Comcast is Bullshit

[Sinobas]

This has nothing to do with CSN, but in the Portland area will now require one of their digital adapters to view channels 32-71. They offer their customers two free ones, so no big deal right?

Well wrong, because their standard adapters are unable to tune HD channels. Right now, with a HD TV, you can plug your cable in and get HD broadcasts from Channel 8-1, 12-1 etc. But you can't tune into those with the adapter plugged in. So your only choice is to only get channels 1-32 on that TV, or pay an extra $13.50 a month for another HD adpater. After the Blazer season is over, I'm going to switch down to limited. (that will show em!)

 

[Answer_AI03]

Comcast is the worst cable company in the nation, and was voted the worst of ANY company for customer support... too bad they have a monopoly around where i live...

 

[Sinobas]

I really thought they'd get their act together now that Verizon FIOS is becoming available in this area, now they have a competitor, but instead they pull a stunt like this. Though I've heard bad things about the quality of FIOS...

Verizon does carry CSN, but I"d have to look into what kind of package you'd require to get CSN.

But perhaps we should do what I used to do with DSL and cable broadband, just keep switching back and forth so you'll always be on their "promotion deal"

 

[barfo]

This has nothing to do with CSN, but in the Portland area will now require one of their digital adapters to view channels 32-71. They offer their customers two free ones, so no big deal right?

Well wrong, because their standard adapters are unable to tune HD channels. Right now, with a HD TV, you can plug your cable in and get HD broadcasts from Channel 8-1, 12-1 etc. But you can't tune into those with the adapter plugged in. So your only choice is to only get channels 1-32 on that TV, or pay an extra $13.50 a month for another HD adpater. After the Blazer season is over, I'm going to switch down to limited. (that will show em!)

I think they offer 2 free adapters and 1 free digital cable box, and the latter does get the HD channels. At least, my new one seems to, although I don't have an HD tv, so I can't be sure.

barfo

 

[Sinobas]

Their "full feature" box that is free does not support HD, only ON Demand.

 

[barfo]

Their "full feature" box that is free does not support HD, only ON Demand.

Ok, thanks for the correction.

barfo

 

[Masbee]

This has nothing to do with CSN, but in the Portland area will now require one of their digital adapters to view channels 32-71. They offer their customers two free ones, so no big deal right?

Well wrong, because their standard adapters are unable to tune HD channels. Right now, with a HD TV, you can plug your cable in and get HD broadcasts from Channel 8-1, 12-1 etc. But you can't tune into those with the adapter plugged in. So your only choice is to only get channels 1-32 on that TV, or pay an extra $13.50 a month for another HD adpater. After the Blazer season is over, I'm going to switch down to limited. (that will show em!)

Yet, if you have been a customer of Fios, Dish or DirecTV you had to have a box for every TV set. They never had the option of bypassing the use of a box for some channels.

The reason Comcast is doing this is so they can use the recaptured analog frequency to increase cable modem speeds and add a bunch more HD channels.

If you are a cable modem customer and/or you have HD TVs and service, these changes will make you a happier customer. If you don't have their internet and you have basic cable hooked directly to a bunch of TVs in your house - you are not a happy customer.

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

Buy a over the air HD antenna or make one yourself (see youtube).

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

Buy a over the air HD antenna or make one yourself (see youtube).

ABM made one of those and he said it works great.

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

Got a message on my Comcast box saying that Comcast may be losing the NFL Network. NFL Network may not renew their deal with Comcast.

 

[crandc]

I just read that Comcast sports net is now carrying the A's games, which means that people with DirecTV who live in Oakland (as I do) may not be able to see A's games on TV. Mirror of the Blazers situation.

And the Sharks may be in the same situation next year.

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

I just read that Comcast sports net is now carrying the A's games, which means that people with DirecTV who live in Oakland (as I do) may not be able to see A's games on TV. Mirror of the Blazers situation.

And the Sharks may be in the same situation next year.

Are you sure? I thought I read that CSN had a deal with the Dish's in the northern Cali area.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

Never mind

 

[crandc]

Are you sure? I thought I read that CSN had a deal with the Dish's in the northern Cali area.

That was according to the Chronicle this morning. Maybe the deal is with Dish and not DirecTV.

 

[BasX]

Various readers previously have informed us that Comcast has been advising its customers that NFL Network might disappear from the Philly-based cable system as of May 1.

The NFL has responded by sending out an e-mail to viewers that makes the separation sound much more like a done deal.

The e-mail contains a message that reads in large letters and all caps: “On May 1, NFL Network will no longer be available to Comcast customers.”

A link contained in the message leads to another message, which suggests that the divorce arises from Comcast’s insistence on keeping NFLN at a digital tier requiring additional payment.

Last week, it appeared that the future availability of the Red Zone Channel to cable companies like Comcast could help break the ice toward placement of NFLN on the basic packages offered by Comcast and other cable companies. In this specific case, however, it appears that the two sides are too close to their deadline for working out a new deal to continue to do business in the short term.

Also, with the Red Zone Channel possibly not available to cable companies until 2011, it’s not the kind of carrot that will trigger an immediate response.

The disappearance of NFLN from Comcast will erase the league-owned network from roughly two million homes. Though the message from NFL Network identifies other ways to get the channel, we suggest an all-out I-want-my-MTV-style assault by customers on Comcast and the cable companies that don’t currently carry the network.

Are we saying that simply because yours truly is scheduled to appear on NFLN tomorrow night? Well, it doesn’t hurt. But we’d like to think we’d feel that way even if we didn’t have a vested interest in having current and (and possibly future, if yours truly doesn’t lay an egg tomorrow night) NFLN appearances available to as many potential PFT readers as possible.

http://www.profootballtalk.com/2009/03/31/nfl-network-advises-viewers-of-may-1-comcast-divorce/

Found this, dunno where it applies, but a read nonetheless

 

[Sinobas]

Well, I just found out, that the newsletter actually lied. They probably did so because they didn't want to answer a bunch of questions from elderly customers, but after this move over, your digital TV will still be able to tune into channels 32+ without an adapter, you just have to do a channel scan, because they could be coming through on weird channels like 55-14

 

[Sinobas]

I have an HDTV with QAM tuner, are you sure I won't need the digital adapter from Comcast to view channels 32-71? The commercial from Comcast makes it sound like EVERY TVs will not be able to watch channels 32-71 without an adapter. Obviously an HDTV with QAM tuner would be able to pick up digital channels, but only if the channels aren't encrypted. I have read that all digital channels will be encrypted, so you would absolutely need an adapter even if you have an HDTV with QAM tuner.

I have a question: I currently have Comcast extended basic service. If I borrow a HD digital set top box from a friend nearby who has Comcast HD Premium package, will I be able to use it and watch HD channels such as ESPN HD, TNT HD, etc.?

The move over already took place in Salem, where my dad lives, and he didn't get a digital adapter for his 2nd HDTV, the only thing that happened is that channels 32-77 moved to other channels, and he had to do a channel scan to find them. He then just made his own TV guide. If they are encrypted in the future, then ya, you'd need a box. But I ordered one of the free rinky-dink adapters they send out, and I don't think that little device is doing any decryption.