Comcast clients in daze over TV change

Amid the angst and confusion over the looming transition to digital television, the message from the Comcast cable-TV provider is supposed to be consistent and reassuring: Relax.

[Brian]

Typical for Comcast. Monopoly = pushing unwanted digital voice that nobody wants, lying to customers in order to trick them into buying service they don't need, 45 minute customer service waits, allowing 3rd parties to sell their service and then trying to wash their hands of the lower price that was promised. So sad.

[dale]

comcast. greedy money hungry pigs....

[M from St Paul]

I agree...greedy jerks..
It's a nightmare to call them for any reason.

[Just wondering]

Comcast...... do I need a cable box if I have an older "cable ready" analog TV or do I need to RENT a Comcast cable box ????

[Zippy]

The easiest way to avoid these problems is to get rid of your TV.

[whattheL]

Recently, I spent a few days in the hospital. This particular hospital had Comcast. I couldn't help but notice that nothing has changed with cable in the last 11 years, since I went to satellite. Fuzzy reception on many channels, some to the point of being unviewable. Widely varying volume levels from one channel to another, it's unbelievable. I saw a commercial for Comcast proclaiming how superior they are to satellite, I could hardly see it! I guess when you're a monopoly you don't have to improve to compete. You would think the PUC would be all over them.

[LeightonCrowley]

Seriously. Mis-leading on both sides.

I have Comcast now and I have never been satisfied with their customer service. The reps on the phone are truly uneducated about their products and services. I work in an industry very similar to Comcast's and I know that each time you speak to a Care rep on the phone, there's a chance he/she won't have ALL the answers, but Comcast truly drops the ball every time I am on the phone with them.

However, it's not really discussed clearly in this article that or by Comcast that not all Comcast customers are in the clear come February.

For example, my parents have Comcast, yet they will need a converter box in February. Not ALL of their TVs are hooked up to cable. The TV in my Dad's garage, and the TV in the kitchen, for example are not connected to the cable for simple wiring reasons.

Bottom line-Comacst needs to increase their employee trainings. They simply lack the knowledge needed to satisfy customers (forget about actually impressing them so much that they would say great things about Comcast, just work on satisfying them first.)

[Old Vet]

Comcast customer service? What a joke. Try calling them about a cablecard problem. The last time I called the Rep told me they don't have cablecards! When I told him I was currently using one supplied by there company, I was transfered to another person who set up a service call. The tech that arrived to fix the problem had never seen one and was completely clueless about what to do. I think DISH is the going to be the solution.

[www]

Typical Comcast to not be able to give a straight answer and the charge you more for it.

[Kbb]

No wonder they have a ginormous headquarters building. They would charge there own mother double to make a buck!

[Tony in Plymouth]

You missed an important aspect of all this. Comcast has you covered for a price, if you have ANY tv's hooked up to cable without a cable box from comcast and your tv is not capable of digital you will be calling comcast up to get another box.

[Jim]

Why does the end of this article, What do I do? say: "If you have an older TV and use an antenna, you might have to take action."?
Of course you have to take action - why doesn't it say that, as well as what the action is?
Get tired of writing at the end of the article? Come on!

[Empress]

What good is training their staff in St Paul?? Whenever I call for service from Comcast, I get connected to someone in Phoenix or India!!!

[YYY]

Just wondering wrote:

Comcast...... do I need a cable box if I have an older "cable ready" analog TV or do I need to RENT a Comcast cable box ????

I think the article referenced a website dtv2009.gov that you can go to for answers but my understanding is if your tv is cable ready AND hooked up to cable you do not need a box at all. The only reason why anyone would need this "digital converter" provided by the government, not to be confused with a cable box from the cable or satellite company, is if you do not use cable or satellite and ARE using rabbit ears or an antenna to get your local stations.
Hope that helps.

[YYY]

Who's idea was this any to make a "digital transition"?

[DFL Trouble]

YYY wrote:

Who's idea was this any to make a "digital transition"?

Al Gore

[mr me]

I really don't understand what all the confusion with digital tv is, not not that hard to figure out. I'm already sick of the "conversion commercials" on tv, I can't wait for them to go away.

[YYY]

Empress wrote:

What good is training their staff in St Paul?? Whenever I call for service from Comcast, I get connected to someone in Phoenix or India!!!

I've had Comcast for a long time now. At first, I thought they were outsourcing their calls outside of the U.S. as well but later found out that it was a local person who was Indian hence the Indian accent.:)

[Simple]

The only people who need to worry about the conversion are people who don't subscribe to cable or satellite. Comcast is just trying to sell you more junk you don't need and charge you about twice as much as they should for it, as they tend to do. As long as they're my only option for cable (because my apartment won't let me put up a dish), I'm going without.

[thissucks]

There's always gotta be some hack that tries to turn every forum into politics. Give it a rest.