[tabi] Re: Comcast
- From: "blindwilly" <blindwilly@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 27 Sep 2010 13:58:43 -0400
Chip,
You have been a real help. I have a 52 inch flat screen and the one thing I
want is to not have a box hanging around. I use a harmony remote that is
programmable and it works just great.
Thanks so much for the tip.
William
----- Original Message -----
From: Chip Orange
To: tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Monday, September 27, 2010 1:49 PM
Subject: [tabi] Re: Comcast
Hi William,
Yes, I have one of these cards, it's called a "cablecard", and you can either
buy it, or you get one a for free with your Comcast account. If you want more
than one from Comcast, they charge you a few dollars a month to rent it if you
don't go buy one.
However, the hang-up is very few TVs will take a cablecard. Generally it's
those HD flatscreen TVs, above 40 inches in size, which are priced at the high
end because they're full of features. Sony has offered it more than any other
brand.
I have a TiVo, which also will take a cablecard, and since a TiVo sits
between my TV and the cable system, it's acting like a TV and sort of like a
cable box for me.
The advantage to cablecards is that you don't have to have a box sitting out,
and you don't have to deal with a second remote control, or trying to program
the universal remote from Comcast to control your TV and stereo. You get to
use your TVs remote if it has a cablecard installed in it (or I get to use the
TiVos remote, which controls the TiVo, my TV, and my stereo).
Sorry, I know the next question from someone is whether a TiVo is accessible,
and for the most part the answer is no.
I can program it via the web site (meant for people who are away from home
and who don't want to miss some show), but that's all; trying to do anything
with it except view live TV causes it to put up an on-screen menu.
Hth,
Chip
------------------------------
Chip Orange
Database Administrator
Florida Public Service Commission
Chip.Orange@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
(850) 413-6314
(Any opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not
necessarily reflect those of the Florida Public Service Commission.)
From: tabi-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:tabi-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of blindwilly
Sent: Monday, September 27, 2010 1:40 PM
To: tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [tabi] Re: Comcast
Chip,
I have heard that I can just get a plug in card for a modern flat screen TV.
Do you know anything about this or where to get it or how to find the plug in
place?
Willy
----- Original Message -----
From: Chip Orange
To: tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Monday, September 27, 2010 1:34 PM
Subject: [tabi] Re: Comcast
Hi Darla,
You don't need to do anything except get a new box.
FYI, for some strange reason the new box will only give you the digital
version of the same channels you had under premium basic cable; that is, those
under 100.
However, at no charge, you can call Comcast and get switched over to
"digital starter", which adds a lot of extra channels above 100. It costs no
more than premium basic cable, and it made sense back when premium basic was
preferred by those who didn't want a cable box; this was a way comcast was
using to get people to switch to digital (by offering it at no extra charge).
but now that we all *must* have a box for anything other than the 6 local
channels, it makes no sense not to switch us all over to digital starter! But
no, you must call and ask for it! It's really needless.
Those 6 local channels by the way, Comcast is required by the FCC to offer
those to you in analog format (so no cable box), and at a price around $12 a
month. So if that's all you want, insist enough and you can have just those
(now pushed to channels 2 through 7), and no cable box.
For those who want more than that, for about $15 more you can get even more
digital channels with the next level of digital plan ("digital preferred").
and for those with sighted people in the house, be aware that all this
talk of digital cable does not mean HD at all! You get ABC in HD (and perhaps
all the local channels in HD I'm still trying to verify that), but nothing
else. Digital is still being sent to you by Comcast at standard TV resolution.
You have to pay more for a group of HD channels, and the first level of HD
package is $8 a month more. These are channels numbered higher than 384; so
any channel above that is HD, but it almost always just an HD version of a
channel you're already getting in lower resolution. Of course, you must have a
new HD TV.
It's amazingly difficult to get all of this explained to you by a Comcast
rep, and it's a modern miracle if you can find it on the Comcast web site!
Hth,
Chip
------------------------------
Chip Orange
Database Administrator
Florida Public Service Commission
Chip.Orange@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
(850) 413-6314
(Any opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not
necessarily reflect those of the Florida Public Service Commission.)
From: tabi-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:tabi-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Darla J. Rogers
Sent: Monday, September 27, 2010 7:19 AM
To: tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [tabi] Comcast
It appears we don't have TV now; is it easy to reset the boxes when we get
it back?
Darla
Darla J. Rogers
djrogers0628@xxxxxxxxxxx
Home phone #: 850-329-7437
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