Comcast TV idiocy...

Okay, forgive me if I'm being obtuse, but for anyone else using Comcast for TV services....

They have been steadily increasing the price and cost of the basic analog tv services up to $70 a month. The reasons why we were using it don't matter, but the point being, we didn't use and PPV or analog on-demand services. So we had no cable boxes, we just used the TVs to change channels.

Well, we switched to a 'digital starter' package, but they're saying we HAVE to lease cable boxes from them now for $8 a month each, even if we aren't ever going to use PPV or on-demand.

is this true? Does Comcast use a non-standard digital cable that my hdtv can't tune? Do they use some proprietary digital cable instead of QAM, the actual standard?

and if this is true.... wth would anyone pick them over Directv or DSL tv anymore? Its all the same now...

Remember back in the dark ages when you could put splitters on your cable and feed a whole house full of TV's and VCR's, and watch 35 different shows on 35 different channels all at the same time?

I used to like that.

your tv can tune the digital cable in, it just won't show up on your channels in any kind of organized fashion. i did notice that they do offer a service to setup your hdtv without a box, but they charge like 150 bucks to do it. i'm sure if you get the comcast guy out there, he can tell you how to get it done on your own, but i've never bothered with it.

also, right now in my area, the HD-DVR box is on special for like 7.50/month for the first 6 months instead of the normal 15, so you could get the dvr for the same price for a while

we have -no-, absolutely -none- interest in any other service. no ppv, no ondemand, no dvr, no opp nuthin.

yet it seems that the only real advantage comcast had to 95% of people out there in that you didn't need this hardware ridiculousness that the others did (dishes, internet tv)is now gone.

I had DirecTV for about 10 years. I liked it better than cable. A few months ago I ditched the satellite. II now only watch what I can get on the rabbit ears, the Internet and Netflix. I'm perfectly happy with this arrangement so far. And it's MUCH cheaper.

If it is the same as the Chicago Market, if you want "antenna basic" you can hook your tv straight to the cable. You can pick up the HD local stations and it costs $18 a month. If you want anything above that, you need to have a digital box.

Now there are few types of basic standard def boxes. You can have the DTA (you get 3 free of charge) which will give you what we called Expanded Basic (because they shut down the higher analog channels to comply with some FCC bs) which will give you TBS, TNT, Discovery, History, etc.

The standard digital box will give you On Demand and the premium channels.

townsend7 wrote: I had DirecTV for about 10 years. I liked it better than cable. A few months ago I ditched the satellite. II now only watch what I can get on the rabbit ears, the Internet and Netflix. I'm perfectly happy with this arrangement so far. And it's MUCH cheaper.

not if you have to cover more than 3 tvs with independent channel changing...

townsend7 wrote: I had DirecTV for about 10 years. I liked it better than cable. A few months ago I ditched the satellite. II now only watch what I can get on the rabbit ears, the Internet and Netflix. I'm perfectly happy with this arrangement so far. And it's MUCH cheaper.

If I ever get my new HDTV set up I am soooooo wanting to do this. $175/month for cable + internet is insane

I hate this stuff. Once I'm out of an apartment in which cable is included in rent, no more for me. Unless they force me to take it with the internet.

Exorbitant pricing, annoying packaging, horrific customer service - welcome to the comcast way. Actually, most of the field techs are decent guys - even they say avoid the office people if at all possible. The worst part is that as bad as they are, there aren't better alternatives where I live. Satellite tv is better (if your installer is good - worse if the installer is bad), but the interwebz are worse. ATT is pretty much worse at both. If it weren't for a few channels I think I would just drop cable altogether and watch the internets.

Javelin wrote:

townsend7 wrote: I had DirecTV for about 10 years. I liked it better than cable. A few months ago I ditched the satellite. II now only watch what I can get on the rabbit ears, the Internet and Netflix. I'm perfectly happy with this arrangement so far. And it's MUCH cheaper.

If I ever get my new HDTV set up I am soooooo wanting to do this. $175/month for cable + internet is insane

I am in the process of doing this. It isn't really costing me anything other than $10 a month for Netflix. I already have a blue ray player and a Wii that can handle the netflix duties.

Sadly, we found the requirment to be true.

But don't you have a choice? Free markets and all...

I am a Comcast customer. Not very willingly. In fact I pretty much hate them and think they are the worst company I've ever dealt with (with maybe the exceptions being a run-in with Sprint 10 years ago and my dealings with Charter cable who still owe me $140 but won't pay).

I put up with it because it is the only broadband internet available to me. There is no DSL service and no other cable company that provides service to my address. I have a DTA on one TV, one TV with nothing at all which gets maybe 10 channels, and a CABLECARD in my TIVO that gets the digital starter channels minus all PPV and On-Demand stuff.

If you have a Tivo get the cable card - once it is set up it works well and there is not another box and associated remote to worry about. If I could get DSL then I would try one of the satellite services just to get rid of the hated Comcast.

I'm glad COX seems to be better than what you guys are experiencing.

I just called last night and upgraded our internet from 12mb down to 20mb down.

alot of you are talking about internet bundling.

Bundling is also something we weren't interested in. just TV services. for more than 3 tvs.

and Alfa? I always have the choice of not buying. Thats when you simply have to put your money where your mouth is.

Comcast made the change in Minneapolis last fall. For anything besides local broadcast channels you need either a full blown converter box for basic cable plus HD channels, or they can provide a smaller box for basic cable only. If you hook your TV right to the cable without a box, all you can see are the local channels. The smaller box doesn't do HD for the local broadcast channels, so they include an A-B switch box and cables to allow viewing of local broadcasts in HD.

If you have a regular converter box, if I remember correctly, they give you up to two of the little ones for no additional charge. Yeah, they are clumsy.

Yeah, we're very not happy with Comcast right now either.

Our net has been down once/week for the past month. Not good when the wife has an at-home job that uses the crap out of things like webex and skype.

We're switching away.

madmallard wrote: and Alfa? I always have the choice of not buying. Thats when you simply have to put your money where your mouth is.

Free markets are awesome like that aren't they? Or shall we say deregulated markets.

"Buy our stuff or go hungry. Your choice comrade."

Does satellite offer "On Demand" programming now? It's one of the things that my wife says we'd miss if we ditched comcast for satellite.

Lots of people in our neighborhood have satellite. When we ask them about it, the conversation goes something like this:

Me: So you have satellite TV?
Them: Yes!
Me: How do you like it?
Them: Oh, we love it!
Me: Does the reception ever get flaky or go out altogether?
Them: Oh, sure! It pretty much doesn't work whenever it rains, snows, or is cloudy.

This from everyone I've ever asked about the service. At least three different people. I still can't make sense of it!

madmallard wrote: and Alfa? I always have the choice of not buying. Thats when you simply have to put your money where your mouth is.

That is always a choice. But it would beg the question what you were wasting your cable money on for the past X years. Paying for the good of businesses?

Seems as if you have the preception of need, at least.

If that's not a preception, then your choice is Comcast, dish, or ATT (for most of us). All the small cable companies have been absorbed into the bigger ones. Some free market.

Since most cable options also tend to be the high speed i-net options as well, free market and all, that's why people are bundling them. I have two choices of high speed net at home, and neither use a dish.

PS3 + Netflix Streaming = screw ondemand

Xbox360 + XboxLive + Netflix Streaming + XBoxMediaCenter = Screw OnDemand

HTPC + Netflix Streaming + Hulu Desktop + OTA HD channels + Bittorent = screw OnDemand

turboswede wrote: PS3 + Netflix Streaming = screw ondemand Xbox360 + XboxLive + Netflix Streaming + XBoxMediaCenter = Screw OnDemand HTPC + Netflix Streaming + Hulu Desktop + OTA HD channels + Bittorent = screw OnDemand

While that would be great for a more tech saavy person out there, there are a lot of people who aren't and have a hard time just understanding the remote for the $2000 flat screen they just bought. There are a lot of folks as well that don't like to use OnDemand because it's too "complicated".

Also older people aren't going to use their kids' XBOX or PS3 and don't want to use their computer for more than email.

I deal with this day in and day out.

Right. So you're just giving up?

Now that you understand the inherent problems, how about we work on resolving them through education.

How about a Boxee box? Apple TV? I'd say those could be easier to use than even a cable box is. One can also buy ready to go Windows Media Center systems as well.

I do know what you mean though, Fiance's parents bought a big HDTV, paying for HD cable, etc. Only ever watched Fox News and Girls Next Door in SD. Had to walk them through how to find the HD channels, turn on their surround receiver, etc. They dutifully wrote it all down on a notepad kept near the Logitech Harmony remote (that eventually had the batteries die and subsequently led to no TV for weeks until I was able to reset it for them)

Basically, when working with people like this, focus on what they need and want and ignore the rest unless they want to know about it. If they just want to watch Hypocrasy moonlighting as "News" or plastic people fellating an old guy for money, then help them do that and they'll be happy.

Drop it. Do it now. Commiecast can burn.

Get Internet from Verizon (or Clear), get a Wii or PS3, and stream Netflix and use Hulu on your computer. Anything else you can download with a BitTorrent program. You can get local programming with an antenna, which you can build using a piece of wood, coat hangers, and a $6 transformer from Radio Shack.

You'll save a ton of money all while getting faster Internet, not have to pay for 500 channels you'll never watch, and overall be happier you don't get a monthly bill from those shiny happy people.

alfadriver wrote: That is always a choice. But it would beg the question what you were wasting your cable money on for the past X years. Paying for the good of businesses? Seems as if you have the preception of need, at least.

The problem with that assertion is that it completely ignores both A: the circumstances that the service is called for that aren't satisfied by other vendors, and/or B: the service only being worth what we're willing to pay for it.

You also seem to think that there is a fixed price for such services with the "wasting your cable money on..." part.

Since most cable options also tend to be the high speed i-net options as well, free market and all, that's why people are bundling them. I have two choices of high speed net at home, and neither use a dish.

And as i pointed out, that wuzn't whut we were looking for. for some that works. For us, notsomuch. ;p

And Twincam? yeah, that route aint gonna work for Granmama~