Hiya,

I have been seeing a scroll on Comcast in Calvert regarding their planned transition to digital for basic cable occuring on Sept. 28th. Several questions:

1. They are saying that a "converter box" will be needed for basic cable. (this is gonna screw up my TiVo, I just know it....). Is their box the same box as required for over-the-air digital TV? Or, is it Comcast-specific?

2. If you don't get the box, will you get any analog TV at all?

3. Will this have any impact on Comcast cable internet service? I would not think so, but....


I have Comcast "internet only" service, and have hooked up my TV / TiVo up to the cable to um, monitor the signal. Maybe I need to start paying for basic cable now.

It may be time to break down and go HD.... uggh. It was not broke and they are fixing it, darn it.

I am looking at the Comcast site. It's gonna be ugly for TiVo, though "basic cable" will not be affected per se. "expanded basic" WILL be affected, that includes things like CNN and the Weather Channel. Uggh.

We switched to DirecTV after receiving the convertor boxes from Comcast. Out of the four that we received, two worked and two didn't. From talking to some of our neighbors, most of them had problems hooking up their TVs to the convertor boxes and most came defective like ours. Since we already had our phone and Internet through Verizon and they had a special package for phone, internet and DirecTV, we switched and I took back the convertors.

While trying to deal with Comcast about getting our TVs to work with the convertors, they said that if you don't switch to the boxes, you will only receive local and government channels.

As far as messing with your TiVo, I have no idea. We don't have that.

While trying to deal with Comcast about getting our TVs to work with the convertors, they said that if you don't switch to the boxes, you will only receive local and government channels.

and they don't take into account if you have a digital TV :lol:

and they don't take into account if you have a digital TV :lol:

Never thought of that. The convertor boxes were the final nail with Comcast. We were already fed up with them charging us almost $70 for basic cable.

and they don't take into account if you have a digital TV :lol:

Well, yeah -- and that was one of my core questions, that i have not been able to get an answer on: Does one HAVE to use THEIR digital box or is the standard DTV to Analog converter box do the job? I suspect that they are trying to capture additional bucks and have upgrade options (that cost more money) so being non-commital on the question, especially if a standard DTV box works, lets them get their set top boxes into subscriber homes.

Their web site SUCKS. Every deal in the world if you want to become a new sub -- but if you are an existing customer, none of their "deals" are available. Tried to use their ordering system but again, the assumption was that I am a new subscriber. Insisted that i needed "installation" -- I don't, thanks, I would just as soon not have a creepy "cable guy" in my house, just make the connection to the outside demark box and go the heck away. The very idea of charging "by the outlet" inside my house irritates the heck out of me.

Boy, DirecTV is sounding better and better, maybe I will check out Verizon's internet offers....

Well, yeah -- and that was one of my core questions, that i have not been able to get an answer on: Does one HAVE to use THEIR digital box or is the standard DTV to Analog converter box do the job? I suspect that they are trying to capture additional bucks and have upgrade options (that cost more money) so being non-commital on the question, especially if a standard DTV box works, lets them get their set top boxes into subscriber homes.

Their web site SUCKS. Every deal in the world if you want to become a new sub -- but if you are an existing customer, none of their "deals" are available. Tried to use their ordering system but again, the assumption was that I am a new subscriber. Insisted that i needed "installation" -- I don't, thanks, I would just as soon not have a creepy "cable guy" in my house, just make the connection to the outside demark box and go the heck away. The very idea of charging "by the outlet" inside my house irritates the heck out of me.

Boy, DirecTV is sounding better and better, maybe I will check out Verizon's internet offers....

I'll let you know after the weekend, 2 TVs in my house do not have 'converter' boxes

If you subscribe to Comcast you should NOT need a converter box for basic cable. You should only need the box for digital channels which are channel 100+ I believe.

And to whoever is paying $70 for basic cable, you're either getting screwed or mistaken. Most systems charge around $20 for basic cable. It's only a few channels.

If you subscribe to Comcast you should NOT need a converter box for basic cable. You should only need the box for digital channels which are channel 100+ I believe.

And to whoever is paying $70 for basic cable, you're either getting screwed or mistaken. Most systems charge around $20 for basic cable. It's only a few channels.
It sounds to me like he's talking "Expanded basic". I have millions of TVs in the house that all get expanded basic (up to 99) but only 1 tv that is on a digital converter to get channels beyond 99. If metrocast was to change things so that each and every TV in the house would need to have a rented converter box just to get expanded... I'd raise holy hell too.

It sounds to me like he's talking "Expanded basic". I have millions of TVs in the house that all get expanded basic (up to 99) but only 1 tv that is on a digital converter to get channels beyond 99. If metrocast was to change things so that each and every TV in the house would need to have a rented converter box just to get expanded... I'd raise holy hell too.

Yeah that's alot of damn money.

I had cable when I first moved in in '94. It sucked so bad I switched to satellite. After 10 years of increasing costs, I gave it all up a few months ago. No cable, no satellite. Just home movies. However, I did put up a small antenna on the roof and now get 4 channels, all from the Easter Shore. CBS, NBC, FOX and ABC. High def looks great, but only after dark when the air settles down... :lol:

I have 2 old tvs that wouldnt pick some of the stations after the switch, called comcast and got 2 free converter boxes in a couple of days. Hooked them up, called comcast and they sent an activation signal, took about half hour to do both. Have not had any problems yet. Im on charles county comcast.

I had cable when I first moved in in '94. It sucked so bad I switched to satellite. After 10 years of increasing costs, I gave it all up a few months ago. No cable, no satellite. Just home movies. However, I did put up a small antenna on the roof and now get 4 channels, all from the Easter Shore. CBS, NBC, FOX and ABC. High def looks great, but only after dark when the air settles down... :lol:
Woah! I bet you were the "go to" house on superbowl days. :lol:

I have 2 old tvs that wouldnt pick some of the stations after the switch, called comcast and got 2 free converter boxes in a couple of days. Hooked them up, called comcast and they sent an activation signal, took about half hour to do both. Have not had any problems yet. Im on charles county comcast.

They don't charge you monthly for the boxes?

They don't charge you monthly for the boxes?

Not for the converter boxes.

Not for the converter boxes.

Check your bills. Comcast and any other cable company doesn't give things away for free.

all from the Easter Shore. CBS, NBC, FOX and ABC. High def looks great, but only after dark when the air settles down... :lol:

I get the Macy's Day Parade from the Thanksgiving Shore. :yay:

Woah! I bet you were the "go to" house on superbowl days. :lol:

Actually, the games came in pretty damn nice in HD! Too bad I don't watch them!

I get the Macy's Day Parade from the Thanksgiving Shore. :yay:

:sniggle:

I get the Macy's Day Parade from the Thanksgiving Shore. :yay:

Aw damn.... :lol:

If you subscribe to Comcast you should NOT need a converter box for basic cable. You should only need the box for digital channels which are channel 100+ I believe.

And to whoever is paying $70 for basic cable, you're either getting screwed or mistaken. Most systems charge around $20 for basic cable. It's only a few channels.

I believe the answer is... we were getting screwed. Our bill was $67/mo for basic cable. Hence why we are no longer Comcast customers. Now we pay $55 for phone/TV/Internet all on one bill. :yay:

Not for the converter boxes.

Check your bills. Comcast and any other cable company doesn't give things away for free.

They gave customers one convertor box and 3 extra routers for free. Any more and it's like a $5 charge per month.

I believe the answer is... we were getting screwed. Our bill was $67/mo for basic cable. Hence why we are no longer Comcast customers. Now we pay $55 for phone/TV/Internet all on one bill. :yay:
How many channels were you getting? That's crazy!

How many channels were you getting? That's crazy!

Hard to tell because the highest channel we could get was 72 but there were a lot of channels in between that we didn't get so I'd say probably closer to 55. With DirecTV we get about 150 plus we ordered the NHL Center Ice package for my husband. He can watch something like 60 hockey games per week!

I sure started shopping when I figured out that Comcast was going to end up well over $125 a month just to duplicate what I have now what with me getting "expanded basic" for free by monitoring the cable signal with my three TV's. They pretty much cannot deliver cable internet without also supplying the basic cable signal.

I am about to say "screw them". I would be dropping to 3mbps vs 5mbps, but that is actually pretty good for routin internet use -- i don't watch streaming video much, and cable modem service definately drops to a crawl during internet "prime time", I doubt I am getting much more than 1mb in the evening hours anyway. DSL at least is a dedicated circuit, or so Verizon claims.

They do a package deal with phone, Internet, and DirecTV for just under $100 a month.

Hard to tell because the highest channel we could get was 72 but there were a lot of channels in between that we didn't get so I'd say probably closer to 55. With DirecTV we get about 150 plus we ordered the NHL Center Ice package for my husband. He can watch something like 60 hockey games per week!
55 channels is their 2nd tier or expanded basic. Still high though!

I sure started shopping when I figured out that Comcast was going to end up well over $125 a month just to duplicate what I have now what with me getting "expanded basic" for free by monitoring the cable signal with my three TV's. They pretty much cannot deliver cable internet without also supplying the basic cable signal.

I am about to say "screw them". I would be dropping to 3mbps vs 5mbps, but that is actually pretty good for routin internet use -- i don't watch streaming video much, and cable modem service definately drops to a crawl during internet "prime time", I doubt I am getting much more than 1mb in the evening hours anyway. DSL at least is a dedicated circuit, or so Verizon claims.

They do a package deal with phone, Internet, and DirecTV for just under $100 a month.

That's what we switched to but got the basic one (150 channels) for $56/month. We already had the phone and Internet with Verizon so just added the DirecTV. Makes it very convienent to have all 3 on one bill too.

One major downsides to DirecTV, for me at least, is the Weather Channel will not have the "Local on the 8's" feature that is localized to SOMD. That will suck. I admit it, I am a weather channel junkie.

Hmm.. gotta check into how well TiVo integrates with DirecTV...

One major downsides to DirecTV, for me at least, is the Weather Channel will not have the "Local on the 8's" feature that is localized to SOMD. That will suck. I admit it, I am a weather channel junkie.

Hmm.. gotta check into how well TiVo integrates with DirecTV...

Don't know about DirecTV, but DishNet has an interactive weather access which does show the local radar and weather.

And if you go with either satellite system, look into their DVR receivers rather than the TIVO.

Don't know about DirecTV, but DishNet has an interactive weather access which does show the local radar and weather.

And if you go with either satellite system, look into their DVR receivers rather than the TIVO.

Yep, there is an interactive weather access on Direct.

Yep, there is an interactive weather access on Direct.

Oh cool, thanks. I assume that it will need internet access, which should not be a problem.

Oh cool, thanks. I assume that it will need internet access, which should not be a problem.
DishNet didn't, you just select the interactive channel and menu thru the selections to get to the zip code, and it downloads from the bird. However, I had an older unit, newer ones could possibly use the Interwebs.