Boston, MA - Comcast - Page 132

This might probably not be right question for this thread, but can someone (other than bicker) explain if encrypting digital channels (enhanced basic channels like TBS, TNT, USA, espn etc) and charging for cable box is legal or ethical?

Before DigitalTV all we had to do was plug the cable to the TV and tune to get these channels. Now even though my TV has a Digital Tuner, I still need to pay 5.95 to get same channels because Comcast encrypted those. I understand the need to encrypt Premium channels, but for expanded basic they can probably just add a filter at junction box like they do today for analog cable. Why must consumer pay cable box charges to get enhanced cable? Seems like Comcast is using Digital conversion to make more money.

This is assuming that analog channels will go away soon.

I'm sorry, but I'm a member of this community, and I'll respond to all messages that I know the correct answer to.


Charging for a cable box for receiving cable networks is both legal and ethical.

I would suggest, though, that folks who would like laws to be passed that would be more biased in the consumers' favor should probably consider who they're voting for early next month. One party is traditionally much more pro-business, and the other much more pro-consumer. If you feel most strongly about these issues, you have a role in voicing your support for the perspective that you want to see prevail more often.


They can, but it substantially increases the cost of implementing service changes. Comcast currently charges us here in MA just $2 to change service; removing or adding physical filters costs twenty or thirty times that, at least.

I have to agree with bicker on this one. But the jury is still out on how Comcast will handle the remaining Expanded channels once they go digital. I have heard they may be sent in the clear while others say you will need a box or some other device. Either way, they have the right to make a profit since they are a business but with all the upgrading of the infrastructure that is required to go this route, that capital has to be raised somewhere so yes they are probably taking advantage of this transition in some ways but it is really not padding their bottom line as much as you think because of these needed expenses to stay competitive.

Can anyone tell me the monthly cost of adding a second DVR box and/or a second HD box? We're considering adding either or both of those things to the bedroom, and trying to use the comcast site to get these answers was proving futile.

Thanks in advance...

Mr Bicker. I agree you have a right to respond.

Mr Lodef: I understand Comcast is in business to make money. What I want is transparency. Just have the rates proportional to cost. Forcing users to pay monthly fees for box should not be a revenue source. would you feel same if comcast caps internet speeds and forces you to rent a router from comcast to get higher speeds?

But Directv and Dish (D* and E*) do this so why can't Comcast?

However, that specific type of transparency isn't something that we consumers have a right to expect, from suppliers of commercial services to us. Figure that your franchising authority and the FCC are in the business to impose such transparency requirements, if they are appropriate, and, despite passing related regulations, they did not require such transparency.


Cost-based pricing is a losers' proposition. Successful customer-facing service providers employ value-based pricing, not cost-based pricing. Practically no company will, or should, employ cost-based pricing unless required to do so by law. So it still comes back to the regulators, selected by the folks we've put into positions of power in our government, i.e., their discretion based on their understanding of the charge from their constituents and the law.


I disagree. My TiVo accepts CableCARDs which are less expensive than cable boxes. I don't want to subsidize folks who need a cable box. They should pay more than I do, so in order for that to be the case, there needs to be separate charges for what they need versus what I need.


Absolutely.

Some new HD channels were just added to my Back Bay Comcast lineup...

815 Planet Green
834 E!
860 Cartoon Network

A bit meh to me but, the more the merrier =P

Seems like Chicago also got some of those today. Comcast must negotiate the channels for those two systems simultaneously since they are the only ones with the available bandwidth while the rest of us can only sit and wonder when and if we can get an additional channel to our already limited line up.

My Series 3 finally got the program listings for the new channels, but didn't seem to move my Season Passes. I guess I'll just do in manually tonight...

Does anyone remember when Comcast dropped alot of the analog channels in Boston/Brookline. I never saw many mentions of it on this forum and I have been here since 2003.

WZMY (MyTV "Boston" affiliate) to shut off analog early (on Dec 1):

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6605936.html

Not a test, the real thing!

Guess Comcast will have to add the digital signal at that point.

WZMY-DT is NOT HD! I believe the analog channel wasn't even Stereo

Doesn't matter, it will be covered under "must carry" rules if there's no analog signal. None of the rules have anything to do with HD, it's all about digital broadcasting.

BTW, 838 has very little HD as well, didn't stop them from getting carried. And MyTV now has a popular show - Smackdown.

Little is more then NONE

Just because a network is in HD dosen't mean all of its affiliates are.

That's because they made a mistake and marked the new channels as WFXT instead of WFXTDT, etc. I've already entered a lineup issue report with TiVo.

As have I.

Plus me - did not know that the call letters were how the guide determines the Season Pass location.

How many HD channels those Boston have? I live in Chicago & we just got ESPNews, MGM, Biography, Planet Green, & Toon Disney. So Comcast has finally added Cartoon Network HD as well as E! Here in Chicago we still haven't got The Movie Channel, Showtime 2, Starz Kids & Family, Starz Comedy, & Starz Edge.

In Concord, NH we got added three channels in the 800s. However, they're just locals.
808 WLVI
814 WBSK
806 WFXT (Why would we get this, it's just Fox 25 which is already on 825 as an HD channel)
I can see adding the other two, they weren't digital but why have Fox 25 on analog 25, digital 806 and HD 825?

They are rearranging the channels so that the locals are down out of the way, leaving room for other channels to take the previous slots. I suspect it will be on both channels until the end of the month. It's really nothing more than a transition to move those channels to a new logical position.

They're in the process of relocating/remapping those channels to lower channel numbers. No new channels are being added. It's an effort to logically group the HD channels. In this case, the local HD channels are in the lowest of the 800 range.

My TiVO HD has yet to get the listings for the new local channel positions (I see above that the Series 3 people DID get them). On my TiVO HD, they are correctly identified as the DT channels, but because there are no listings, my season passes remain with the older numbers.
Anyone know when they will shut off the upper numbers?

Rumor has it that they will shut off at the end of the month, but I don't believe that there's been any official word...

well let's hope TiVO has the listings by then....

~54 not counting the duplicate local channels. Strangely though, it's been a few days now and the guide hasn't been updated to show the channel name and programming info for the 3 new channels. I've unplugged and started downloading the info again to see if that updates them...

It's been longer than a few days. More like a little over a week.

My TiVo certainly has the listings---it just didn't move over the season passes...

Does the guide have the correct channel designation..i.e., WFXTDT?
Mine has the correct designations, just no listings.

On my Series 3:
806: WFXT (full listings)
808: WLVI (full listings)
814: WSBK (full listings)

825: WFXTDT (full listings)
838: WSBKDT (full listings)
856: WLVIDT (full listings)