What is correct billing for Cable Cards and HDTV??

Just want to post an update. First off Thanks to the Comcast reps that monitor these boards, they are very quick to respond and get someone in touch with me very soon after. In this case I was referred to the same local rep that I originally spoke with regarding my billing questions. I spoke with her again and she insists their billing is correct, they bill HDTV service @ $6.95 PER cable card and $1.50 for each cable card with the first one being free. However, if I ordered the Comcast "Sports Package" I would only be charged once, I'm not sure what the distinction is but this person just explained that all the billing RULES are embedded in authorization codes and these codes are used to "turn-on" the specific services that a customer requests. When I asked WHO sets up these codes she referred me back to Comcast corporate. I think this is worth pursuing further b/c Directv charges $9.99/month for HDTV regardless of how many receivers you have and they offer 130 HD channels. With Comcast I get about 30 HD channels for $28/month and b/c I have cable cards I cannot get HD Video On Demand. Finally, one more thing I will point out. If you go to Comcast.com and choose HD programming, you will see a comparison with Directv. In this comparison Comcast claims there are NO Additional Programming Fees??? Really, check it out at http://www.comcast.com/HD/default.html

Brian,

You're not the only one confused by Comcast's charges for Cablecard and HDTV. I have had HDTV service (with the Digital Preferred packages) and cablecard from Comcast for a while now. A recently noticed a new charge to monthly bill: HDTV Equipment-$6.50. I called Comcast and was told that is the fee for HD service and I should have been paying that all along. According the Comcast's own schedule of pricing, the $6.50 is for monthly rental of an HDTV Digital Converter. But I don't have any digital converter box! My cablecard is all I have (and that is listed on my bill, with a charge of $0.00). On Comcast's web site, under "HD 101" it states the following: "9. How does HD pricing work? Comcast doesn’t charge additional programming fees for HD channels and content like satellite. If you receive the channel currently and the channel is available in HD all you need is an HD box." Well I clearly don't need the box, but Comcast is charging me for it anyway. I think I'll complain to the FCC about this, as the original point of cablecards was to free the user from having to rent a cablebox!

Brian,

I called Comcast again this morning hoping for a better explanation/resolution of my "HDTV Equipment" charge. The Comcast rep finally agreed that there was no extra charge for the HD programming (I pointed out the info on their own website) but said that the charge was for an "upgraded Cablecard." He actually claimed that I needed an HD Cablecard (as opposed to an SD Cablecard) if I wanted to receive the HD signals. He agreed that the first Cablecard was free, but that was only for a regular card, not the upgraded one.

The only problem with this is that THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS AN HD CABLECARD. There are single- and multi-channel cards, but that has nothing to do with my TV nor with HD versus SD signals. It is VERY disappointing to have a Comcast rep provide such blatantly false information. But there was no use arguing with him because he was so SURE of what he was saying. I continue to be frustrated.

Can a Comcast Representative explain/clarify this please on the actual thread? I am considering a Package with Comcast (Digital Preferred) with a second outlet being a TivoHD with Cablecards. But Comcast wants a 7 dollar monthly HD to use the cable cards. Which does not make sense to me either because I already have HD through my programming package. Additionally, from I understand from other threads and blogs, the HD fee is actually a fee associated with an HD box. If that is the case, then this fee should not apply as my second outlet does not have an actual Comcast HD box. This logic is further enforced by the statements made above by Comcast, of which I will re-iterate again.

"9. How does HD pricing work?

Comcast doesn’t charge additional programming fees for HD channels and content like satellite. If you receive the channel currently and the channel is available in HD all you need is an HD box."

http://www.comcast.com/corporate/shop...

-Please be honest and clarify once and for all consumers and customers who want to use Tivo unit.

Thank you,
Ethan

It's simple.
First TV - you can either have a Comcast STB or first card free add card $1.50.
Sec TV - $6.95 outlet fee, includes free first card. A second card would cost $1.50 or so.

One TiVo is never $6.95 x 2. This is WRONG. I went round with comcast office and the regional office set them straight. They were using the wrong billing code like I had 4 TVs.