Only 200 subscribers to CableVision?s analogue service will see a $100 fee waived if they convert to digital service ahead of the company?s planned phase out of its analogue network.

The company, which announced plans last week to gradually phase out its entire analogue system, offered the waiver of the $100 digital upgrade fee to customers who subscribe to its analogue Starz! and Cinemax channels only. Those channels are slated to be the first to be turned off next month. Subscribers who simply give up those channels and remain on analogue will see their bills adjusted accordingly.

The $100 digital conversion fee remains in place for all other analogue customers who upgrade to the digital network, Cablevision said yesterday.

The conversion charge reflects the fact that the company?s trucks actually have to go out to houses to make the switch from digital to analogue, said Cablevision general manager Jeremy Elmas. He added that the company waived it for Starz and Cinemax customers because they were effectively forcing those customers to move to digital if they wanted to retain either channel.

?We want to make transition as smooth as possible,? he said adding that eliminating the $100 fee to get those subscribers to switch over to digital was a ?no-brainer?.

Prices for corresponding digital tiers are $10 higher than analogue tiers even though the majority of channels 1-41 continue to be delivered in analogue format on digital set top boxes so the company does not have to simulcast.

All of the channels will eventually be digital, but for now Mr. Elmas said the main reason for the $10 price increase is that viewers also receive 47 digital music channels, two additional video channels ? the Bermuda Channel and Adventist TV ? as well as digital extras such as an interactive programme guide and pay per view timers.

He acknowledged however that some customers question the value for the money and the Ministry of Telecommunications has expressed concern over the impact the price increase will have on households on fixed budgets. As such, Cablevision is now reviewing its price for the bottom tier of channels.

There is no timeframe for the phase out of Cablevision?s analogue system although Mr. Elmas expects the company will have turned off the rest of its premium channels by the beginning of next year. The company made an agreement with the Ministry that it would only do phase-outs when channels had fewer than 150 subscribers ? as was the case with both Starz! and Cinemax.