[Spridgets] No LBC.........Cable TV Corporate Greed

bjshov8 at tx.rr.com bjshov8 at tx.rr.com
Tue Oct 25 10:53:19 MDT 2011


My understanding is that FCC rules require cable providers to give you the local broadcast channels.  I don't know if that means they can charge you for it or not.

I have Time Warner cable, in our case Time Warner bought the franchise from Comcast some years ago, who had bought it from someone else over 10 years ago.  Our original cable TV provider did not have internet access, when Comcast bought it we got internet access.  Until this past January we had only analog TV's and we picked up the analog signals off of the cable with no need for converter boxes of any sort.  Now we have a digital TV and it picks up the digital channels below 100 off of the cable with no need for converter box, but many of the high def cable channels and a few others such as NatGeo are above 100 and require a cable box to receive them.  Digital or not, a lot of the channels come in very poorly through the cable.

We have contemplated switching from Time Warner cable to Verizon FIOS fiber optic.  This would save us some money by allowing us to integrate our phone, TV and internet into the same 3-in-1 account.  Plus there is a savings for the first 2 years for a new subscriber.  OTOH we would have to rent set top decoder boxes for several old tv's which would increase the bill.  EVERYONE I have talked to says the quality and speed are far superior to any cable company, I want to switch just for that reason.  Right now our TV + internet + telephone is about $170/month, and all 3 of these are the basic services.  We could get FIOS plus a lot of extras for less than that.


> Comcast/Xfinity in Nashville has changed to ALL Digital and it requires a 
> converter box to receive anything.  You can thank the FCC!  After the 
> digital transition, and being promised that you can still get analog 
> channels if you keep cable, Comcast went back to the FCC to get permission 
> to make all of their channels here digital.  The catch is that their digital 
> format is NOT configured to work on a normal digital TV, so it requires a 
> small box that outputs only analog, NO HD.  Here you don't need a TV just a 
> monitor and a cable box.  We now pay over $160.00 a month just to get cable 
> and internet.  Also closed caption was an afterthought and requires you to 
> set up your cable box as a global setting which means you have to get the 
> manual out to turn it on and off.  A real PIA for my mother-in-law at 91!!!
> 
> Yes Corporate GREED with the help of the Government, what's new?
> 
> Mark
> Nashville
> 
> Subject: Re: [Spridgets] No LBC.........Cable TV Corporate Greed
> 
> 
> > Hey Lin
> >
> > hold off a bit.  I'm getting those same mailers but as I don't trust 'em I
> > think that everything will work fine without the converter box that " you 
> > will
> > need to receive full benefit of the changeover"..  and I'm with ya, I'll 
> > put
> > the rabbit ears up and get my local channels or just do it all through the
> > internet.
> >
> > Lester
> >
> >
> > On Oct 25, 2011, at 2:39 AM, Linda Grunthaner wrote:
> >
> >> List,
> >> Comcast TV service now wants me to buy XFINITY package to get even local
> >> channels & their converter box. I only bought Comcast for local channels
> >> especially the news. I am dropping Comcast completely now and will
> > no-longer
> >> have any TV channels. I won't give into CORPORATE GREED.
> >> Lin
> >> BTW I've done this before 2000-2002 and missed all the tragedies of 9-11.
> >> I'll get more work done around here without TV.
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