There seems to already be a lot of CableCard talk on many threads so in an attempt to keep them consolidated by company here is an official thread for Comcast, I just made this thread since I am a Comcast customer, if others want to make official threads for their cable companies go for it! Making one thread for each cable company should ease everyones diging through 100 different threads for cablecard info.
Some relevant info that I have read about comcast so far is the following:
-If you explain to Comcast that both cable cards are for one device people have been successful in no additional monthly charge, one user reported getting good success with calling comcasts 800 number and speaking with a cable card department
-Others have had good luck with going to their local comcast office and getting cable cards directly from them, this saves the installation fee and is quicker
Myself...I called Comcast and got the same spiel as most others have heard, free card for the first one and additional charge for the second of 5.95 (may not be exact, I didn't write it down) and installation charges for both the install of both the first and second cable cards of 20something bucks and 15something bucks. I realize now that I left out some details about my device that may have lead on to these extra charges, I am out of town now but plan on hitting my local Comcast office on Saturday and just trying to get them to give me the cards and I will do the install, or I will call back and try and speak to someone who understands and get the second (additional outlet) monthly charge dropped as well as the installation costs. BTW I live in the Chicago area since some people have experienced different things with the different areas of Comcast. Let me know your thoughts on my experience, what you have heard and try and keep comcast details on this thread so we can all have an easier time keeping up with what others have heard. Also post your region so we know which flavor of comcast you are dealing with.
-AJ
In most markets you would pay an additional digital outlet fee (for me it is $8.95) for each Tivo after the 1st one. This fee includes a cablecard. And recently, Comcast added a credit for customer provided equipment since you wouldn't be using their converter box. In my market, it is $2.50 for each of my 2 Tivos.
Yep. Call 'em out. I bet money it's a signal problem. I've had what you describe on three occasions and the truck roll fixes it eventually. Sometimes it takes them two days, but that's just what you have to put up with doing business with Comcast. Not sure who you have, but hopefully they'll get it right for you quickly.
Every nice thing I've ever said about comcast, I take it all back today. After years of good luck, after years of telling everyone "They're not *that* bad", after years of being able to get cards re-paired with a 5 minute phone call, it all went downhill spectacularly today.
Yesterday I had 5 cablecards correctly paired. This afternoon, I have none. Three calls, hung up on twice mid pairing attempt while on hold, another two hour conversation with three departments, account is now so borked not even they can update the pairing information on cards that may, or may not exist, depending on what screen you look at. Just let your imagination run wild regarding the worst case phone call, and you'll have pretty much the right story.
So.. Not being a twitter user.. How does this ComcastCares thing work exactly?
The easiest way I've found is to set up a Twitter account (if you don't have one already), follow the ComcastCares user and send him a "mention" by typing "@comcastcares " followed by the message. Don't put any personal info in this message as it will be public. You'll normally get a follow by one of the Comcast... twitter people, usually within a few minutes. If you aren't following that person, he/she will ask you to follow him. Once you do that you can send a direct message (which is private) with your account info.
The above works well for quick problems. For 5 unpaired cable cards, 140 characters might not be enough in which case I would recommend emailing We_Can_Help@Comcast.com with your account info, an explanation of what happened and what you are trying to accomplish and the pairing numbers for all 5 cards. This method isn't quite as fast as the Twitter route, but normal turn around time is less than a day.
Which ever method you use, a Comcast executive support person will normally call you the same day or the following day, either to get more info from you or to check that things have been fixed.
Thanks for the Twitter and We_Can_Help id's. I'll keep those in my back pocket.
My account was unborked in the intervening 24 hours. Not correct and paired, but at least no longer tied up so badly that my cablecards could not be edited. I called back today, and while it took three people, I'm now all fixed.
With the third person today, it worked the way it's supposed to work, and always has in the past.
Open CableCard SN -> Update HostID -> Update DataID -> Send Hit -> Card reports Validated -> Channels Appear -> Rinse and Repeat for next CableCard.
I don't know what the hell sort of road I went down on Wednesday, but it was a bad, bad, baaaaaaaaaaaaaad road....
Same ole same ole, and this will probably not be any better after we can all self-install cards in another week or so. All they needed to do was provide a simple web page, just like they do for the DTA activations, to let customers pair their own cards. But nooooooooo....
I finally got the cablecard paired to my replacement Premiere. I asked the CSR if they were going to make it easier on Aug. 1. She was unaware of any efforts to do so.
I'm about to flip my lid. They have again screwed up my account and somehow put me into the "triple play" package even though I have no internet or phone. I called to get all this fixed, but it's actually going UP in price. Are they really charging $8.50 for each cable card to have access to HD? I thought there was ONE HD access fee associated per account.
I'm now supposed to pay upwards of $120 a month for freaking cable with HD, HBO, and an HD receiver.
Are you referring to a Comcast provided HD receiver or your own Tivo? If you have only a Tivo on the account you may be able to avoid the HD Technology fee. I have two Tivos and 3 cablecards and do not pay an HD Technology fee. And now, they have added a credit of $2.50 for each customer provided equipment (Tivo).
Is the $8.50 listed as an HD Technology fee or is it an additional digital outlet? You may pay an additional outlet fee of approx. $8-9 for each additional Tivo/Comcast receiver after the first one. That fee includes the cost of the cablecard.
Are you referring to a Comcast provided HD receiver or your own Tivo? If you have only a Tivo on the account you may be able to avoid the HD Technology fee. I have two Tivos and 3 cablecards and do not pay an HD Technology fee. And now, they have added a credit of $2.50 for each customer provided equipment (Tivo).
Is the $8.50 listed as an HD Technology fee or is it an additional digital outlet? You may pay an additional outlet fee of approx. $8-9 for each additional Tivo/Comcast receiver after the first one. That fee includes the cost of the cablecard.
Oh how I'd love to do that, but they have managed to screw **** up just looking at my account. Right now, I have a series 3 that on one tuner gets all the channels I pay for while the other tuner only gets HBOHD and no other HD channels. It's insanity.
Also, guys...I was looking at another vendor here and they said that all they had were single stream cards. I thought that cards had to be multistream by now.
Also, guys...I was looking at another vendor here and they said that all they had were single stream cards. I thought that cards had to be multistream by now.
Cable companies have to give you M cards if you request them starting August 1st. As far as I'm aware though, S cards aren't being made anymore, so any ones the cable company has would be older returned ones.
Oh how I'd love to do that, but they have managed to screw **** up just looking at my account. Right now, I have a series 3 that on one tuner gets all the channels I pay for while the other tuner only gets HBOHD and no other HD channels. It's insanity.
It's definitely insanity!!!! Are you talking about the 2 tuners on the same Tivo?
I got HBO and SH and other premium channel on 1 M-Card on 1 Tivo HD and not on the other M-Card on the other Tivo Premiere.. Truck roll today to fix it!!!!
It's definitely insanity!!!! Are you talking about the 2 tuners on the same Tivo?
I got HBO and SH and other premium channel on 1 M-Card on 1 Tivo HD and not on the other M-Card on the other Tivo Premiere.. Truck roll today to fix it!!!!
Also, I think I'm going to flip my lid pretty soon. I emailed the guy that has been helping me with the issue of not having HD on the second tuner in my series 3 and guess what...He says that in order to get HD on my second tuner, I have to pay a SECOND HD ACCESS fee of $8.50 a month. I have 3 HDTVs and they want me to pay $34 a month for HD access. I don't want to give up Tivo, but I don't know what to do...
Also, I think I'm going to flip my lid pretty soon. I emailed the guy that has been helping me with the issue of not having HD on the second tuner in my series 3 and guess what...He says that in order to get HD on my second tuner, I have to pay a SECOND HD ACCESS fee of $8.50 a month. I have 3 HDTVs and they want me to pay $34 a month for HD access. I don't want to give up Tivo, but I don't know what to do...
Also, I think I'm going to flip my lid pretty soon. I emailed the guy that has been helping me with the issue of not having HD on the second tuner in my series 3 and guess what...He says that in order to get HD on my second tuner, I have to pay a SECOND HD ACCESS fee of $8.50 a month. I have 3 HDTVs and they want me to pay $34 a month for HD access. I don't want to give up Tivo, but I don't know what to do...
Hah, the corporate office just called the local guy and got him to call me. The same guy that is giving me the runaround on the freaking charges.
Can you guys do me a favor. Can you post how many HDTVs you have, how many cable cards you have, and what you pay for them?
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