Digital cable on its way here

The New Year has brought with it a new choice in cable television. Digital cable will be available here through Shaw beginning Jan. 9.
Informational sessions to explain the details and benefits to subscribers will be held next Thursday from 3-9 p.m., Friday from 10 a.m.-9 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. at La Place Rendez-Vous.
Mike Keating, regional sales manager for Shaw, said these sessions are to inform the public as to what’s new, what’s changing, and why digital cable is better than conventional cable and digital satellite dishes.
Town residents will be able to sign up for digital cable and purchase the required digital cable terminal boxes starting Jan. 9, and will be hooked up on a first-come, first-served basis.
The cost of the basic digital cable package will be roughly the same as the cost of regular cable when all three tiers of channel packages are purchased, said Keating.
But digital cable subscribers also will receive 40 digital, CD quality music channels, and have access to purchase seven movie channels and more than 30 other cable channels covering sports, history, and entertainment.
And those who subscribe in January will receive all the channels available—except a few premium stations—as a way of previewing what they might want to purchase.
But to be able to receive the digital feed, you must purchase a digital cable terminal from Shaw at a cost of $189.98.
As an incentive, subscribers who sign up in January will receive a $10 programming credit each month for the first 10 months of service and a one-time $9.98 credit for pay-per-view movies.