Mediacom gears up to add four new HD channels in Southern Illinois

According to The Southern Illinoisan, Mediacom is getting set to unveil a new HD-centric plan for junkies like us, but better yet, it's readying four new high-definition channels to boot. Reportedly, customers in the area will soon be able to sign up for HD Family Basic, which "adds seven channels to the company's Family Basic plan at no charge." The first three stations to debut on the plan will be ESPN HD, ESPN2 HD and Discovery Theater HD, and "within the next 45 days," subscribers will also be treated to TNT HD, TBS HD, CNN HD and Fox Sports Midwest HD. Oh, and if you really needed one more wild promise from a carrier about future HD offerings, Mediacom Director of Operations Dale Haney has stated that the outfit "plans on doubling HD channels throughout the year." We'll see about that, now won't we?

[Thanks, Peter S.]

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 28th 2008 2:54PM]

I never thought I would see anything about Carbondale's HD packages. Talk about small time market.

Go Salukis.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 28th 2008 3:02PM]

Holy Freaking Crap!

I keep reading about the large towns getting FIOS and such...but finally IL (outside of Chicago) gets some HD Love!

The only bad thing about MediaCom's current HD Offerings is the requirement that you have a certain level of programming to be able to get their HD offerings.

So for $20 per month I pay for the most basic level of cable which includes the HD feeds from the big networks (I do that so I can get another HD Source into MythTv). But if I want to get their HD Package (with about 7 channels) I have to jump to their $50 per month package and THEN pay $10 per month for their HD Package to get those 7 channels. No Thanks.

But now things might change! Oh happy day!

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 28th 2008 3:24PM]

Yea it was to good to be true, you have to "upgrade" to Mediacom's $50 a month package to get their "free" HD channels. So it does save $15 or so per month, but I don't want the other crap SD channels they include.

Oh well, I might just wait for the new Hauppauge component to USB device and get Dish's cheap HD package..

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 28th 2008 8:59PM]

I'm sick of Mediacom. After seeing DirecTV's big push for HD channels, and Dish Network's too, all my local Mediacom offers is a measly 5 or so HD channels plus locals.
Last time I called and asked if they were even trying to compete with satellite they gave me a discount on service. Thats fantastic and all, but it doesn't increase my anemic HD channel lineup.
I am more than likely going to switch to DirecTV, cos' mediacom is getting left in the dust.