Suddenlink FYI

As part of its 2008 plan, Suddenlink continues to expand the number of high-definition (HD) channels available to customers.

Following HD expansions in Arkansas/Louisiana/Missouri and West Texas earlier this year, the company has further expanded its “HD Basic” line up (or “tier”) in West Texas, adding FX HD, USA HD, Sci Fi HD, and Travel Channel HD.

Effective July 16 in its Humboldt County, Calif. cable system, Suddenlink will also add …
* FOX 29 KBVU (Eureka) in HD to its “HD Broadcast” tier
* TBS HD, FX HD, USA HD, Sci Fi HD, and Travel Channel HD to its “HD Basic” tier
* History HD to its “HD Plus” tier.

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Check here for more information on Suddenlink HD versus competitive services.

Check here for more information on the categories or tiers of HD channels generally available through Suddenlink HD systems.

Check here, and enter your zip code, to determine if HD service is available in your area.

Suddenlink has completed a 957-mile fiber-ring project in western Texas. This project will enable an expanded slate of high-definition channels, video on demand (VOD), and other new services. Development of the fiber-ring started in late 2007, took six months to complete, and is believed to have been the largest fiber-construction project anywhere in North America last year.

The ring connects Suddenlink cable systems in the Texas markets of Abilene, Amarillo, Andrews, Big Spring, Floydada, Lubbock, Midland, Plainview, Post, San Angelo, Snyder, Sweetwater and Tulia, as well as Clovis, N.M.

Benefits of the project include:

- Additional capacity for current and new services
- Faster, more-economical deployment of new services
- Improved service quality
- Enhanced network redundancy to improve reliability

As a result of this project, Suddenlink has already added several new high-definition (HD) channels to line ups in the Abilene, Amarillo, Lubbock, Midland, and San Angelo cable systems, including: MHD (which features music programming from MTV, VH1, and CMT), TBS HD (home to Major League Baseball games on Sundays and the exclusive network for the four MLB Division Series and the American League Championship Series), and History Channel HD.

To answer growing consumer demand for more high-definition television (HDTV) programming, Suddenlink is expanding the number of HD channels it offers in cable systems with sufficient capacity.

Most recently, the company boosted the number of HD channels in several Arkansas, Louisiana and Missouri communities — adding TBS HD, ESPN2 HD and History Channel HD. (The company also added ESPNU to its Digital Sports and Information Tier.)

Cable systems receiving new channels in this latest push include the following.

ARKANSAS: Arkadelphia, Batesville, Clarksville, El Dorado, Heber Springs, Hot Springs Village, Jonesboro, Magnolia, Mountain Home, Pocahontas, Russellville. (The Magnolia system also added the HD signal of KTAL-NBC to its “HD Broadcast” tier.)

LOUISIANA: Alexandria, Bastrop, Bossier City, DeRidder, Lake Charles, Natchitoches, Sulphur

MISSOURI: Branson

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Check here for more information on Suddenlink HD versus competitive services.

Check here for more information on the categories of HD channels generally available through Suddenlink HD systems.

Check here, and enter your zip code, to determine if HD service is available in your area.

In most Suddenlink cable systems offering HD (high definition) cable channels, there are multiple “tiers” (i.e., groups or packages) of HD channels from which to choose, including HD Broadcast, HD Basic, HD Plus, and HD Premium.

Each of these tiers has its own requirements for viewing and the following primer is offered to help sort through the details.

HD Broadcast: Where available, these channels can be viewed on an HD television set for no additional cost, if that HD television set has a built-in QAM tuner. Television set manufacturers and/or retailers should be able to verify whether or not an HD set has a built-in QAM tuner. If your TV set does not have a built-in QAM tuner, you will need to lease a Suddenlink HD receiver or cable card to view HD Broadcast channels.

HD Basic: Where available, these channels can be viewed on an HD television set with the corresponding lease of a Suddenlink HD receiver or cable card.

HD Plus: Where available, these channels can be viewed on an HD television set with the corresponding lease of a Suddenlink HD receiver or cable card, plus the payment of a nominal monthly fee.

HD Premium: Where available, these channels can be viewed on an HD television set with the corresponding lease of a Suddenlink HD receiver or cable card, plus a subscription to the corresponding premium service (e.g., HBO). If a customer already subscribes to a premium service like HBO, they will be able to view HBO-affiliated HD channels for no additional cost beyond the lease of a Suddenlink HD receiver or cable card.

On Jan. 11 in San Angelo, Texas, KIDY Fox 10 and Suddenlink announced an agreement through which the cable operator would begin offering the local station’s high-definition (HD) signal to local customers. Suddenlink currently offers HDTV in more than 75 percent of its service area and the overwhelming majority of customers in those areas have access to a local Fox station’s HD feed.