1.   But the service is limited to places where the costly upgrade has been made.

2.   Even the costly upgrades that cable companies are now doing could ultimately strengthen programmers.

3.   Hindery has vowed to invest more heavily in marketing and to cut costs by avoiding costly upgrades of cable systems.

4.   Rates reflect higher programming expenses and costly upgrades to digital services, industry officials say.

5.   Some analysts worry the situation could create a nonlevel playing field, with some companies avoiding costly upgrades comparable to those installed by some competitors.

6.   Usually, costly upgrades are associated with major software packages -- operating systems, word processors, spreadsheets, telecommunications.

7.   Efraim Inbar, director of the strategic studies center at Bar-Ilan University, said costly upgrades can wait no longer.