What's up with these comcast DTV boxes?



Quote:
Originally Posted by fuzzy02cls /forum/post/18107441


Comcast just forced my complex in South FL to get these.

So now I have to have this little box to get basic cable TV. Why? I thought nothing was needed to continue to watch TV after the digital switchover.



CC is no help I get only BS CS answers of better content clear picture etc etc.

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Comcast is like any bureaucracy. The animus is power, control and money.


As long as Comcast was telling folks that they needed nothing else to receive cable that was true.


Then Comcast stopped telling folks that they had everything they needed.


Then Comcast announced that folks needed a "digital device," (at minimum) a Digital Transport Adapter. That's a fancy name for a "Digital To Analog" converter box. After the DTAs become available Comcast will implement a "Network Enhancement." That's a fancy name for "scrambling" and "remapping" most of the cable networks.


That's like many companies' offering products with a "lifetime guarantee." What is a "lifetime" guarantee? It's only good during the "lifetime" of the product--not the "lifetime" of the purchaser or the "lifetime" of the company. Once the product fails it's "lifetime" is over.



Quote:
Originally Posted by DigaDo /forum/post/18108058


Comcast is like any bureaucracy. The animus is power, control and money.

As long as Comcast was telling folks that they needed nothing else to receive cable that was true.

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Comcast never said that in this region. From reading about other regions, here on AVS, I have never read of them saying that anywhere else; maybe they did say, but I would be skeptical.


What they did say, here, was this (or something very similar), 'With Comcast you are ready for the Digital Broadcast Transition'. Apparently, it mislead many less tech. saavy people, but it is indeed true, because that transition, indeed, did not affect TVs connected to cable.


Even for Comcast's Digital Cable Transition, with Comcast one is, or will easily be, ready. One could have had digital cable box(es) already; and in our area, even the DTAs were available for 11 mos. before the transition started, which they will send to the customers upon request.

Quote:
Then Comcast stopped telling folks that they had everything they needed.


Then Comcast announced that folks needed a "digital device," (at minimum) a Digital Transport Adapter. That's a fancy name for a "Digital To Analog" converter box. After the DTAs become available Comcast will implement a "Network Enhancement." That's a fancy name for "scrambling" and "remapping" most of the cable networks.

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Actually, the 'Network Enhancement' is discontinuing Analog Expd. Basic, and then scrambling Digital Expd. Basic, which was only in the clear since DTAs became available, in any given area; before that, the channels were encrypted for several years, since the ADS (simulcasting) began.


Though, the point you, apparently, are trying to make, is that the only Expd. Basic available (Digital) is not in the clear, indeed. We never cared for cable boxes, but, to us, the DTAs are not intrusive; I know to some they are.


More than three cable boxes/adapters on an account, and they cost $2/ea. Of course, if anyone thinks the first three are 'free', he would be deluding himself. Last year, the price increase on Standard and Digital Starter was more than usual, no doubt to cover the cost of the impending DTAs.


However, this was overdue, they needed to free the bandwith to provide much more HD, and they also think we need faster Internet speeds; I not so sure about the latter, just yet, though.



Quote:
Originally Posted by QZ1 /forum/post/18109154


Actually, the 'Network Enhancement' is discontinuing Analog Expd. Basic, and then scrambling Digital Expd. Basic ...


Though, the point you, apparently, are trying to make, is that the only Expd. Basic available (Digital) is not in the clear, indeed. We never cared for cable boxes, but, to us, the DTAs are not intrusive; I know to some they are.


More than three cable boxes/adapters on an account, and they cost $2/ea. Of course, if anyone thinks the first three are 'free', he would be deluding himself. Last year, the price increase on Standard and Digital Starter was more than usual, no doubt to cover the cost of the impending DTAs.


However, this was overdue, they needed to free the bandwith to provide much more HD, and they also think we need faster Internet speeds; I not so sure about the latter, just yet, though.

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I understand that the law prevents recording copyrighted material in its original quality to removable media (DVDs).


In recent years Comcast had allowed us to record SD digital signals for most clear QAM cable networks. Of course, you will remind me that Comcast has only been providing those clear QAM cable networks as a "courtesy." Perhaps you will suggest that we've just been "free-loading" these recent years as Comcast never officially acknowledged that those 120 clear-QAM sub-channels even existed.


Our Comcast monthly bill is in the $180 range with the initial HD tier but without "premium channels." We also have Comcast internet service.


In our household we have a number of expensive clear QAM devices including HDTVs, DVD recorders and HDD/DVD recorders. With the recorders we were (until the June 24 2009 to November 10 2009 transition period) able to record Comcast's digital signals for time-shifting or archiving programming in the SD format with our own clear QAM recorders.


Yes, we have several HD and digital converter boxes and DTAs to provide the same programming we used to be able to access/record without some of those devices.


The Comcast "Network Enhancement" has forced us to return to The Analog Age whenever there is time-shifting/archiving to removable media.


You've gone on at some length confirming my observations:


Comcast, like government, is arrogant and condescending.


It's all about power, control and money.

Cable is included in my HOA fee's. I don't pay anything extra. I refuse to pay $100/month or more to watch TV.

I am a little annoyed the DTA boxes don't have at least an audio out.

Would be nice to feed my surround system from the box rather then from the TV. But if the signal isn't in stereo anyway I guess it wouldn't matter.

I also can't record from my DVD recorded anymore.