Time Warner Cable Offering HD DVRs
By Steve Donohue -- Multichannel News, 4/9/2004 10:10:00 AM MT
Time Warner Cable has quietly started offering HDTV digital-video recorders to subscribers in about 12 divisions, including some systems servicing customers in upstate New York, the Carolinas and Texas.
After a one-month beta-test, Time Warner’s San Antonio system began offering the Scientific-Atlanta Inc. "8000HD" DVR to subscribers in February.
The system is charging $9.95 per month to lease the set-top -- the same fee it charges subscribers for the S-A standard-definition DVR, division vice president of marketing and product development Jeff Henry said.
Time Warner didn’t disclose how many high-definition DVRs have been installed, but Henry said the San Antonio system counts about 15,000 HDTV customers.
Sales of HDTV-programming packages continue to increase, and San Antonio is adding about 100 new HDTV customers daily, or about 3,000 per month.
"It’s the single-fastest-growing product we have," Henry said.
Time Warner has displays featuring the HD DVRs at four local malls, and the equipment is also being offered through 10 of the system’s service centers in the San Antonio area, Henry said.
S-A’s 8000HD set-top contains 160 gigabytes of memory, allowing subscribers to record 16-18 hours of high-definition content or about 80 hours of standard-definition programming.
The set-top vendor is also pitching MSOs a version of the set-top that contains 250 GB of memory, capable of recording up to 28 hours of HDTV programs.
