Chicago, IL - Comcast - Page 113

This may sound like a stupid question, but I am thinking of taking up Comcast on a similar offer, is the tax a one time fee or added every month?

this may be so obvious, but have you asked them to try a different card?

it took 2 to get mine working, on a Pioneer Elite 1120HD...

Every month they add about 5.5% in my area for "Taxes, Surcharges, & Fees", almost all of it designated "Franchise Fee."

Yup, I'm on the 4th card. Now Comcast is mystified, grasping at straws, talking about maybe a "bad batch" of cards and trying to find an older one to give me. This is why I'd like to find other local comcast customers that have the Sony DVR or a Sony TV with a working CableCARD. We have to teach Comcast how these work.

The tech says they need to do something a little different at Comcast with each new brand/model TV. I don't really understand this. I thought the manufacturers made the hardware to certain specs agreed upon with Motorola and the cableco programming should be the same for any Motorola card in any brand consumer device.

Sony TV

According to this post, http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13870381, the Chicago area will start to see the 9.19 6412 sortware upgrade today.

One last question: I'm going to get a cheap HD ready set for a small room of mine, do the Comcast HD boxes have a digital audio/optical output on the back (for DD5.1 surround sound of the HD telecasts) or am I basically screwed if the back of my TV doesn't have it? TY

EDIT: Also, is there some where on Comcast's site where they show the receivers? I could've sworn I saw it once, but can't find it anymore, possibly on Motorola's site?

The Comcast HD boxes have digital audio outputs. You can check the Motorola DCT-6412 page for more info.

All Comcast HD boxes have Digital Optical, Digital Coaxial, and Analog Audio jack on the back. The manuals for the boxes are available here:

http://broadband.motorola.com/consum...eEntertainment

For those of you that actually have a cable card installed, does Comcast charge a monthly fee or just a one time installation fee? I keep getting mixed signals on this. The picture quality using the built in digital tuner (Sony) is far superior to that from the DVR box (at least on channels 2 - 99) that I would like to get a card to also cover the upper tier channels, but I don't want another monthly fee added to my bill.

KAD

No monthly fee, but a $24.99 install charge. You'll also need some "luck" for Comcast to get the card to work. Please let me know if you do get it working.

yeah, I originally had the cable card, working fine on my Pioneer Elite, but I missed having a on screen guide, and I wanted to try the On Demand stuff; you do NOT get either with a cable card...
Well, after using the 6412 for awhile, and hating the picture quality on the analog channels, I thought I would just call Comcast, and get the cable card for that reason, and use the MOTO box for everything else..
I was quoted $31.99 for install, and no monthly fee, but I decided I didn't want to pay another install fee just to get the card again...Hopefully, this new software upgrade might help the PQ on the lower channels a bit...
All things consiodered, don't bother with the cable card, unless you can live without a Guide, and On Demand..

I live by Wrigely. I am thinking of adding comcast digitial and one hd box. My internet is from comcast but continue to have problems with it. Anyone know if this would effect the digital cable also???? I called CC and get many different answers.

Larry

I am considering getting the Comcast Digital classic package using the stb vs. cablecard - in order to get rid of my OTA HD indoor antenna (which I need to get up and move all the time to get good signal for different channels)-
Do people recommend the stb to get the Guide?

Plus I have too many remote controls...does this mean I will get a 4th remote to use? I know using a cablecard, I won't need a new remote. Also- is there a monthly "rental" fee for the stb (Cablecard has no fee/month which is appealing).
thanks for any input.

Yes, you'll need a new remote. The guide makes life a whole lot easier.
You do not need to step up to a digital package to get a Comcast HD box. You can get the Basic package for $16. This will give you the locals in HD. If you want/need all of the HD that Comcast has to offer, you'll need to step up to the digital package.
The HD box is an additional $5/month, the HD DVR is $10/month. The DVR is by far the most pleasurable $10 monthly bill I pay.

When I had the standard Comcast hd box (the 5200 I believe), the analog channels (2-99) were unwatchable on my 65" mits. Then I upgraded to the 6412 HD DVR. The analogs are nothing to brag about, they are now watchable.

I got 9.19 overnight.

Same here - I just checked and my firmware is now 9.19. However, I was a little distressed to find that all my recorded shows had disappeared. Also, all of my series recording settings have disappeared, too.

So consider this a general warning to everyone who gets the new firmware: check your recording settings in case they got wiped out!

Just curious if any of the new phase 3 6412's with HDMI & SATA ports have been sighted in this area yet.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=558532
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=558602
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...&&#post5856669

Got 9.19 here also, still got all my recordings and series records too, thank god

My 6412 lost about 20 minutes in the middle of the 2-3 AM (I think) episode of X-Files that it was recording from TNT-HD last night. Apparently the 9.19 download was occurring then. Everything else was intact. Can't notice any change in operation so far.

Edit: The update in this area must have been in the 2:28-2:50AM interval.

There are a few channels now being digitally simulcast here in Schaumburg:
3: Comcast Network
13: Schaumburg Village
15: Public Access
24: Library Cable Network
26: ARTS
30: TV Guide Channel
96: Leased Access

All are way up at 825MHz (beyond analog 125!!) The Dolby Digital symbol is currently only showing on tuner 1 again. It'll probably fix itself in a few days, as it tends to do.

TVGC is a bit better than before. Much less pixelation on the scrolling text.

Sorry, wrong forum.

Thanks for this memo. I checked on QAM Ch. 129 (824-830MHz) and found that Mount Prospect headend is doing the same:

129-1 analog Ch. 96
129-2 MP Park District
129-3 ARTS/Oakton CC
129-4 analog Ch. 3
129-5 MP access
129-6 test pattern

The PQ on these looks prettty decent. I didn't take the time to listen to ARTS, but I'm curious to see how the audio compares to the quasi-stereo it has on analog 24.

I really wish Comcast would remove the encryption from Comcast SportsNet HD. The 6412 receives it fine on Ch. 200 of course, but that 15-min buffer is a pain. If they would pass it through "in the clear" (it's on QAM 85-1 or 85-2 in our area), I could watch on my LG 3410A DVR which has an amazingly good buffer capacity. I don't know why; it has the same HDD as the 6412. Perhaps it's due to the 6412 having 2 tuners vs 1 on the 3410A.

I think on 6412 (or any other digital cable box), when you tune to channel 3 it is actually giving you the digital version of that channel. That's whay if you go to diagnostics menu you will see that its frequency is 825MHz. Cable box is mapping channel 3 to its digital counterpart (and not the analog one).

Well, I just ordered and upgraded to Comcast Digital Classic + DVR. I forgot to ask the rep one question though, and instead of waiting on hold on the phone wanted to see if anyone could easily answer:

If i upgrade from previous Standard cable to the above for my main home theatre plasma tv, will my other 2 standard TVs (that currently have standard cable) also be upgraded to Digital Classic channels, or remain standard channel lineup?

thx

Your whole house cable feed will be digital classic but if you don't have digital boxes or cablecards on those tvs, you will notice no difference.

thx, so in other words - the other 2 regular tvs upstairs will remain with
the channel line up for "standard Cable" (not the digital classic) lineup right?

That's correct.

Thanks for pointing this out. I'll edit my post concerning the need for new channel numbers.

HD / OnDemand finally available Downtown!!!

I just had my new HD box installed today in the Gold Coast. The tech said the service went live Monday and I was one of the first installs.

When I called to order I was told that I was still not "rebuilt" but when I insisted they transfered me to a "techinician" who agreed to schedule the install. Finally!!!!!

-Stu