Comcast moves channels off analog in Minneapolis

[Mr Tony]

Well I knew it would only be a little time after Commycast took over for Time Warner in Minneapolis that they would make changes (and not fot the good)

They decided to pull the following channels from analog & put in digital tier
ESPN Classic
Oxygen
American Movie Classics

and to top it off...they jacked up the rates!

just venting for my relatives who lost some channels they enjoy.

 

[gadgtfreek]

I guess I udnerstand why they might be mad. Myself as a digital customer would be very happy.

Doesn't moving the channels from analog to digital free up more BW which means more channel space? Sounds like a good deal to me, but like I said I'm a digital customer.

 

[Mr Tony]

not when those channels have been on regular analog cable and with no warning they pulled them.

So to get those channels someone would have to pay another $10 for the "digital" pack + 6.95 for a digital box (times however many TV's you want it on) and they raised rates.

Like usual Comcast propoganda, 3 months ago they sent a letter to all subs saying "nothing will change. You'll still get the same programming". Well lets see
-raised rates
-dropped channels
-internet is bunk
-cant use more than one computer on the modem. Need to buy a router (when it was TW you could run 2 computers off the one modem)
-jacked prices up on the digital box. For 6.95 with TW I could have got a DVR, now that’s 9.99

Now I know each area is different but it seems this whole “lets swap areas” between Comcast & Time Warner has resulted in a lot of people in Minneapolis and SW suburbs not too happy.

 

[gadgtfreek]

not when those channels have been on regular analog cable and with no warning they pulled them.

So to get those channels someone would have to pay another $10 for the "digital" pack + 6.95 for a digital box (times however many TV's you want it on) and they raised rates.

Like usual Comcast propoganda, 3 months ago they sent a letter to all subs saying "nothing will change. You'll still get the same programming". Well lets see
-raised rates
-dropped channels
-internet is bunk
-cant use more than one computer on the modem. Need to buy a router (when it was TW you could run 2 computers off the one modem)
-jacked prices up on the digital box. For 6.95 with TW I could have got a DVR, now that’s 9.99

Now I know each area is different but it seems this whole “lets swap areas” between Comcast & Time Warner has resulted in a lot of people in Minneapolis and SW suburbs not too happy.

Yeah, I'd say the way they did it does suck. I've got them in Charleston SC along with the HSI and I've been happy to this point. It helps that our local guy is on avsforum and gives us updates and answers questions.

 

[garn9173]

American Movie Classics

Isn't that an oxy-moron? Speaking of AMC, whatever happened to the lawsuit filed a couple of years ago, IIRC, Time Warner (?) or another cable provider wanted to get out of it's contract with AMC on the basis that AMC was no longer a "classic" movie channel?

 

[CapeFish]

Comcast here in Tallahassee moved C-SPAN2 & WCTV-DT2 (our MNTV affiliate) to Digital from Analog, but offered a Digital Starter Pack (basically a digital box to get those channels and select On Demand offerings) for $1.50 more per month including the box. Oddly enough, they did this so they could keep Weatherscan from the Weather Channel and WTLF-DT (our Cw affiliate) on analog.

I took the offer and have 1 digital box. They also have HBO for free until April....just to let everyone know. I would inquire about the Digital Starter Pack.

 

[stone phillips420]

Ice, i think the dvr charge at 9.99 for comcast is the hddvr i think cause i think they charge me 9.99x2 in dvr fees per month

 

[Bobby]

Comcast does not have a SD DVR, it's HD or nothing. I have HD service and the 6412 HD DVR. It costs $9.95 a month. My daughter has SD service and pays $9.95 a month for a DVR. It's also a 6412.

 

[Mr Tony]

if its SD or HD, point being to get those chanenls now it wil cost $20 more a month minimum

now I don't have cable but I have to listen to my relatives who do have cable get mad because channels they watch are gone and the only way to get them is to pay a lot more

 

[TopDog58]

You can't be getting ripped off more than I am. I'm in a former Suscom market in MS. My bill breaks down like this:

Digital 6.00
Full Basic 45.98
DVR 7.95
Digital Service A/O 6.95 (haven't figured out what this is)
HDTV terminal 6.95
HDTV service 10.00

I also have a Motorola 6412. So, by my calculation, I'm paying $14.90 per month for my HDDVR box PLUS another $10 for an HD tier which I remember the Comcast CEO saying in an interview that Comcast doesn't charge for like the satellite companies do.

And no, this is not new pricing. I've been paying this since August since Comcast brand took over the cable company.

 

[GaryPen]

They've gotta remove some analog channels to free up bandwidth. That's just the way it is. As far as I'm concerned, they can remove all of them except for the ones in "lifeline" basic.

If somebody wants the higher level cable channels, they can get a digital converter box (like ALL sat subs must do) or a TV or other tuner device with cablecard capability, which most cable companies are now providing for free or minimum cost.

But, yeah, the way they did it was bad. They should have sent out notices with the bills, ran a crawl on the affected channels, and threw some on-air announcements in place of their locally-provided ads or content.

 

[GaryPen]

You can't be getting ripped off more than I am. I'm in a former Suscom market in MS. My bill breaks down like this:

Digital 6.00
Full Basic 45.98
DVR 7.95
Digital Service A/O 6.95 (haven't figured out what this is)
HDTV terminal 6.95
HDTV service 10.00

I also have a Motorola 6412. So, by my calculation, I'm paying $14.90 per month for my HDDVR box PLUS another $10 for an HD tier which I remember the Comcast CEO saying in an interview that Comcast doesn't charge for like the satellite companies do.

And no, this is not new pricing. I've been paying this since August since Comcast brand took over the cable company.

That sucks. Comcast charges me $10 for the HD DVR. That's it. That's for the HD programming and DVR fee. Total. $10.

 

[berck]

When I moved to Comcast, I got a deal for $49.95 / month (Digital Silver). I added two additional requests. I wanted the HD-DVR ($9.95 extra), and another HD digital box. No extra fees were discussed.

When I got my first bill, I found two additional fees attached to my account. 1) $6.95 digital service fee and 2) $5.00 HD fee. They said those fees were for the second HD digital box I requested. Of course my first question was why wasn't this told to me at the time I purchased my service. The response was I don't know. They did refund me for that month and gave me the option of keeping the box or returning it so I wouldn't have to pay those fees.

As far as I can tell, you will be charged $6.95 for each and every additional digital box used in the home (after the first one). If you want HD, $5.00 more bucks, or another HD-DVR is $9.95

Therefore, by moving more channels to digital from analog, comcast can make more money by charging for digital boxes.

 

[Mr Tony]

well apparently they moved it without AMC's knowledge because AMC is running ads on radio and took out a whole page thing about Comcast taking it away.

 

[RandallA]

When I moved to Comcast, I got a deal for $49.95 / month (Digital Silver). I added two additional requests. I wanted the HD-DVR ($9.95 extra), and another HD digital box. No extra fees were discussed.

When I got my first bill, I found two additional fees attached to my account. 1) $6.95 digital service fee and 2) $5.00 HD fee. They said those fees were for the second HD digital box I requested. Of course my first question was why wasn't this told to me at the time I purchased my service. The response was I don't know. They did refund me for that month and gave me the option of keeping the box or returning it so I wouldn't have to pay those fees.

As far as I can tell, you will be charged $6.95 for each and every additional digital box used in the home (after the first one). If you want HD, $5.00 more bucks, or another HD-DVR is $9.95

Therefore, by moving more channels to digital from analog, comcast can make more money by charging for digital boxes.

Berck,

Wait so if you want HD on a TV and another one with a HD/DVR, the charge is $5.00 + $9.95 + $6.95 = $21.90 for two HD TVs?

 

[Mr Tony]

Berck,

Wait so if you want HD on a TV and another one with a HD/DVR, the charge is $5.00 + $9.95 + $6.95 = $21.90 for two HD TVs?

I just went through it on comcast.com

45.25 for expanded analog
15.25 for digital
0 for HD pack 1...this is the locals in HD and thats it
6.95 for the HD pack.
6.95 for the box (per box)
9.95 for "multiroom DVR" fee (I'm not making this up.). See picture below

yet they keep saying "get the triple play for $33 a month for 12 months. Phone, internet & cable". I get a mailing twice a week.....one problem

yet its NOT available in the old Time Warner market

 

[GaryPen]

Comcast charges the same in our area too Randall. Personally, I think the $6.95 is a little too much as an add'l outlet fee. (Although D* and E* charge $5.99 nowadays, don't they?) But, the $5 HD fee for the 2nd set is ridiculous. The non-HD box costs them around the same as the standard digital box. The $6.95 should be enough!

If a sub is already paying the HD fee (in his case, as part of the HD DVR fee on the first box) he really shouldn't be charged again for each box on top of an add'l outlet fee. That's just f-ed up.

 

[GaryPen]

I just went through it on comcast.com

45.25 for expanded analog
15.25 for digital
0 for HD pack 1...this is the locals in HD and thats it
6.95 for the HD pack.
6.95 for the box (per box)
9.95 for "multiroom DVR" fee (I'm not making this up.). See picture below

yet they keep saying "get the triple play for $33 a month for 12 months. Phone, internet & cable". I get a mailing twice a week.....one problem

yet its NOT available in the old Time Warner market

The first box is included in the digital package price. So, you can subtract that. Also, you may want to call and ask about the DVR fee. In my area, the DVR fee includes HD. So, you may not have to pay that $6.95 either. That could be for subs who get a non-DVR HD box.

 

[RandallA]

That's really f-ed up. I agree a sub shouldn't pay the HD fee for another TV, $5.00 + $6.95 for another HD TV, damn.

Since they're moving everything to digital, you need the digital box for $6.95 if you want to watch say Natl. Geographics on another TV in the house. Although like you said, D* and E* are doing the same thing. It's $6.00 with E* for an HD receiver and $5.98 for the DVR fee. We're taking it in the shorts with any provider.

Where the heck is Uverse?

 

[TopDog58]

Like I said in my previous post my ONE HD/DVR box is the Moto 6412. So, for one box and HD channels, Comcast is currently gouging me for $24/month. I'm happy with the HD lineup we have, but since Suscom became Comcast in August, we have only had 2 or 3 new channels added and STILL no VOD. The thing that ticks me off the most is that I distinctly remember reading an article where Steve Burke had a laugh at the satellites for charging for an HD tier, which he stated that his company did not do.

Hello, Steve. I beg to differ.