Comments on

Comment by ray hansell

2009-11-04T02:28:14Z

How much does this box cost? where can a get a box.

Comment by John Krause

2009-11-20T22:21:30Z

Yes, I too connected Comcast's adapters only to discover my HD channels here in Chicago went bye bye. All the equipment Comcast gave me? In the garage. With the exception of the batteries that came with the remotes. Hey, who doesn't need batteries with the holiday season almost upon us. Thanks Comcast. Your free battery program is certainly a winner. I hope someone gets a bonus for coming up with this great idea.

Comment by Paul Goldberg

2009-12-20T03:14:35Z

The DTA is a nice box that is no frills and does what it is designed to do. It would be an almost ideal box for me if it had a pass through that allowed the Comcast digital signal to go directly to my set when the DTA was turned off. (Most basic ATSC tuners that was permitted by the FCC have this feature.) That way I could use my newer LCD TV to receive the DTA channels which is in standard definition and the HD channels from the local station which is broadcast in clear QAM. Currently in most areas you don't need a DTA since all the channels that the DTA can receive is sent in clear QAM, but I have read that Comcast will be encrypting all QAM channels except for the limited basic channels.

Comment by Jack Wentz

2010-01-06T12:28:58Z

I just installed the DTA on the old analog tube and my newer LCD set. The old tube looks good, but I was shocked when the new set that had gotten the local HD channels was downgraded to SD only.

I understand that the analog has to go but why kill the local HD channels at the same time? I haven't been this annoyed in a while.

I had a pretty positive view of Comcast but based on this experience alone, I am ready to switch to FIOS.

Comcast is trying to get me off analog but what is in it for me? I'd rather have the local HD channels than the 20-30 additional channels I won't watch. It is a step backward not a step forward. I'll be putting the LCD back on analog tomorrow.

Comment by Daren

2010-01-26T03:15:20Z

I just plugged these into two of my TVs. The LCD tv I had used to get the local channels in HD and now I don't get those with this box. I'm glad I didn't pay for this digital box (although somewhere in all my payments to Comcast I'm sure I will...) otherwise I'd be PO'd.
Not sure what the Comcast team was thinking when they developed this digital converter. I told my wife if I had bought this online it would go back in the box and get shipped back to the seller asap.
Oh and most of the extra free channels are garbage as you can imagine. Maybe 1 or 2 that I'd watch, but I'd rather have my HD channels than watch those free ones for sure.
Any more shenanigans like this and I'm converting to Dish.
Your Motto should be "Ambitious, but Rubbish"
Disappointed in MN.

Comment by Scott H

2010-02-03T19:15:00Z

I'm in Washington, DC and am currently a digital cable customer, using a cablecard with a TiVo HD. However, I also have an old TiVo, and I am currently splitting my cable from the wall so that it connects to both TiVos. On the TiVo HD with cablecard, I get the full set of channels in HD. On the old TiVo, I currently get the analog feed, the first 100 channels. When the DC area is coverted to all-digital, I'll need one of these DTAs. Since I am a digital customer, will I miss out on the notification that the system is transitioning to all-digital? I can't find any timeline or announcement online that gives the slightest hint of when this may happen.

Comment by Boston Dave

2010-02-07T00:09:36Z

Regardless of how Comcast spins this "All-Digital", it is just a way for them to get more money from us. Comcast, you had a great service going, where we customers purchased cable, rented a box or two, but allowed us to plug in our cable-ready TVs. No one else has that, not Direct TV, not Verizon FiOS, nobody. We were only too happy to pay. Then you "protected" us from the national over the air digital upgrade? Now you are showing your real colors, getting the FCC to waive their rules and allowing you to encrypt all but 19 local channels. Yes, they are your cable lines and you do have the right to do whatever you want, but so do your customers. We do not want to have to use multiple remotes; we do not want to use the DTA Universal Remote and just control volume and channel, no DVD, no TiVo, no surround sound! This is a very bad move and I hope that more people can see it for what it is: Comcast needing to get ridiculous profit margin! Please remember that cable TV is not a basic necessity, and we will only take so much before we decide this is not worth it. And believe me; what you are doing is NOT WORTH IT! Please do the right thing, reconsider and allow us to connect our digital cable ready (I understand your business need to go digital, just not the encryption) TVs directly, and by the way, you do not need to monitor my TV activity and sell the data to advertisers.

Comment by Thomas Petschl

2010-02-08T04:51:17Z

I greatly disagree with Comcast approach here. The service I had before this migration was perfect with exceptional video on our mix of Analog and Digital HD TV's. It's too bad they didn't consult the customers before they began this profit motive endeavor. I had 5 TVs now I have to down grade to 4 TVs else I have to pay more. My daughter was in tears when I told her she can no longer have Disney on her Analog TV unless I pay an additional $1.99 per month on an already $160+ month triple play Comcast bill. With the economy as it is, I just can't pay any more for entertainment. I just can't!

If Comcast really cared about its customers, they wouldn't restrict the number of TV's a household can have by requiring all TV's, even the digital TV's, to be connected through a DTA device only to provide the same basic channel selection that existed before this migration. To force customers to install these devices on digital TV's and then increase their monthly rates if they happen to have more than 2 TV's not on any set-top box is downright uncaring and clearly shows a profit motive is in play. If it's true that most households have 2.7 TV's then what's the harm in provide to existing customers additional DTA boxes at no extra charge if they need them. it wouldn't be that many right? And you would keep the customer happy right?

I also don't understand why Comcast is requiring these DTA devices on digital TV's. That's all one can buy these days. So we have a Digital HD TV in our home office where we only want this set to receive basic service. We watch MSNBC mostly in our office. I actually could receive digital wide screen picture on the local channels and ESPN. But since being forced to install the DTA, I only get Analog quality picture. Who would be happy with that sort of service? This appears to be a reduction in service for me with no reduction in my monthly bill. I'm sure Comcast will recommend I install a set-top box to restore the quality of picture on this home office TV for another $15 a month. Just another example that this migration and changes in service is to increase revenue not to improve service at no additional cost which they claim.

This migration also restricts TV's that use a PIP (Picture-in-Picture), again a DTA device would be required in order to receive the basic service channels for PIP. Also the DVD recorders connected to basic service would require a DTA box. I'm sure Comcast thought of this and saw revenue opportunities. Other TV features are now restricted cause the TV's normal remote must be replaced with a DTA remote. We are back again in using 2 remotes or buying yet another universal remote, if it can work with the DTA device.

My final complaint is that these DTA devices are all made in China. Couldn't Comcast locate a USA manufacturer to build these devices? China...really? In today's economy, wouldn't it be better for America if more Americans were put to work? So we see 1 company and 1 country profiting with this project...Comcast and China. And the Comcast customer is paying for it.

I'm thinking to switch to Dish Network. If I have to sacrifice service, I might as well pay less for it.

I'm assuming my blog message won't get past the Comcast editors so it won't likely be posted. I get that. Though it would be nice if it did.

Comment by Hugh Reilly

2010-02-19T07:16:36Z

I just switched back from Verizon because they were terrible and they required a box for each TV. I liked Comcast when I had them before because I didn't need a box for each TV. I understand Comcast's move to go all digital and I don't mind having to put a box on an old analog TV. The problem is, I have spent the past few years upgrading to digital TVs because of the goverment mandate. I gave my analog TVs away. Now I want them back! The old TVs look better than the new ones! Comcast can give you all the HD it wants right through the tuner found in your HD TV. No need for a box. They are the only provider that can do this. So they should. Will they? Here's where they are making a fatal error and here is what all their research by their junior VP's can't tell them. If people want to use the ON DEMAND they will get a box. Forcing people to have a box hoping they will give in to temtation every now and then and order movies is insulting. If I have to have to have a box on my HD TVs to get HD I will get satellite. COMCAST IS GIVING AWAY ITS ADVANTAGE!!! So stupid. So unbelievably stupid.

Comment by M. Johnson

2010-02-22T17:37:22Z

I just found out, today, that even though we have digital tv's that we will still need some kind of digital box from Comcast, in order to watch tv!! The CSR from Comcast informed me that we get two free, but we would have to pay $1.99 for the other outlets in our home. Needless to say, satellite tv will soon be in our family's future. Whomever at Comcast a/k/a Xfinity that thought of this idea, in a downturn economy, needs to be fired!

Comment by Joe

2010-02-23T01:27:39Z

Sounds good to me, Comcast-ies... the sooner you get us more HD channels and faster internet here in Pittsburgh, the better. C'mon, seriously people? We're really talking about $5000 LCD TVs and being ticked off that you have to a pay a couple bucks more to not have basic channels on it? My $1000 46in looks great with my premium service!

Comment by Brian

2010-02-23T18:24:25Z

I'm pretty disappointed that in order to continue to see local channels in HD, I'll have to get an A/B switch to bypass the digital converter box and allow my QAM tuner equipped LCD to see them. Of course, the Comcast support suggestion was to get HD boxes, which seems like overkill at $7 per month each when all I really hope to do is continue to see the HD channels previously included in expanded basic (i.e. local stations) after the digital conversion. Should have been a fairly easy design point to allow DTA and STB to pass through clearQAM signals, shouldn't it?

I do get the benefits of going digital in transmission space and bandwidth savings and don't really object to that, but in many respects, it seems that now that all sets will require a box anyway, it opens the door much more widely to comparing costs to satellite providers.

Comment by andy

2010-03-04T21:14:51Z

Great, now I have to get a box for each tv and one of those 426 button comcast remotes. And, to cap it off, by adding this box I am going to lose the HD from the broadcast networks unless I subscribe to HD service or get an A/B switch. I understand what you are doing and why you are doing it comcast. I'm sure you will understand when I leave your service and go to FIOS or Sat. The only thing that was keeping me with you was that I did not need a box for each TV. But since that is gone, soon too I will be gone.

Comment by CowboyButler

2010-03-08T18:19:37Z

Very simple question/complaint: Will I still be able to receive the local broadcast HD feed in ClearQAM without buying into/renting a full HD receiver? Granted, all the premium stations are great for whomever enjoys them. I don't have great local signal coverage and only watch the locals to begin with. If I don't get ClearQAM anymore, its a useless device and I might as well just spend $200 for a jumbo antenna on my roof. No DISH, no DirecTV and no Comcast requried.

Comment by Frank

2010-03-11T15:37:05Z

I added the boxes available to me for free (1 set top box (non HD) and 2 DTAs for a total of 3 TVs). Of course, I lost the High Definition channels on all the TVs that I used to get without the devices. I have not been able to get my favorite 3rd party "Universal Remote" programed to control the DTAs. No problem programing it to work with the Comcast set top box, but I can't get it to control the DTAs. Has anyone been able to get any 3rd party "Universal Remote" to control the DTA?