The cable operator has removed the western simulcasts of some Showtime and Starz channels, the newspaper reported. (The western simulcasts air three hours after the east coast channels, which are still available.) K.C. McWilliams, Comcast's general manager in the region, said the move was necessary to create more system space for high-def. "To be able to give people access to as much new High-Definition choices and programming, we're trying to make the most efficient use of our broadband," McWilliams said. Comcast, and other cable operators, have boasted that their high-def system capacity equals that of DIRECTV, which now offers more than 90 national HD channels. However, most cable services offer fewer than 40 HD channels in most markets.
The need to remove channels in Tallahassee to create space for high-def would suggest that capacity is still an issue, at least on that local system. Comcast yesterday also said it would not offer MLB Extra Innings baseball games in high-def, but denied that capacity was the reason.
It's pretty apararent that Comcast cannot keep up with DIRECTV when it comes to HD Programming, no matter how they spin it.
