yt
Premium
join:2008-06-03 | How is this different...
From DTV cards
From FiOS set tops |
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baineschile
2600
Premium
join:2008-05-10
Sterling Heights, MI | Never will work
If people start buying their own equipment, they will be able to sell it second hand. If this happens, people WILL SAVE MONEY, but companies wont troubleshoot that equipment, especially if its not on their "approved" list. |
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Chris 313
Come get some
Premium
join:2004-07-18
Houma, LA
clubs:
 ·Comcast
·Comcast
·Charter Pipeline
 ·Comcast Digital Vo..
·AT&T CallVantage
| Why?
Why would I wanna buy equipment (Modems excluded, Moto 5100 still going 5 1/2 years later) from Comcast. Back when they were still running under Time Warner Cable, I went through like 5 SA8300 DVR boxes. They kept dying, poor picture quality, losing recordings despite settings.
The Moto 6412 DVR box I have now works, but I'm starting to have recordings problems with this box. I'm probably gonna trade it in soon and see if that solves my problem.
I wouldn't wanna buy a box like this, especially if I continue to have problems time and time again in the same spots. |
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SLD
Premium
join:2002-04-17
·Comcast
| It is exactly for these reasons that the marketplace should be freed up. Purchasing from Comcast would be one option, but even better, buy a better box at your local WorstBuy or whatever.
Or, for example, I have a media PC. I can only get clear QAM reception because no one allows an encryption card to be installed unless you buy a special PC that has been locked down. |
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pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD
·Comcast
| reply to Chris 313
Agreed completely. I've had the same problems with those worthless SA boxes (went through 3 here). Why on earth would I want to buy them when each time they break I can call Comcast and they come and replace it?
--
Blagojevich / Madoff 2012! |
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dadkins
Can you do Blu?
Premium,MVM
join:2003-09-26
Hercules, CA
·Comcast
| Free HD
Free HD - no service or equipment charges
Access to over 1,000 HD choices
Over 80 digital channels
Channel 1 On Demand with over 10,000 movies and programs
Over 45 channels of digital music
100% digital-quality picture and sound
Now, tell me again why I should purchase a cable box. 
--
Think outside the Fox... Opera |
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dadkins
Can you do Blu?
Premium,MVM
join:2003-09-26
Hercules, CA
·Comcast
| reply to SLD
Re: Why?
said by SLD  :It is exactly for these reasons that the marketplace should be freed up. Purchasing from Comcast would be one option, but even better, buy a better box at your local WorstBuy or whatever. Or, for example, I have a media PC. I can only get clear QAM reception because no one allows an encryption card to be installed unless you buy a special PC that has been locked down. Tivo?
--
Think outside the Fox... Opera |
|
Chris 313
Come get some
Premium
join:2004-07-18
Houma, LA
clubs:
·Comcast
·Comcast
·Charter Pipeline
·Comcast Digital Vo..
·AT&T CallVantage
| reply to pnh102
Exactly! You buy something like a Tivo S3, what's that, 300? Do that with a cable box from Comcast and 6 months later, it craps for some reason, baring a good waranty, you're out that money and have to do it all over again. Naw...
Now, I might go for Tivo or something with a cable card install, but I'd have to compare prices first.
In the end, I pay for the box and DVR service every month and if anything craps out, Comcast is on the hook to fix it.
Just like with my modems, all I'd have to do is call them up and done. None of my money out of pocket.
If we could buy boxes off the shelf or from Comcast, I'd only do it if their boxes were as stable as the Moto 5100 series modems. They've still got some catching up to do in that area, though, so I'd stay renting my box. |
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Chris 313
Come get some
Premium
join:2004-07-18
Houma, LA
clubs:
·Comcast
·Comcast
·Charter Pipeline
·Comcast Digital Vo..
·AT&T CallVantage
1 edit | reply to dadkins
Re: Free HD
said by dadkins :Free HD - no service or equipment chargesAccess to over 1,000 HD choices Over 80 digital channels Channel 1 On Demand with over 10,000 movies and programs Over 45 channels of digital music 100% digital-quality picture and sound Now, tell me again why I should purchase a cable box. Well, there you go! But, as I'm not too clear on after the promo ends, do you think they'll start charging you for the HD box? |
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i1me2ao
Premium
join:2001-03-03
TEXAS | the reason
i would like option of buying one just for kids room, i only need the dam thing for one channel.
--
calling a illegal alien undocumented is like calling a drug dealer a undocumented pharmacist |
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GlobalMind
Domino Dude, POWER Systems Guy
Premium
join:2001-10-29
Hollywood, FL
| Not sure if I care
Interesting I've seen several class action notices come my way recently. Most of them amount to being entitled to $20 or some such thing.
Really not worth my time.
Having said that though, it's annoying to pay Comcast for the rental, especially with how they stack fees on HD boxes. However, given their apparent distaste for supporting CableCards (and the relative lack of any enforcement in that area), having the Comcast supplied box seems the most appropriate from a support standpoint.
If the thing goes TU, I get a new one, no other cost involved. Can't say that about my TiVo.
I can also see where with all the older boxes that would appear on the market, there would be a vast disparity of what boxes support what over the long term. Sounds like a systems nightmare. And you bet Comcast et al would throw up their hands and say "oh well, too bad for you" and I can't say I blame them for that.
--
TheGlobalMind.com / Speed costs money. How fast do you want to go? / Trust the instinct to the end, though you can render no reason. - Ralph Waldo Emerson / Free market capitalism is the best path to prosperity. |
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dathing
join:2002-01-09
Sykesville, MD
| You'll pay one way or another
They'll just roll any revenue loss into other fees or increased service charges. A few years back our power company (BG&E) charged a monthly "meter rental fee". I called and asked to buy it and they of course had no idea. Over time they took enough grief that the monthly "rental fee" was just changed to a "service fee" at the same price. |
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Gbcue
E.I.T.
Premium
join:2001-09-30
Santa Rosa, CA
clubs: | reply to dadkins
Re: Free HD
WTF is an HD choice?
How many HD channels? 5? 995 are VOD about how to iron clothes? |
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NoThx
@att-inc.com | reply to dadkins
1,000 crappy HD choices.
Love the wording. They used to say 1,000 HD channels but now its "choices".
LOL! Comcast. The number one choice for dumb people. |
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neufuse
join:2006-12-06
Indiana, PA | reply to dathing
Re: You'll pay one way or another
yeah, even if you could own your own boxes, they probably would add a "customer owned equipment on network allowance fee" or something stupid like that |
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OSUGoose
join:2007-12-27
Columbus, OH
clubs:
 ·AT&T Midwest
 ·Cingular Wireless
·Verizon BroadbandA..
·RoadRunner Cable
| reply to pnh102
Re: Why?
alot of the issues are the fact that the cable boxes are reused so much, and get banged around alot, u honestly think they fix the one u turn in?
What i see hapening is instead of renting, you'll lease the box for x months, and at the end its your, in exchange u'd get a brand new, fresh out the mfg's box unit. or u can at option pay for the box up front |
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syslock
Premium
join:2007-02-03
Ann Arbor, MI
clubs:
·Comcast
| Setup your own.
I got sick of it! Why pay the cable co's for limited junk boxs with bad menus, when you can have something better?
I setup my own prv server with SageTV and run hd200 boxs to my tv's. I can do a lot of cool stuff from my tv now.
If I want to put a recorded show on a portable device and take it with me, I can do that too. No more locked down dvr box's from the cable co!
You can buy your own cable modem and have it put on an account, why not cable boxs? Oh I forgot the nickle and dimming of the customers.... All that value they provide me by having the company equipment instead of my own. (Yeah right) |
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ropeguru
Premium
join:2001-01-25
Bridgeport, WV
clubs:
·VOIPo
1 edit | reply to Chris 313
Re: Why?
said by Chris 313 :Why would I wanna buy equipment (Modems excluded, Moto 5100 still going 5 1/2 years later) from Comcast. Back when they were still running under Time Warner Cable, I went through like 5 SA8300 DVR boxes. They kept dying, poor picture quality, losing recordings despite settings. The Moto 6412 DVR box I have now works, but I'm starting to have recordings problems with this box. I'm probably gonna trade it in soon and see if that solves my problem. I wouldn't wanna buy a box like this, especially if I continue to have problems time and time again in the same spots. But that's the thing. Right now you are tied to the crappy stuff put out by Comcast. They contract with a certain company to make their boxes and that is the only choice.
Quit charging rental fees or open up the system for the end user to purchase their own equipment. When the system is opened up there will be more demand, more manufacturers will get into the game and produce better equipment, more features, and an overall better (hardware) experience. |
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Mr Matt
join:2008-01-29
Eustis, FL
·Comcast
·Embarq
|  Enforce the Cable Television Consumer Protection act of 1992
 It appears that our government has failed to enforce the Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992. How long will it take Reed Hunt to apply the Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992 to digital transmission technology. Before the CATV Industry introduced digital cable the majority of channels were transmitted unscrambled. Consumers could use their cable ready television sets without renting a box and remote control from the cable company. The exception was premium and pay per view channels. Most Cable Companies used Tier Traps to filter out blocks of channels that the subscriber did not subscribe to.
Unfortunately the Bush Administration allowed the CATV industry to use the introduction of digital transmission technology to do and end run around the Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992. The consumer is put back in the same position they were before the Act of 1992 was passed. We have to rent equipment from the Cable Company for each television set in order to receive the programming that we are paying for. Furthermore the consumers privacy is compromised. When a subscriber selects a channel the Digital Subscriber Terminal sends a message to a Server at the Head End where the Subscribers Selection is authorized. A record of that selection is retained and can be sold to anyone wanting statistics on what programming subscribers are viewing. What will happen when all channels are transmitted using digital technology. Consumers will have to pay hundreds of dollars more per year for service unless the government acts.
You may review details of the act on this link:
»en.wikisource.org/wiki/Cable_Tel···_of_1992
The question is, if Reed will force the CATV Cartel to conform to the terms of the act. Cable Cards can solve the problem for premium and pay per view channels. Tier traps can still be used to trap out those channels that the customer does not subscribe to.
Right now I am forced to pay $6.95 for a digital outlet even though all CATV Wiring was installed by the builder and I am responsible for maintenance and repair if there is a problem with said wiring. Furthermore my, television is capable of receiving unencrypted QAM Digital Transmissions. If I want to receive High Definition Programming I am forced to pay an additional $6.95 per television even if the HD Programming is included in basic tier. |
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BF69
join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN
2 edits | Cable should just let people buy the boxes
A) when people see a box is $300 they'll stick with their $5 a month rental
B) if they do buy and it goes kaput, then they find out there no support for store bought boxes and they have to send them back to the manufacturer( assuming it's till under warrenty ) and have to wait weeks to get it back. They'll go back to renting.
Either way it's not hurting Comcast or any other cable company. |
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