Atlanta, GA - Comcast - Page 165

Stick something on your nose and try looking at that. Easiest way to keep your eyes crossed; )

I'm sorry, what was that you wrote? I can't read much well anymore, because my eyes are crossed.

Before you ask how I typed that - I had a friend do it for me... IN 3D. Hehe.

I know how you did it. You work for Gizmodo, and bought a prototype iPhone 5 3-D from someone who "found" it in a bar. I'm telling Steve. Prepare to be raided!

Went to the Comcast office in Peachtree City and noticed all the channel lineups were for Atlanta World of Now. Hopefully a sign that 30269 will be getting more HD soon!

Well that date came and went still no wom. Spoke to CSR now there is no date. They said the signal is not strong enough at the head end and the engineers have to fix that so I have strong hd channels to watch. More BS if you ask me.

Yes, I agree the HDTV runs MUCH better when fed a diet of HD channels.

The 60" Sony 1080p HDTV in my living room looks fantastic in HD, while SD channels look like a magnifying glass placed over an adolescent's acne-ridden face. I just can't watch SD on that. My wife does, however, as we have Digital Starter package and don't get all the chick-flick channels in HD. So, she watches them down in the SD tier.

However, the 19" HDTV in the office is hooked to Comcast via SD DTA. I do have a Blu-Ray player (with streaming Netflix) hooked up to it via HDMI for movies, but back there I mostly watch upconverted DVDs and Netflix HD -- not actual Blu-Ray disc movies... I actually didn't get that TV for HDTV content -- I mostly got it to save space over the previous bulky 19" CRT while ensuring HD capability for the future. Sooner or later, EVERYTHING will be HD.

Point is, if someone has a "main" HDTV set without HD tier content (whether Comcast or whatever provider), they are missing out on a wonderful experience. To paraphrase what you said, why have an HDTV if you are mostly watching SD? The only exception would be for the 2nd or 3rd (probably smaller) TVs in the house.

This decade I hope HD content becomes so ubiquitous that Comcast and others drop the "HD" content fee they are all currently charging. The DTAs would then just be authenticator boxes with HD capability. The only extra charge would be for set top boxes with PPV (on demand) and DVR functions. I never use PPV but we can't live without the HD DVR! I was on vacation this last week and on the TV I had to use at that location I severely missed the instant "pause" and "rewind" TiVo-type functions of my HDTV Comcast remote contorol!

Well it's more than that - they need a cheap HD DTA and to drop the rental fee for the HD receivers down to a reasonable level (like satellite, around $5 each). I think Dish and DirectTV are dropping the HD charge and Comcast is still petitioning the FCC to get a waiver for the HD DTAs, so it will get better eventually.

Well, Comcast still provides all locals in HD for those with QAM tuners....for free....

One question about the DTA's (non-HD)....why don't they show all the SD material that you pay for? I know the two I installed don't show many of the channels I get in SD on my larger digital boxes.

Espn News is one example...none of the Encore movie channels...etc...

Yeah, I was saying I hope Comast offers FREE HD DTAs in the future, not just "cheap" -- to replace the two FREE SD DTAs Comcast currently offers per household -- as HD becomes the norm. Satellite companies charge $5 - $17 per month for HD boxes. But for 2nd and 3rd TVs most people do not need a full set top box with DVR functions, we just need some kind of HD authenticator box -- like the current SD DTAs but in HD. As you say, Comcast wants to go in that direction by getting the FCC waiver for HD DTAs. THAT would be fantastic.

One cable operator already has an FCC waiver. Here's relevant excerpts from that article:




Also, satellite companies currently charge $10 for "HD access" while Comcast charges $8 (but is included already in the HD DVR fee). As HD becomes the norm, that "HD Access" charge should be dropped -- for cable as well as satellite.

Already the satellite companies are heading in that direction, albeit with strings. For instance, it's only for new customers:

Because they're not intended to replace a digital sub STB - they're intended to provide expanded basic (with a few extra channels) for analog sets. Same reason they don't have a guide, ability to skip channels, etc. They released these to meet the FCC mandate to provide cable in analog until 2012.

If you want what you pay for, they expect you to rent a box. No, I don't agree with this either - the DTA should be authorized to show all the SDs you get. But they want their money for those channels on extra sets.

That was my thinking too, and I can't say I blame them. I do get a few extra's thrown in...and having CSS in the office isn't bad. But still, how hard would it have been. For some, its' an increase in programming for sure. For others, it's a pain, and loss of quality.

For anyone considering purchase of a Tivo HD, Blockbuster stores are selling them now for $99.99. Only some stores have them, I called around and found them at the S. Cobb Drive location (they had 4, I bought 1).

Even if you don't want to pay for Tivo service, you can use these as HD STBs simply by getting a Cablecard from Comcast. They'll pay for themselves in a little over a year used that way (based on Comcast's current rental prices for HD boxes). You won't be able to record shows or use the broadband features (Netflix, Youtube, etc.) on the Tivo if you don't buy the service, and you won't get OnDemand from Comcast, but they work fine as tuners.

I will be buying service for mine since I already had a Tivo HD and want to use the multi-room DVR features. For anyone wondering, this is a clearance price, they still go for $200 or more even though the newer Premieres came out a couple of months ago. I would expect to see more firesales of these just to get rid of old stock.

Here's to hoping that my Cablecard install next Sat. doesn't go as badly as it did a couple of years ago (multiple visit cancellations due to 'lack of cards', then when I did get one they sent the area supervisor to my house after I contacted corporate when they couldn't figure out how to init the card properly).

First of all, Happy Father's Day to all you Dad's out there. Comcast customer service told me my area, 30044, would have "all" the HD channels on 6/17. Well that date has come and gone and I still don't have for example, Comedy Central HD or Cartoon Network HD. My buddy however in Stone Mountain has WAY more HD channels than me. I should of known the rep didn't know.

Funny-I was given the same date by a csr for my area as well. I'm in area 30269. Very, very frustrating. I may switch to DTV!!!

Analog channels are gone today in 30092 (P'tree Corners) - right on schedule.

Same here in Norcross, 30071 . . . Come on new HD's!!! (which of course weren't here this morning) I'd like to get Comedy Central HD in time for the all new Futurama episodes.

I'm with you dude. At least I now have FX HD for It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

Still have analogs here in the Lilburn/Norcross area (Indian Trail). Looks like my area gets passed up again.

Analogs still on in Peachtree City/30269. :-(

YAY!!!! Came home to find WOM!!!

Same here (30092). Had to change the Tivo lineup to WOM in order to see the channels on the guide (thanks to those earlier in the thread who noted that), but they're all there. Now to figure out what half of them are.

For ckb1978 and those in P'tree City, have you received the letter and postcard with the drop-dead date for ordering digital adapters? It seems from my experience and others posting the same that Comcast is getting pretty good about sticking to the dates specified on their mailings this spring. That wasn't the case in 2009, but the pattern has been pretty consistent lately. Until you get that letter and/or postcard about a month out, the info from the CSR doesn't really matter.

Silly question and I apologize if it has already been asked. Does Comcast here locally eventually change our service to Xfinity automatically when it comes to our area? Or do we have to request an Xfinity change/upgrade? I currently am all bundled up with Comcast for phone, cable. HDVT, DVR, internet, etc. and was wondering if all of a sudden I will one day find myself with "Xfinity" service and options or if I'll stay as normal Comcast until I initiate the change. Thanks!

Xfinity is a brand change, across the board. It is not a requestable "upgrade."

No postcard from what I can recall. I recently just switched over to paper bills again thinking that maybe they would not send one since I was paperless. What is irritating is that it seems like the update has been completed in the neighborhoods a couple miles in either direction on Indian Trail (Lilburn Killian Hill area, and Norcross Indian Trail/Beaver Ruin Area) but right here seems to be a black hole.

So they do Norcross and not Lawrenceville???? Come on that's not even fair! Screw them, I'm going to the Dark Side aka DirecTV.

Don't feel bad, I'm on 29 on the other side of Ronald Reagan, so I'm more Lilburn than Lawrenceville and I don't have squat.

We have the 6 extra HD channels in 30135, and still have analogs turned on, but... my wife pointed out last night that channel 70 (Bravo) no longer comes in on our 26" LCD in the bedroom.

I checked the location where the digital version used to sit, and that doesn't exist anymore. I rescanned all the channels and flipped through looking for it, and no luck on analog or digital. I checked the silicondust guide, and although I was sure it used to show all of the channels for digital cable, it's currently reflecting only 58 channels, and none of them are cable stations.

So, does anyone know what's going on with Bravo, or is anyone experiencing a similar disappearance?

Yeah, nothing has changed except the name. It's still Comcast corporation. They are changing the name of their cable operations to Xfinity. So, you already have Xfinity, as you already have Comcast. Same thing.

Yeah, I had the same thing happen. Comcast has encrypted all of the expanded basic cable channels since the FCC approved the DTA boxes for encryption without a cablecard. The only things they are leaving unencrypted are the basic over the air channels.

Thanks all. Saw it on my bill this month with the new name.