Comet Cable 8th Anniversary

Well it seems that Comet Cable is celebrating 8 years of service this month. Well that is a great achievement since they are the pioneering Cable tv provider in Sri Lanka.

Comet has done a great job entertaining the public but it would be nice to see Comet upgrading it's technology.

We were told previously that Comet will be launching their digital transmissions by the end of this year. We did send an email to Comet a few weeks ago and have not received a reply as yet.

Has the digital upgrade being postponed again? Well we hope not and we hope that Comet will reply with a clear indication of exactly when this illusive digitalization is expected.

Anyway Happy Anniversary to Comet Cable and all the best for the years ahead.

FILEnetworks – TV & Radio Sri Lanka form partnership

We are very happy to announce that TV Radio Sri Lanka Group of Blogs and the FILEnetworks blog have formed a partnership in order to bring you the latest news and updates on TV-Radio industry and software related issues.

FILEnetworks will be bringing you the latest cracks and hacks that are available in the market place.

TV Radio Sri Lanka Group of Blogs consisting of TV Radio Sri Lanka Blog, CBNsat Blog, LBN Cable TV blog, Comet Cable Blog will be bringing you the latest in TV & Radio industry in Sri Lanka.

We hope to pass the benefits of this partnership down to our fellow bloggers.

Drop of FTV..... a reply from Comet Cable

We sent Comet Cable an email inquiring about the drop of Fashion Tv. We expressed the fact that many customers were unhappy with the change and here is the reply given to us by Mr. Harold Perera, Head of Advertising.

Please be good enough to publish the following in your valuable Comet Cable Forum

As we strive to give our customers the best in entertainment, we were looking at the possibility of introducing new channels to our line up.

So far, we have tested 2 channels namely NDTV & Nick. The feedback we have received is fabulous. We will be testing 2 more channels within the next few weeks and with the feedback from the 2 new channels we will decide which channel will be on air. After all it is our valued customers who will have the final say. We take this opportunity to infor our dear customers to bear with us for a short while more as we will give them and their families the best in home entertainment.

Thank You

Fashion TV drop angers many

Hmm.. Interesting. The drop of the Fashion Tv channel from its line up has angered many of its customers. Some are even threatening to disconnect and ask for a refund. CBNsat was accused by the Media Ministry for telecasting Fashion Tv and calling it unsuitable for Sri Lankan culture. Comet Cable which continued showing Ftv even after that have now replaced it using NDTV.

Did the drop of Fashion Tv have anything to do with the Media Ministry or were there other reasons for this.

Over to Comet Management for some explanation.

NDTV 24*7 on Comet Cable

The Indian english news channel NDTV 24*7 has been launched on Comet Cable as a replacement for Fashion Tv. This would mean that Fashion Tv has got the boot from Comet Cable. This is not a channel that people will miss much though.

We hear that Comet was testing NDTV and Nick before replacing Fashion Tv. If that is so then is Nick available on Comet Cable? Is Nick being telecast for 24 hrs or being interchanged with another channel.

Comet Cable drops Fashion TV?

Is Comet Cable still broadcasting Fashion Tv. Information coming to us suggests that they have dropped Fashion Tv from their line up.

If so, then we like to know what is the channel that has replaced FTV?

Notice to all Comet Subscribers

We received the below as an attachment from Mr. Harold Perera, Head of Advertising at Comet Cable asking us to post it on the blog. This is supposed to have appeared with the Comet Cable September Programme Guide and we got this by email probably in response to the question that we raised about a price hike in the previous post referring to some statements in their programme guide editorial. They have mentioned the fact that they have maintained the same pricing over all these years and have requested their customers to settle all arrears payments.

NOTICE TO ALL COMET SUBSCRIBERS

Dear Subscriber,

Firstly, the staff and management of Comet Cable wish to extend a sincere “thank you” for being a valuable customer and trust that our service has been a welcome break for you and your family.

As you are aware, Comet Cable has been maintaining the same pricing standards for the past years despite rising inflation and negative environmental factors in the country. We have also provided for you a new and improved program guide, completely free of charge. You will also note that Comet Cable provides you with a completely free after sales service from the time our connection is installed at your home. Therefore, in order to continue with our value additions to you, we wish to request for the following:

• Please settle all your dues within a two month period to avoid automatic disconnection.
• The following re-connection charges will apply in the event of disconnection due to non payment.

Re-connection charge	Within 15 days	15 – 30 days	30 – 60 days	60 – 70 days
	0	Rs. 500.00	Rs. 1000.00	Rs. 1500.00

• Please note that after of disconnection, we will assume that you no longer require the connection and hence a letter of Recovery will be raised.
• After the Letter of Recovery has been issued if a customer requires re-connecting, all outstanding bills need to be settled with a pre-payment of three months rental.

We wish to re-iterate that this process is introduced, merely to sustain our service and pricing standards and hence appreciate your full co-operation as in the past to carry our company forward.

Please contact our Customer Service Hotline on 2557100 if you require any further clarifications.

Look forward to serving you,

Comet Cable Management

Comet Cable to raise prices?

We are receiving reports that there has been an indication in the Sept 2006 Comet Cable Tv Guide editorial that they will be raising the prices on their package offerings. We have been unable to get a copy of this Cable Guide to check this for ourselves but this is the indication according to reports and comments that we are getting.

Although this does not come as a surprise since this may be due to the rise in operational costs of Comet Cable due to the present ever increasing price hikes taking a grip on Sri Lanka.

We would like our readers who have access to Comet Cable Guides to please confirm that a statement like this actually exists. We would like the management of Comet Cable to provide us with information on whether a price hike is due and if so, by how much the hike wil take place.

Comet Cable Digital Coming Soon says Multivision

A few days ago we sent an email to Multivision asking them to whether Comet Digital will be a reality or not. We are happy to say that Multivision has assured that Comet Digital will be operational by the end of this year. Given below is a copy of the email sent to us by Multivision.
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Dear TV & Radio Sri Lanka

We are happy to inform you and our customers that we are committed to upgrade our present system to Digital. We are currently at the final planning phase and about to begin the implementation phase . The Comet Digital will be fully operational by the end of this year.

Thank you

Harold Perera

Head of Advertising

Ruhuna 2001 Multivision (Pvt) Ltd.

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We would like to see Comet Cable honouring their word and implementing and launching the Comet Cable Digital service by the end of this year. We would also like to thank Mr. Harold Perera for taking time off his busy schedule and looking into the requests of their customers.

We have posted the email that we send to Comet Cable as a Comment to this post.

Comet Cable Digital : The Wish

Well Comet Cable has been planning to go Digital for more than two years now. This is basically like one of those stories where they live happily ever after, the exception being that they are going digital forever.

Is the present management at Comet Cable not interested in upgrading to digital. Comet Cable is the pioneer cable tv company in sri lanka but it is in danger of loosing out to up and coming operators. There has been no impact made on the cable tv industry by the first player to the market.

We think the customers of Comet Cable have a right to know what is happening to the planned upgrade as well as the customers who have already been sold connection claiming that the digital service will be offered soon. Over to the management of Comet Cable.

How soon is soon?

Extension of Deadline for Cable TV Licenses

The deadline for Cable TV Licenses has been extended, please refer the following link for a detailed report.

Refer Link Extension of Deadline for Cable TV Licenses

Comet Cable Replies.........

Date:	Mon, 17 Jul 2006 12:46:11 +0600
From:	@multivision.lk
To:	tvradiosrilanka@yahoo.com
Subject:	Comet Cable

Dear TV Radio Sri Lanka

First of all we would like to thank you for a job well done on airing views of Cable TV viewers.

We wish to categorically state that we do not edit or censor any film or programme. Unless, there is a censorship imposed by the government for any news item on news channels.

Also, we would like to state that we use our logo in important programmes to prevent any unauthorized recordings of programmes and piracy.

We regret any inconvenience caused to viewers.

Head of Advertising

Ruhuna 2001 Multivision (Pvt) Ltd.

21 Anderson Road

Colombo 5.

Telephone 2557100
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We received the above letter from Comet Cable, we can confirm that it is from Comet Cable since we received it from an email address saying xxxxx@multivision.lk.

We sent them a reply to the email which is posted as the first comment under this entry.

Letter to Comet Cable

Since we are receiving complaints from our fellow bloggers, we have sent an email to Comet Cable requesting them to resolve the issue of large logo. Given below is a copt of the mail, it was sent to "service@ multivision.lk".

To the Customer Care Manager

Dear Sir/Madam

I would like to inform you that we are receiving several complaints from your Customers regarding the size of the logo that you have displayed on Comet Cable transmission.

Please take steps to rectify the matter

For Customer views please read the following website

http://cometcable.blogspot.com/

Regards

Admin

Please post as a comment whether there is any other email address that we should send this email to. In addition we would request the customers of Comet Cable also to request them to solve the logo problem.

Remove Comet Logo from the Screen

We are getting complains from Comet Viewers that the Comet Logo on screen is too large. In fact there is no need for the logo. You are not a regular TV channel. You are cable tv channel and professional cable tv channels do not display their logo on the screen along with the logo of the channel being broadcasted and there are also complains of Comet Cable editing the screen content. Please stop carrying out these practices since they are unethical.

Please give heed to customer requests and introduce your much awaited digital transmission since some of your sales people have mislead the public into purchasing your connections claiming them to be digital.

Over to the management of Comet Cable.

Control of Content available over Cable TV?

Looks like the channels that we have been enjoying for years is now under danger

Link : Control of Content available over Cable TV?

Comet Cable Customers Have your say

Since Comet Cable is not having any problem with the recent Cable TV problems in our wonderful Sri Lanka. I would like to invite all the Comet Cable customers to make any posts of any Bad/Good experience you have had with Comet or would like to see any additional channels on or anything more you would like Comet Cable to do.

BBC World Back on Comet Cable?

Reports are coming in that BBC World is now available on Comet Cable again. Would the viewers of Comet Cable be able to confirm this to us as soon as possible.

Are Multivision subagents legal?

There are several Cable companies cropping up in several areas calling themselves Multivision authorised companies and they are providing Cable TV connections for about Rs 500/= for a month. In fact there have been several Comet Cable customers complaining that they pay Rs 1200/= and more to get these channels directly from Comet whereas the subagents give all these channels plus more for Rs 500/= per month. Some examples of these sub companies are Delta Cable Vision in Wattala and a Cable TV operator in Negombo, etc. Maybe the reason for the increased cost maybe that Comet Cable provides a wireless service whereas the sub agents are on fixed wire systems.

The authorities must look into the legality of these services and issue appropriate licenses and guide them to obtain the required licenses since their customers too might be inconvienced like these CBNSat csutomers if the Police/CID raids and shuts them down.

Here are the questions that arise when it comes to the Multivision subagents

1. Does Multivision have the authority from its content providers to distribute its content on the Fixed Wire Cable via sub agents as well as the Wireless Platform.
2. Are the subagents granted approval by the TRC, etc
3. Do the subagents have the authority to distribute local channels
   

This post is not intended to bring trouble on Multivision or sub agents like Delta Cable Vision but it is intended to make sure the authorities check these operations out and grant neccessary approval, if they do not have the approval.

Comet Cable Channels

HBO - far east signal
STAR MOVIES - far east sgnal
CARTOON NETWORK/NICKOLODEAN
STAR SPORTS India
TEN SPORTS - INDIA/PAKISTAN
CINEMAX
BBC
AXN - far east signal
ESPN
DISCOVERY
STAR PLUS
MTV INDIA
STAR WORLD
HALLMARK
FASHION TV
VH 1
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
ANIMAL PLANET

Comet Cable Forum

Due to increasing demand we are adding a new Forum called the Comet Cable Forum. All customers of Comet Cable are welcome to make your opinions heard on this forum. In addition they are welcome to congratulate Comet Cable and also scold them if they wish.

Firstly I would like a customer to post what are the channels Comet Cable carries since the web site does not give a clear picture.

The management of Comet Cable are also welcome to have their voice heard.