The Saga of A Digital Cable TV Upgrade

[Jimaz]

I don't usually rag on Comcast because we rarely have any problem with them. Honest. The problem we're having now though has turned into a rather amusing story.

They said we'd have to connect "free" digital boxes to our TVs or we'd lose some channels. Okay. No prob. I ordered them via the Comcast website. That was easy! "Allow 3 - 5 business days for delivery." Sixteen days later they arrived. There must be a lot of non-business days in March of which I was unaware.

I unwrapped everything [[great -- yet two more remotes -- as if we don't have enough of those laying around) and followed the directions to connect it all together. They insist you prepare all your TVs before "activating" them. You can activate them by phone through either an automated or human operator or by a web page. The web page has "check status of order" and "activate" buttons.

The "activate" web page listed only one of our devices. Hmm. They both need activation. The "check status" web page listed both devices. This must be one of those right-hand-doesn't-know-what-the-left-hand-is-doing situations. Oh well. At least I can activate one of the TVs so I did and it worked pretty quickly. New channels! [[As if we don't have enough of those laying around.) I planned to call a human operator the next day for the other TV.

The human operator could only find a record of the device I had activated. I suggested he check the "check status" web page which showed both. It seemed like he had no access to that information. I don't think he believed me. He ended up putting me on hold twice and then hung up on me. LOL! I refuse to let these things get under my skin. I really dislike being angry so I laugh instead.

Then we lost our Comcast internet connection.

Okay two problems. Reset modem. No luck. Called Comcast. The helpful operator got me back online. She suggested I try that activation web page again. This time it showed both devices! Yea! I thanked her and said I'll take it from here. I activated it and channels appeared! Yea! But only some channels. Boo! While assessing which channels were missing, they all vanished except ... get this ... CSPAN. But at least that proved the TV was set up correctly.

And here's why I went to the trouble of writing this long, sad tale. At that very moment on CSPAN they were discussing the problem of cable companies monopolizing the set-top cable box market. My set-top cable box was exactly what I had been grappling with for two days and because of that problem, the only thing I could receive on that TV was this CSPAN discussion about monopolized set-top cable boxes causing problems! What are the odds?!

No, I'm not superstitious. I see it as an incredible fluke. Either that or some brilliant, disgruntled Comcast hacker playing a prank to create just this effect. LOL!

End on a positive note: Congratulations to Comcast for handling a really big roll-out as well as they did.

Any related stories out there?

[gazhekwe]

We didn't get the boxes. I don't think we are paying for digital. We barely watch. But I remember the original setting up nightmare for Comcast here in Southfield when they replaced Roadrunner. It took better than three months for them to get everything working properly. Yikes!

[jiminnm]

gaz, I read an article the other day stating that all Comcast customers will soon have to have separate boxes, whatever type of service they have. Apparently, Comcast intends to start encrypting its signal and even analog customers will have to have a decoder.

When our internet service was installed a few years ago, Comcast had to make 3 trips out before it would work. It worked for a year or two and then the internet started going out everyday about 10-11 am and coming back on about 7-8 pm. Every time they'd come out to check, they said the problem was likely in the house wiring and we would have to pay. We didn't because they could never find a problem. I finally wrote a snail mail letter to the Comcast CEO [[and explained why I couldn't send an email). Within a few days, I got a call from the Albuquerque honcho. They sent a guy out on a Sunday and he spent 4 hours here. He discovered that the problem was in the box at the street, and that when the temps got hot enough a connection in the bos would disconnect, then reconnect when it cooled a bit. He also gave me his card and said to call him directly if there was any other problems. We've had none since.

[Vic_doucette]

Was the ABQ honch named Scott Westerman by any chance?

[Jimaz]

gaz, I read an article the other day stating that all Comcast customers will soon have to have separate boxes, whatever type of service they have. Apparently, Comcast intends to start encrypting its signal and even analog customers will have to have a decoder...

True. From the Comcast letter: "... your Standard Basic channels [[13,24-43, 46-51 & 53-70) will be transmitted exclusively in digital format beginning on or after July 13, 2010....

If you do not have Comcast digital equipment or an authorized CableCARD on all of your TV sets connected to cable, including those with QAM tuners, you will not be able to view [those channels] in the future."

The ordering process itself is easy and the equipment is free. See www.comcast.com/digitalnow.

[gazhekwe]

It figures. I have been ignoring all their overtures about HD. They are offering the box for free but it comes with a hardsell for HD which we do not want to pay for.

This whole thing sounds like last year's upgrade or die business. We got a new TV and solved that problem.

Thanks for the link. Sigh, guess I will wade in....

[gazhekwe]

OK, I got this direction:

Tune to channel 1. If you see the Comcast On Demand menu, you already have what you need on this TV.

I can see Comcast On Demand menu, so I guess I am all set. Good, I don't want another box.

Then it says this under further instructions.
Most customers who have purchased these advanced TV sets or other equipment should already lease a CableCard TM from Comcast, and therefore already receive digital signals on that set and don't need any additional equipment.

[Ray1936]

Sheesh, what a mess back there. Here in the Las Vegas area we have Cox Cable, and I can't say enough for them. Have never had any problems connecting. When we bought our HD sets, we stopped an a local office and picked up our needed boxes for HD and they were a breeze to connect. We also decided not to get the MLB package this year, and cancelling was one quick phone call, no hard sell at all.

I keep hearing horror stories about Comcast. Another reason I'm glad I made the move!

[RaumVogel]

Monopolies? What monopolies?

[jcole]

We don't all have Comcast. I have Charter Communications where I live

[Gannon]

Ray,

Did they tell you how to go into the service menu of your tuner box and set it up properly for High Definition video AND audio?


One hundred percent of the time I am in the field doing video calibrations, the box is set wrong. Never the same problem, but there are enough choices to confuse even the most astute technician.

God Help the Layperson who ventures there...and damn the companies for letting these go out unsupervised!


What connection did you use? The new HDMI digital or three-wire [[RGB) component?! [[and if you left your new tv in the showroom-blazing Vivid mode, your picture can be GREATLY improved, stuff they do to be the brightest on the wall is contrary to accuracy and causes fatigue and worse)


Installers are also told to set audio compression to high and turn OFF the surround sound output of the boxes. Both severely hinder sound quality, but limit the number of complaints they get about sound level differences between programs and commercials.


Cheers



All,

For my lifelong industry, I apologize. Unfortunately, they've kept me in business with their shenanigans...where they fail with ergonomics and integration, I make it better. I'd rather they get it right and provide the entertainment they promise, rather than make people totally insane with all of this minutiae.



Sincerely,
John

[Gannon]

And I'm REALLY sorry about all those remote controls.


If you look at it from a designer/engineer standpoint, those things cluttering your coffee table and confusing your non-technical significant other represent a bunch of jobs.


Revenue, for the capitalists.


But, there are solutions to that, too. My favorites come from Universal Remote Control, but the Logitech Harmony and RTI have very strong product, too.


Cheers

[gazhekwe]

I have a really nice looking basket that is full of remote controls right now. There is one for the TV, one for the surround sound choices, one for the DVD player, one for the different speaker settings, one for the tuner... Sometimes I have to call for help when all I want to do is watch a program on TV and there is no sound. I'm glad my talented husband understands the darn thing.

I found out there is a way to set the DVD player so it automatically switches everything when you put a disc in there, and sets it back when you take the disc out. But you still need the remote for pause and selecting from the menu.

[Meddle]

full of remote controls right now. There is one for the TV, one for the surround sound choices, one for the DVD player, one for the different speaker settings, one for the tuner...

.... one for the ceiling fan, one for the air conditioner, one for the antenna rotator ...

[Gannon]

Universal now markets their own light switches and in-line dimmers, so include lighting in that list, too.

I've seen remote-controlled fireplaces, too.

[Wingnatic]

Comcast = pay a whole lot , for a whole lot of nothing lol Their lack of customer service and reliability are legendary . They have one of the highest prices , and use the money to buy up other systems . One story in particular about Commiecast was a few years ago on the East coast . A little old lady moved into a house and ordered the '' bundle'' high speed net , cable tv , and phone . She wasn't so concerned about the 1st 2 , but was very concerned about the phone because her husband had a heart condition and needed phone service right away in case she had to call 911 . The Comcast setup was a day late , when they showed up they didn't finish the job that day and promised to come back the next day [[they didn't ) she borrowed a neighbors phone and got the runaround from Comcast customer service . She packed up her hubby in the car along with a hammer , went to the Comcast office and proceeded to smash phones , computers , anything she could until the cops came for her lol ! It was National news and made her a cult hero

[jiminnm]

Was the ABQ honch named Scott Westerman by any chance?

No, it was a she. Her first name was Karen, last name escapes me. I have written down somewhere.

[MikeM]

Comcast = pay a whole lot , for a whole lot of nothing lol Their lack of customer service and reliability are legendary .

I've had Comcast cable and internet for a decade or more. Never a problem until two weeks ago when some of the television channels were missing or frozen. Called customer service on Saturday evening, waited on the phone no more than 45 seconds. Repairman arrived early Monday afternoon as scheduled, found squirrel chews on the drop line, replaced line from pole to house, everything works fine. No charge. Couldn't be happier.

[tarkus]

I've got a good one for you. I have ATT land line for my phone service. I just had Comcast re-installed from having U-verse cable. Now every time i make a phone call from my Verizon phone it displays on my TV. Not only that but for some reason phone calls received at my mothers house [[not the same house) show up on my TV. Comcast has no idea why this is happening but one of their techs saw it happen while in my house.

[Jimaz]

I've got a good one for you. I have ATT land line for my phone service. I just had Comcast re-installed from having U-verse cable. Now every time i make a phone call from my Verizon phone it displays on my TV. Not only that but for some reason phone calls received at my mothers house [[not the same house) show up on my TV. Comcast has no idea why this is happening but one of their techs saw it happen while in my house.

Curious. If you ever figure out why that happens please let us know.

There's a Comcast forum where customers can help each other [[in case that helps anyone). Like all "problem" forums, it makes the situation appear more widespread than it actually is simply because customers with no problems aren't likely to post there.

Does anyone know where you can buy a meter for measuring signal strength at the coax? We still have a problem with vanishing channels from the "digital set top box." I'd like to do some sleuthing myself.

[Gannon]

Tarkus,

That sounds VERY suspicious. Have you been doing anything that would put you on any form of surveillance? No way OUTGOING calls should register on any form of Caller ID...there must be some loop in their shadow system.

All of this telecommunication infrastructure has a duplicate or parallel system the NSA uses to wiretap. It seems that it might be a loophole, if the original conversation weren't tapped and they are merely listening and recording the echoes in the infrastructure...they could argue that they've stayed within the law while doing whatever they want.




Jimaz,

Meters that give enough range to handle digital and HD cable signals are not cheap...think around $3,000 or so...and I do not know any place that rents them. That said, it'd be a great investment that we can make money on...along with another $3k spent on a HDMI data and wire analyzer.


Cheers!

[DetroitPlanner]

This is why I avoid cable. Its not worth the hassle.

[Jimaz]

Thanks, Gannon. It's not worth $3,000 to me.

Saga update.

Sometime this morning our cable TV and internet signals vanished completely. Comcast couldn't fix it remotely so they sent out a meatware tech. Before he arrived I discovered the cause of the problem. Someone had disconnected our cable at the pole. It wasn't broken or frayed or chewed through. It had been deliberately unscrewed from the main line about 15 feet up in the air. I don't have a ladder that tall so I left the job for the tech. I couldn't imagine why anyone would go to all the trouble to disconnect it.

We also had a lingering problem with one of the digital set top boxes. It was missing about 50 channels when it worked at all. Good. This tech should be able to solve both problems in the same trip. I had dreaded calling Comcast again about this one because the last time they had only a partial solution and even that proved temporary. I wanted off that merry-go-round.

The tech replaced the whole cable from the pole to the house. I asked him why the heck anyone would have disconnected it. At first he seemed reluctant to venture a guess. He later said that Comcast uses the same frequencies as aircraft systems. If your cable is leaking RF it could cause air safety problems. If they detect a leak, they'll disconnect your cable and leave a note on your door. I checked the doors. No notes. <shrug> Another mystery.

With the internet and one TV back up, he turned his attention to the digital set top box. He checked diagnostics, replaced cables and finally called for assistance. After a 30-minute discussion [[during which I gathered neither of them had encountered this situation before), they decided to replace the Motorola 2000 box with a Pace RNG110 box. That seemed to do the trick.

We also received a free upgrade to "Digital Starter level." Even more channels! [[As if we don't have enough of those laying around.)

Oh! A few hours afterward I received a robocall from Comcast about how the service call went. It went well so I gave the tech high praise until they asked if he had explained their warranty. I had to be honest and answer no. Then the robot hung up on me! LOL!

To anyone facing this migration I'd recommend waiting a bit until Comcast techs get more experience with it.