[mythtv-users] HDHomeRun - Comcast shut off clear QAM

[Gary Buhrmaster]

On Wed, Dec 11, 2013 at 6:48 PM, john.baab at gmail.com
<john.baab at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Wed, Dec 11, 2013 at 12:46 AM, Gary Buhrmaster
> <gary.buhrmaster at gmail.com> wrote:
>> And sometimes they will charge you a "HD Technology fee", again
>> depending on your particular franchise, and service level.
>
> I am fighting them on this with my account currently.

Again, this depends on the franchise, but the "HD Technology fee"
is a one (and only one) time charge to the account if you have
any Comcast supplied HD equipment (HD-STB, HD-DTA).  This is,
of course, in addition to the individual STB fee (of which, usually,
the bundle includes the first STB for "free", but does not include
first "HD technology fee", so they give you the first "free" HD-STB
and then charge you the "HD techonlogy fee" - so much for "free"
(well, you can have a "free" SD-STB, usually)).  The "HD Technology
fee" is not (supposed) to get charged for simply having a CableCARD
(again, in most franchises).

Note that some bundles ("Quadruple tier mega service platinum
everything") includes the "HD technology fee" so one does not
see an additional charge (unless you downgrade to a lower
package) on the bill.

Note that some (legacy) franchises also had a "HD Programming
fee", dating from the early days of digital, when HD was rare,
which enabled your account for HD programming (and yes, it was
separate from the "HD technology fee").  I believe that fee has
mostly disappeared, but I'll bet it still exists in some franchises.

A maze of twisting charges and fees, all named similarly,
but all different.

> From what I've read when they do account checks and you have
> a CC it can happen.

It is not just whether you have a CC.  Since Comcast continues
to change the charges/fees/taxes, they have to audit existing
accounts to update those charges on some regular basis.  And
they have to handle grandfathered bundle discounts ("only $19.95
for the first six months!"), but insure that if you are no longer
protected under those bundles you get billed "correctly" (and while
it almost always means costing more, I have actually seen times
when my bill went down due to Comcast changes).  That the bills
are wrong (at least some of the time) after those automated
adjustments is not at all surprising if you consider the complexity
that Comcast has created (ok, to be fair, sometimes the complexity
is added to by the local franchise agreement).  Most people do not
pay attention to their bill, and just it.

As I stated before, Comcast billing is interesting.

Gary