Comcast has finally delivered HD programming to the Birch Ridge Inn

Comcast has finally delivered HD programming to the Birch Ridge Inn

I know it is so late 20th century, but there is something that is satisfying about watching a baseball game in High Def... Even if it is the Bosox dropping another one in their September swan song.

A scant 3 days before the arrival of Hurricane Irene, I spent my day installing new flat screen TVs into all of the rooms at the inn. We had been requesting HD Television service from Comcast, our cable TV provider, for going on 4 years. In late July, we got word from them that the problems they had with our type of installation had been corrected and that they could now offer us HD service to all of our guest rooms.

Prior to going to Comcast for HD, I investigated a variety of alternatives. I explored various satellite providers. After each one came to site survey the property, we determined that to "see" their satellites we would need to aim the receiving antennas directly into the hillside behind the inn. Obviously that would not work. I also spoke with VTEL, our phone provider. When they fully deploy their fiber optic network to their subscribers in a couple of years, we might be able to review out decision. But VTEL can't provide us the service we need at this point. So...for now... Comcast is our HD pony...and we are along for the ride. But I digress...

Today was HD Installation Day at Birch Ridge. A very nice cable installer arrived early in the morning to install 12 cable boxes around the inn on our TVs. Having worked for New England Telephone Company many years ago, I am sympathetic to utility technicians working on a customers premises. He did a good job installing all 12 boxes....of course only 11 worked (or at least seem to work). So he will be back in the morning to give it another try. So it goes.

After figuring out where all of the channels were (it really should not be so hard), I settled in to watch tonight's ball game on NESN HD. I can say with reasonable certainty that the sea of green in Fenway Park is made up of individual blades of grass, even though the Red Sox dropped another one. Isn't technology grand!!! No matter, I am sure that future guests at the inn will enjoy the baseball playoffs and the "World Series" in full HD splendor when visiting us this fall.

Fall Foliage season is getting underway at Killington, and winter is just around the corner. We at the Birch Ridge Inn look forward to greeting you when you visit.