Question about Comcast Digital Cable Charges

kurtucky · 11-22-2008, 04:47 PM

Hello,
I currently have all of my Series 2 tivos hooked up through basic cable with comcast. I am thinking about buying an HD tivo. Comcast's website says that they charge $2 a month for the second cable card and they also say that there is a digital service charge. I was hoping I would be able to get my local HD channels and the channels I currently get in analog in digital (because they are unencrypted). How much is this digital service charge? Will they force me to get more channels by using a cablecard? Is there a way to stick with the current number of channels I have and only have my bill increase by $2 because of the cablecards?

Also, I know this probably varies, but what did comcast charge you guys for the cable card installation?

Thanks!

TolloNodre · 11-22-2008, 04:59 PM

Stick with what you have. A TiVoHD can get your local HD channels via "clear QAM" but the TiVo won't have any guide data for it and you can only do manual recordings. Based on all the complaining from others (just do a search on QAM), you won't be happy with that scenario.

TiVo HDs work great with OTA, analog cable and digital cable or any combination therein. But they don't work with clear QAM very well.

You might consider a MythTV box or a Media Center PC. Reportedly those can tune clear QAM channels and receive guide data for them.

bkdtv · 11-22-2008, 05:54 PM

Remember, a TivoHD only requires a single CableCard (of the MCARD variety) to support dual-tuners and guide information on all digital channels. You don't need two. Only the older Series3 model requires two cards.

Comcast will sell you a CableCard for ~$2/mo without a digital cable subscription, but some customers have trouble finding a CSR willing to do so. With a CableCard and basic cable, you'll get the same thing you have now, except you'll receive higher-quality digital versions of all your channels, along with HD locals -- all with guide information. That's definitely the thing to do.

Not surprisingly, CSRs often try to foist as many services upon you as they can. If you run into that problem, you can order digital service with a CableCard, and then cancel the digital service a month (or a week) later, keeping your CableCard. Without digital service, the CableCard will show up for around $2/mo on your bill.

kurtucky · 11-22-2008, 08:30 PM

bkdtv,
That was exactly the answer I was looking for

If they force me to sign up for a digital service and I later try to cancel, will they try to take away my cablecard (normally they would ask for a digital box back)
Also, I didn't see the option for a multistream card on comcast's website... Do I have to request one when I am calling them to install it?

Thanks!!

bkdtv · 11-22-2008, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kurtucky

bkdtv,
That was exactly the answer I was looking for

If they force me to sign up for a digital service and I later try to cancel, will they try to take away my cablecard (normally they would ask for a digital box back)

No, they will not.

If they do ask you whether they should pickup the card, say no.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kurtucky

Also, I didn't see the option for a multistream card on comcast's website... Do I have to request one when I am calling them to install it?

Motorola has manufactured MCARDs exclusively for 9+ months now. Many Comcast systems still have the discontinued 'S' cards lying around, so you may want to specifically request a MCARD. If they don't know what you are talking about, then you can just tell the installer; they should have MCARDs on hand.

ewilts · 11-23-2008, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kurtucky

I currently have all of my Series 2 tivos hooked up through basic cable with comcast. I am thinking about buying an HD tivo. Comcast's website says that they charge $2 a month for the second cable card and they also say that there is a digital service charge. I was hoping I would be able to get my local HD channels and the channels I currently get in analog in digital (because they are unencrypted). How much is this digital service charge? Will they force me to get more channels by using a cablecard? Is there a way to stick with the current number of channels I have and only have my bill increase by $2 because of the cablecards?

Also, I know this probably varies, but what did comcast charge you guys for the cable card installation?

Thanks!

The price really varies depending on where you live. Here (Minnesota), I pay $1.99 per month extra for Digital Starter ($55.98 total) - this is essentially the same as their "Standard" package which in some places is known as extended basic. I get all of the non-premium analog stations in digital format and all of the non-premium HD stations. I do not pay anything extra for either of my 2 CableCARDs - they're included as part of the Digital Starter subscription.

bicker · 11-23-2008, 11:53 AM

Here, when you cancel digital service, and you have two CableCARDs, the pricing changes to $5.00 per month for the first, and $1.50 per month for the second in the same device. Add back in the digital package ($1.99 extra per month), and the first card is included, and the second card is $1.50 per month.

Moral of the story: Keep the digital package.

ewilts · 11-23-2008, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kurtucky

Also, I know this probably varies, but what did comcast charge you guys for the cable card installation?

If I remember correctly, it was about $20 for a truck roll on a Sunday morning.

kurtucky · 11-23-2008, 10:33 PM

Thanks everybody!
I just got the tivo today... I'll give comcast a call on monday.

westside_guy · 11-23-2008, 10:58 PM

Here in the Puget Sound region of Washington state, Comcast just told me to come to one of their offices and pick up a cablecard. At the office they actually knew about M-cards versus S-cards, and knew the Tivo HD could use the M-card.

Self-installation is pretty easy - well the installation is trivial

but the activation over the phone was straightforward. No complaints from this neck of the woods.