Comcast Launches HDTV

Comcast Cable Communications, Inc. announced on Oct. 29th the launchof its HDTV services, which will give more than 1.3 million customersin Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware access to high-definitionbroadcasts of ABC, NBC, CBS, HBO, and Showtime in November. Comcast isthe only company in the region to offer such a robust lineup of highdefinition programming.

"We are always working to provide our customers with the latest andbest in television technology," said Michael Doyle, president ofComcast Cable's Eastern Division. "The company has invested millions ofdollars in the complete upgrade of our fiber optic cable network, inorder to provide our customers with cutting-edge services includingdigital cable, high-speed Internet and video-on-demand. HDTV, the mostsophisticated form of television commercially available, is the nextstep in this process."

Since most commercial television sets do not have built-in HDTVtuners, Comcast will make set-top tuners available to customers.Comcast digital cable customers who have an HDTV-ready set will now beable to rent or purchase a set-top box similar to their current digitaltuner, which will allow them to view channels broadcast in highdefinition. Customers will also be able to continue to view standardanalog and digital stations on their HDTV sets.

With the launch of HDTV, Comcast becomes one of the first majorcable providers in the U.S. to offer the service, which features awide-screen picture with a width:height ratio of 16:9, identical tothat of most cinema; more than two million pixels per picture; andcolor resolution that is twice that of analog. The HDTV picture is upto six times sharper than the analog picture.

Beginning November 1, Comcast customers in parts of Pennsylvania,New Jersey and Delaware will have access to high definition programmingbroadcast by their ABC, NBC, and CBS affiliates, as well as HBO andShowtime. Over the next several months, the company plans to offer HDTVservice to customers in parts of central and northern New Jersey.

HDTV was first widely broadcast in 1998, when ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX andPBS affiliates nationwide broadcast Senator John Glenn's return fromspace in high definition. Currently, ABC, NBC and CBS are broadcastingportions of their lineups, including selected movies, primetimeprogramming, and special events, in high definition. HBO's HDTV lineup,broadcast throughout the day, includes movies, special events, andoriginal programming such as The Sopranos and the miniseries Band ofBrothers.

Comcast's HDTV package includes the rental of an HDTV decoder andwill be available to digital cable customers for $10.95 per month. Forthose wanting to avoid a monthly charge, decoders can also be purchasedat cost for approximately $300.

For more information about Comcast HDTV or other Comcast productsand services, please call 1.800.COMCAST or visit our web site athttp://www.comcast.com/.