New Hampshire - Comcast - Page 79

Comcast mandates a truck roll in our area. It's WAY too complicated for a user to have to plug a card into a slot, make a phone call, and read some digits off of a screen...

That said, they've gotten FAR better with the CC installs. My 1st attempts at a CC install 3+ years ago were an outright fiasco. My most recent experience a few months ago were absolutely painless.

Hi,

I use firewire to record shows onto my DVR (mythtv based)

Up until the guide update, things were working fine. Now I am no longer able to tune any non-local channels over firewire.

Just curious if anyone else has seen, or can verify this? My box is an SA4250HDC

Thanks,

- J

Glad to hear the install went well but too bad about the defective card. I guess with Ceton trying to get these out quickly some defective units are bound to happen. At least they managed to replace it quickly even with cards on backorder.



I'm glad they are better at installing them now. I suppose a mandated truck roll won't be so bad as it will give me an excuse to stay home and work out any bugs before the wife gets home.

At least once the new FCC ruling takes effect they won't have a choice and will have to allow self-installs.

OK __ for some { or most } of us with the RNG-150 or 200 box , what are your thoughts ?

Happy ? Unhappy ? Confused ?

Well I for one don`t think they are very good , but , they are better than the Sci-Atl. "silver" boxes , right ?

I mean at least we can use HDMI and Optical out for 5.1 , so that is a plus.

Silver box users must either have a newer than HDMI 1.1 TV to get 5.1 to an audio receiver that has HDMI __OR__ use Component out and Optical for 5.1.

I have a lot of questions about Comcast using a 15 year old Linux program for the Op-Sys. , but maybe that is all they can use or the best there is at the present time.

2-Way CC seems to be a good idea , however with a download speed of only 1.5 Mbps , you can`t help wondering why is it not faster and is that the cause of "On-Demand" crashes that I am experiencing ?

Any and all thoughts are welcome

TY__ME 

noticed on this months bill:

"IMPORTANT INFO: Effective 2/9/11, E! on Expanded Basic channel 48 and Food Network on channel 50 will require digital capable equipment to view."

Is the Londonderry head switching to all digital one channel at a time? I wonder what the holdup is.. this will take eons at this rate.. I just want BBC America HD.. thats all I ask for! I want my Top Gear in HD (the real Top Gear, not that crappy US version on the History Channel)...

I have called so... many times to ask when. Something was supposed to happen on the 17th of Nov. , never did.

Nashua is updated , and so is Manchester , so if you live in-between it`s kind`a like the Twilight Zone.

Now I hear that Comcast is messing around with "web apps" , if so I figure another 10 years for that to happen.

I just want what I`m paying for. That has been my argument all along , the same features and HD channels that surrounding towns are getting.

What hurts is we are probably all paying the same rate , or very close.

Still missing :

Added HD channels

Caller ID on computer and tv screen.

NO ABC or Fox OnDemand ( I know we have FX ).

Faster more stable op. sys. for there boxes ( there using a 90`s version of Linux ).

Faster on-line speeds or atleast a stable SNR.

O___well , we pay . we wait !

Me 

Is anyone able to use PIP since the changeover? There is no response for those remote buttons from my 8300 box now.

They disabled it... and they have intention of re-enabling it either.

Wow. I'd be pissed if I was renting this box. To have to pay for the "privilege" of using this box, and having it actually become less useful (as if that were possible for that particular box) over time... Unreal.

Trying not to sound like a broken record, but once again... My TiVo has gotten MORE features over time. For no additional cost.

Thanks for the confirmation.

Wow, way to focus on the customer experience Comcast. Time to get serious about other options I guess.

Comcast prey's on and caters to the dummies of the world who don't know what PIP is, who don't know there are other DVR options, who are lemmings and pay for #()$#)(@ crap...

We here are the minority and I think we all know that.. we expect more, we are a tad more technical than the average Joe and Josephine... knowing more sometimes hurts..

-t

So, I've just read that Formula 1 is finally going to be broadcast in HD. F1 is the only reason I buy the sports package, and is the preponderance of what I watch on Speed.

Speed HD is out there... Is there any chance we will actually see Speed HD on Comcast in NH (Portsmouth)?

anyone else today on the londonderry head experiencing really slow internet?

My internet speeds vary from day to day sometimes from hour to hour.

I often go to speedtest.net to check and sometimes bounce of another sever , although more often than not it turns out to be slower.

As for the Londonderry feed , I just want them to finish it.
We are stuck in the middle and there are no signs of it being completed anytime soon.

I still have to reboot my "box" about once a week , it crashes mostly using "OnDemand" searching for movies or shows.

It`s a pain.

If Nashua and Manchester are set , then why not the in between ?

I have been told many stories , like we`re working on it or we are doing the best we can but it takes time.

Well , it been time , how about some actual progress.

If you go to fancast.com and do a search for "House or Bones" , it will say there are a few shows OnDemand , however there is no Fox station listed , FX yes , but not Fox.

I could go on , but you get the point.

Gary 

PS:

With box off press "help" and check out the box stats , the SNR that I`m getting runs in the lower 30`s with a download speed of only 1.5Mb.

It`s no wonder that my box crashes with such a slow chat to the sever.

Easy.

Those are large cities, with large populations (lots of paying customers!), and (probably most importantly) they run LOTS of Motorola equipment.

The towns "in between" are typically smaller in size, and are running SA/Cisco equipment (leftover from the Adelphia days). They won't upgrade these areas unless they have to, because they have to buy 2x types of different stuff, which has to be more expensive.

Just got off the phone w/Comcast CSR who had no clue regarding my slow system. Of course the first tech who saw that my modem was reacting slow accidentally hung up on me, so I called back and I got some braniac who mumbled her way through some stupid script.. No its not my modem, no its not the cable in my house.. yes i reset my router..

I just tested my speeds : 28.5Mbps down/3.9Mbps up.
(speedtest.net : Clifton, NJ server)

Things look good here. Not sure what could be causing your problems...

thanks paul.. this AM its back to normal.. DL in the 20-30 range up is 2-3 or so..

See, resetting your cable modem did the trick!

yes as did unplugging the router, waiting 30 seconds and plugging it back in. We all know how RAM needs 30 seconds of no power to "forget"..

Anyone else get a Voice Mail from Comcast about changes to the menu system ?

I received a VM today @ 1:00 PM

It states that @ Midnight tonight (2/23/2011) service will be working on the menu system and your CB might cycle on ~ off ( maybe more than once ) and that service will be interrupted during this maintenance period.

Outage should be only about 20 Min. to 1/2 hour.

Curious to see what we wake up to !!

Gary 

Hey anyone know if the newer Cisco cable boxes are available in Londonderry Head End?

Also.. anyone know if the HDMI and Component outputs are both simultaneously active?

I have the old 8300HD and it isn't playing nice with my latest HDMI gear.

--Bill

Hi Bill ,

I`m off the Londonderry feed and I have the RNG-150 ( black box / no display ).

So I would contact customer service and ask them to send you a new box , if that is what you want.

I am not thrilled with the one that I have in the bedroom , as it crashes about once a week .

But we have 2 and the one in the living room is fairly stable.

So it`s a roll of the dice.

As to HDMI + Component , I don`t think so , not if you still want to use the optical out for 5.1 surround to your amp / receiver.

The last software up - grade they did a few days ago was to fix an issue with the "silver" boxes not sending an optical 5.1 signal to amp/rec. with HDMI ( it would only work with component ).

The RNG-150 as NO issues using HDMI & Optical out for DD 5.1 !

I hope this helps , and don`t hold your breath for any radical changes as we will be the last of the line for there complete digital re-build.

Gary 

Thanks Jedi.

Yeah these boxes are crap but my family has become married to "on demand" services so it's not easy to replace them. What ever happened to "Tru2Way"?

I am currently having issues with the HDMI output of the "silver boxes" going through an HDMI to Cat5/6 converter. The HDCP refuses to negotiate. Athough source hardware such as Sony Blu-Ray, PS3, & Roku all work fine. It appears that the HDMI version on these SA boxes is really old so I was looking for an alternative.
Currently I am using a component->HDMI->HDMI->Cat5->HDMI. Amazingly it actually works but I would like remove some of the analog-digital conversions in the chain if possible.

Concerned now about the stability you mention though.. Maybe I'll have to pick one up and try it out for a couple of weeks before I commit to a full switchover.

Thanks,
Bill

Hey Bill ,

Actually , it`s a shot in the dark has to getting a good one.

Like I said I have 2 and 1 hardly ever locks up , so it really is a roll-of-the-dice !!

As far as "Tru-2-Way" the RNG-150 is equipped with a 2 way cable card , so it`s in there , albeit not a very good one , or it is being limited by the Linux Op. Sys.

Trans. rate is only 1.5 Mbps so you can see why they {might} be crashing.

This is a must:

http://www.motorola.com/consumers/US...008806b00aRCRD

This amp will help and as far as I know the only 2 way amp out there , and it must be a 2 way amp , a one way signal booster won`t work.

Good luck , and take care

Gary 

O__BTW:

The HD picture quality is really pretty good , even great at times , very close to BD !

Do you know if your 8300HD has a cable card slot in the back or not (older ones do not). I know the older ones have trouble with hdcp on googleTv boxes, but believe the newer ones do not. If you have an older 8300HD, it might help to swap it for a newer one. Not sure, but thought I'd mention it.

Latest Comcast bill has info on new pricing...

Typical "Dear Valued Customer" letter stating how Comcast TV is "better" now because we can watch shows on the go, we get free Norton software, and more on demand.. ie, a marketing experts way of telling us "you had all this stuff all along, we're just saying it again to make you feel like you are getting value for your money".

Because they give us the stuff we don't care about, and just seem to be lagging on expanding us to all digital, they get to charge us more..

Too many price changes to list here, but Digital Preferred, Additional outlet fee and the 12/2 and 16/2 internet service are all going up $1.. thats $3 extra for me a month.. Glad I don't use their phone system, the "rental" fee of the phone/modem box is going up $2 a month.

There a host of other fee changes, many of the installation costs are going down, but how often do you have to pay comcast to come out and hook up your VCR or DVD player (serious, its on there).

Come on comcast.. get us our all digital system and more HDs!

That is nuts

I have "Triple Play" + an extra HD box.

The Londonderry feed is still a work - in - progress , and they want more money , they should be giving us a discount because of all the stuff and HD channels we don`t get.

Gary 

They actually turned off the analog channels. I live north of Keene, NH

My QAM HDTV is fine.

I will have to install the digital adapters for the older TVs.

Last year at this time we had NESN Plus... trying to watch the Red Sox and the Bruins.. the B's are on 773, but last year we had plus somewhere in the 800s.. NESN.com lists the SD version on 84 which isn't coming in here.. ideas?