Minneapolis, MN - Comcast - Page 90

I just checked with my neighbor who has lifeline (and a HDTV) and she is getting 4-1 & 11-1 just fine via QAM
(about 5 miles from Mystic Lake Casino)

Just checked and AntennaTV and Bounce are the only two local channels not available clear QAM via Comcast in Burnsville. All that are HD OTA are also available HD clear QAM.

AntennaTV is in QAM in Shakopee...I saw it at my neighbors
5-1 KSTP
5-2 KSTC
5-3 Metv
5-4 AntennaTV
5-5 LiveWell (should be 5-7)
5-6 ThisTV

BounceTV is not carried on Comcast yet

I stand corrected, I'm also getting AntennaTV on 5.4, as you said Bounce seems to be the only local not in clear QAM.

does it show Live Well on 5-5 or 5-7?

5.5 just like in your area.

It just came back up for me. I called Comcast and they said perhaps it was my tuner. Sure, 2 TV's with ironically the same issue?

FWIW, I just heard Comcast (in Bloomington at least and maybe other areas) is going 100% digital on or after March 12, 2013 and will encrypt all QAM channels. Now you need a Comcast box or cablecard on all your TVs or other devices that can take a Cablecard. You no longer will be able to direct connect the CATV to a device that can't get "activated" by Comcast.

^^^ personally I think thats kind of short sited. I can see eliminating the analogs but if they encrypt even the local QAM channels Comcast really has no advantage over satellite, every device will need a STB/CC or DVR. I wonder what will happen with apartments and such that have basic included in the rent, I doubt they'll start providing free STBs....time to go back to a MATV system.

Comcast is tunneling new conduit across my back yard in Eagan today. Any idea if this is just standard maintenance, or is this a substantial cable plant upgrade preparing for new services?

Knock on wood, but I've had very good service with few drops or outages from Comcast. I did have some signal issues a couple of years ago, but we traced that to coax being chewed by animals.

John

The annual Comcast rate increases came in my bill today effective 01-01-13. It looks like my hit is $6 a month. They are adding the OWN network to my digital starter package on 12-19-12 however. That's just great. Another channel I'll never watch. Interesting that the formally free SD digital addtional outlets now have a charge for the first two. I'm glad I didn't get any and did some RCA cabling instead. Additional CableCARDS in the same device now have a charge too.


Edited by Ray' - 12/4/12 at 4:41pm

I have Digital Starter and Performance Internet and want to get the National Geographic channel but I don't want to pay another $18.00 a month for it. Do you think I could get some kind of deal for Digital Preferred if I call Comcast and tell them I plan to switch to Direct TV (who offer that channel in their starter package)?

No, but Comcast now has software running on the cable boxes that will automatically report issues. Possibly they were receiving multiple reports pointing to a line that was beginning to fail.

that sucks. The apartment complex I moved into at the beginning of the month has free lifeline cable in all apartments (use to be free cable until they switched everything above lifeline to encrypted digital)
Really don't want to have to upgrade to get the locals. Might have to go antenna route

I didnt know where to post this so I'll ask here

As I noted above the apartment complex I live in has free lifeline cable (Comcast). When I hook up my HDTV and do a scan it works fine. Get 2-23 in analog and then the digital channels in QAM. The networks remap to what they are if I had an antenna (2-1,2-2,2-3,4-1,5-1 etc)...Here is my question

If I get a Tivo to record stuff will I have guide info on those channels? On both my HDTV's anything that I would call a "network channel" does have guide info. I'm talking 2,4,5,9,11,23,29,41 and any subchannel. The other channels in QAM like TBS, CNN, public access there is no guide info because it doesnt know that 115-50 is CNN or 93-15 is Public Access

But would the Tivo get guide info for the networks that map to what they are OTA? Like 2-1, 5-2, 11-1, 23-1 etc? Or will it show no guide info and I'd almost be better off trying to use an antenna since that would have guide info?

The TIVO will not get guide data for QAM channels. It doesn't get its info from PSIP like your TV's do - it gets 2 weeks of info from Tribune Media Services (owners of Zap2it). Your TV may map to the OTA channel on it's display - but the frequency that it is truly being tuned will not be one that matches the frequency that the TIVO will have listed through the Guide Service. To get correct guide mapping using a TIVO, you will need a cablecard. OTA, of course, (which is how I'm currently using my TIVO) will have all of the correct listings.

Thanks for the info. Might have to try the antenna route because I really dont want to "upgrade" my cable package when there is only a handful of channels I would watch and most of the shows from there I can get online

Interesting. I knew this was coming but hadn't heard any dates. If they are switching Bloomington to digital-only, they will be switching the rest of the areas (cities) around the same time. By the end of 2013 there will be no analogs left on Comcast systems in Minnesota.

They COULD have the same tuner (chip). Even if your TVs are different brands the tuners inside could be identical.

Will Comcast start encrypting local digital channels on basic cable in 2013? (2.1, 4.1, 5.1, etc.) The recent letter sent to Comcast customers in the Twin Cities indicating they are upgrading to all-digital on March 28, 2013 states the following; "QAM tuner TVs will continue to receive Limited Basic channels without a digital device unless signals are encrypted".

Looks like Comcast added Bounce TV (29-3). Saw it at my grandmas on channel 220 (SW burbs)

Doesn't seem to be on clear QAM in the southern suburbs....29.2 but no 29.3

I tried this at another property in the same Comcast area but this one has a MDTA and sure enough Bounce is clear QAM on 29.3 as they say, YMMV

I can't check here as they got rid of our free lifeline cable at the end of the year. The Friday before the end of the year there were 2 comcast guys in the parking garage unhooking lines. One guy said he was "unhooking everyone who was stealing cable" (huh?) and the other guy said the apartment complex wasnt paying for cable anymore so they had to unhook everyone who didnt subscribe. They put those caps on all the unused outputs.
(we have "free" Directv here but there is a catch...long story)

I believe we've some breathing room - I don't believe they can encrypt locals.... yet... at least until ~ Dec 2015 or until they provide some sort of DLNA device that allows users to receive the previous "basic" tier ClearQAM stuff.

http://apps.fcc.gov/ecfs/comment/view?id=6017114106

Page 16 -

Subject to the procedure described in this paragraph, Cable Operators shall be permitted to encrypt their Basic Service Tiers in Encrypted Systems in which they enable IP-enabled Clear QAM Devices to access the Basic Service Tier without the need for an Operator-supplied set-top box, DTA, or CableCARD. In enabling such access, such Cable Operators shall use commercially available security technology that is licensable on a non-discriminatory basis to manufacturers of such retail devices. Any Cable Operator that pursues this option agrees to make publicly available the requirements necessary (including any authentication processes) for such a device to access the Basic Service Tier and submit a copy of such requirements to the Commission. Cable Operators who elect this option shall be permitted to encrypt their Basic Service Tiers three months after submitting such requirements to the Commission

I believe somewhere in there it states that the rules sunset in 3 years, so either Comcast has to wait it out until they sunset then encrypt OR provide a solution as stated above, then encrypt.
Edited by AJD84 - 1/21/13 at 11:25pm

Up here in Blaine, I just got the letter from Comcast stating our conversion is effective March 19. It says "QAM tuner TVs will continue to receive Limited Basic channels: " and then lists them off. It doesn't mention any of the HD locals specifically. Think we'll still get those too like we do now?

I just got done hooking up cable to some TV's at my sisters house (she just moved in) and noticed something

All the lifeline channels are in QAM. On some of the analog channels (the national ones) it has a scroll across the top of the screen about something like "Due to Comcast's digital enhancement you will soon need a digital receiver to view this channel on all packages" If I remember right it was
18 QVC
19 HSN
21 CSPAN
22 WGN-America

But not on any of the locals, CNN (3), TBS (7) or the public access (14,15,16). This is in Shakopee. None of the channels had the scroll on the QAM version

I just installed the Comcast DTA last night and got it working (after actually talking to a live rep). All my previously HD channels are now in SD and look nasty on my 42" Samsung plasma. Will that change with the transition to the digital signal next week?

I think the free Comcast DTA is SD only.

Correct. At least in the West Metro - the HD Digital Converter (for Limited Basic) is listed as $2.50. I believe the HD Technology Fee of $10 still applies. The HD DVR at $17.95 includes the HD Technology Fee built in.