Quote:
Originally Posted by
Beaker1024 
Well New London / Groton region finally got the >1,000 channel numbers and more HD channels. I can't believe it actually came and I'm considering canceling completely the TV from Comcast. Some questions:
1) If you cancel cable TV but keep cable internet do they still pass ClearQAM NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox? (can anyone verify for this region?) Or it's nothing and you need to pray an antenna picks up Hartford OTA feeds?
2) Going the opposite direction. If I keep cable TV has anyone gotten a cable card? Do you get one free (no monthly lease/rental fee) from Comcast? I'm thinking a HD HomeRun Prime 3CC looks like a great solution and giving them back the 8 yr old SA8300HD box (worst thing is storage space and My Recording listings not having "folders" for TV Series. Ten months of HD DVR rental fees from Comcast pays for the HDHomeRun Prime!
3) Does anyone know if the Groton/New London area uses Switched digital Video (SDV)? The HD HomeRun Prime needs an additional SDV adapter if so but I think you get that from Comcast for free possibly.
Lastly a statement:
I know they started handing out the ____ 200 boxes (I think they are Cisco) but heard they have bugs/issues and if a SA8300HD is working just stay with it! That's a sad statement if true (heard it from a Comcast contracted installer) as Comcast is still only giving out outdated (I mean REALLY outdated!) hardware with no current level features.
You might get the locals, but you're not supposed to. Basic cable plus cable internet is about the same price as just internet, so you may as well do that. That's a good compromise between having full cable and not having cable at all. I think they do ClearQAM, but I haven't tried it in a while, so I'm not sure. My one TV that doesn't have a box has a DTA, but I haven't turned it on in months.
You can definitely get a cable card. That's federal law.
Comcast doesn't use SDV AFAIK. They triple-channel their QAMs, split nodes, and upgrade to 860mhz, but they don't do SDV. They don't believe in it as of now.
I think the SA gear is even worse than the Moto, and the Moto is pretty bad. If you're getting cable, build your own DVR, and if you're not going to do that, get DirecTV or DISH.