Home cinema - Comcast Update Vol. 1

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- - Comcast Update Vol. 1 (http://www.homecinemabanter.com/showthread.php?t=33413)

Comcast Update Vol. 1

I've ditched my DTivo, as I said in a previous post. I set up Comcast
install to come yesterday between 9 and 1. I called to confirm the
install last week and discovered they had me set to get an SD DVR,
rather than HiDef. I had that changed. At 8:30am yesterday I called
again to confirm, and got the green light.

At 12:30pm I got a call from the guy who set up the original order. He
told me there was an error in the work order and the person dispatched
to do the job couldn't do cable internet - it would have to wait. I
told him this was really inconvenient and asked if he could look into
someone coming later the same day.

He called back 20 minutes later saying that there was another error in
the work order. I had asked for a HD DVR but was scheduled to get an
SD DVR (this despite my having changed it a week earlier, or so I
thought.)

So the install was canceled - it's now set for today between 1 and 5.
They won't call in advance to let me know when they're coming (the
installers don't carry phones, which I find hard to believe.)

They've offered me a 20 dollar credit on my first bill, a further
discounted install charge, and no COD requirement.

Not off to an auspicious start!

wrote in message
oups.com...
I've ditched my DTivo, as I said in a previous post. I set up Comcast
install to come yesterday between 9 and 1. I called to confirm the
install last week and discovered they had me set to get an SD DVR,
rather than HiDef. I had that changed. At 8:30am yesterday I called
again to confirm, and got the green light.

At 12:30pm I got a call from the guy who set up the original order. He
told me there was an error in the work order and the person dispatched
to do the job couldn't do cable internet - it would have to wait. I
told him this was really inconvenient and asked if he could look into
someone coming later the same day.

He called back 20 minutes later saying that there was another error in
the work order. I had asked for a HD DVR but was scheduled to get an
SD DVR (this despite my having changed it a week earlier, or so I
thought.)

So the install was canceled - it's now set for today between 1 and 5.
They won't call in advance to let me know when they're coming (the
installers don't carry phones, which I find hard to believe.)

They've offered me a 20 dollar credit on my first bill, a further
discounted install charge, and no COD requirement.

Not off to an auspicious start!

they absolutely do carry phones, it's a requirement for the job.
when i was doing this for comcast i was given a stack of
work orders in the morning, but my supervisor
could call me and change my work over the phone, plus we had to
be able to call other installers to trade work orders or if we needed
wire or a box or wire connectors, etc.

True enough. I just got an automated call confirming today's
appointment, so we'll see. Aside from my having to take another half
day off work, I don't really care if it's up and running tonight.

Don't those automated confirmation calls give you a real solid feeling
of security? You know, once you get one of those, that everyone will
show up on time and that the order will be exactly correct.

NOT! :-(

Randy S.

Randy S. wrote:
True enough. I just got an automated call confirming today's
appointment, so we'll see. Aside from my having to take another half
day off work, I don't really care if it's up and running tonight.

Don't those automated confirmation calls give you a real solid feeling
of security? You know, once you get one of those, that everyone will
show up on time and that the order will be exactly correct.

NOT! :-(

Randy S.

Up and running!

When the installer came at 3pm he had to make a call because we
actually have two structures at our new house - the main house and a
separate office. I wanted the DVR in the main house by the plasma and
cable internet + old school cable in the office. He was talking to his
dispatcher when he called me over. He put me on the line with his
boss, who told me that I'd have to pay for separate service and do a
separate install for the back house.

Bull****. I told the sales guy we had two structures. I had his
extension, so I called him and put both cellphones on speakerphone, so
the two of them could fight it out. Eventually it was determined that
you only have to have two accounts if the other structure has a toilet.
Ours doesn't. It's just a 20x20 room.

Aside from that everything went smoothly. The Comcast DVR came on
immediately, but then went dark for about an hour as it downloaded.

First impressions:

The interface is clunky, and it's often unclear how to "get back" when
you've gone in a few menu levels. I'm sure there's a button to do it,
but they were out of manuals, so I have to print one off the net.

Why not just use the "left" button? It's there, clearly marked with an
arrow pointing to the left. Just asking.

Picture quality so far is great, although NTSC does look a little grimy
on a plasma (even a DVD looks kind of ****ty.)

HiDef, for the most part, looks great.

Question: What is KABC DS? "Lost" was on tonight, supposedly on the
hidef ABC channel, but it didn't look hidef to me, even though there
was an HD logo smacked on it. It looked better than NTSC but the
blacks were crushed and dark colors were very noisy. I'm guessing DS
is some kind of increased rez, but not quite HD, thing that ABC has
going?

Off to play.

relax

Question: What is KABC DS? "Lost" was on tonight, supposedly on the
hidef ABC channel, but it didn't look hidef to me, even though there
was an HD logo smacked on it. It looked better than NTSC but the
blacks were crushed and dark colors were very noisy. I'm guessing DS
is some kind of increased rez, but not quite HD, thing that ABC has
going?

Off to play.

relax

I'm guessing DS = Digital Signal? You can certainly have a digital
signal without it being HiDef. It's quality would fall in between
analog and Hidef all else being equal.

Randy S.

Randy S. wrote:
Question: What is KABC DS? "Lost" was on tonight, supposedly on the
hidef ABC channel, but it didn't look hidef to me, even though there
was an HD logo smacked on it. It looked better than NTSC but the
blacks were crushed and dark colors were very noisy. I'm guessing DS
is some kind of increased rez, but not quite HD, thing that ABC has
going?

Off to play.

relax

I'm guessing DS = Digital Signal? You can certainly have a digital
signal without it being HiDef. It's quality would fall in between
analog and Hidef all else being equal.

Randy S.

Looking at other stuff on the DS channels, I'm seeing what looks like
real HD. Maybe LOST was an anomaly? Certainly the PBS DS station is
broadcasting true HD. Regardless, it all looks better than SD.

But the analogue channels look like complete ****. It's like when my
family first got cable. I was 3 years old and it was installed in
1969. Didn't look wonderful, but we were a test market (I believe we
were the first place to get cable in North America, which probably
means in the world.) All I remember is watching the premiere of Sesame
Street, and my dad showing me that it was a lot less fuzzy using the
antenna than the cable. It got better a few years later, though. I
digress.