transition has already occurred in Comcast’s other California systems over the past few years.
The new HD networks will include: BET HD, Biography Channel HD, Cartoon Network HD, CBS Sports HD, CMT HD, CNBC HD, CNN Headline News HD, Comedy Central HD, Disney XD HD, E! HD, Encore HD, ESPN 3D, ESPN News HD, ESPNU HD, Fox Business HD, Fox News Channel HD, Fox Sports Net HD, Fuse HD, G4 HD, Hallmark Channel HD, HBO Latino HD, HBO Zone HD, IFC HD, Lifetime HD, Lifetime Movie Network HD, MSNBC HD, MTV HD, NBA TV HD, NHL Network HD, Nickelodeon HD, Outdoor Channel HD, Planet Green HD, QVC HD, Showtime Too HD, Spike HD, Starz Comedy HD, Starz Edge HD, Starz Kids and Family HD, Style HD, TCM Turner Classic Movies HD, Tennis Channel HD, TMC The Movie Channel HD, truTV HD, TV One HD, VH1 HD, WE HD, The Weather Channel HD, a 3D Events Channel and several sports pay-per-view HD networks.
The new SD channels are: BYU TV, The California Channel, Comcast Hometown Network, Current TV, Discovery Health, Fit TV, Flix, Fox Movie Channel, Game Show Network, Inspirational Network, KCET VMe, KCET World, NBA TV, Ovation TV, English-language Latino network Sí TV, The Africa Channel and TVG-Horseracing Network.
The Hispanic and new international channels include: Hispanic language channels and 29 new international premium networks will be available – including Antenna Satellite (Greek), Band Internacional (Brazilian), CCTV-4 (Chinese/Mandarin), C1R (Russian), Deutsche Welle (German), GMA Life (Filipino), NeoCricket, PFC 100% Futebol (Brazilian), Rai Italia (Italian), RTPi (Portuguese), SBTN (Vietnamese), STAR India NEWS (South Asian), TV Globo (Brazilian), TV Japan (Japanese), tvK (Korean) and TV5Monde (French).
Comcast’s California Region, based in Livermore, Calif., serves more than 2.3 million customers in northern and central California. Comcast employs more than 7,000 local residents across the region.