Audio Video News

Comcast Cable Communications announced last week that it will make high definition TV (HDTV) programming available to subscribers in its major markets by the end of 2002, beginning in the Washington Metro/Virginia region this summer.

Comcast claims it was one of the first cable companies to offer HDTV to customers, deploying it on systems in the Philadelphia market late last year. The company adds that HDTV programming from major broadcast television networks and from premium cable services HBO and Showtime will be offered on its systems.

According to Comcast, it will introduce HDTV in the Washington Metro/Virginia region to cable subscribers in Northern Virginia in mid-2002. The company says it will then extend HDTV to the Maryland suburbs, as well as to Detroit, MI, and Indianapolis, IN, during the second half of the year, and will make HDTV available in the city of Washington, DC in 2003. Details of local HDTV packages will be announced in coming weeks, Comcast says.

Comcast's Steve Burke says, "We think the time is right to launch high definition television in our major markets. The hours of available HDTV programming are on the rise and the price of HDTV sets has dropped. With the exciting addition of HDTV sports through Comcast SportsNet, and the cooperation of broadcasters, manufacturers, and retailers in making HDTV available, we think we can help HDTV to take a big step forward."

Comcast says its HDTV service in the Washington, DC region will include the HDTV broadcast signal of WETA-HD (the digital station operated by Washington's public broadcaster) and Comcast SportsNet.