Minneapolis, MN - Comcast - Page 79

Ala carte pricing will never work because too many crap channels would fail because there would not be enough subscriber base to support their dreck. So we are all stuck with paying high prices so small percentages of the population can watch something that does not interest most of us.

This may have been mentioned, but I haven't seen it yet.

Is there anyway to receive the local HD channels with basic cable without having to rent a box from Comcast yet?

Right now I'm using a switch box and an antenna to receive all of the local OTA HD channels. Most of the channels that I receive via basic cable are coming through OTA, but not all and it would be nice to be able to eliminate the antenna.

Originally I ordered basic cable just for the discount on my internet service plus not needing to use an antenna on my non HD tv.

Thanks!

As long as your HDTV has a tuner built in then you can just plug in the coax cable directly into the TV from the wall to get the local HD channels.

I just rescanned my channels and the HD ones are now showing up via basic cable..that wasn't working when I set it up originally back in Oct so something must have changed for the better.

When you say "basic cable" what exactly do you mean in term of what equipment you have and how it's connected?

I have the 'basic cable' package from Comcast that costs ~$10 a month that just provides local channels and a few others like WGN, the Weather Channel, HSN, etc.

I do not have a cable box. I have the cable connected directly to my TV.

I found this bit of a relic by random tonight so I thought I would share it:

http://connect.spps.org/sites/38f534...09-29-05_2.pdf

Remember when we used to have a meager 14 HD channels in this area? Remember INHD1 and INHD2? Let alone remember when ESPN only had one HD channel that barely had any HD content?

Yeah I don't remember any of that either.

Does anyone know when MyDVR manager is going to be available? I was told March 15 a couple of months ago but so far...nothing.

Have you looked at your cable bill recently? The basic cable package that used to cost about $10 now costs $14.17, plus tax and fees.

Wow, that's only 5.5 yrs ago too. Horrible.

Well the proliferation of all the HD choices we've come to enjoy in the last 5.5 years certainly isn't horrible! What isn't so great is what we have to pay every month to receive all that expanded programming in HD.

I depends on your area. I believe some residents of St. Paul already have it, but those of us in the western burbs and mpls do not. They need to update the TV guide first. I've not been able to get a clear answer for when it will happen. The claim is always early 2011.

I have been Cable TV free for about a month and a half now ... but before I cut the cord, we had the online DVR manager in Brooklyn Park. I could see both DVR's .. schedule recordings ... etc. The only thing that wasn't working yet was the online channel changer from the Fancast listings.

We've come a good deal tho in 5.5 years.... yet we are so far away from really being complete in terms of HD channels.

Has any one heard anything about HD Net coming to the channel lineup in Blaine (55449)? Also has anyone switched to the new DOCSIS 3.0 boxes yet? If so what performance upgrade did you notice?

No word on HDNet. HDNet says there is an carriage agreement for our area. Comcast reps are simply clueless on the matter. As far as DOCSIS 3.0 even at lower speeds there is an improvement with connection stability since the modems are required to use four channels instead of one that 1.0 and 2.0 modems use.

True. We bought our first HDTV (480i/480p/1080i) in September of 2001. A 55" Mits CRT monster (about 250lbs). It didn't even have its own tuner. Had to pay about $300 for an external one (that also converted 720p to 1080i, which the TV itself couldn't do). And pretty much all there was to watch in HD was Monday Night Football OTA (cable wasn't carrying anything HD yet).

I got my first HDTV - an Phillips 32 inch 4x3 1080i CRT set just in time for Super Bowl 38 to watch the Patriots win Lombardi number 2.

I've still got a 35" Mitsubishi CRT in the basement that we use occasionally. When I bought it used from an old boss of mine in the mid-90's it was one of the more expensive TV's you could buy at the time, around $3,000 new (I paid $1,500 w/two years of use). The picture (display) still works great, but its built-in tuner no longer works! So it's perfectly OK with a VCR or cable box connected, or as a display when used with a DVD player.

Anyway, I'm now looking to replace it with a flat screen. What's holding me back is how do I move it? According to the owners manual it weighs 308 lbs. which is way too much for me to move, even with my wife's help, up two sets of stairs.

For anyone who might be interested in taking if off my hands for free - with the help of a couple of your strong friends - you can send me a PM and I'll be happy to make arrangements for you to take it away! Or if anyone has any other ideas on how I should replace it, I'm all ears.

Craigslist works great for this sort of thing.

People will take anything for free. Be aware that you will be bombarded with e-mails or phone calls when you do this. I agree...a great way to dispose of usable stuff that you don't really need/want any compensation for.

Thanks for the Craigslist suggestion. I've never used it but I will definitely look into it.

That's the glass tube 4:3 ones? I had a friend who had the 40" model of one of those Mits at the same time. I think it was the largest glass tube CRT TV made for the consumer market (my 2001 MITs 55" CRT was projection not a glass tube, but that still qualifies as "CRT" because the RGB guns at the back were still CRTs). We had some nice Super Bowl parties at his place with that 40" monster. It'd look kinda petite next to our TVs now.

Yes it is the glass tube 4:3. I remember the 40" model and even looked at it briefly but I thought they wanted to much for it! That one probably weighed >400 lbs.

I called Comcast inquiring about the DOCSYS 3.0 box and they told me that we have a 2.0-3.0 compatible box now. Also they said we could get the box bit it requires a very strong signal and any weak signal would make the internet drop out. Here is my question, Is the box that we currently have good enough(I like the best of the best) to get the best possible speeds and signal quality? I would just like to know if they are giving me the run around or not.

Also what is coming down the pike as far as more HD or extra channels being added to the Blaine (55449) area.

I suspect a few might get added sometime in April or even May. In fact I got a gut feeling a certain soccer channel in HD will be one of them.

New rate card and channel lineup for Eagan, starting April 1-st (copied from my bill).

 

New Rate (page 1).pdf 302.77734375k . file

 

New Rate (page 2).pdf 369.94921875k . file

 

Channel Lineup (page 1).pdf 297.2529296875k . file

 

Channel Lineup (page 2).pdf 335.060546875k . file

Did Minneapolis suddenly lose HDNet? Its not listed at all on that updated listing.

I believe only the former Time Warner areas have HDNet.

Wasn't Eagan part of that area? Or am I mistaken?