Comcast cable and the Feb 2009 digital TV switch over

Hi Mark,
Thanks for the quick response. I'm in the northern Chicago suburbs (Wilmette) if that helps, as far as the market goes. Currently, I mainly have Comcast for my internet, but I do get the network channels via the cable. When you start moving channels to digital, will you continue to send the broadcast channels via the analog channels? What channels will you be moving and when?

Thanks,
Rob

Mark,
I sent you an email last week with my phone number. Drop me a line when you have a chance.

Thanks,
Rob

I still am confused about how things will be changing, as things move from analog to digital. I have a digital box attached to one tv and another two with analog cable, I have seen several (maybe 5-10) channels move to digital... which I think is a great idea, especially for the handful of channels that appeared in both places. But it seems this is resulting in me paying the same for less service (as I can now no longer watch those channels on those tvs). More HD channels would be fine if they were channels I watched, but without a say in what I can get for HD I run the risk of losing channels I do watch for some I don't watch. Without a suitable answer satellite is looking like a better choice all the time.

Here's an update about the Comcast situation. According to the Executive Support Specialist that I just spoke to, I should be able to continue using my current setup past the Feb 2009 DTV switchover.

I don't use a cable box, the cable feed goes directly into my "cable ready" TV and my ReplayTV boxes. Concast will continue to send the broadcast channels down the line in the analog-like format that they currently use.

There is also the option of getting a digital box for a small monthly rental charge which would also give me some of the additional free channels that you can get with a coupon box.

The analog => digital changeover only applies to the signals sent over the air. That is, if you're using "bunny ears" or some other home antenna, then you need a converter box. However, if you have any form of cable at all, you are covered (regardless of whether or not you have digital or analog cable).

Here's the scoop:

The stations that you can currently pick up via "bunny ears" are being broadcast as radio waves. This ties up a large chunk of the frequencies. Analog broadcast take up about 10 times as much space (on the frequency spectrum) as digital broadcasts use. The FCC wants to trim down the space required for TV so that they can sell the rest of the spectrum and make money. They also need a dedicated emergency band that doesn't conflict with any of the cellular phone companies.

The bottom line is that if you have cable, you don't need to worry about this switchover.

I am very pleased with the response time from Getsatisfaction, and the ensuing response time from comcast... their answer though disappointed me. Yes, everyone is correct that said the February switch won't effect cable users, BUT on their own Comcast (and probably all other cable companies) are switching from the analog signal that you just plug your tv into and receive to digital where we will need box attached to every tv. According to Mark, there was a deal where they allowed people an extra box for free for a year (I never heard about that before he mentioned it) and currently in this area they are offering the extra box at a discounted rate (normally $5.95 a month until mid August $1.95 a month) and again, this isn't being advertised. So yes, cable users won't be affected by the February change, but they aren't telling us they are making their own change that will affect us and for a price they have us covered. I'm sure the satellite companies are thrilled to hear cable is heading back to the days of having to pay for every tv in your house.

@ SpicyLemon, like Micster said, even though in theory cable users are not affected by the OTA switchover, there's nothing stopping the cable companies using this occassion to move all of their analog channels up into the digital range too. If you're already using a cable box, this probably won't affect you, but if (like me) you have the cable going directly into your TV, it is a concern.

Even though I don't have an HDTV, my TV is "cable ready" which is how I'm able to connect it directly to the cable now. I don't watch any "cable" channels, I just watch the OTA broadcast channels, and the Comcast rep that I spoke to yesterday assured me that I will be able to continue using my current setup.

Many years ago, every TV required some sort of box in order to get the cable channels. When cable first came out, people had to get cable boxes. Eventually, though, TV manufactures started putting the cable boxes in the TVs and today, you can't buy a TV that doesn't have a built in tuner.

Now, though, the cable companies are slowly switching channels to digital. ALmost all older TVs don't have a tuner built in to handle the digital signals so you have to get a box. Many TVs on the market today have tuners that can handle digital signals though. Eventually, the TVs without the digital tuners will break or be replaced and boxes won't be needed any more..... that is untiil the next best thing comes out.

It is annoying to have to have a box though. And its even more annoying that when they move a channel to digital, they don't drop the price for those that no longer get the channel.

Just as cable boxes went away 20 years ago, let's hope they go away again. This is a message to you Comcast: People don't like cable boxes and never will.

There is a way to get digital cable without the Comcast cable box. Newer TVs have an ATSC tuner (along with the old NTSC analog tuner) that can get unencrypted digital Cable (typically the non-paychannels). My TV tuner picks up around 50 analog and 50 digital channels (Massachusetts).

Basically, you just need a device that handles ATSC/QAM tuning... Some high-grade DVD players, DVD recorders, Tivo's, and all new TVs. There is an annoyance in that the channels don't necessarily line up... you get funny channels like 71-4 and 71-5.

That said, I am a bit annoyed with this, as I currently have 3 analog tuners in use (including 2 in a homemade DVR) and didn't really want to spend the money on replacing them.

So did I read this right? We have several tv's in our home, of which only 1 has a cable box attached. Does that mean that all tv's that don't have a cable box will no longer be able to see channels like Bravo, Sci-Fi, & Food Network? Also, will I be able to see network channels like Fox, ABC, & CBS? Please help. In my area (New England) I believe the extra cable boxes are very expensive.

It is not a big deal to me that analog cable channels are moving over to Digital, and it makes sense... What would be helpful is a timeline on a webpage somewhere on what to expect and when in any given area.

In talking with a Comcast customer service rep in my area (Massachusetts), we will still have roughly the same number of analog channels around this time next year... beyond that they couldn't say.

I, like many others, will continue to have only one cable box, but will have other TVs throughout the house connected to cable. A 1yr promotion on additional cable boxes is not something I'm interested in for a long-term solution. Eventually I and many others will have to bite the bullet and start replacing older TVs with newer ones with digital tuners built-in.

I think this is all crap! What about the thousands of hospitals, hotels and other public places that will have to replace TV sets or be forced to use Comcast's converter box? Oh, by the way, it comes with the nice Comcast remote control with about 80 billion buttons on it! That is a HUGE expense for a business to replace all of the older analog TV sets. As far as the remote goes, the customer just wants to watch TV. Channel up, channel down, volume and power. That is all they need at these public places. Has Comcast thought of the millions of people in the "older" population age range? These people aren't geeks like all of the engineers at Comcast. They don't understand all of this stuff and will be lost, both in the technology AND as a Comcast customer. You can't save me as a Comcast subscriber. I've already left you.

Question for a Comcast employee--if I still have basic extended on Feb. 9, 2009, how many channels will be left on this package? Just 3, 6, and 10?

why are companies still making tvs with cable ready tuners if we have to buy tuners or rent tuners from cable companies and direct tv

This is very similar to what happened in the 80's... You needed a cable tuner in order to get cable channels (NTSC analog tuner). They began building cable tuners into the TV itself, so that you didn't need a cable box.

Same thing now... New TVs have digital tuners (ATSC digital)...

The question is the timing... How long does Comcast wait before they severely cripple the analog broadcast? Do they wait for 50% of home TVs to have digital tuners?

Comcast is currently losing the HD battle, partially because they are holding on to the analog customers... If you get Verizon FIOS, they offer around 12 or less analog channels.... so you essentially need a tuner box for each TV. I believe for every analog channel you disable and free up bandwidth from, you can get 4 digital channels or 2 HD channels.

Comcast will slowly remove analog channels, but has already hung on to them longer than their competitors... I'm not a big Comcast fan, but their analog channels are the only thing keeping me from switching to FIOS.

Verizon Fios already is an all digital network in PA. A far superior service than comcast could ever be.

It is obvious that Comcast is trying to make back lost money and the only way to do that is to fleece the customers who are loyal to them. In this economy one of the first things to go is luxury cable. Comcast wants to make up for their losses by this conveniently-timed channel move. How interesting that this move comes around the same time as the Analog to Digital TV switch in order to confuse unsuspecting customers. I have contacted Comcast 5 times and each time I have received a different answer not to mention a different price for the digital box that I now apparently need (we have extended basic analog cable plus HBO which we are currently paying for but cannot watch because it has also been moved to digital).

It is apparent this is a quick money-making scheme because there are no straight answers from Comcast and all this "free space" seems like a scheme as well.

As other posters have noted, they are taking us back 20 years to the days of renting boxes to earn some extra money off of each customer.

I will be looking for a new cable company and I will advise others to do this as well. It is a stupid move on their part to lose so many monthly subscribers for the sake of a few dollars more per month.

It seems this is a nationwide scam. The experience that I have had is basically on the verge of blatant fraud (I won't go into details here but I have everything well documented). I wonder if a class-action suit will be in their future.

So I beg to differ with their motto, Comcast DOESN'T care...they're CRAPtastic.

The way I see it, Comcast is trying to update their service in a timely manner, and TRYING to not piss customers off. Unfortunately you cant make everyone happy! I for one would love to see more hd and digital channels. Most customers have digital boxes on most of their tv's. You need a digital box to pick up anything other than basic service. In theory, you are SUPPOSED to pay for every tv, whether theres a box on it or not, but of course most people realize they can get a splitter and split the signal to multiple rooms with little or no effect on the signal, and comcast loses revenue on that if you dont tell them how many rooms have a wire in it. In the mean time, now the fcc has mandated that all new tv's or receivers come with digital tuners, and most digital tuners are QAM comatible (thats what you need to pick up digital cable signals, as ATSC is for off-air antenna signals only), then as you buy a new tv with ATSC (required) and QAM (most tv's have this now) it will work with "basic" digital cable, without needing a cable box. In the meantime, since most of us still have analog tv's on our cable without a box, Comcast is SLOWLY moving channels to the digital only domain, unlike other companies who are ALL digital, including ALL satellite companies, which REQUIRE a satellite box on every tv (unless you want to watch the same program on multiple tv's and you can do that with a comcast box too). What it comes down to is that all signals reaching your home will eventually be digital, and unless you never buy a new tv you will need some type of interface to make it work (even a new vcr -- if you can find one!, or a new dvd recorder, will come with a digital tuner, probably with QAM - -and you can use that in place of a rented box). I am not sure, but I believe the CHEAP digital tuners that the $40 voucher is for will only do ATSC, but not QAM, so they wont work with digital cable; However there are boxes you can BUY that will do QAM, and some even have a card slot in the back that you can rent a card from your cable company to get pay-tv channels, but like someone said, the bi-directional compatibility for on-demand is not currently in these products; I have a cable box and I rarely use on-demand even though I thought it was the coolest invention since the vcr tape! I for one am usually disgusted by these service companies, but I feel comcast has balanced their options fairly well and is being accomodating of us with analog tv's (I have 1 analog tv still without a box) if they wanted to they can convert all channels to digital, and decide which digital channels are free with a qam receiver or which ones we NEED to pay extra for by having a box or card from them! Also, aside from fiber optic service, they have one of the best internet services on the market, which is the main reason I keep them and not go to satellite! One more note, the strange channel assignments like 25-2, 25-3 is a detail of the new digital format, and that is how all of the digital off-air channels are being transmitted. Each station has the ability of transmitting 3 or 4 different programs through the same transmitter, and that is how it shows up on your screen. The transmitters at Comcast or other digital cable companies can do the same thing. If you have a comcast box, it re-labels the channel to make it simple, but if you have a QAM tuner, it will see it like it is being transmitted. Also, If you have a QAM receiver in your digital tv now, you will see that over the next one or two months, comcast will be changing the channel frequencies and digitally broadcast channels will appear and disappear at times. Until all the changes are done, this will be happening. The QAM tuner, just like your analog tv, remembers the lineup when you set it up. If it changes, the tuner needs to be re-programmed to drop the old frequency and find the new frequency. This is a headache, but as Comcast figures out and finishes what they are doing behind the scenes, our tuners will need to be re-initialized from time to time. If you lose a digital channel or two, it was probably just moved and not pulled, and re-programming will find it, and maybe also find some other channels that were added since you last did a channel search! Finally, it doesn't make sense why there's an analog and digital channel of the same program, but the digital is a much higher quality and there for you to see if you have a qam tuner.Having a third HD channel is wasted space, and I bet they will eventually drop the HD-only transmission and program the set-top boxes to tune in to the digital channel for hd signal. The analog channel is there for everyone reading this thread who are worried about losing their analog channels!

Well I don't have a problem with Comcast moving to all Digital Cable and dropping the Analog channels to make room for more content.
Any recent TV will have a QAM tuner built in that can handle digital cable.

What I DO have a problem with, is the fact that Comcast (at least in West Palm Beach FL) is encrypting EVERY digital channel with the exception of the 17-18 local ones that are required to be unencrypted by the FCC.
This is BS, because even if you have a recent TV with a built in QAM (Clear QAM to be exact) tuner, you will NOT be able to tune in anything other then 18 local channels!
All other BASIC Cable channel transmitted digitally will require a digital cable box from Comcast! Even if you have a CableCard capable TV or DVR, you still have to RENT the CableCard from Comcast!

Comcast can switch all channels to digital format to save bandwidth, I don't disagree with that need, even though it alienates customers that still have older analog cable ready TVs, but they DO NOT HAVE TO ENCRYPT THEM!

Comcast Rep, how do you explain this?

Nuno

Hi Grinder,
To answer your question, NO you will not be able to receive your basic cable lineup without a Comcast box. You will only be able to receive 17 or 18 channels, these channels are the ones you can receive in HD over the air. (your local ABC, NBC, CW affiliates etc).
So you can:
A- drop Comcast and receive those same channels for free over the air in all their digital HD glory
B- drop Comcast and go with another solution (Satellite, Fiber)
C- drop more cash into Comcasts pockets by renting a cable box for every TV you have in the house.

If you're wondering why, read my post above.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Nuno

Just an FYI because after calling/emailing/live-chatting with Comcast for weeks and receiving a completely different answer every time, I realized that either the Comcast employees are ignorant of what is happening or they are just plain lying to customers to get them to "upgrade" and purchase equipment they don't need.

First of all, the confusion is partly due to the fact that Comcast has decided to switch their channels to digital stations, conveniently timed with the Analog switch (rabbit ear tvs) so that unsuspecting customers won't know what is happening. The February switch and the Comcast switch are two completely different things.

I called and wondered why I would need a box since I already have cable. Then I was told I needed a box because of the switch from analog cable channels to digital cable channels (we have extended basic cable). This is not true!!!! I was lied to and I'm sure I am not the only one. Even after the switch happened and I was still able to receive my channels, I kept getting emails from Comcast telling me that what I was watching, I was not really watching and that I needed to buy a digital box.

Don't settle for what they tell you! Comcast lies in order to sell more product. As I stated before, with the economy the way it is, this is a way for them to fleece more money out of customers by confusing them into buying unnecessary products! I for one will be looking for a new cable company that doesn't include LIES in their customer service policies!

This is directed to the Comcast rep ---
It is apparent that Comcast is handling this differently in different areas. Is there someplace that a current Comcast customer can get a DEFINITIVE, TRUE answer on what channels will/will not be available in their area? I have read on other BB's that the cable companies, Comcast included, SHOULD continue to downgrade signals to analog for about 3 years to satisfy the customers who currently subscribe to Comcast cable and do not use a Comcast cable box. Given what I have been seeing on various web pages and in some of the above comments, Comcast has chosen, in several areas, to move more channels to the digital ban and/or send the signal completely in digital already or will do so in conjunction with the Feb switch to DTV. Seems that even calling Comcast customer service results in varied answers. I cannot find much info at all (other than "call customer service to see how many digital channels you can get -- for a large sum!") on the Comcast site. Is there anywhere that I can get an answer? I am in NJ, and get the analog basic and expanded basic stations. From what I CAN see on the site, the majority of these stations currently are NOT listed as part of digital packages(and they do not have the * next to them stating that a converter is needed). I would like to know for sure whether they are going to stay that, and for how long?

I currently pay 73.00 for Digital Basic and HD.. My only concern is paying more!! i couldn;t see in spending more money that is ridiculous!!
I'm from the New England (mass) area what's the prices gonna be and am I going to have to pay more?

I live in a suburb of Philadelphia, I receved a letter from comcast, Effective Jan 20, 2009 digital starter and above will include one "Standard digital converter" and up to two " digital adapters" and tree remotes. If you wand more than two, additional "digital adapters" will cost $1.99/month (+taxes and fees).

These "digital adapters" do not get the program guide or ondemand.

My question is How do I get my adapters? Are they available to existing digital starter customers? or only for new subscribers? I searched Comcasts website, and found nothing. are these free. or free for one year?

When comcast switched Cartoon network to digital only I was (still am) angry. If I can get these adapters for the other tvs in my house it may keep me as a comcast customer. Maybe

VCR's are becoming obsolete. Who knew?

On February 2009, a Comcast service representative entered our home, and installed 2 digital converter boxes, or DTA's: One for our analog TV and another for our analog VCR. This is fine for the TV, even though it requires the use of yet another remote control (they seem to grow like weeds, don't they?) However, the VCR can no longer function normally.

It is my practice to set my VCR to automatically tape my favorite shows that I would miss when I leave the house. I'm involved in various community activities that take me away in the evening. And yet, because of the conversion to a digital signal, my VCR is now obsolete. I am now required to purchase a DVR, or digital video recorder, if I wish to record multiple shows. This is an unanticipated expense. The installer should have known this and warned me.

Or I maybe should have read the following web-site

http://tinyurl.com/cdlpsp

Ideally, I'd like to continue using my VCR. It's good technology, as long as you keep it clean, which I do. Failing that, I would have liked to have had time to consider my options and shopped for one of the various DVR's available. Instead, I had little choice but to take the one offered by Comcast. I had little time to consider my other choices. I don't know much about this machine, but after looking around, I think I would have preferred to have purchased a TIVO machine. But I've missed the opportunity to think about that. I'd be charged a fee to remove the machine, I'm sure.

Shame on you, Comcast. You should've been more up-front with us about VCR's. You also should not have left my home worse than when you entered it. That was very unprofessional.

This is crazy - our TV just stopped working without notice. I contacted Comcast and we were somehow supposed to know about this. I guess we're now psychic in our household. No TV, big screen doesn't work, everyone sad. I hate Comcast and I'm breaking up with them and taking the cat. I tried to make it work for 10 years and $66 a month, but we were never good enough for them. Goodbye and good riddance.

Comcast has made the leap and gone digital. You will have to go digital, too. The good news is that digital technology is great. The much-touted digital converter boxes are okay, but I recommend getting a DVR. Comcast has some for rent or you can buy a TiVo. (TiVo requires a regular-style phone line, so you can't use it if you have digital phone service. Just make sure the box has plenty of air circulation. The electronics will "fry" if it gets too hot. If you watch a lot of TV, this is the way to go.

Or you can stop paying for cable altogether and buy a digital converter box (or better, a DVD recorder with a built-in digital tuner) and and HDTV antenna. If you thought you needed cable because the broadcast signal is weak, think again. The digital broadcasts signals have better clarity than the old analog ones --.high definition clarity if you have a TV capable of receiving it. Plus there are more channels available on digital airwaves. The big networks broadcast two, sometimes three or four "minor" channels simultaneously. NBC is broadcasting an all-sports channel alongside its "main" channel. CBS is broadcasting an additional channel with classic programming (Marcus Welby, Magnum, etc.) PBS is sending out four channels on the air. FOX is putting out a 24 hour weather channel. Near Seattle, I receive 12 non-religious English channels, plus 8 religious, and 7 non-English channels. It's all free. No cable bill.

I live 60 miles from Seattle, so I bought a large 4-panel HDTV antenna for $75 from Amazon.com . It weighs the same as the old analog antennas I knew from decades ago. I installed it in the attic and I get a strong signal. A 4-panel is a good investment. However, I'm guessing perhaps a 2-panel antenna might have been good enough. Not sure about that. Assuming a 50 percent signal loss from being in the attic, I bet a 2-panel antenna on the roof would have been enough. Maybe, I'm not sure, perhaps the old analog antennas that's rusting away on your roof can receive digital signals and you don't need to buy a new one.

Digital technology is great. And Comcast is correct to switch to it. So should you.

I had been a satellite customer for many years, and only made the switch to cable television because the community we live in made an agreement with Comcast to provide cable to everyone and it was added to our rent. Many of us felt like we were getting screwed over because we were effectively being FORCED to give up our other services (which we were perfectly happy with) OR we had to pay for the service we liked, and ALSO pay for cable service that was sub-par to what we were used to. My family decided to cancel our contract with our satellite provider to avoid the double billing, and just learned to live without many of the channels and programming that we really liked.

OK... that out of the way, over time we cooled off and have become less pissed about the whole situation and have actually learned to enjoy having plug and play television. It made using our TiVo much easier, we have a dvd recorder so we can save programs we really like, and it's really awesome to be able to use picture-in-picture again.

Unfortunately, over the past year more & more of the channels that we love to watch are being moved out of our basic extended cable bandwidth and up to digital. G4 used to be one of our favorite channels, so we were very disappointed when it was moved, but we learned to watch other things and decided to expand our knowledge by watching the History channel... until it was also moved up to the digital bandwidth. Such has been the case for many other channels that we liked, and today Cartoon Network was moved. I don't think our toddler niece is going to learn to like another network, since this was the ONLY one available!

Looking back, I think we've really been screwed over since the beginning. NO CUSTOMER SHOULD HAVE TO CONSTANTLY COMPROMISE LIKE THIS FOR A PRODUCT THAT THEY PAY FOR! For years we, the customers that were FORCED to switch to cable or pay for the service anyway, have been bending over backwards to justify them taking away more & more of what we love to watch... and our only option to fix this is to pay more? It's totally idiotic.

Well, when the choice finally has to be made, I can damn well assure you that the extra money we spend won't be going to Comcast. The ONLY way they could even remotely keep me watching their stations (and continue seeing their advertisers commercials) is if I were able to get a digital tuner and watch the stations that were taken away from us. I adamantly refuse to pay for a set top box for cable, and if I'm forced to get a box it won't be for cable.

I watched a local TV report last week on the confusion surrounding the move to digital television In Washington State, which has been somewhat further confused by Comcast’s transition to digital transmission. Many customers who have already upgraded and invested in newer televisions and equipment may be incapable of receiving digital TV channels broadcasts if/when channels are encrypted. Personally, I object to the request that Comcast has submitted with the FCC for an exception to enable the privacy mode for DTAs as it would put an undue burden on consumers. If this change is made to the FCC rules -- that "Privacy Mode' in the DTA is not 'Conditional Access' -- I am concerned that Comcast will eventually encrypt all digital channels. With an exemption, Comcast would be allowed to turn on privacy mode, and prevent any QAM tuner from receiving digital channels.

A few months ago, I asked Comcast in an email to reconsider the move to encrypt channels above Channel 30 as they move to more digital channels, and keep the basic package of channels that I have today in the clear. It's a poor customer experience to take channels and programming currently offered in the clear today on analogue and move them to digital channels that will require a set top box tomorrow.

The email response I received from Comcast indicates that even they may not understand the impact that the change will cause to their customers...

"In order to keep up with the demand for more HD channels, more programming options, and faster internet speeds, we must move out the analog signals. For every one analog channel, you can fit up to 10 standard digital definition channels or up to 3 HD channels. I apologize that you don't think our efforts to assist customers through the digital migration is not enough."

That's fine, I'm glad that Comcast is reclaiming analogue bandwidth. I'm not asking to keep the analogue channels. I understand that they must cut back on the analogue, as I personally support Comcast making the move to all digital in favour of digital tuners. What I and many other consumers object to is Comcast’s move to encrypt channels 30-99 and mandating use of a set top box in order to view these channels even though I have digital tuners that are capable of receiving clear QAM channels.

Comcast has applied with the FCC for an exception or exemption to enable the privacy mode for Digital Transport Adapters (DTAs) but hasn't received one as of yet. In order to move to encrypted digital channels, Comcast will need to obtain this waiver from the FCC in order to use the inexpensive DTA boxes with encryption. (These types of set top boxes have been prohibited by the FCC to include this type of security since July 2007, and as such channels 30-99 are now being transmitted in clear QAM.)

Comcast represents that this is done to reclaim bandwidth with the move from analogue to digital, but essentially this obfuscates the intention to provide fewer television channels in the clear to customers, creating confusion and inconveniences for customers who have already installed digital equipment in their homes. Have a new digital TV plugged directly into your cable outlet? If you want channels 30-99 (part of the basic subscription and unencrypted on analogue today), you’ll be out of luck once Comcast encrypts these channels unless you add a low quality DTA which will provide poor audio and video quality. (See this report from DSL Reports on DTA quality: http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r2156...

If consumers wish to tell the FCC what they think about this and Comcast's petition on privacy mode, they can visit http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.ht... and find the options for filing a complaint.

Today, I am able to watch CNN and other channels – part of my basic cable package – on my analogue as well as my digital ready televisions. If Comcast makes the switch and encrypts the digital channel map (impacting all content above Channel 30, including CNN), I will be forced to use a set top box to decode these channels. Quite simply, I object having to introduce another box into our home television systems -- such as the DCT700 boxes from Comcast – suffering lower quality and a poor customer experience.

The average comcast users home has four tv's. Comcast will give you two boxes and then charge you for any more. Take how many customers comcast has and that adds up to many millions of dollars, at our exspence, a month. Is it time for a change? Do they have the right? My TV's are digital ready, yet I now can not watch cable without a new box. In these hard times every penny counts and I choose to not let them do this to me. I hope others will follow to show them that we are in control not them. Thanks for listening to my rant!

I have 5 televisions in my home, but Comcast would only 'give' me one box. I'm considering alternatives such as satellite

If you have Tivo you are really screwed. I contacted them today and was told that I would have to get a two-way digital cable box that has an $8.99 service fee per month. Since I have 2 Tivo's you can double that. I am very unhappy with this change. How is this better for me.

Read It and Weep!!!

I live in the SF Bay Area. Comcast is converting all channels over Ch. 35 to digital. To receive any channel aboe Ch 35, you will need to use their equipment. I just read their FAQs. Basically, it seems they are doing this for two main reasons: 1. They want find out how many TVs you have in your home and make you use (and eventually pay for) a cable box for each TV--no more splitting the cable coming into your home for extra TVs!! Here's a direct quote from their FAQs: "However, many customers connect their cable-ready TV sets directly to Comcast service without notifying the company. These homes may have several TVs receiving Comcast service legally, but Comcast has no record of them." They want a record of them. 2. They want to have control the cable on each of your TVs and charge you for them. They will reap much more money from each customer who had more TVs connected to cable than were paying for previously. From their FAQs: "However, even if you have Comcast Digital Cable on one TV, other TVs that don’t have digital equipment may no longer receive the full lineup you currently see on that set."

Comcast FAQs: "Any TV connected directly to Comcast service without a digital device will eventually lose access to some of the channels it currently receives. You’ll keep the 15-30 Comcast Basic Cable channels, (local broadcast TV stations, plus local government, education and public access channels) But you'll lose all Expanded Basic channels, like Disney, CNN, Lifetime and 30-50 others."

All of this means even if you have the newest television (with QUAM, for instance), you will still need their adaptor box! You will not be able to receive anything above Basic Cable (channels below Ch 35) without their box!!! Your VCR will not be able to change and record channels neither will your PC enabled tuner--NADA!! You will not even be able to receive any HD channels (except basic broadcast cable without paying for one of their boxes!! Comcast FAQs: "You will not be able to program your VCR to record different channels at different times when your TV is connected to a digital adapter. To record different programs at different times, you will have to change the channel on your adapter."

Re; HD signals: From their FAQs: "The digital adapter does not support HD signals. Comcast offers HD set top boxes for a monthly service fee, which provides access to over 1,000 HD choices."

Here's their closing FAQ:
"Will I need equipment if I have a digital TV with a QAM tuner?
At the completion of the project, customers will need equipment on all TVs to receive any channels above the Limited Basic level of service—of course, this is now the case with most video providers, including our satellite and phone competitors. We’re encouraging all customers to install and use the equipment provided by Comcast or that they might purchase from their electronics retailer, like a TIVO or cable card enabled devices, to avoid any service interruptions."

Looks like even though I pay $145 a month to Comcast for Cable TV only, it is not enough for them. Their differentiator WAS not having to use a box to receive a wide host of channels--they just lost that differentiator!! Guess I will start looking into the alternative--Astound, a new service in SF, may be the answer--I hope so.

Comcast (and all other cable service providers) are required by the FCC to transmit the local channels without any encryption so that your digital ready TV can tune them in.
I'm OK with premium channels being encrypted (HBO, Cinemax etc) but the 'Expanded Basic' channels??
This is obviously a scam to extract more monthly fees from their subscribers, and to add insult to injury, they are using the national digital conversion to confuse the subject in hopes 'Joe user' will not know enough about the technology to realize one has nothing to do with the other!

I wonder if a petition to the FCC/Government would help?
Does anyone have any knowledge/experience on how to go about it?
Maybe just an investigation by the FCC would make Comcast back off the 'encrypt everything and make the user pay for each TV' approach.

Also, does anyone know if the other big Cable providers are encrypting everything or just the premium channels?

Thanks.

I'm not sure if Comcast received an exception or exemption yet from the FCC to enable the privacy mode for Digital Transport Adapters (DTAs). I just received a notice that digital equipment is required for our TVs come late June, but not clear if channels 30-99 will be in the clar QAM and thus able to be viewed only with a digital ready TV. (See my prev comment for more details.) Once we make the move to digital from our current analogue tier, I'll post our results.

As I noted, you can tell the FCC what you think: go to http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.ht... tell them what you think about this, and if you're a Comcast customer, comment on their petition WRT privacy mode exemption for DTAs. You can also snail mail your comments to them.

Well I can tell you that in West Palm Beach FL, ALL but 16 Digital channels are encrypted!!! :-(

My analog TV can still tune in all/most regular cable channels (USA, E! etc).
Thanks for the FCC link.

PS.:
I use HDHomeRun Digital Tuners, and their listings page seems very accurate: http://www.silicondust.com/hdhomerun/...
It will tell you what you can access in your area without a cable box/DTA (make sure to pull down the menu and select Comcast as the provider).

Compare 33401 (West Palm Beach FL) with 98101 (Seattle)!!

Is that a Comcast systrem or another cable provider in FL?

Comcast.
BTW, I just used that FCC link to file a complaint.
I hope all the frustrated users on this site take the 5 minutes needed to do the same.

I think everyone is misunderstanding this. I no longer live in comcast county as I moved from California to Arizona but I do know this is that the FCC is saying that all analog signal will be converted over to digital meaning that you will need a digital converter box (that you can actually pick up at, say, Best Buy for 30 bucks). I'm not sure what FAQ's that Comcast Victim is reading but as long as you have digital cable service with a cable provider (meaning you were given a set top box to allow you to watch HBO and what not) then you're already set, otherwise if you just watch analog tv for your local channels (fox, cbs, etc.), then you just need to pick up a digital converter box.

AshayinFLA - I did a bit more research and must admit that you are right, it's not mandatory for cable companies not to switch over to digital and may continue to offer analog signals but as far as I could see every major cable provider is switching over to digital anyways. I have Cox Cable and they're going over to all digital like any other provider so Comcast isn't the only one.

Filling complaints to the FCC won't do any good either (they'll probably just say to either subscribed with their services or go out and buy the digital rabbit ears.). They pretty much gave the cable companies the choice and the major cable companies (Comcast, Cox, Time Warner Cable, etc.) made the choice to convert there services to digital so can't blame them for that, it's there business decision.

I have Replay TV DVRs also. But for my husband's addicition to Bicycling Events (Giro, the Tour de France), I would walk these freaky boxes back to the local Comcast office. The secondary cable boxes are not full function, all the boxes are useless clutter for the consumer. I see from the previous conversation here that Comcast plans to charge eventually for each device connected. I would hope that would persuade him to take the walk with me. Sadly, the only alternatives are 1) basic cable only or 2) antennae. Do I have this right?

One point I do agree with AshayinFLA. From what I gather from friends, all not on air providers have quality issues re service just as Comcast seems to. However, the half dozen or so folks I asked about satellite rain fade have not noticed that phenomena. Further, it is not true that cable DVRs cost the same as ReplayTVs. Many Replay units came with lifetime subscriptions to program info and cost nothing per month. These complaints are just annoyances, however, compared to any plans Comcast might have to retreat from pricing as service to site and institute pricing per connected device. It is partially a fairness issue. All connected devices most often do not operate at the same time.

Yes, it's true. If you go out and buy a converter box, the one that is so loudly touted on advertisements, that box will not help you with Comcast. Comcast is going digital, but most of their digital signals are encoded and require a special box that you must rent from Comcast. Your television, VCR, TIVO, etc. will not be able to read the signal without the special box.

The good news is that antenna TV is now a better option than before.

1. More channels are now available, and even more channels are promised after the June switch over date, when analog signals will go away forever.

2. The picture quality is better. High definition is available.

3. Digital Airwaves will contain onscreen program information. If you buy a the right TV or converter box, you can see what's on TV simply by pressing a button, just like cable and satellite.

The bad news is that you need to spend some money to convert to antenna TV. Possibly $300. The good news is that the signals are free, so your investment will pay off in about a year or two.

Here's what you'll need:

1. An antennae. They come in different sizes. The bigger the better. Ask you neighbor what size works for him or her. You don't want to buy a small one and find out it's not big enough. However, if you live in the city, you may be able to buy small antenna. There's even a “picture frame” antenna you can hang on the wall next to the TV. No muss; no fuss.

If your TV stations broadcast from different locations, (say you live in between two major cities) then you need a multi-directional antenna. In my area, the CW network and American Idol broadcasts from the south and all other networks from the north. I don't watch the CW network or American Idol, so I don't feel the need to receive signals from both north and south.

Some antenna's don't come with poles and attachment hardware. You'll need to go to the hardware store and buy a steel fence post. My local hardware stores don't carry roof or attic attachment hardware. Try amazon.com.

I'm not sure about this, but if your antennae is more than 75 feet from your TV, (say you live in a glen and need to put the antenna up a tree) you may need to buy a signal booster and provide electricity to it. Buying a large antenna and good quality coaxial cable may obviate this need, but I doubt it. The good news is that if your topography requires this, perhaps you can share the cost of your new antenna with your neighbors. Community, community, community.

Or better yet, hire a handyman to do all this for you. There's an industry springing up around this issue. An experienced installer can advise you on sizing your antennae. But beware, experienced installers are hard to find.

Go to www.antennaweb.org for more info.

2. A new TV or a converter box. The gov't will send you a free $40 savings coupon toward the purchase of a converter box. I recommend paying $75 for the Channel Master brand. It has a good picture and a TV guide button. I tried the Access HD brand and found it to be poor quality, with lines on the screen. Waste of money.

3. An alternative to buying a converter box is buying a DVR (Digital Video Recorder) or TIVO with a built in tuner. The benefit to this is that you can record shows while you are away. Let's face it, we Americans need to get out of the house more. Community, Community, Community. A TIVO or a DVR will force us to plan our TV viewing. This way we're not just watching whatever happens to be on TV. We can watch good television, not bad. TIVO is the best DVR on the market, but requires a monthly subscription fee for the TV-guide. (about $12, I think) Beware, many TIVO models don't have digital tuners and most licensed retailers don't understand this. Everyone is still playing catch-up to the new changes. Go ahead and buy it, but keep the receipt. I recommend calling TIVO and asking questions before opening up the box. It makes returning it so much easier.

4. Another alternative is to buy a DVD recorder box with a built-in tuner. This is a machine that records, not on an internal hard disk, but rather on removable DVD's. This is a good option if you want to record in one room and watch it in another TV set in another room, if say, not everyone in your household can agree on what TV program to watch. However, it requires more attention than a DVR or TIVO, because the disk only holds 6 hours of programming. This is enough for me if I stay on top of things, but if you watch a lot of TV, (you couch potato) this can be limiting. Also, it requires some thought as to which format DVD you prefer. I prefer the -RW disks running in VR mode. But this decision can be confusing to new users. Techno-phobes will grumble. However, if you have a the mind-set for this, some people actually prefer this.

I have a couple of boxes from comcast and they both have cards in them... Of course its illegal to pull the cards out, but its just a single screw in the back. If you own your own box, then that IS half the battle I'm sure, but the box wont work properly without a card registered on Comcast's system, as far as I understand. Of course, the monthly fee for a CARD is the SAME FEE as renting a standard issue cable box!!!! Once the card is in there, they have full control over every channel you can watch on that box. If you do own a compatible box, you should be able to rent that card and they will open up the service to whatever you pay for to that card and any receiver it is put into.
I would love to switch to FIOS or any other system that can offer me a good internet service as well, but other than at&t crooks (which are worse bloodsuckers than comcast in my mind's eye), theres no good solutions in my area! There are other dsl companies that lease at&t lines, but no dsl service (incl. att) compares to the upload/download speeds that I get with comcast, and I am patiently waiting for the day that FIOS or some other good service becomes available to the south florida market! In the meantime, its a little known fact that any comcast box will work anywhere on their grid (not only in the home it was registered to) so if you can get ahold of a box registered to a home that has for instance a hd / extended basic package (or any tier) and pay them $10 bux a month to get a hd box, or 50% of their total bill, then you can benefit all the services that they have if you can get a wire connection into your own home! It will work from anywhere on the comcast grid (atleast per city, if not multi-county) I know of people who have been sharing service with a partner for 2 years now with no glitches to save some money!
I wonder what comcast is going to do about all these communities that have deals with comcast where the community pays a bulk fee for all residents to have service? Now everyone needs a box, or they get a free downgrade to local only channels? Does comcast give away their boxes to people in these situations? How many boxes can a household get if they are part of a community like this before they need to pay extra?

This is a bait and switch. Comcast spends millions assuring us that all is well and that we won't be affected by the DTV switch. Two months later they go and remove the analog feed for most of the interesting channels, leaving those of us with analog equipment in the lurch. They're essentially taking away channels from some of us while charging the same high price.

I've got a series 1 Tivo with an analog tuner and a lifetime subscription. It's been rendered pretty much useless by the switch. I could put the converter box in front of it, but as far as I can tell that would require me to switch channels on both the converter and the Tivo. That's a non-starter. And I won't put up with the lack of control that going without a real DVR entails. This whole ridiculous episode is making me rethink the $100 a month that Comcast extorts out of my family.

I'm pretty sure it is unrealistic to expect a TIVO made by one set of engineers, to communicate and "take control" of the channel selection a cable box made by another set of engineers. Not without some kind of agreement of cooperation between the two companies or a government entity getting involved. But I like your idea. It all comes down to the idea of who owns the cable channels. Is it the cable company? If so, do they have sole proprietary ownership of what machines get to "surf" those channels. It may be that they do have that right. After all, it is their signal. Their channels. We only subscribe to them. It all depends on the contract the cable company signed with the local municipality. Your city or county, in return for certain considerations, granted the cable companies a limited monopoly and did so knowing full well the consequences. This may be one of those consequences.

In terms of the airwaves, it's more clear: the public owns the airwaves. They/we have rights of ownership. Our legislature gave away a lot of things during this transition, but one thing they didn't give away is the right to encrypt the signal. Maybe they should have and allowed networks to charge a subscription fee for service. But they didn't do that. The airwaves are free. And the number of channels on the air is now increasing. There's more room now that bulky analog signals are being removed. The question, now, is anybody listening to those airwaves? I hope so.

Tivo has a remote control chip built into it which lets it control cable and sat boxes. If you think about it, Tivo's usefulness would be pretty limited if it couldn't control STBs.

I've heard that different Tivo and other DVRs (such as ReplayTVs) aren't able to IR blast to the lastest DTA (small set top boxes) from Comcast, and aa such aren't able to initiate the channel changes needed to record programming.

im in sf bay area and i have tvs with out any boxes and i still get all the channels i used to get. i keep waiting to have to plug in my little box when the channels go *poof* but they haven't yet. i think i might even sell them back to the store i got them from. has any one else channels not gone *poof*?

If your tv/receiver has a cable card slot, you can rent a cable card from comcast (for the monthly cost of a standard definition box) and use that to get all digital programming you pay for, except interactive / on demand is not supported. The cable card should de-scramble the channels that you would otherwise need a comcast box for, but obviously only the ones they let you have, ie the ones you pay for. Sometimes it is hard to find the cable card option in comcast's information / documentation, but if you call or go in and ask the rep for one, they shouldnt hold back on you.

Thank you. It is very helpful to know that Comcast supports cable cards. Do the cards replace the function of the boxes that Comcast made SF bay area users acquire on June 12?

Presumably, those boxes unscramble digital broadcasting that Comcast decided to scramble. How does that box decoded programming differ from the content that arrived box free on my screen prior to June 12?

We are all going back to the 70's Call Comcat and tell them we don't want your junk. file a complaint with the FCC,BBB and the attorney general let them now comcast gets enough of our money without requiring us to rent thier crappy ugly boxes. Getting rid of cable boxes is one of the 70's most innovated tech breakthroughs for cable consumers. WE DON"T WANT TO GO BACK!

I am not a comcast customer since they did not offer service in the area where I purchased my home when I moved 4 years ago. However, I just spoke with my parents (who are comcast customers and have been for at least 20+ years), and they informed me that Comcast has been removing the local analog channels. They called Comcast and were informed that they would have to switch to digital cable to get these channels. Comcast is forcing people to rent their boxes!

They were told that one box was free, and the price of the basic digital cable package was the same as the price of the basic analog cable package. However, I have a hard time believing this statement. Is this true, or is this just a "promotional" 6 or 12 month price?

Also, they had to go pick up the box and comcast expects them to hook it up themselves. They are elderly and are not comfortable with technology, so this is an impossibility. Comcast should, at the very least, send a tech to their house, free of charge, to hook up the digital box which comcast is forcing upon them.

I have no problem with Comcast switching to all digital. However, they also decided to encrypt all of their channels except for the local networks. This has absolutely nothing to do with the digital switchover. It is completely unneccesary except that it forces people to put boxes or cablecards on all of their tvs, Tivos, etc. I have been a Comcast customer for 20 years and have been paying them almost $200/month for much of that time. Well, that just ended. I have no intention of hooking cable boxes to all of my tvs or getting cablecards (many of which are poorly engineered and need to be replaced frequently) in order to use my Tivo.

I have purchased an inexpensive laptop and hooked it up to my tv. I can watch almost all of the shows that I watched on cable for free on Hulu or the networks' websites. Most HBO and Showtime shows can be purchased on itunes or Amazon on demand. I have a digital antenna hooked up to my Tivo and am receiving all of the local networks for free. I can still record two channels at a time while I watch a third. The only thing I still get from Comcast is internet service. So, I guess I should say thanks to Comcast.
"Thanks Comcast! By choosing to encrypt all of your channels, you made me so mad that I ended up saving $150/month."

By the way, if anyone is interested in trying this for themselves, there are tons of instructions online for hooking up a computer to your tv. It's pretty easy and can be done with cables or wirelessly. We got the computer and made sure that it all worked the way we wanted before we cancelled our cable service.

We hate to see you leave, but happy that you've found an alternative.

I called Astound and they do not provide service to my block--what a bummer, because they provide both digital and analog channels, so I could use all of the TVs and VCRs I did before Comcast made their own internal digital conversion.

I recommend Astound to anyone in the SF Bay Area!!

The switch to their own digital network by Comcast is all about putting more money into their pocket!! I already pay them $150 a month, just for cable TV!!! More than for any other service--more than cell service, home phone service and DSL service combined!! How much more do they want or need??? They will never stop wanting more.

I am going to work to rescind their franchise in San Francisco!!

In the SF Bay Area, earlier this week, Comcast converted all channels over Ch. 35 to digital. To receive any channel above Ch 35, I need to use their equipment. They are doing this for two main reasons: 1. They want find out how many TVs you have in your home and make you use (and eventually pay for) a cable box for each TV--no more splitting the cable coming into your home for extra TVs!! Here's a direct quote from their FAQs: "However, many customers connect their cable-ready TV sets directly to Comcast service without notifying the company. These homes may have several TVs receiving Comcast service legally, but Comcast has no record of them." They want a record of them. 2. They want to control the cable on each of your TVs and charge you for them. They will reap much more money from each customer who had more TVs connected to cable than were previously paying.

All of this means, even though I have the newest television (with QUAM), I still need their adaptor box! By using their DTA box, my VCR is not able to change and record channels neither will my PC enabled tuner!! I cannot receive any HD channels without paying a higher fee and get another box!! However, if I connect my TV to an antenna, I can get all of the local HDTV channels for free and my VCRs can change and record various channels.

God I hate comcast, they just killed all our channels from 35 to 65(pretty much every thing but 5 locals, travel,scifi, a couple of spanish channels, and the half dozen shop at home channels).
What ticks me off more is that with the cable connected directly to the TV we actually got better reception. We'd get a little snow or other glitches sometimes on them, but we still got the channels fine, but the one with the box would completely stop working when these happened, usually forcing us to call in and have them reset the box during the worst of them. On demand is pretty much impossible to use due to this too.
And now they want us to shell out however much the boxes are (like what $30-40ish per?) for all 4 TVs not already hooked up. So we'd be paying close to if not more then $200 more a month(on top of the almost $200 we are paying already, for basic) for even worse service. Ya, I think it's time we looked into direct TV or something...

how many people are they going to lose before they stop encrypting the channels?

I managed to figure out a way around this with my Tivo. Comcast is distributing DTA boxes to decrypt the digital signals of the channels they're changing. This DTA sits between your cable line and your TV, and has a remote control to switch channels. Tivos have the ability to send infrared signals to this DTA and automatically switch channels when you use the Tivo remote. You basically have to run Tivo's initial basic setup and specify that you have a DTA/Cable Box.

Changing channels is a bit slow. That's frustrating, because it was instantaneous with the Tivo only. But I guess that's just the Comcast way: giving you less for more and frustrating your experience at every turn.

christy: I have a Series 1. I'm not sure whether a Tivo HD will work, but you might try the Tivo forums. I used this article:
http://support.tivo.com/app/answers/d...

My question for Comcast, that I can't get a straight answer through IM or phone call - at what channel level is the QAM feed encrypted? I now get right through 90 on my cable ready TVs. How high will my non-carded TiVo tune after the cable's transition? (I understand I won't get guide data, that's a different story)

Christy: there was an article in PC Magazine a while back about constructing your own media PC and ditching cable all together...in favor of streaming shows from Hula and other sources. You might try googling for that article.

Along these lines: You can find a link to the article "You don't need satellite TV when times get tough" from CNET News @ http://bit.ly/18lhxL via my blog post (http://tinyurl.com/7w6o2p)

Talked with Robin at Comcast 8/13/09, and after persistent questioning, she admitted what we all know - that the purpose behind pushing us into the cable box requirement for every tv in your house is to enable purchasing of premium content and/or impulse (pay-per-view) buying. She also pointed out that all of the other providers (satellite, fios, etc) require boxes anyway. She also said that by 2010 there will be nothing other than local channels available without the box. Fine, whatever. A few points:

1. We were mislead by the whole DTV transition propaganda by the implication that a new TV with ATSC/Clear Qam would be able to receive all non-scrambled content. True, unless it's all been removed. A new tv with all the tuners is no better than the one you replaced as far as channels are concerned. If your tv gets channel 3/4 and you are on comcast, you won't need the rest. But hey, the economy got a big boost from the sales of over-qualified TV's. Thanks for doing your part!

2. The cable card myth. I was told spitefully that I could junk my new tv and get one with a cable card tuner. Google cable-card TVs and let me know how that works for you!

3. Did you do a nice install of your shiny new flat panel? OK, now hang a cable box on it!

4. More remotes. I was told that the comcast remote would be all I'd need and I wouldn't need the tv remote. Uh, anyone out there ever use a universal remote? Works fine as long as you only need power, volume or channel. Let's go wading through your tv's menus to change color, hue, aspect ratios etc with the comcast remote - not gonna happen.

5. For every analog channel they remove, they gain 5-10 digital channels depending on compression. You'd think they could at least give us back digitally the channel they "stole" while keeping the rest for themselves?

6. Cable could promote the fact that they are the only providers capable of basic cable content WITHOUT the need for additional equipment but that would only make sense.

7. We are all told to screw in spiral light bulbs by the government because of the energy savings involved. (every little bit helps) I wonder what the idle wattage of your friendly cable box is? Times every TV in every comcast connected home? Oops!

The FCC doesn't care if it's not over the air. Your elected representatives are clueless, but contact them anyway - feel free to cut and paste.

I have seen class-action suits succeed with far less affected consumers involved. Any attorneys out there looking for some work?

I'm not sure if this is kosher or not to but I'm posting it anyway.

After the large bank of cable channels 35-66, were taken off the air for all limited basic cable users in my area, I started to look up alternative methods to get streaming video from my PC to my tv. I already have a Xbox360 with Netflix but I wanted Hulu on there also.

So here a few sites to look into if you have an Xbox360 and Win PC.
http://www.themediamall.com/playon
http://tversity.com/

Also check out http://lifehacker.com/ for different alternatives or how-to steps for setting these applications up. I'm not sure if there a app for Macs or not.

The main thing that is holding me up with this set up is my old router and upgrading my DSL.

Plus if already have Netflix and a Xbox360, the new Netflix upgrade on there is pretty nice.

There is one other thing I wanted to look up sometime. I have 2 extra tvs, and wondered if there is some attachment to get them hooked up with my PC also.

I hope this helps some people looking for an alternative from cable.

Doug M summed it up pretty good. I got a different answer from my
Comcast office here in Spokane.

After chewing out the first rep for being rude (did they forget the definition of customer service?) I asked for the manager. When I explained to him how I lost my upper channels on the two new tv's we bought in prep for this transition, he explained the whole encryption thing. I asked why the encryption. This was his answer.

He said that basic, basic cable subscribers were getting the expanded basic digital channels for free with the new tv's. Comcasts solution. Encryption and all the little ugly boxes. I tried to explain to him how they were punishing all their customers for Comcasts own problem. He told me that that is just the way it is. Unbelievable. They could care less. I had read that only 10% of Comcasts customers were expanded basic so I guess it should have been no surprise.

I told him I had been a loyal customer since 2007 and it was now time to move on. He offered to lower my bill by $20 a month for six months and was sending out 4 more DTA's for the tv's that weren't covered by the transitions 3 free boxes (7 tv's, big house, don't ask). Of course, in six months the bill goes up $20 plus another $8 for the additional DTA's.

I look at it like this. I have 6 months to find another provider.

I live in the SF Bay Area and lost the "upper" channels a few weeks ago.
There is more information available at this Comcast site:

http://www.comcast.com/digitalnow/

The take home message is that I ordered a "digital transport adapter" (FREE w/free shipping and no extra monthly charge if I read everything correctly) for the TV that is currently connected directly to the cable.

They explain it is *NOT* a regular set-top box (no On Demand, no other menus), and although it's an extra box, it sounds like what many people above in this thread are looking for?

kasmicb: that's exactly what many of us are complaining about. Comcast is basically disabling the analog channel feeds we had, and then scrambling the digital channels and requiring us to use their box to descramble them. Not good, as many of us use other devices, like Tivos, in the mix.

I hate their tuners!!! I like to surf and i spend more time looking at a black screen than the picture. Comcast cares, is that some kind of joke? On the plus side, I have great reception and fast internet. I just don't like them forcing me to rent products that are far inferior to the products that I already own!

I received the Comcast flyer in the mail. "DTA Boxes required for comcast customers if you want to receive local channels" I ordered the boxes online for the (4) TV's in our home. Two are free, the other (2) $1.99 per month. I spent 1/2 a day on Saturday setting up the boxes, activating each box by running around my home to each TV while on the phone with Comcast, then spent more time programming each remote. I didn't even bother with the DVD/XBox set up. All TV's worked fine for about 1 week. Then, "Comcast has detected an interruption in service, please call Comcast" appears on all our TV screens. After calling and being told the boxes were never activated, I run around the house again to each TV while on the phone with Comcast. The TV's finally work, but as soon as I get off the phone our internet doesn't. I call Comcast again, they now need a tech to come out. They install another box to our computer using more energy as the DTA boxes. Another week goes by. Another interruption in service, I am forced to call again. Unsurprising I am told the same thing, the boxes were never activated to our account. Again, I ran around the house to each box while on the phone with Comcast. Comcast customer service assured me, the boxes were permenantly activated and this problem should not occur again. Well, guess what happened yesterday, no service due to interruption!! I want an explaination as to why this keeps happening.

Off with their heads!

Comcast doesn't care about their customers, who are they fooling? And the alternative companies aren't any better. But, in 2004 and 2007, the American Customer Satisfaction Index survey revealed that Comcast had the absolute worst customer satisfaction rating of any company or government agency in the United States, including that of the Internal Revenue Service.
It's all about the mighty dollar and how many ways they can steal it from us. They use psychology to calm the mass hysteria they cause as they drain us like leeches. Let's face it, we are all addicted to television, and they know it. They're no better than drug dealers and pimps. They have us by the balls. The only power we have is whatever resolve we can muster up to shut them off and stop giving them our money. These huge corporations play games with our lives and we allow it. So maybe in the grand scheme of things we are getting what we deserve because for some odd reason so many of us are willing to fork over HUGE sums of cash for mostly junk. Let’s face it, we really only watch an infinitesimal portion of what they feed us. If we bought our food the same way we purchase our television programs, grocery stores would fill our carts with hundreds of other junk products we’d never use, and then turn around and charge us for it. Not only do we pay exorbitant prices, but we are also forced to endure vast spans of commercial advertising. It’s extortion plan and simple.
Ultimately, power rests with those who can control and focus it effectively. Consumers have the greatest potential power but lack the ability to focus it constructively. And so, against companies such as Comcast, who are specifically designed and organized to focus power, consumers are easily pushed around, forced to abide by the standards THEY set, which is dictated by their greed.
One could say that I haven’t made the full argument because I failed to complete the links that bring the blame for this problem full circle to the consumer. Companies such as Comcast have shareholders. So let’s face facts, many of those shareholders are also consumers who expect their stocks to rise. One way to increase profits is to raise prices. So whose greed is it really? Do we blame the employees for making too much money? Do we blame the shareholders for expecting to much profit? Or do we blame the consumers for not willing to spend enough of their hard earned money on the product? If one thing stands out in this ridiculous enigma, it’s that no one group is the clear culprit. If a company is making too much money from high prices and low wages, (excluding the C.E.O. and high paid executives) then the shareholders are happy but the consumers and employees aren’t. If the company isn’t making enough money because their prices are too low, then the shareholders and employees aren’t happy, but the consumer is. And since we aren’t exactly talking about healthcare here, it seems the consumer will likely get the short end of the stick, along with the average employee; not unless the consumers unite under a consumer advocacy group.

I have called Comcast at least 6 times asking what I thought was a simple question yet I received many answers. I hooked up the DTA (Digiital Transport Adapter) box on my TV. I used the TV controler to put the Tv on channell 3 and then I was told to put the TV controller away and use the controller that came with the DTA box. Problem, when you use the DTA controller the stations that are blocked on the TV now show. There is no "Menu" button on the new DTA controller to program "Parental Control" and Comcast said there is NO V-Chip in the new DTAdapter. I don't allow my chidren to watch MTV, Jerry Springer, Comedy Central etc, and now if I want the Disney Channel, syfi and others, which I'm paying for I can't have them unles the new DTAdapetr can block certain stations.
What am I missing here? No V-Chip or Parental Contol availabliity with the new Digital Transport Adapter??
Is this true??