JimF
join:2003-06-15
Allentown, PA
| reply to tubby17
Re: [CATV] Clear QAM channels slowly disappearing in Boston?
said by tubby17  :So for those of us in the Lehigh Valley, correct me if I'm wrong, but as I understand it, we rely on cable to get ANY signal since there is no OTA alternative. It depends on where you are. I have a good UHF antenna in the attic, pointed towards the local LV stations, but also get (about 30 degrees off-axis) the ABC, CBS and NBC stations from Philly. They are all HD (1080i except for ABC, which is 720p). Usually they are OK, but I get some dropouts and will eventually upgrade to another antenna pointed directly at the Philly stations, and switch between them. |
|
nycityny
Premium
join:2005-08-09
New York, NY
 ·PHONE POWER
·VoicePulse
 ·RCN CABLE
·ViaTalk
| reply to Paul_Brookline
said by Paul_Brookline :
Many of your customers chose RCN BECAUSE you provided content in Clear QAM. I have recommended RCN to friends and colleagues because they would be able to avoid renting an STB. That has now changed
Ditto here. In my building we have a choice between Time Warner and RCN. I chose RCN in 1997 because cable boxes were/are not required for the basic tier. When that changes RCN will lose their advantage over Time Warner and their disadvantages will become an issue (no NY1 local news channel, fewer HD channels, fewer other channels like Hallmark and Game Show Network).
said by tigrzeye : I recently added an HD STB and it is $11.99 per month. Same thing on DirecTV satellite, is $4.99 per month per box/TV connected. $12.00 for a box to just sit there, used or unused. OUCH!! I believe the $4.99 that DirecTV charges is a duplicate programming charge, not a box rental fee. My parents have two DirecTV boxes that they own but they pay $4.99/month for the 2nd box for the programming. Another great thing about DirecTV, though, is that you pay $5.99/month for DVR service and that covers every box you own. In other words if you have 4 DirecTV/DVR boxes, you pay $5.99/month for the DVR capability covering all boxes. |
|
tigrzeye
Control4 Certified Installer
join:2007-07-18
LHV, PA | You are probably correct on the duplicate programming charge but it has the same effect. If you have a TV you need a box and they charge $4.99 for that line. Not $17.95 for a DVR box, not $11.95 for an HD box just the $4.99. |
|
billymac
join:2008-05-16
01802
| Not to defend RCN, but Direct does also charge $10 a month just to get HD. So their is an added cost for the first HD box. With RCN going digital, Direct is on the same playing field. If Direct has a better deal then switch.
Personally I'll be paying more per month now to get a feature I want (clearQAM locals) from Verizon. I'm sure we aren't the only customers RCN will lose. I'm sure they hope they gain more than they lose. Personally, I always find it's usually easier to keep existing customers than to find new ones. |
|
jhlmsln
join:2005-05-01
Washington, DC
| reply to s4v8
Some people are still moaning and groaning about
RCN new business model even after they have said
that they are quiting or have quit. Talk about
beating a dead horse. If the new business model
will allow more HD CHANNELS at a reasonable cost - GREAT.
There is no law that says you have to have CABLE.
This is just my opinion. You know the old saying-
"opinions are like assholes,everyone has one"
jhl |
|
dworsky
join:2004-10-29
Somerville, MA
| I just got my May RCN bill today, and there NO NOTICE about going all digital in Massachusetts. In fact, all it had was the insert about the BROADCAST analog transition, which in relevant part says:
"If all your televisions are connected to the RCN network, this change will not affect you. You will continue to receive the same high-quality service and programming that you receive today."
Ha. |
|
arlington
join:2008-03-03
| reply to s4v8
All my bill had was this:
"On June 1,2008 RCN will be moving their
Digital Music and Pay Per View channels.
Please go to the following locations to
continue to receive these programs.
RCNDigital Music - Channels 851-895
Pay Per View Events - 911
Adult Pay Per View - 915 - 919
MLB Extra Innings - 941 - 954
These changes will not interrupt any of
your services and we hope you enjoy our
Digital Music and Pay Per View in their new
locations". |
|
l008com
@rcn.com
1 edit | reply to s4v8
If enough customers make enough of a stink, they may change their mind, at least about some channels. It probably won't do anything, but I figure what the hell. If enough people join, and we add this to the stink everyone else is making. Maybe just maybe they'll listen.
I sure hope RCN doesn't "Comcast" us. :-( |
|
boble88
join:2001-12-20
Somerville, MA | reply to s4v8
Forgive my ignorance but, is using the QAM tuner to receive HD channels a way of not having to pay for the HD channels? If so, is that a form of stealing cable service? |
|
Paul_Brookline
@harvard.edu
3 edits | said by boble88 : Forgive my ignorance but, is using the QAM tuner to receive HD channels a way of not having to pay for the HD channels? If so, is that a form of stealing cable service? No, it is not. RCN advertises that they do not charge a higher subscription fee for HD service. They use this as a marketing claim. The HD equivalent of any channel included in your subscription is supposedly included in the fee we are already paying. QAM refers to the technical standard used to transmit digital TV signals over cable. Both HD and SD channels are transmitted using QAM (HD and digital are not the same thing).
QAM tuners are included in all TVs manufactured today to make them "cable ready". RCN has, for years, transmitted their expanded basic lineup in clear QAM. Premium channels, such as HBO, have always been encrypted.
[Extranneous commentary removed by moderator]
We are NOT "stealing" anything. RCN has, without notice, encrypted all the digital channels (Standard Definition and HD) , and plans to drop analog service entirely. This will force all customers to rent a box for each TV, at considerable cost.
This has all been discussed, at length, in this thread. Please read the previous posts |
|
tigrzeye
Control4 Certified Installer
join:2007-07-18
LHV, PA
1 edit | Paul,
If you look at the digital line up for the Chicago area, which is where RCN first went encrypted/digital in full, there are now HD premium channels that they charge extra for. See the attached link at end of this post.
I used to pay $9.95 per month for HD programming, then that went free, but HD and HD/DVR rentals went up. Now when the digital/encrypted change over takes place it's back to paying for HD channels again as they are in tiered packages. Plus they took HD channels that were not a premium, and I now get for free, and have moved them to a PREMIUM HD tier and you have to pay extra for them.
»www.rcn.com/company/pdf/ChicagoR···vise.pdf |
|
dworsky
join:2004-10-29
Somerville, MA
2 edits | Tigreye... I noticed the other day that indeed they do have a premium HD tier in Chicago. But stuff like HD Net, which is about as plain vanilla as you get, is surprisingly there.
I had hoped when RCN went "all digital", they would have merged "digital vision" stations into their expanded basic. But those channels still seem to be only available by paying about $10 extra a month.
Extra for this, extra for that. It all adds up to too much extra!
Edgar |
|
rcbrcb
Premium
join:2007-02-21
Chicago, IL | The HD Premium Tier seems to be a pretty close match to the Premium HD Tier offered by DirecTV, channel wise that is, the Premium HD Tier @ DTV is only $4.99 a month...I have a feeling thats where they got the idea from. |
|
anon1
@comcast.net
| reply to Paul_Brookline
Paul, if Rcn claims that they do not "charge a higher subscription fee for HD", in that statement does it say you can use as many tvs you want? I would think it is a correct statement because it is built into the HD box fee, if you have one hd box you are only paying for 1 tv in hd. Makes sense to me. |
|
anon1
@comcast.net | reply to tigrzeye
If you look at the channel line-up for chicago it looks like they moved some of the HDs to the Premium tier, but it also looks like the HD that is included is a ton more than they offer now included in the price. |
|
boble88
join:2001-12-20
Somerville, MA
·RCN CABLE
| reply to s4v8
Digital converter box (not HD)is $2.95 per month and $5.95 for each additional box. This price is not unreasonable or too high. I was never given the opportunity to receive "free HD" from RCN. My 1st HD ready TV is a 36" Sony Vega (tube) which needed an HD converter. My 2nd is a 40" Sony XBR, which has a QAM tuner. RCN must charge for its services if not then they can close their doors. Again, using a QAM tuner to receive an HD signal is in effect "stealing". If an RCN representative wants to weigh in on this please do so.
I have had many issues with RCN starting with that disaster of changing the software in the boxes. The old software allowing us to access VOD etc is still much better in my mind. People, please price out Comcast vs RCN and tell me if paying $50 to $100 extra per month is worth it. Go over to the Comcast forums and tell me how much "fun" they are having with Comcast or the problems Verizon is having with their "Fios". 2 HD boxes (one is a DVR) plus one digital box, all channels including including HBO, Showtime etc etc, 20 Mbps down and unlimited long and local telephone service for $152.16 (includes all taxes). Do I love RCN? Absolutely not, they are a cable company and everyone despises the "Cable Company". |
|
Paul_Brookline
@rcn.com
3 edits | said by boble88 : Again, using a QAM tuner to receive an HD signal is in effect "stealing". "in effect"?! Have you actually read any of the posts on this thread? Here's a quote, cut and pasted from RCN's web site:
A wide array of HD channels are FREE with no additional channel fees. Their printed brochures make the same claim.
[Extranneous commentary removed by moderator]
RCN, as several of us have pointed out, is not just encrypting HD channels. They are encrypting ALL THEIR PROGRAMMING, most of which is NOT HD We are angry about increased fees imposed to receive programming that we already pay for. |
|
lilhurricane
Crunchin' For Cures
Premium,Mod
join:2003-01-11
Purple Zone
clubs:  | Watch the insults Paul.
Feel free to attack the issues as much as you'd like - not the members. |
|
rcbrcb
Premium
join:2007-02-21
Chicago, IL
 ·DIRECTV
·RCN CABLE
·T-Mobile VoIP
 ·AT&T U-Verse
 ·T-Mobile US
| reply to Paul_Brookline
Paul.....RCN is changing the way they do business.....It does not matter what their brochures said 6 months to a year ago. This is the new deal & they are under no obligation to notify you that they are discoing the QAM channels. I agree is was a crappy move, but they are in compliance with the FCC "In the Clear Rule" by leaving the SD version of your local channels on unencrypted QAM, thats all they are required to do...It is what it is...DEAL WITH IT, we tried like hell here in Chicago to ge them to reverse their decision, but the answer was an emphatic NO! They have the right to charge you for each TV you have their service on and thats just what they are doing. |
|
