Question About Comcast - Can Anyone Help ?

[parkimar]

Hi Guys,

this is quite a specific question, and it maybe that this is not the correct forum for it, however here goes.

I am based in NJ now - Zip code 07853.

I currently have comcast cable, limited service, with the HD decoder from comcast.

The package should cost about $20 per month, and I should get the OTA HD channels within this. (According to the comcast website).

However I've just been billed with the basic cable package on the grounds that the HD channels are in digital and therefore require a subscription to a digital package.
This takes the package to $33 - Which is not a huge expense, but I do begrudge the difference, given that I spent ten minutes or so clarifying with the sign up rep, that the limited service + hd Tuner was sufficient.

I have a Samsung HLR-4667W, which can use QAM or ATSC (Unless Im being dumb, but I can bypass the cable box, and still get all the HD channels using the inbuilt tuner e.g. 71-1, etc.)

Therefore given the info above, do I need the digital subscription ?
Can I just use the basic analog service ?
Should I go with Dish which has the family package for $19.99 + the sign on fee of $49.99 (for the HD decoder).

Any help appreciated - Im not American and am not that familiar with all this yet.

Thanks

Mark

[src666]

From what I understand, if you have a QAM capable tuner, then you should be able to get your local HD channels (ABC, CBS, etc.) with just the basic service. For anything more (INHD, ESPNHD, etc.), you have to subscribe to the digital tier and get a HD cable box.

Now, they will _want_ you to buy the higher tier of service, but for just your locals, the most basic service should get you there.

[gplasky]

Any type of HD (local or not) is only broadcast on the digital service. Analog does not have any type of HD service associated with it. You need the digital service if you want to try and get HD on cable.

Gerry

[ke6guj]

AFAIK, all the digital signals are broadcast through the cable. You may need to sign up for digital service if you want an STB so that you can unencrypt the HD and digital signal. In many areas, Comcast broadcasts all the "local" digital and HD channels unencrypted and ony basic service is required. That is why your HDTV can tune in some channels.

If all you want are the local HD channels, then you should be able to cancell the digital subscription and keep the locals. You may be able to keep the STB subscription if you want or just use the HDTV tuner.

The cable company is required to broadcast the local OTA local channels on the basic tier, the question is whether that applies to the local HD channels as well. That seems to be why some CC's send out the local HD's unencrypted, and why your HDTV can tune it.


IIRC, Sage does not support QAM tuning at all right now. So, the only way to get a digital cable signal of any type into sage is to use the cable co's STB and input that into a SD (standard definition) tuner card.

[src666]

As for sending the Local HD's unencrypted - they have no choice. It's a matter of law that they have to provide the local signals unencrypted to _all_ subscribers, no matter what tier they subscribe to. If the cable company carries the local HD's, then those are covered as well.

If you have an active cable subscription, then they have to provide you the locals unencrypted. It's that simple.

[parkimar]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the info. - After a long call to comcast, where I had to quote thier own website at them and get transferred to cancellations, they admitted I was right - I only need the limited basic service to get the OTA HD channels.

It is all now working fine.

Thanks for all the info.

Cheers

Mark