Sunday, December 7, 2008

Digital Cable TV Enters The Twenty First Century

By Rachel Smith

There are a lot of people out there who haven't really kept up with developments in the cable TV industry over the years. Maybe these people have been subscribing to satellite TV services or been content to watch over the air TV. But for whatever reason, there are plenty of people who aren't familiar with what modern cable TV offers right now, but who would benefit from making a switch to cable TV. It used to be that cable TV companies were stuck back in the nineteen eighties with a total selection of channels of less than one hundred, and sometimes substantially less than that.

Moreover, all of those channels were transmitted using analog technology which made them look fuzzy. Between fuzzy pictures and a small number of channels, it's no wonder that a lot of people switched to satellite TV.

Now though, a number of cable TV companies- including Comcast- have updated their services for the twenty first century, and are now the rival of any satellite TV service out there. Gone are the days of fuzzy pictures and tinny sound, because now Comcast uses digital signals to transmit all of its programming. This digital signal provides a crystal clear picture because digital technology makes it really easy for a digital TV receiver to recognize interference and clean it out of the signal before displaying the picture on the screen. The same thing is true for sound over the speakers.

Digital TV technology also allows Comcast to provide its subscribers with interactive features. For example, an on screen program guide comes with every subscription and will allow you to see what kinds of programs are available for you to watch. You'll be able to see how long programs run, who stars in them, and what they're about; thereby eliminating any need to waste time and energy on channel surfing. The same information that the on screen program guide gives to you can also be used by parental control software to block inappropriate programming from reaching your kids' eyes. You decide what is and isn't okay for them to watch and the software in the receiver will enforce your decision.

Another drastic improvement on older cable TV technology is the ability to provide a lot more channels. Comcast now has a variety of programming packages varying from a very basic package all the way up to massive package with over two hundred and seventy five channels. The Enhanced Cable package is the introductory version and it contains local channels, forty five digital music channels, a single digital receiver, and access to the ON DEMAND pay per view service.

The largest programming package is the ON DEMAND Platinum Plus package. This one has everything from the Enhanced Cable package, plus over two hundred national cable channels and all of the major premium movie packages. In between these two extreme packages are a variety of selections so that subscribers can more easily find a package that suits their individual needs and budget.

One thing that makes Comcast a convenient source of cable TV for a lot of people is its ability to bundle digital cable TV service together with high speed Internet service and digital voice phone service. With these three services, Comcast can provide well rounded telecommunications service with a minimum of hassle.

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