Adding Turner Classic Movies in HD in the New York Metro Region (Downtown NYC-Chelsea)
doncarlochelsea
Enthusiast - Level 1

I just spent an hour (!) on a chat session attempting to get to the proper window/forum to communicate a channel request for Verizon FiOS.

I am a generally very happy, relatively new subscriber to Verizon FiOS--it was just added to my Chelsea NYC building's service options. However, I almost stayed with Time-Warner Cable NYC because of the lack of one single channel in HD. Verizon FiOS offers Turner Classic Movies (TCM) in standard definition. TCM is one of the finest and richest-programmed channels on Cable Television. TWC offers TCM in full HD, providing great historic archives of films (including rare films, both recent and all the way back to the silent film era), uncut, uninterrupted by commercials, in their original film aspect ratios (unlike TMC, which "pans and scans" films and has -- WAY TOO MANY -- commercial interruptions), and with brilliantly-knowledgeable hosts. The standard-def version is a disappointment. This channel is offered by TWC in standard def and HD options as a part of its standard cable package, at no additional cost to subscribers.

I'd like to make a very strong petition to have the HD version of Turner Classic Movies (TCM) added to the standard Verizon FiOS lineup. I find FiOS service -- from the delivery of TV, Internet and Phone, to your customer serivce -- far superior (imho) to TWC, but the lack of this particular channel in HD was almost a deal-breaker for me, causing me, almost, to not subscribe to FiOS. I know that licenses are complex negotiations, but this channel is worth it--TCM is not a high quality channel, it is a NATIONAL TREASURE, and the single, superior channel for cinema outside of the Premium movie channels.

Re: Adding Turner Classic Movies in HD in the New York Metro Region (Downtown NYC-Chelsea)
film111
Specialist - Level 1

doncarlochelsea wrote: TWC offers TCM in full HD, providing great historic archives of films (including rare films, both recent and all the way back to the silent film era), uncut, uninterrupted by commercials, in their original film aspect ratios

As has been mentioned previously, TCM does  NOT show any of their films in HD.  And they never have.  What saw saw on Time-Warner were upconverts.  Yes, they look better than on SD but they are no way in HD.  The TCM-HD channel is HD in name only.  If it truly were in HD, I'd be just as anxious to have it added.  But since it's not, there are plenty of other channels showing classic films in TRUE HD.   HDNet Movies, MGM-HD, Cinemax-HD, and others...as well as various OnDemand selections.  It might be better to contact Turner to find out why they don't actually broadcast anything in actual HD.

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