C’mon Comcast, 500 high definition choices… really?

One of the core reasons I started Noobie was to help technology challenged people wade through all of the baloney (I'd like to use a stronger word but I won't) that's thrown at them from the technology media.

Last night was a prime example. I was watching the Indianapolis Colts fall to the Chicago Bears on television which already put me in a sour mood (I may have grown up Wisconsin but I live just outside Indianapolis) when a new Comcast commercial aired. The commercial simulated a Family Feud style game show where contestants had to answer who had the most high definition choices at 7:12 pm in Chicago. The two choices were Comcast or DIRECTV.

The first family to answer incorrectly guessed DIRECTV at which point the game show host announced that the correct answer was Comcast since at that time in Chicago they have over 500 high definition choices.

Choices vs. channels

Yes, they said "500 high definition choices" but you and I both know consumers will hear and think "500 high definition channels", which is exactly what Comcast is betting on.

They have to say "choices" because most people (including me) couldn't even name 500 standard definition channels, moreover 500 high definition channels? Forget about it.

I can only assume that Comcast is conjuring up this 500 choices number by including every high definition, on-demand movie and/or video they offer along with their still relatively poor selection of high definition channels.

DIRECTV offers high definition movies as well but they are still sort-of-on-demand. They usually start every 30 minutes on the half hour and hour which I'm sure is why Comcast chose 7:12 pm for their commercial.

Accurate but deceiving

So while I can't sit here and tell you that Comcast's statement of "500 high definition choices" is technically inaccurate I can say with full confidence that it is deceiving.

And even pretending there is a shred of honesty to their new campaign, wouldn't Apple and their full library of high definition movies available through the iTunes Store and on Apple TV immediately trump Comcast's 500 high definition choices?

I hope Comcast's cable installers are prepared to respond to consumers when they ask where their 500 high definition channels are.