Atlanta, GA - Comcast - Page 3

I called again today and they are still saying the boxes are in but no appointments are being made. Maybe this has to do with ongoing testing, but they said to call back after January 1. Another CSR said more like end of January and possibly February. Who knows what to believe...

First of all, pardon my rant...

It's clear from the responses people have been getting that either:

(1) There's been some sort of problem with the roll-out; or
(2) It was never nearly as close to being ready as they led us to believe.

I tend to believe that (1) is true, but regardless, there is no source of hard facts to rely on. It's clear that the CSRs are given conflicting or little to no information. Because of the Comcast-AT&T merger, the chain of command appears to be in flux. If you go go Comcast's website, they refer you to AT&T Broadband, and AT&T's information hasn't been updated since announcing the merger.

I really want to get my HDTV over cable, but I'm unwilling to wait patiently if that wait is indefinite. "Call back after the first of the year" was an appropriate answer, but to call at that time and be told "call again at the end of the month because we don't know when we're offering this service" is not. The channels are on the guide. Comcast is using DCT5100 boxes in other markets successfully (as evidenced by the DCT5100 thread on this very site). I understand that there may be problems, but tell your CSRs what those problems are (and timelines for fixing them) so that they can intelligently help customers.

I went into this believing that Comcast would be more customer-service oriented than AT&T, but so far I can't see it. Comcast is running ads telling everyone how bad satellite service is, and to go with Comcast. But all I know is that if I went with satellite I would be enjoying HDTV now. All Comcast is giving me is excuses...

Happy New Year,

jdp

Just to illustrate my earlier point, I figured I would call to see if I was getting the same info as anyone else. I was told:

"The "5100 boxes" were not yet in the system but were at the warehouse.

At this point, I asked if there had been any problems with the new boxes and if they were returned and being exchange for new ones. Answer: No.

OK, I say, has the rollout been pushed back at all, say until late January? Answer: No.

OK, I say again, so the boxes are in but not in the system, so that's the only reason work orders can't be scheduled? Answer: Yes.

OK, thanks."

RIIIIIIGHT! The CSR I talked to, like every other CSR, has no idea what the actual information is, and really, no reason why he should have known if there is no communication of information from higher up.

Question 1: Does anyone have a contact at Comcast in Atlanta that could give us an answer backed up by some facts and timelines?

Question 2: Comcast claims it is beta-testing HDTV right now (hence channels 880,881, 890, 891). Does anyone know anyone who is part of the beta-test? At one point I heard it was limited to Comcast employees, but I would think someone here might know someone at Comcast. I offer every time I call to be a beta-tester, as I'm sure others have. I've never been contacted, anyone else?

Question 3: Does anyone have a set top box capable of decoding 256 QAM encryption (e.g. a BUD 4DTV box) that they could hook up to the cable wire and see if 880 etc. are actually being broadcast?

Thanks.

I agree. Or at the very least, it appears that OTA will be necessary in the short term, coupled with HBO and Showtime via cable. Back when Comcast was AT&T, the plan for HD channels was to have NBC and Fox as part of the initial offerings, with ABC in time for the Superbowl. Well, the chances of having ABC-HD on Comcast in a few weeks seems pretty slim...

Who knows when they will even offer HBO and Showtime? No one can get a straight answer, and now they are distributing flyers promoting HD without a timeline (in contrast to VOD and the new HBO and Cinemax channels that are expressly stated to be available in February). This leads me to think that realistically HD won't be available by February

jdp

Has anyone noticed that reception on the other channels, particularly analog locals, has become worse since they've been testing HD HBO and Showtime? I'm getting intermittent horizontal lines of color that flash at the top and bottom of the screen, approximately once every 20 seconds.

I just called about it, and they said to unplug my box from the wall and then re-plug it after a few minutes because the box isn't responding properly. I haven't been home to try it yet, but somehow I don't think that will fix the problem...