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1. BBGuest
   Member Profile

   

   Newfangled machines!

   Comcast here (again)today.Verdict: there is no way that ONE remote control can be used for my TV. This is the 3rd trip out to do this. This TV is about a year old.

   Apparently all 37+ codes Comcast has mean the TV manufacturer is to blame. Thing is this TV worked when it was in a different room with one remote control so I know this isn't the problem.

   I am so disgusted but every person has a different solution. This one was going to be $8 a month more, to swap out the black box for a new black box. I was willing to pay it just so I wouldn't have to use one to turn the tv on, and another to change the channel, then back to the first one for volume....

   And we can go onto the computer and look at someone's backyard in another country!

   I need a cure!

   Posted 2 years ago #         

2. dhg
   Member Profile

   

   Model of TV? Kinda relevant. I use a Logitech Harmony Remote because it is programmed through the PC.

   Posted 2 years ago #         

3. redblack
   Member Profile

   

   the city needs a serious review of comcast, their budget, and their business practices.

   $65+/month for expanded basic (and no premium channels) is pretty stupid.

   hopefully the mayor will find the cajones to stand up to comcast, the city council, and all of the lawyers and implement our own city-wide broadband, like he discussed when campaigning.

   $65/month should pay for television and internet access, without bombarding all forms of media with advertising.

   Posted 2 years ago #         

4. BBGuest
   Member Profile

   

   The TV is a Emerson HDTV LCD Model SLC195E8. After a phone conversation with Comcast this morning, the agent told me it could be the remote that they use and maybe the reason it worked before 'the chenge' may have been their remote at the time....

   Posted 2 years ago #         

5. BBGuest
   Member Profile

   

   oops, meant the change not chenge

   Posted 2 years ago #         

6. angelescrest
   Member Profile

   

   and cojones not cajones...which is funny!

   Posted 2 years ago #         

7. redblack
   Member Profile

   

   i left my chenge cojones in my change drawer. or something.

   Posted 2 years ago #         

8. funkietoo
   Member Profile

   I canceled Comcast two years ago..Expanded basic is way too expensive--which is what happens when a Monopoly exists. Where are the folks that believe competition is healthy?

   Also...there are people that need three different remote controls for the TV's and accessories. Complicated.

   I'd rather rent movies or if a television series, rent a full season and watch it without commercials.

   Posted 2 years ago #         

9. angelescrest
   Member Profile

   

   you are very funny, redblack!

   Posted 2 years ago #         

10. johnnyblegs
    Member Profile

    

    Alternative to cable? Streaming video via PC.

    It's easier than you think. If you have a newer tv (and computer), all you need is an HDMI cable then an audio cable for the sound.
    If you have an older tv like me, buy this - http://tiny.cc/gzoa0 Since my computer doesn't have an s-video output I used the vga cord instead.
    This cost me a whopping total of $30. Seems like the way to go versus paying double that per month x years.

    After all that was hooked up (in minutes) voila! I use it with my Windows Media Center. Hulu has a pretty nice desktop app that is user friendly (and also free to download). The Netflix membership also allows free instant streaming from my couch. Other sites online have free streaming, including sports and other free (legal) movies. You can buy a fancy media center remote but I find my wireless mouse works just fine. A little funny - using the mouse via the couch but it works :)

    The setup isn't state of the art, but it works well and way cheaper. Also, online streaming is the way of the future. Cable companies are digging their own graves with their high prices.

    Posted 2 years ago #         

11. bsmomma
    Member Profile

    

    johnnyblegs...........would you please come over and do this for us? hahaha! I have been wanting to do the switch but I just can't seem to bring myself to do it. Comcast is like a drug in our house. Do you have any knowledge about getting the streamline stuff in other rooms of the house?? I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to make that call Comcast!!

    Posted 2 years ago #         

12. ellenater
    Member Profile

    

    I want to cancel Comcast but need the hight speed internet. Comcast sucks. I hate them.

    Good luck!

    Posted 2 years ago #         

13. BBGuest
    Member Profile

    

    After MANY hours on the phone with Comcast and on the live chat... then calling to cancel at least a portion of my service... a real person showed up on my doorstep today.

    He actually spoke to the problems. He was knowledgeable about the product. He had answers and solutions. It took about 5 minutes.

    Live chat had given me codes for the remote that 3 different techs (that were here,at the house in the past months)couldn't figure out. So I was able to program it myself and get one remote to work for everything. Yippee.

    The technician lives here in West Seattle. His name is Aaron, email is Aaron_Loomis@cable.comcast.com

    Posted 2 years ago #         

14. redblack
    Member Profile

    

    i hope aaron isn't the guy who wandered up my driveway last year - uninvited - claiming he was looking for signal leaks with his P-87 modulator thingy.

    when i told him he was trespassing, and that coax lines enter the house from the alley, he tromped into my neighbor's yard.

    i told him he had no business there, either, as they have dish network.

    he was pretty rude and seemed to be laboring under the impression that comcast is a public utility.

    Posted 2 years ago #         

15. clark5080
    Member Profile

    

    Some new interesting products announced by Roku today

    Posted 2 years ago #         

16. BBGuest
    Member Profile

    

    To: Clark5080 please bear with me here, but it looks like... with an internet connection (yes, with Comcast) Roku allows me to subscribe to something like Netflix a paid service with sort of an on demand viewing?

    So this way I would be able to downgrade my Comcast to internet only and watch TV shows or movies without any commercials! I usually get news and such from the Internet so I could actually have what cable originally marketed back in the 80s, commercial free television. Can this be true?

    Posted 2 years ago #         

17. clark5080
    Member Profile

    

    yup
    The only possible problem might be if Comcast caps the downloads

    Posted 2 years ago #         

18. Semele
    Member Profile

    

    my problem with Comcast is we are stuck with them for internet access. When I tried to cancel cable earlier this year since we don't really watch TV, found out it would have been MORE expensive to only have internet versus the basic. That makes no sense to me. So, now we pay $75 mth for internet and cable when all we want is internet, when if it was only internet it would be a couple of dollars more. I really don't get it.
    DSL is not an option as the speeds are so slow and that only leaves Comcast. Frustrating!

    So, BBGuest, unless you have the slowest internet connection through them you will pay just as much or slightly more by canceling the cable portion.

    Posted 2 years ago #         

19. redblack
    Member Profile

    

    semele: DSL speeds aren't that slow. i have the slowest DSL - fine for my uses - and it's $20/mo for qwest and $16/mo for my ISP. i can bump it to 1.5 Mbs for $30/mo for qwest and the $16/mo for my ISP.

    the reason internet is more expensive without cable is because comcast has to prevent the teevee signal from coming down your line, instead of leaving it as-is, with the whole spectrum intact.

    then again, following that logic, you'd think it would be more expensive to not have HBO, showtime, and everything else.

    you're right. comcast... leaves a lot to be desired.

    Posted 2 years ago #         

20. JoB
    Member Profile

    don't have comcast tv
    do have comcast internet
    and DISH
    like every "utility"
    some days i would like to strangle them
    added HULU recently
    hubby loves it
    i find it too limited...
    but there you go
    i don't groc technology :(

    Posted 2 years ago #         

21. JoB
    Member Profile

    and then there was CLEAR
    that sort of worked until they upgraded their towers
    and no longer supply a signal where i live...
    i can't count the hours lost on the phone and in live chat trying to convince them that a real person needed to come verify my lack of service so i could get out of my contract...
    and what did they send? a man mapping service outages:(
    of course mapping lack of service at my house hasn't stopped them from inundating me with phone calls, emails and paper mail trying to lure me back to CLEAR:(

    until service once again becomes part of businesses supplying service
    i suspect we jump out of the frying pan and into the fire as companies "upgrade" their technology ...

    i don't remember agreeing to work for my local utilities..
    or for my grocery store either as far as that goes.
    but both seem to be consuming more of my time each year.

    Posted 2 years ago #         

22. Carson
    Member Profile

    

    I am sure its illegal, and easy, to run some RG6 to your neighbor and give them a little cash every month to defray their cost. I am also pretty sure its legal to buy your neighbor a nice, new, fast Wireless N Router and if they let you know the password and you bought them a case of beer every month, no one would be the wiser. I have just heard about this stuff, not that it ever happens in the real world. Then again, as long as Comcast forces people to pay for channels they don't want, maybe its all fair in the end?

    Posted 2 years ago #         

23. JoB
    Member Profile

    Carson..
    contrary to popular mythology..
    cable companies have been paying big bucks to successfully investigate "pirated" signals for years..

    Posted 2 years ago #         

24. Carson
    Member Profile

    

    Like I said, its illegal, I would never do it, but its pretty easy to do. I pay about $20 every month for channels I will never watch, maybe if they stopped forcing us to pay for stuff we don't want, our bills can go down and we might all complain less? Maybe when the Comcast contract with the city is up, we need to put fire to the feet of city officials to either piggy-back cable and internet with City Light, or allow 2 companies to compete, like Verizon FIOS and Comcast.

    Posted 2 years ago #         

25. JoB
    Member Profile

    Carson
    if i could pay for only the channels we actually watch i wouldn't have more than 10 choices... instead of 200+
    but to get most of those channels I have to pay for the most expensive tier of programming:(
    my liberal heart says that might be fair...
    after all those of us who are more affluent and therefore generally speaking likely to be more educated are more likely to be watching those channels...

    but it does burn me that i pay a premium so that the masses will have access to FOX broadcasting:(

    Posted 2 years ago #         

26. JoB
    Member Profile

    Carson..

    i would love to see basic cable and internet piggybacked with Seattle City light...

    Posted 2 years ago #         

27. Carson
    Member Profile

    

    The bottom line is I pay for HUNDREDS of channels I don't want. Most are pennies and nickels, but I am still paying for them. The Cable Cartel is very strong and we will probably never take it down.

    Posted 2 years ago #         

28. austin
    Member Profile

    

    They should just broadcast wireless internet in town for free. That would get comcast pretty bunched up in a hurry no doubt.

    My chosen alternative to overpriced low content advert dense television service is to just download or stream the show or shows I might be interested in from the internet. This works well but I watch around three hours of tv a month so it might not be for everybody.

    Posted 2 years ago #         

29. Carson
    Member Profile

    

    There are plenty of ways to download/rent/pirate/stream TV, but its not always easy. Most of the cable companies have figured out how to make us feel like nothing more than a revenue stream, so at any chance to move away from them, I try!

    Posted 2 years ago #         

30. Ken
    Member Profile

    

    Qwest cheapest tier internet is 1.5 if you have someone other than msn as your isp. Only the ISP can throttle you to a lower speed. MSN/qwest tried to sell me on an upgrade several months after I noticed the speed increase and I had to tell the sales droid that I did not have msn and was already at the higher speed.

    Most isps and carriers have language in their agreements that prohibit servers and connection sharing, but none have any way to detect NAT redirection to private Ip ranges as long as you don't install their branded cd/spyware. (the cd they insist you MUST insert first to configure your computer)Both comcast and qwest can be configured without the branding software easily and the instructions are on the net.

    Posted 2 years ago #         

31. redblack
    Member Profile

    

    ken: nyet! (edit: well, maybe this doesn't apply to new subscriptions...)

    i am currently running 256kbps DSL on qwest lines with a second-party ISP based in vancouver, WA. and i have been for about 10 years. i was one of the first private citizens in the city on the DSL bandwagon.
    .
    it's only been in the last year that i have had the option of upgrading to 1.5 Mbps for an increase of only $10/month.
    .
    yeah, i'm a "slowsky," but my gaming days are over - for a little while. email, music, and photos take up the bulk of my CPU time, so i have no real need for fast-loading content.

    Posted 2 years ago #         

32. Ken
    Member Profile

    

    http://www.speakeasy.net/speedtest/

    my isp is my former employer (wolfenet). I was the network operations manager at the time of DSL roll out in Seattle.

    I admit the ISP end was setup with no limit and several features not available to casual customers, but I was told the limiting factor for current speeds below 1.5 was the setting in the ISP end of the circuit. Now that I think of it, since I use transparent bridging (RFC1483 Bridged) the carrier qwest cannot limit my speed below the ATM wirespeed of the dslam I am connected to at the CO. PPPOE and PPPOA customers would be different since qwest owns the first tcp/ip hop in the network path.

    Posted 2 years ago #         

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