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Comcast/Xfinity cable TV, Internet, phone discussion thread

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by cwerdna, May 17, 2012.

  1. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

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    Discuss anything related to Comcast services here.

    I'll start...
    Comcast ditches 250GB data cap, tests tiered pricing | Internet & Media - CNET News

    Until today, I didn't even know where to check my usage. After a bit of digging, I found it. I'm at 32 gigs so far this month. In my previous months (only shows 3, for some reason), I used 38, 35 and 44 gigs, respectively.

    I don't subscribe to any streaming movie/TV services and have only streamed one movie that I can recall (Revenge of the Electric Car, when it was briefly free a few months ago). My TiVo HD does automatically download a bunch of video podcasts (vodcasts?) over the Internet but none are huge.
     
  2. davesrose

    davesrose Active Member

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    On the issue of bandwidth, I would think that Comcast would lose money if they went tiered. Before I was a Comcast user in Atlanta, I was a Charter user in another area. It had a tiered bronze, silver, and gold. When I read that these tiers only meant that you were guaranteed a faster speed within your node during peak hours, I decided to go with bronze. I never had any dropouts, and because there weren't that many subscribers, the speeds were fast. I use internet for streaming, general internet, and uploading HD animation files out to clients...have never encountered a cap.

    Personally, I'd prefer if Comcast dropped phone and so many redundant digital channels. I only watch HDTV channels and use internet. I don't understand why Comcast still broadcasts so many versions of Discovery SD along with HD. I do have one SD TV in my bedroom, which has the digital adaptor. So I can see why they'd still need lower band TV channels...but who watches any of the 200-700 band channels??

    I have been debating about droping the TV and just keeping with internet. The overall service et all is neither better or worse then any other. I'm just scratching my head over whether it's worth another $70 a month just for the few programs I watch.

    Even though I've been paying Comcast for so many years, they still feel obligated to send me junk mail over getting digital phone *for just another $20 a month*!! My favorite commercial of theirs was when they were dissing "the big old expensive phone company". All their arguments against the BOE is pretty much what they are. Figures that when I try to search for that ad, it mentions that it's not anywhere on Comcast's site!

     
  3. lamebums

    lamebums Member

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    Hi all--

    Although I don't personally have Comcast (and given the experience of some family in the Philadelphia area, I would never want it), I suggest calling in and chewing out a few CSR's and their supervisors. Threatening to move to Verizon's FiOS or (insert your competitor here) often lights the fire under their butts necessary to cut you a better deal.

    Me personally, I'm getting internet and digital phone combined for $30 a month, unlimited on both, from Road Runner. They claim "up to 10 mbps" download speed but I actually average 20, sometimes 25-30 during non-peak hours.

    Same rule applies for cell phone companies - threatening to move to T-Mobile has worked wonders for me in the past. Remember, they need you - not the other way around. :)

    [​IMG]




    Edit: Cut the TV (if the wife, if you have one, doesn't murder you first). I cut mine about four months ago and I'm doing just fine. Even the "basic" plan around here was nearly $50 after taxes and fees. I don't watch enough ESPN to ever make it worth my while, especially when most sports games can be had on local TV anyway, for free.
     
  4. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

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    I have Comcast internet, and I'm satisfied with it. It's expensive, but the speed is fast and outages are very rare. Usually an outage is fixed by a reboot, so probably is caused by a problem at my end, not theirs. Out of 250 allowed (GB? MB?) the most I've used over the past 3 months is 36. I watch NetFlix streaming video, maybe an hour a day, not sure.

    When I first moved in here I decided I didn't like their included email, so I never use it. I use a web-based email via POP3. I don't remember what it was I didn't like about theirs.

    Sometimes I get phone calls from people using VoIP, and there's a delay, which I hate, so I would never consider internet phone service. Plus, though Comcast is very reliable, I figure my phone is more so.

    Many years ago I put a TV in front of my treadmill and had cable TV. There was NOTHING on that I wanted to watch, even with the included DVR built into the cable box so that I could record for later watching. So I replaced the cable tv with a DVD player. From time to time Comcast asks me to bundle TV and phone with my internet service. I tell them I'd consider cable TV if they carried the Mexican cable channel CMC, which broadcasts nothing but old Mexican movies, from the "golden age" of Mexican cinema. I don't think anyone carries that in the U.S. and I think even NetFlix does not have those old Mexican movies. Stuff like Cantinflas or Relampago or Capulina y Viruta. Maybe they have one or two Cantinflas movies.

    All in all, I'm satisfied with Comcast for internet. I have no interest in their TV or phone offerings.
     
  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i considered switching from comcast to fios a few years ago when i got the promo for $99./mo. for a promo period. but when i called them, it was like talking to a used car salesman. the guy sounded desperate. and when i found out the price with 2 hd boxes was almost as much as comcast and would be after the promo period was over i told the guy i wasn't interested. a week later, verizon showed up at my door when i wasn't home. they told my wife they were there to do the install. luckily, she was able to get hold of me. i will never consider fios again.
     
  6. davesrose

    davesrose Active Member

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    I'm pretty sure that on the subject of TV or internet services, you'll find no fans of any company. I'm only mildly a bigger fan of Comcast over Charter (with Charter I have a big client from hell story). $99 promo sounds pretty big...in my area, I get Comcast/AT&T adds a lot. They both love to advertise a very low indro price: like $30 or so bucks for 6 months. Then, since all these come-ons are just to lure you in, there's absolutely no subscriber loyalty if you do keep paying the regular prices after that introductory price. I suppose if one is all about saving money, and is good with haggling, then you could keep going with a good price: none of these companies seem to have "loyal customer" promotions.
     
  7. macmaster05

    macmaster05 Senor Member

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    But you would never have a choice (between Comcast and Charter). You only receive one service or the other.
     
  8. KK6PD

    KK6PD _ . _ . / _ _ . _

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    Sadly like it or not, they have to carry them. At some point in the future, all 4 X 3 aspect ratio TV's will die! Cable company's will rejoice, Broadcasters can reset the Graphics for a 16 X 9 world! All that needs to be done is eliminate "Strechovision" "The playback of 4 X 3 content, in a 16 X 9 format".
    Having a off air converter box will not work on cable, it's an "Off-Air" device.
     
  9. davesrose

    davesrose Active Member

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    But I still don't understand why there has to be so many duplicate SD channels. I've got ABC, NBC, Discovery, CC, all other networks, first on the 2-130 cannel range. Above that, I've got a few other SD digital channels that aren't duplicates (like BBC America)....but then at least 3 more of the same ABC,Discovery,etc SD channel on different bands!

    I don't think it's just to do with older analog sets. I have a small CRT in my bedroom. It has a digital adaptor to be able to watch Comcast (since they only broadcast in digital now). I get the channels 2-130, and more recent productions are actually presented letterboxed on a 4:3. So I'd rather they drop everything except the traditional 2-130 band (which would work with old CRTs) and then increase their HD lineup. I don't need 3 of the identical SD Discovery channels. Just drop that to 1 so that maybe that frees up space to offer BBC America in HD. And cable companies do want you to use their converter box/cable card. Comcast used to offer network HD channels unencrypted (QAM, what a computer TV card can read)....they dropped that (my guess is so that you'd have to use their converter box/DVR devices).
     
  10. massparanoia

    massparanoia Active Member

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    [​IMG]

    I inked a pretty sweet deal with comcast when we moved into our new house, and it was totally by accident.

    They have reps in Best Buys around me, and I was in one with a buddy from work who was looking at t.v's.

    Long story short, when I told him I had an appt set with verizon to have fios installed, he whisked me away to his kiosk and we worked a deal.

    Phone+tv+internet. 2x HD dvr boxes, showtime and hbo. All the regular stations and hd stations. $120/month.

    Beat verizon by like 40 bucks.
     
  11. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    good price. is that for one year or two?
     
  12. massparanoia

    massparanoia Active Member

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    ^ I want to say that price was good for 2 years.