Cox hoping to add capacity for 50 HD channels by year-end

Finally, a figure we can (halfway) believe. While competing carriers blurt out obscene numbers in the race to magically crank out HD channels that don't even exist yet, Cox Communications president Pat Esser came back from Cloud 9 by suggesting that his company is "aiming to have the capacity to offer 50 HD channels by the end of 2007." Unfortunately, he did make certain that we took note of the word "capacity," but explained that the firm would be eying a number of bandwidth-optimization tools and techniques including "system upgrades, retirement of analog channels, statistical multiplexing of HD signals, and switched digital video." Of course, it was reported that Cox would try to expand capacity to hold 100 HD channels by the end of 2009, but considering that it can hopefully rid itself of analog support, even that seems somewhat reasonable.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 22nd 2007 9:50AM]

WAHOO! Considering I have Cox (and love my 15 MBPS internet) this is good news for me. I have been slowly suffocating on the little selection of HD channels they currently have even though it has gotten better since the original days of just getting an HDTV. Mainly I want Food network in HD more than anything else right now as I can't stand to watch the SD feed, but I love that channel. I wish we could get some kind of time line on when channels will be added.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 22nd 2007 4:35PM]

By years end = Dec 31st 2007 at sometime between 10am and 2pm (if you are home)

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 22nd 2007 8:03PM]

this is great news since i have cox and i too am suffocating on the little selection that they provide in terms of HD channels...i acctually called yesterday and the guy slipped up and mentioned that 727 was on there which is A&E HD so i guess they are going to be adding that channel soon. And i agree that it is hard to watch standard channels now that i've been spoiled by the HD channels...Bring it on, more HD the better and now it seems that HD is akin to the race to space all these companies saying that "they" are going to get there first...

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 25th 2007 1:26AM]

I have Cox.....Very disappointed cable tv wise. I have all local channels,NESN,Discovery,TNT,Universal and National Geographic.....which they are getting $15 a month for on up of my normal cable TV.
Shame on you......Get moving with MPEG4,
Unfortunately they are the only cable company available where I live. and DirectTV HD Lite will bother me.