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Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Comcast Announces More Than 1,000 HD Choices Available -- the Most HD Content Anytime, Anywhere
Comtex
PHILADELPHIA, Oct 15, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) ----As HD viewing skyrockets, Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK), the nation's leading provider of entertainment, information and communications, today announced that it now has more than 1,000 high-definition (HD) viewing choices, delivering on the company's commitment to significantly increase HD programming by year end. This announcement also marks a major milestone for Project Infinity, Comcast's vision to give consumers the ability to watch any movie, television show, user generated content or other video that a producer wants to make available On Demand.
"Consumers can't get enough HD, so we're now offering over a thousand HD choices, five times more than last year. However, it's not just about HD volume, but about having the highest-quality content consumers really want, whether they want to watch live or on their schedule," said Derek Harrar, General Manager and Senior Vice President of Video Services for Comcast. "With the best HD movies, top-rated HD shows and the hottest HD music all On Demand ... we're delivering the future of HD television, today."
HD Explosion
With the availability of more than 1,000 HD choices, the company strengthens its industry-leading position of providing more choices on TV than anyone else, feeding the insatiable appetite consumers have for HD content. Recent HD trends include:
-- The proportion of viewing time spent with HD has increased nearly 50 percent in four years.(1)
-- Over the next three years, the total number of HD households receiving HD service is expected to increase by 90 percent or 53 million households.(2)
-- Of homes with HD cable, 27 percent now have two or more HD sets hooked up to cable HD.(3)
With 1,000 HD choices, Comcast is delivering the HD programming that aligns with what consumers want to watch and how they want to watch it, for example:
-- live HD sporting events through all of the major local broadcasters, Comcast SportsNet, ESPN and ESPN2, TBS, TNT, Versus, etc.;
-- more than 200 HD movies from top movie providers; supporting recent findings that in spite of how many HD movies are already out there in HD, 65 percent of HD viewers want more;(4)
-- nearly 300 television shows including highly acclaimed television series like Mad Men, Weeds and the CSI series, available on linear and on HD On Demand the day after they air; and
-- hundreds of music offerings in the music category, which is one of the most popular categories currently On Demand.
Mirroring Comcast's content strategy, a recent independent study outlined that HD viewers listed their favorite things to watch in HD as: sports, movies, TV shows and music respectively. And, when asked how they wanted to watch, respondents answered: sports live (78 percent), movies on their schedule (81 percent), TV shows on their schedule (65 percent) and music on their schedule (60 percent).(5)
On Demand Usage Continues to Grow Exponentially
Every month, Comcast customers choose On Demand programming more than 300 million times. Currently Comcast's On Demand lineup offers more than 10,000 selections each month and includes everything from movies, music and top TV shows to the most popular kids, sports and lifestyle programs -- available anytime consumers want to watch them, with the ability to fast forward, rewind and pause selections.
About Comcast Corporation
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) (www.comcast.com) is the nation's leading provider of entertainment, information and communications products and services. With 24.6 million cable customers, 14.4 million high-speed Internet customers, and 5.6 million Comcast Digital Voice customers, Comcast is principally involved in the development, management and operation of broadband cable systems and in the delivery of programming content.
Comcast's content networks and investments include E! Entertainment Television, Style Network, The Golf Channel, VERSUS, G4, PBS KIDS Sprout, TV One, ten Comcast SportsNets networks and Comcast Interactive Media, which develops and operates Comcast's Internet businesses, including Comcast.net (www.comcast.net). Comcast also has a majority ownership in Comcast-Spectacor, whose major holdings include the Philadelphia Flyers NHL hockey team, the Philadelphia 76ers NBA basketball team and two large multipurpose arenas in Philadelphia.
(1) Recent national study by Frank N. Magid Associates.
(2) Recent national study by LRG, Jupiter, Yankee, MAGNA, Horowitz and Kagan research.
(3) Recent national study by Frank N. Magid Associates.
(4) Frank N. Magid Associates
(5) 2007 Omnibus study conducted by ICR, an independent research company.
SOURCE: Comcast Corporation
Comcast Corporation Alana Davis, 215-286-5211 alana_davis@comcast.com
Copyright Business Wire 2008
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Some mutual funds want you to pay for the privilege of them (or your investment adviser) taking your money to invest. It's called a load, and it works like a cover charge to get into a nightclub. Luckily, there are such things as no-load funds. As the name implies, shares of these funds are sold without a fee paid to a broker or investment advisor.
The entire amount you invest in no-load funds goes to work for your returns. On the other hand, with load funds, right off the bat you're charged commission (not to mention other fees incurred over the life of the investment). Let's say, for example, you invest $25,000 into a load fund that charges a 5% commission. This costs you $1,250 off the top, bringing your actual investment down to only $23,750.
The often-cited horse race analogy argues against investing in load funds. Here's the logic behind it: Would you place a bet on a horse that had to start a race 200 yards behind the others? Well, maybe you would if you got a tip from a sketchy, trench coat-clad man in a dark alley. However, under most circumstances, it's not smart to put your money on that handicapped horse.
But some argue that at times that man in the trench coat (aka your broker) knows more about the horses than you do, and has a better shot at picking a winner. Also, sometimes these fees are unavoidable because some funds are available only through investment advisers.
Cost-benefit analysis can help determine when a load fund is worth it (in other words, when it will score you a load) and when it is better to "do it yourself" and avoid the fees. Load-fund fees range depending on share class and can cover a variety of costs, such as paper work and fund management.
