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TWC moves consumption-based internet billing to more markets

by Darren Murph posted Apr 1st 2009 at 2:53PM

No, folks -- this is no prank. Time Warner Cable really is throwing caution (and public opinion) to the wind and moving forward with its evil consumption-based internet billing. If you'll recall, we heard that the operator was trialing the method -- which imposes premium rates on big broadband users -- back in early 2008, but now it seems it's quietly hoping to roll it out into more major markets. Starting this month, TWC will start gathering information on its customers' internet use in Austin, TX, San Antonio, TX, Rochester, NY and Greensboro, NC; if all goes "well," consumption billing will hit those markets this summer or sooner. We'll point you to the read link if you're interested in just how outrageous these capped plans look (particularly for internet TV viewers), but we'd be remiss of our duties if we didn't share this gem of a quote from TWC CEO Glenn Britt: "We made a mistake early on by not defining our business based on the consumption dimension." Thanks for clarifying, Glenn-o.

[Thanks Kevin, image courtesy of Corbis]

DirecTV fires up HD locals in Greenville-New Bern, NC

by Darren Murph posted Jan 13th 2009 at 10:03PM

The Greenville-New Bern, North Carolina market is one of the smaller big markets (if that makes any sense) that DirecTV serves, but apparently it's big enough to warrant the inclusion of HD locals. In fact, the move to light up the local stations in high-def comes just months after DISH Network decided to do so here, giving us the impression that it's simply trying to keep up. Whatever the reason, we're sure DirecTV subscribers in the region are ecstatic with the additions.

Time Warner Cable adding four more HD networks in Raleigh, NC

by Darren Murph posted Jan 10th 2009 at 7:49PM


Raleigh, NC residents were pretty satisfied with 20 or so new HD channels at the tail end of last year, but apparently Time Warner Cable is really feeling the pressure from recent entrant AT&T. Now, Triangle citizens can start preparing for four more to hit the EPG on February 13th: USA HD (258), Bravo HD (259), CNBC HD (266) and SciFi HD (267). Don't take this personally TWC, but we appreciate the favor, AT&T. [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the Time Warner family]

[Thanks, Paul]

AT&T goes live with U-verse TV in Raleigh, NC area

by Darren Murph posted Dec 15th 2008 at 8:17AM


Be still our hearts! The rumors were indeed true, and U-verse TV has at long last arrived in the Triangle to combat the monopoly that is Time Warner Cable. A breaking report from WRAL has it that the carrier is "offering its U-verse TV service as well as high-speed internet service in the Triangle," but fails to elaborate on specific service areas. We've heard from locals that Cary, NC will be one of the first locations with access, but until AT&T issues its own confirmation, it's hard to say for certain. Obviously, those who sign up will have access to Total Home DVR from day one, and we're told that packages will start at $44 per month. Reportedly, locals can ping local retail stores or head to the carrier's website to apply for access.

In related news, TWC is said to be readying more HD channels as well as Start Over functionality and a feature that "allows you to watch shows you missed, up to 48 hours after the program originally aired." Funny -- we suspected that real competition was on the way when 20 some-odd high-def stations showed up on the cable company's lineup in late October. Guess that wasn't too far from the truth.

[Via The Wolf Web, thanks Dave]

AT&T's U-verse wheels into Charlotte and Toledo

by Darren Murph posted Nov 24th 2008 at 11:04AM


While residents of the Triangle / Triad patiently await the rumored launch of U-verse in their respective areas, citizens of the Queen City are casually sticking their tongue out and grinning all the while. Out of nowhere, AT&T announced its U-verse TV / high-speed internet / digital phone debut in the great state of North Carolina with delivery in Charlotte, with Bob Sellman, general manager, Home Solutions, for AT&T in the Carolinas, accurately proclaiming that "cable has been the only game in town for too long." In related news, U-verse services have also claimed yet another Ohio city, and this time it's the home of the Rockets. Toledo, Ohio residents can now phone up the provider to see if their domicile is within a serviceable range, though anyone who watched last month's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition should have seen this one coming.

[Thanks, Marc]

Read - Charlotte expansion
Read - Toledo expansion

AT&T eying December launch of U-verse in Cary, NC?

by Darren Murph posted Nov 21st 2008 at 9:45AM


It's impossible to say just how legitimate all of this is right now, but the writing has been on the wall for months. We already knew that AT&T was laying down hundreds of millions of dollars for fiber improvements in the Carolinas, and we've already seen dodgy job ads and U-verse cabinets in the central region of NC. Now, we're really beginning to feel it. A number of locals in the Triangle have spotted AT&T trucks casually passing through, and upon asking, were told that U-verse services were planned for certain areas as early as December. More specifically, we're hearing that Cary, NC could be serviced first, though there's no word on when the Triangle / Triad at large would have the option to switch. And maybe it's completely coincidental, but TWC managed to go a lifetime without adding a substantial amount of high-def stations in these very areas -- now that competition's (possibly) rolling into town, we're finally seeing some effort put forth.

[Via The Wolf Web]

MGM HD replacing MOJO HD on Time Warner Cable in Raleigh, NC

by Darren Murph posted Nov 6th 2008 at 7:50AM


No word yet on whether this is a national / regional change, but Time Warner Cable has informed Raleigh, NC-based subscribers that it won't just let users lose an HD channel when MOJO HD vanishes on November 20th. Instead, it's slotting in MGM HD on the HD Tier (channel 291), which we feel is a pretty fair trade. And for those wondering, yes, this one is in addition to the 20 high-def newcomers announced for the area late last month.

TWC gets official with HD expansion in the Carolinas

by Darren Murph posted Oct 28th 2008 at 9:46AM


Hot on the heels of TWC's Greensboro expansion announcement comes some official word from the carrier itself on how it'll be handling new HD rollouts in the Carolinas at large. For starters, many Raleigh-area customers received an e-mail proclaiming that 20 new high-def stations would be coming soon, though it mistakenly claims ESPN2 HD as a newcomer. At any rate, the director of digital communication at Time Warner Cable chimed in to clear things up, noting that the company is "rolling out up to 20 HD channels over the next several months, depending on the division." From the looks of things, Raleigh and Charlotte will be getting just about everything TWC has, while Greensboro, NC and Columbia, SC will receive smaller allotments. Curiously enough, the Wilmington area wasn't mentioned at all, but here's hoping they'll be on the same wave as Raleigh. For the full report from Jeff Simmermon, jump on past the break. [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the Time Warner family]

Continue reading TWC gets official with HD expansion in the Carolinas

TWC adding 11 HD channels in Greensboro, NC, Triangle seen fuming

by Darren Murph posted Oct 27th 2008 at 12:06PM

You can't be serious. No, really -- this cannot be happening. Merely days after Time Warner Cable did its best to appease rightfully frustrated Raleigh-based subscribers with four new HD channels, in flies word that our pals up I-40 are getting set to receive 11. It's been no secret that TWC favored the Triad in the high-def department, but this is just blatant. Beginning on Wednesday, Greensboro, NC-area customers will see SPEED HD and Bio HD hit the lineup, with Fox Sports Network South HD, Cinemax East HD, Cinemax West HD, Starz HD, The Movie Channel HD, Weather Channel HD, FX HD, Hallmark HD and Pay Per View HD joining that duo "in the coming months." Suffice it to say, Triangle dwellers everywhere are hoping and praying for that U-verse investment to amount to something sooner rather than later. [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the Time Warner family]

Update: A new source asserts that TWC will begin the rollout of 20 new HD channels in its "Carolina Region" starting on October 29th. Unfortunately, there's no mention of what areas will get what channels, we'll remain cautiously pessimistic that the entire state won't see all 20 until we hear otherwise.

Time Warner Cable finally recognizes Raleigh, adding 4 HD channels

by Darren Murph posted Oct 23rd 2008 at 9:38PM


We're struggling to believe this is real, but it appears that Time Warner Cable has finally woken up and realized that it serves a great number of increasingly frustrated people in the greater Raleigh / Durham, North Carolina area. While locales like San Antonio have upwards of 70 HD channels on TWC, the poor citizens of the Triangle have been suffering with just a handful for years. Sure, TWC gifted the area with Big Ten Network a few weeks back, but seriously, who's watching that in the heart of ACC territory? Nevertheless, the carrier is gearing up to add Discovery HD (260), SPEED HD (273), ESPNU HD (288) and Bio HD (296) on October 29th, all of which will be listed in the "Free HD" lineup. We still feel the people of Raleigh deserve a few more, but so long as this is just the beginning of lots more, we'll be content. [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the Time Warner family]


[Thanks, Bill]

ATMC Cable adds PBS HD to ever expanding HD lineup

by Darren Murph posted Oct 22nd 2008 at 5:06AM

A month is a long time to go without ATMC Cable adding a new HD channel, but just as it promised earlier this year, PBS HD has finally hit the lineup. With the addition, the North Carolina-based cable company has grown its high-def lineup to 37 channels, and those with an HD receiver or HD DVR can tune in now for no extra charge on slot 908.

DISH Network unloads HD locals in a handful of new markets

by Darren Murph posted Oct 9th 2008 at 5:26PM

Of late, it's been DirecTV doing all the dishing of HD locals, but at long last, we've got its biggest, most bitter rival stepping to the plate and doing some damage, too. As it's fall HD locals rollout continues, DISH Network has gone live with 'em in a bevy of new places. We're talking Florence / Myrtle Beach, SC, Fort Myers / Naples, FL, Greenville / New Bern / Washington, NC, Madison, WI and Wilkes Barre / Scranton, PA. As it stands, the satcaster now offers locals in high-def in 70 markets reaching 71% of the US, but really, all that matters is if you're in that 71%, right?

Charter brings Food Network HD and HGTV HD in Western Carolinas

by Darren Murph posted Oct 4th 2008 at 3:34PM

Charter just gifted Asheville, NC with five new HD channels in July, but considering how bleak the HD lineup was there, these two couldn't have arrived soon enough. As of this week, Food Network HD and HGTV HD have been added on slots 756 and 757 (respectively) in the Asheville, NC and Greenville-Spartanburg, SC systems. Trust us, the carrier is still struggling over there, so we'll totally understand if you customers in the area start bickering for more in a week or so.

[Thanks, PopWeaverHDTV]

Big Ten Network coming to TWC in the Carolinas, Raleigh / Durham included

by Darren Murph posted Sep 23rd 2008 at 6:12PM


It's with a heart full of enthusiasm and a mind full of frustration that we share with you Time Warner Cable's latest addition to its Carolinas lineup. After landing a deal with Big Ten Network late last month, the carrier has announced that it will soon be launching BTN in Raleigh / Durham, Greensboro, Charlotte, Statesville / Iredell, Wilmington and South Carolina. The station will be available in both SD and HD flavors on different slots based on location (details are in the read link), and we're told to expect it on the air this Thursday. Sure, we'll take any high-def station we can get here in the Tar Heel Wolfpack state, but we still feel the operator owes us a few more given the absurd prices it feels fine with charging. [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the Time Warner family]

[Thanks, Justin]

AT&T U-Verse cabinets pop up in Winston-Salem, NC

by Darren Murph posted Sep 22nd 2008 at 2:37PM


It's the case of the mysteriously appearing U-verse cabinets all over again, and this time it's taking the Triad by storm. The images you see above are of an AT&T utility cabinet at the corner of Peace Haven Road and Mountain View Road in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Our tipster (and photographer) dug a little deeper and asked a local AT&T store manager to "explain" the in-store U-verse display, only to find that the manager was expecting AT&T to launch U-verse services in the area by "early next year." We knew AT&T was spending some serious dough in the Carolinas, and truthfully, we'll be stoked to see said investment finally lead to something tangible. Now, how soon before the company strings U-verse on down to the Triangle?

[Thanks, Prime]




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