[mythtv-users] SF Bay Comcast Analog Armageddon Has Begun

[Tim Ashman]

On Monday 23 November 2009 02:35:50 pm Ross Campbell wrote:
> On Mon, Nov 23, 2009 at 11:31 AM, Kirk Bocek <t004 at kbocek.com> wrote:
> > Looks like Comcast has finally executed the previously announced analog
> > shutdown in my part of the San Francisco Bay Area, Martinez 94553. This
> > probably also applies to nearby towns like Concord, Pleasant Hill and
> > Walnut Creek.
> >
> > Analog channels from 40 and up are gone. I've waited a few days to see if
> > it was a temporary glitch but the channels are still gone.
>
> <rant>
> I find it particularly insulting that Comcast is slowly crippling
> their devices and services one zipcode at a time so that at any given
> time only a handful of customers are screaming.
>
> From my perspective, the logical outcome of the
> DTV/HD/cablecard/encryption fiasco is that it will effectively kill
> off cable TV (how would this impact broadcast TV?) due to unnecessary
> complexity and accelerate everyone's move to streaming video sites --
> which "just work" with no stupid cablecard, black box, black bars/box
> around content, stretched out SD videos, medieval channel maps, etc.
>
> Computer powerful enough to stream online video is less than most
> people pay in a year for set top box rentals alone...
>
> I hope Comcast doesn't succeed in buying NBC, getting a giant stake in
> hulu.com, and wrecking that too.
> </rant>
>
> P.S. - Still love MythTV :)

Sadly comcast doesn't care about people actually using the cable system like 
before.  They like most other distributors and that's what comcast is, want 
to control the middle.  The only way to do this is to force it's service 
through their box that they control.  I have not completely cancelled my 
comcast since the analog cutoff (I'm in Portland also)  But I have the 
$16/month starter that doesn't require a box of any kind.  I do this not 
because I use the service but because if I cancel the cable completely 
comcast will raise my internet bill by $12 for not having more than one 
service.  So for $4 I'll keep the starter.  It only has the local channels 
anyway, and I normally watch what I have recorded from my myth backend which 
is NOT connected to my cable it is connected to an antenna receiving OTA.  I 
use the cable service only for sporting events, etc.

Comcast you suck.

tim