HTC Talk

Thanksgiving Holiday Hours

HTC — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 22:11:31 +0000

Well, once again the holidays are upon us. And if you’re like us, you’re ready for turkey and dressing!

And, if you’re on a diet this Thanksgiving and are only chomping at the bit for some Black Friday shopping, we can surely accommodate you.

For the holiday we’re going to be operating under the following hours for our retail locations:

Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, Nov. 24), all locations will be closed.
Black Friday, Nov. 25, our Coastal Grand Mall location will be open 3am-10pm and our Call Center from 8am-9pm.
Saturday, Nov. 26, Coastal Grand Mall will be open 8am-10pm, our Towne Centre, Little River and 38th Ave. North locations will be open 9am-2pm and our call center from 9-9.

We’ll also be having some pretty sweet deals on Black Friday, including:

$100 in-store credit on smartphones for new activations
50% off wireless accessories

We hope these hours are accommodating for you and your shopping convenience. We also would like to wish you and your families a Happy Thanksgiving!

Until next time,

Tom

HTC Scores With Addition of NFL Network

HTC — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 21:31:57 +0000

Are you ready for some football?

Here at HTC we are thanks to our addition of the NFL Network to our lineup!

We recently reached an agreement with the National Football League to carry the NFL Network on HTC Digital Cable. Currently, we are the exclusive cable television provider in Horry County for the NFL Network.

The channel has already been added to HTC Digital Cable Passport line-up and can be found on channel 180 in standard definition and channel 780 in high def. Also as part of this awesome deal, HTC now also provides the Network’s NFL RedZone for customers on channel 181 and 781 for high def.

Also, there will be a FREE preview of the RedZone channel on Sunday, September 11 on channel 181 and HTC Channel 4!

A great addition to HTC’s strong digital cable line-up, the NFL Network airs seven days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It provides viewers with almost 2,000 hours a year of original football-centric programming including:

NFL Total Access
NFL GameDay
NFL Replay
NFL’s Top 10
NFL Classic Games
And many more

The most exciting thing about this addition is now area fans can check out the Network’s Thursday Night Football live games in high-definition! In addition, the hardcore fans can catch every NFL preseason game, the Senior Bowl, extensive coverage of the NFL Draft, NFL Hall of Fame ceremony, NFL Scouting Combine and, of course, the Super Bowl.

As for when the regular season kicks in, you might as well tell your wife you’re not leaving your man cave until really, really late Sunday night! In addition to an insane amount of coverage leading up to each game, the Network’s NFL RedZone channel whips around the NFL to each game on Sunday afternoons, delivering scores and the most exciting moments as they happen and in high definition. When a team goes inside the 20-yard line, NFL RedZone takes fans there. The channel keeps fans up-to-date in real time, switching from game to game with live look-ins, highlights and a chance to see the key plays.

If you can’t already tell, we’re excited to be able to bring such a great channel to the HTC Digital Cable line-up and hope you enjoy the 2011 NFL season!

To learn more about the NFL on HTC, check us out online at www.htcinc.net or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HTCinc.

Here’s to a great season and hoping you enjoy watching your favorite team!

Until next time, I’m Tom Vitt with HTC.

Bigger. Faster. Stronger.

HTC — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 13:23:08 +0000

Here at HTC, through our partnership with A&T in delivering you the best in wireless service, we’ve turned up HSPA+ (High Speed Packet Access +) service to HTC wireless users.

Effective immediately, those who have 4G-capable handsets will experience an explosion in speeds when surfing, texting and general data transfer.

This is awesome on many fronts. When combined with enhanced backhaul, the HTC and AT&T HSPA+ software upgrade is expected to deliver speeds up to four times faster than ordinary mobile broadband. When you’re traveling on the HTC and AT&T networks, you’ll enjoy faster speeds and a smoother, more consistent mobile broadband experience overall.

The biggest thing to remember is that HSPA + speeds require a 4G device and are delivered when HSPA+ technology is combined with enhanced backhaul. HSPA + speeds are available now along main roads and near most commercial areas and many residential developments. More HSPA+ service will be available in more areas with ongoing enhanced backhaul deployment.

To learn more about HSPA +, enhanced backhaul and 4G devices, you can visit www.htcinc.net.

Until next time, I’m Tom Vitt with HTC.

HTC to Exclusively Broadcast Texas Rangers – CCU Baseball Exhibition March 29

HTC — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 15:41:51 +0000

Game to be Broadcast Live on HTC Digital Cable Channel 4

Representatives from HTC today announced their partnership with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans and Coastal Carolina University to exclusively broadcast the March 29 standing-room-only exhibition between the Texas Rangers and Coastal Carolina University Chanticleers live on HTC Digital Cable Channel 4.

The 2010 American League Champion Rangers and the 2010 Myrtle Beach Regional Champion Chanticleers will meet at BB&T Coastal Field in Myrtle Beach, with a game time of 6:35 p.m. A pre-game show begins at 6 p.m.

The exhibition game marks the first game in Myrtle Beach history to involve a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. Tickets for the event went on sale November 16, 2010 and reserved seating sold out within 48 hours.

“We’re very pleased to be the only area cable provider bringing the Chanticleers versus Rangers game to our customers in Horry and Georgetown Counties. This event marks a first in Myrtle Beach sports history and is one that certainly shouldn’t be missed,” said Mike Hagg, Chief Executive Officer for HTC. “This partnership is a great way to show our support for CCU and the Pelicans, as well as to provide a live, local sporting event that is of interest to our HTC Digital Cable subscribers.”

“We are excited for the opportunity to play against the Texas Rangers, and are thrilled that everyone who didn’t get a ticket, and is an HTC Digital Cable subscriber, will still be able to watch us play,” said Hunter Yurachek, director of athletics for Coastal Carolina University. “We appreciate HTC investing the time and resources necessary to bring this game to the community.”

“This is a great opportunity for the Chanticleers and we’re proud to be able to help provide the team and school this chance,” said Scott Brown, General Manager of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. “In addition, we’re proud to be partnering with HTC to broadcast the game to their viewing audience.”

“….And you’re all getting brand new cars!”

HTC — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 14:06:24 +0000

Okay, so maybe we’re not giving away a new car or a fabulous vacation down under, but here at HTC, we do have some good news for fans of daytime talk show superstar, Oprah Winfrey. The Oprah Winfrey Network, OWN, is now available as part of HTC Digital Cable’s Cable Plus package on channel 59, replacing the Discovery Health Network.

The Oprah Winfrey Network, which debuted in January, is the very first television network dedicated to entertaining, informing and inspiring people’s lives. Oprah’s multiplatform media venture also includes the award-winning digital platform Oprah.com. The type of programming featured on the Oprah Winfrey Network includes a mixture of original programs, series and specials, as well as documentaries and acquired movies.

Programming joining the network includes the new series, Ask Oprah’s All-Stars, featuring Dr. Oz, Dr. Phil and Suze Orman, who will offer their expert advice on a variety of subjects. Also joining the network is Our America with Lisa Ling, and Season 25: Oprah behind the Scenes. OWN has acquired rights to the movie Precious as well as documentary films such as Miss Representation, which brings together some of America’s most influential women in politics, news and entertainment to take a look at the media’s message and portrayal of women.

HTC Digital Cable’s Cable Plus package is priced at $44.95 per month and includes a total of 50 networks.

To learn more about OWN and how you can access all the great networks available via HTC Digital Cable in your home, visit www.htcinc.net, or call HTC Digital Cable at 843-369-8984.

Until next time, feel free to share your thoughts on what’s happening at HTC in the “talk back” section below.

Best,

Tom

HTC Officials Announce Membership Expansion

HTC — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 18:55:47 +0000

HTC officials announced last week that membership in the Cooperative, with its associated benefits, has expanded to include all HTC customers with qualifying services.

HTC now grants full Cooperative membership to all residential and business customers receiving any of the following HTC qualifying services: telephone, cable television, high-speed internet and data, mobile telephone or security monitoring; regardless of service location in Horry and Georgetown Counties.

“For years, membership was limited to the geographical service boundary established by the South Carolina Public Service Commission in 1952 and was only available to those with traditional telephone and/or cable television service,” said Mike Hagg, chief executive officer of HTC. “While we still believe that traditional landline service is the most reliable and affordable form of service, we have recognized that technology has changed the way people communicate. We have also recognized the need to update the Cooperative’s membership structure to reflect those changes as well.”

Members receive the following key benefits:

Eligibility for capital credits – Membership in a cooperative represents ownership of that organization. While HTC operates as a “non-profit” cooperative, when a profit is earned these profits are allocated back to the members in the form of capital credits. So as the cooperative enjoys financial success, members of HTC share in the success as well. The more services a customer has with HTC, the greater the opportunity for increased capital credits. When these credits are paid, they are issued to the member name on the capital credit account. While the allocation and payment of capital credits is dependent upon the Cooperative’s operating condition and need for future capital, HTC has been able to pay over $85 million back to our members since 1979 with $4 million disbursed in 2010 alone. Benefits for existing members will not change and any capital credit allocations earned prior to January 1, 2011 will not be impacted.
Voting Rights – You will now be entitled to vote on important matters including the election of our board of directors. Each member is entitled to one vote.
Competitive Pricing – Members of the Cooperative share in very competitive pricing on our products and services.
Community focus – Members can take pride in the fact that the money that is generated in this community is used in this community to improve the quality of life for all.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our loyal customers to meet membership criteria and reap the numerous benefits of being a member of our Cooperative,” continued Hagg. “We take pride in our products, our employees and our service and consider it a privilege to serve this community.”

Some existing board districts will expand to encompass all service areas including Murrells Inlet-District 8, Conway-District 1, Socastee-District 6, and Wampee/Little River-District 5. The overall number of board of director seats and composition of the Board of Directors is not expected to change.

Existing and new members needing more information about the qualification changes for membership can call an HTC representative at (843) 365-2154 or visit www.htcinc.net/about-membership.cfm.

How “Sun Outages” Affect Your Cable Service

HTC — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 19:03:46 +0000

Each Spring and Fall, typically during the months of February, March, September and October, cable companies experience a technical phenomenon called “sun outages.” For a period of a few weeks, the sun’s path across the sky takes it directly behind the line of sight between a receiving satellite dish on earth and the communication satellite sending signals for various cable networks. During these times the sun radiates strongly at the same frequencies used by these satellites and the interference from the sun overrides the satellite. This is when a sun outage occurs.

These outages can be sporadic and last as long as 15 minutes. Sometimes outages may be minimal often causing blocks, tiling or channel freezing. During peak times it can often worsen to the point of total outage. These outages can affect any channel that HTC receives from a satellite, which includes most channels other than local broadcast stations and local access channels.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but there is nothing we can do to prevent sun outages. Sun Outages affect all cable and satellite companies. Should you notice outages longer than the typical 15 minutes, please contact our Repair Department at 843-365-2186.

Talking Tablets

HTC — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 16:26:18 +0000

Technology is constantly changing. Every day we’re exposed to something new. Just think about it. Less than 20 years ago, hardly anyone even knew about the Internet. And, how many text messages did you send from your old analog cellular phone?

Well, we’re now heading into the next frontier of communicating here at HTC with the addition of tablets, in particular the new Samsung Galaxy and trailblazing Apple iPad.

The Galaxy brings together all of Samsung’s leading innovations to provide users with more capabilities for being mobile, whether it be around the house or on the go. Consumers are able to experience PC-like web-browsing and enjoy all forms of multimedia content on the 7-inch display. Moreover, users can take their pick and communicate via e-mail, voice and video call, SMS/MMS or continuously update social networking sites.

The Galaxy allows for:

Video Chat
Gaming
eReading
Web Browsing
Email

You can purchase the Galaxy from HTC for $549 with no commitment.

As for the iPad, what is there to be said about it that’s not already been documented? It’s the latest robust communications tool from Steve Jobs and the gang at Apple. It allows for some great entertainment and connective features. With its big, bright 9.7-inch screen, the iPad is ideal for watching video. Throw in the iPad’s robust battery life and obvious portability, and you’ve got a top-notch on-the-go entertainment device.

In addition to watching video on the iPad, you can also get your daily newspaper and monthly magazines digitally through the device. Publications such as Sports Illustrated, GQ, The New York Times and USA Today, plus News Corporation’s new The Daily all have apps that allow subscribers to get fresh content on their iPads.

Reading on the iPad, or any tablet, is easy, cuts down on the clutter you have in your home and most importantly is green-friendly since it doesn’t involve trees! It is easy to flip pages, as you would with printed pieces, but the coolest thing is the ability to zoom in on photos and make fonts larger, therefore being easier to read.

As a web surfing tool, the iPad also provides a great experience. Apple says that using Safari on this tablet is like holding the Web in your hand and it’s indeed immersive. Plus the scrolling and zooming are fast, thanks to that 1-GHz A4 processor.

The ability to move quickly with the built in keypad is helpful and eliminates those pesky keyboards.

You can purchase a 3G and Wi-Fi capable iPad from HTC for $649.

In all, we’re excited to have these new products for you and hope they can make your life easier.

To learn more about them, you can visit www.htcinc.net. Also, don’t forget to check us out on Facebook and let us know if you’ve got a Galaxy or iPad.

Until next time, feel free to share your thoughts on what’s happening at HTC in the “talk back” section below.

Best,

Tom

Valentine Phone Specials

HTC — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 03:42:11 +0000

Valentine’s Day is nearly here. That’s right, Feb. 14 is just around the corner.

Are you ready? Have you gotten your special someone a gift to go with his or her card and chocolates? If not, we here at HTC have just the thing to make staying connected with your sweetie year-round easy.

Of course this means…FREE Phones!

From now through February 14, you can get a free smartphone when you bundle HTC Wireless with any other HTC service.

Or, choose from our current inventory of refurbished handsets and take your pick for free with a new activation and two year commitment. All of our refurbished phones are just like new and include a 90-day limited warranty included. * Certain restrictions apply.

Visit any of our nine HTC locations to find out more or click here to find out more.

Until next time, feel free to share your thoughts on what’s happening at HTC in the “talk back” section below.

Best,

Tom

HTC Holiday Hours

HTC — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 20:03:55 +0000

As each day goes by, we’re getting ever so closer to Christmas.

And by this point, we’re sure that you’ve made your list, checked it twice and are ready for a visit from jolly old St. Nick.

We know that we are!

And with the holiday season upon us, we’re looking forward to the extra time we’ll be able to spend with our families. In order for us to do that, HTC will be operating during the following hours over the next few weeks:

Christmas Eve (Friday)

Coastal Grand Mall – 7 AM – 6 PM
All other branch offices and customer service – Open 8 AM – 4 PM

Christmas Day (Saturday)

All locations and customer service closed

Sunday, December 26^th

Coastal Grand Mall – 9 AM – 8 PM

Monday, December 27^th

Coastal Grand Mall – 10 AM – 9 PM
All other locations and customer service closed

New Year’s Eve (Friday)

Coastal Grand Mall – 10 AM – 6 PM
All other branch offices and customer service – Open 8 AM – 4 PM

New Year’s Day

Coastal Grand Mall – 10 AM – 6 PM
All other locations and customer service closed

We will be operating regular business hours all other days during the holiday season.

Until next time, feel free to share your thoughts on what’s happening at HTC in the “Talk Back” section below. Happy Holidays from all of us here at HTC!

Tom