Comcast Grows HD Tiers in Wealthy D.C. Suburbs

While HD Notebook has noted that Comcast appears to have forgotten that MSNBC and a few other established channels had added HD simulcasts dating back to last summer (even as the cabler was busy negotiating to purchase MSNBC owner NBC Universal), the Philly-based TV service provider has informed us that it recently added nearly 40 HD channels in two major counties in the Washington, D.C. market (DMA 9). Affected are Loudoun County in Virginia (which includes the Dulles International Airport region), and Montgomery County in Maryland.

Comcast told HD Notebook this week that in Montgomery County it has added 39 outlets to its HD tier. Including regional sports networks, the county now has roughly 80 HD channels from the cabler. (And no, Comcast is not including in its channel tally those "HD choices" available via VOD that it heavily markets elsewhere.)

Comcast has also added 44 HD channels in Loudoun County–one of the fastest-growing and highest per-capita income counties in the nation, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Loudoun's HD tier on Comcast now has about 90 channels. Some other highly populated sectors of the greater Washington DMA, however, including Fairfax and Prince William counties, still have somewhat less than 50 HD channels from which to choose.

A sampling of the new offerings in the region includes the HD versions of Bravo, CMT, Hallmark Movie Channel, MGM, and The Weather Channel.