Questions about Comcast Digital Cable minus a box

[Bujutsukai]

I don't mind paying for cable but they are constantly trying to nickle and dime me to death. They "migrate" channels to frequencies that require a cable box even if I don't want a box. They are taking away channels, charging the same, and demanding you pay +- ten bucks per month for boxes for each tv. I would prefer to buy boxes and own them rather than rent boxes (that may or may not work properly). Is it just me? or is my wife right.

[Greg2600]

I don't mind paying for cable but they are constantly trying to nickle and dime me to death. They "migrate" channels to frequencies that require a cable box even if I don't want a box. They are taking away channels, charging the same, and demanding you pay +- ten bucks per month for boxes for each tv. I would prefer to buy boxes and own them rather than rent boxes (that may or may not work properly). Is it just me? or is my wife right.

I am with you 100%. The phone company and Internet providers don't charge you for equipment. You can buy your own cell phone or modem. You can split the internet feed with a router. Why can't you do the same with digital cable? Why should I pay additional outlet fees? We were never charged before with Analog? Cable companies are looking at having a basic Digital to Analog converter that would provide you with basically the same channels as you got with Analog, but no guide, HD, or On Demand. Supposedly this will cost them less than $50 per box. So then the question is, will they "lease" that to you? How about $3 a month for a $50 box!!!! Will they still charge additional outlets? Comcast is not the only one, they all do it, Satellite, Fios, etc.

[capman]

The comcast here charges $54/mo for expanded basic which I subscribe to. They pretty much have all HD channels in the clear though. I get Mojo, ESPN, ESPN 2, MHD, A&E, History, Food, Discovery Theater, HGTV, TNT, Golf/Vs, PBS, Universal and USA plus all the networks (excluding CW). I'm sure that once the digital transition goes into effect, they will scramble them. They did just recently scramble TBS though.

Plus with comcast you can watch all your neighbors VOD viewings

[stevenl]

I am with you 100%. The phone company and Internet providers don't charge you for equipment. You can buy your own cell phone or modem. You can split the internet feed with a router. Why can't you do the same with digital cable? Why should I pay additional outlet fees? We were never charged before with Analog? Cable companies are looking at having a basic Digital to Analog converter that would provide you with basically the same channels as you got with Analog, but no guide, HD, or On Demand. Supposedly this will cost them less than $50 per box. So then the question is, will they "lease" that to you? How about $3 a month for a $50 box!!!! Will they still charge additional outlets? Comcast is not the only one, they all do it, Satellite, Fios, etc.

If you have a regular cell phone its the same price, you buy the phone. If you have a "smart phone" with expanded features (ala a cable box) you pay for those extra services. You are not just paying the 6-10$ for the box rental itself you are also paying for the 100+ extra channels you get. The same with your smart phone, your not paying the extra 20$ a month for the phone, but for the expanded services you are using. Some companies are already offering "cheap" boxes so people can get channels that were once analog and now digital. In Orlando BHN offers a box for 1$ a month to get those channels. Other companies are following suite as more and more analog is being reclaimed. They are not moving these channels to make you rent a box, they are moving them to free up space to offer more services for everyone. You renting a box is just an added bonus. Of course you can get your own box also, and use a cable card. If you wish to buy the box. The cable card rental fee again, goes to help cover the extra programming you will receive.

[rammjet]

But I don't WANT the extra programming. Of the 80 or so analog channels that I now receive, I only watch maybe 10 regularly and another 10 occasionally. Move to digital and add in another 100 channels and at most, I might be interested in 10 or 15 of those. I only want 35/180 = 19% of what I pay for. And the move will cost me more money.

Also consider that the primary reason for the move to digital is to benefit them by opening bandwidth for more HD channels. They charge me more money when they FORCE me to go digital and they make more money selling more HD content.

I was a supporter of the ala carte movement. I have no problem migrating to digital. I have a problem paying more money for more content that I do not want.

[jayn_j]

But I don't WANT the extra programming. Of the 80 or so analog channels that I now receive, I only watch maybe 10 regularly and another 10 occasionally. Move to digital and add in another 100 channels and at most, I might be interested in 10 or 15 of those. I only want 35/180 = 19% of what I pay for. And the move will cost me more money.

Also consider that the primary reason for the move to digital is to benefit them by opening bandwidth for more HD channels. They charge me more money when they FORCE me to go digital and they make more money selling more HD content.

I was a supporter of the ala carte movement. I have no problem migrating to digital. I have a problem paying more money for more content that I do not want.

That's the reality of subscription television services. I doubt anyone watches more than 20% of the channels available. The realities of bundling is that you will get channels you don't watch, and IMHO, you will not pay more than if you got them ala-carte.

As for the moves to digital tier, I would try to think of it as the additional fee going toward a more stable picture and a much better guide and not the additional channels. I take it that one of your must watch channels went digital only. That's something we all face, and you need to decide if it is a "must watch"

I personally don't think ala carte can work, but I do think that grouped packs can. My Comcast recently restructured and is offering HD paks, Sports paks, etc, and I can happily save $10/month by dumping sports. That's something I can appreciate, as I have long felt that I was paying too much for sports that I never watched.

[stevenl]

Ala Carte is fine if you want to lose about 100 channels and pay the same price.