Boston, MA - Comcast - Page 183

These guys at Comcast are dragging on this digital switch which is limiting the number of HD channels they have which already is junk. They still dont have MLB Network, ESPNNEWS, BIG TEN Network, or ESPNU in HD. They have 1 Boston station Channel 5 ABC in HD dropped the rest of them and only have Providence locals in HD and none of Providence news is even in HD. They have not got any new HD channels here in Attleboro in a year what a joke.

Yet if you go to some other threads/forums, you see people incessantly whining about having lost analog cable channels. Comcast is riding a fine line between pissing us off versus pissing them off. Neither set of subscribers is more important than the other, on the surface, so they've got to gauge when one versus the other becomes more important via some other metric.

It doesn't matter! Your going to piss them off anyway and I think it is better to do it sooner than later.

PS: It's open for debate where you fit in with the us or them analogy.

Hehe... don't mistake what I write with my own personal preferences. I'd figure that 90% of the time I rely on other people to well-represent my own personal preferences online. What I find lacking online is the perspective of the other side, and I post often because of my concern about the effect of people often only seeing one side of the story presented -- the unfounded expectations that fosters and the resulting death spiral of unnecessary disappointment and bitterness that results. I have some significant past experiences which made it clear to me how much that is really needed.



Yes, you're going to "piss them off" anyway, but I don't think either sooner or later is always going to be the right answer. Indeed, there is never an easy answer. It always is a balancing act, with the supplier having to decide when to "piss them off" -- sometime after sooner and sometime before later.

I'm one of the conflicted folk, I want the multitude of HD channels, but I don' t want to have to add a splitter on to my secondary HD set with a QAM tuner to get the extended basic channels + locals in HD. I would add a second HD box if it wasn't for the ridiculous digital replication fee. So I am "Ok" with a Feb/Mar/April 2010 conversion for Chelmsford.

-Ken

Indeed, I don't understand why adding a 2nd HD box (non-DVR) is so expensive. I pay $13.95. I need it so I can stream whatever program I am interested in and watch it on my laptop wherever I move around and outside the house while my wife is watching something different on our TV set.

I never really looked at my bill till the economy got bad and I was not working.

When I realized how expensive it was for a second DVR HD unit, I dumped it.

A problem I don't have. I may be the only person in the US who has never owned more than one television at at time.

I think that's really going to become a big dichotomy, between the singles, couples, and families with children. I suspect that each successive level introduces substantially more "need" for additional televisions. My wife and I, for example, never watch anything without the other. By contrast, my younger brother with wife and two children in the house could regularly be tuned into three or four different programs at the same time.

I added a LG LST-3100A in my bedroom to get HD on my HDTV.

best $30 I spent and do not have to pay comcast each month, which I was doing.

Regarding the LG, though: Have we heard anything definitive (i.e., from L Supreme, perhaps) about any commitments not to encrypt QAM for cable networks as part of, or after deployment, of Project Calvary. I personally would not invest a penny in QAM without CableCARD without a clear, definitive, and perhaps even written promise (not from L Supreme! ... from Comcast!) that I wouldn't end up being limited to just the broadcast locals.

That is a pretty darn good price for something that is not made anymore. I paid a lot more for mine about 4 years ago. The up-converting DVD player is cool feature with it as well. You still can't get any of the encrypted channels though unless you are in an area that just had the conversion but that advantage will be going away soon from what I hear.

for the post before yours.... I don't find $30 an investment. I already have got over a year of use out of it and it has paid for itself already.


yes, it was a great price shipped. I also owned the LST-4100 but regretfully sold it, but at a huge profit at the time as it was very popular and hard to find. I got double the retail price I paid for it, so not all was lost.

but the 3100A is basically the same thing without the analog tuner, which I do not use anyway.

I have a number of older devices beyond the initial "free" three that are going to need a DTA. I dislike the idea of paying Comcast an additional monthly fee for this equipment. Can these things be bought outright? Thanks.

It's only up to two that you get at no cost. I don't know of any place that are selling these things retail so it is either pay Comcast or get a QAM tuner and watch just the locals and a few others on just one or two of your tv's.

It wouldn't do me any good because all channels that I am interested in are encrypted.

As the kinks get worked out of Tru2Way and it becomes more widespread across the country, expect to see devices you can buy at BB or Sears or what have you that only require a cable card. Panasonic already sells their Tru2Way capable TVs in the Chicago area (which was one of the early systems to roll out Tru2Way and where alot of the kinks are being learned bout).

Cablecards cost money and still require a monthly fee. He was talking about his older tv's so I doubt he has interest in the newer ones from Panasonic at this time.

My point is, while its TVs right now... it will be set top boxes and the like later on. Eventually, with CableLabs working on downloadable conditional access, the need for CableCards might not even be necessary.

Granted.


Absolutely.

No. You could use your own QAM tuner, but this month many of the manufacturers of DTAs were granted a waiver by the FCC that ostensibly will make it likely that, in many parts of the country, you'll only be able to tune in your local over-the-air broadcast channels using your own, non-CableCARD-equipped QAM tuner.

What the law provides for you is the ability to demand provision of a CableCARD, at a regulatory-reviewed nominal price, for use in your own QAM tuners. However, of course, that means your own QAM tuners must be CableCARD-compatible. And, even with the benefits of that law, you'd still have to pay an additional outlet fee for every outlet beyond your first outlet. Digital cable television service is ostensibly priced per television.

Am I wrong in saying that FioS doesn't charge the replication fee ?

-Ken

I'll check into that.

Okay, updated... Comcast provides one CableCARD free, and charges about $7 extra for each additional digital outlet, plus $1.50 extra for each additional CableCARD. FiOS doesn't charge extra for monthly service to additional digital outlets, but charges about $4 for each CableCARD. So basically FiOS is clearly less expensive, in this regard, once you get to the third digital outlet with CableCARD.

Can anyone who's switched out to the new 250GB HD DVR is the 30 second skip and swap functions still work as they did with the 160 GB version? Local office has the new boxes and I just wanted to be sure before making the change out.

Yes they work just fine.

Well after having both Comcast and FIOS the last six months, I have officially cut my ties with Comcast since my promo period has ended. I now have FIOS for just TV/Internet and use Ooma ( Awesome product btw ) for phone. I rated FIOS ahead in almost every category so it was an easy decision for me. I'm not going to say I'll never be back with Comcast, maybe after the digital conversion I'll have to check back in. But my area isn't scheduled for another 6 or 7 months though! Until then, my post here will be sparse but will always be lurking to keep informed of any changes.

Did you program the new style remote or were you using an old one?

Out of curiosity, where is your local office? Thanks!

Hello,

I am going to sign the one year contract with Comcast in a few days for HD service and I could use some help.

I will be getting the "Digital premier and sports entertainment package" and that includes the "free" DVR.

The fact that the DVR is free makes me think it may not be the best DVR that Comcast offers in the Boston area so I am turning to all of you for advice.

I don't want Comcast to stick me with a DVR that is inferior to what is available.

Can someone tell me if there is a difference in the DVR's that Comcast offers in the Boston area?

Comcast says the DVR I will be getting records 40 hours of HD so does that mean it is the best DVR they offer in Boston?

What about this new 250GB HD DVR? Should I ask Comcast if I can have that DVR?

All of these things are new to me. I will be getting my first HDVT in a few weeks and I have no idea what to look for in services from Comcast. And I do not exactly trust them to give me the best advise.

Can someone tell me what to do before I sign this contract and I am stuck with it for one year.

If it matters I live in South Boston.

Any and all help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Jim