Comcast basic cable HD channels (East Windsor, NJ)
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PostPosted: Fri, Mar 7 2008, 9:41 pm EST    Post subject: Comcast basic cable HD channels (East Windsor, NJ) Reply with quote

I have Comcast basic cable service. My HDTV (Panasonic plasma) has a QAM tuner that can tune in to the un-encrypted HD channels. I found the following HD channels:

NBC-HD: 4-1
FOX-HD: 5-1
ABC-HD: 7-1
WWOR-HD: 9-1
CW-HD: 11-1
PBS-HD: 116-1
CBS-HD: 116-4
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PostPosted: Sat, Mar 8 2008, 7:49 am EST    Post subject: Re: Comcast basic cable HD channels (East Windsor, NJ) Reply with quote

Speaking of Comcast (who I absolutely hate, but I am a customer because I have no other choice), does anybody know when Verizon FIOS will be available in Cranbury? There is a Verizon document online somewhere that says it already is available somewhere in Cranbury (I'm guessing in the Warehouse district).
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PostPosted: Sat, Mar 8 2008, 9:49 am EST    Post subject: Re: Comcast basic cable HD channels (East Windsor, NJ) Reply with quote

Why not get DirecTV or Dish TV if you hate Comcast and can't get Comcast? Especially if you like HD. DirecTV has over 100 full-time HD channels already, including tons of sports and most of the major cable channels.

FiOS looks interesting to me too. DirecTV still has way more HD, but I would like the faster Internet than Comcast. But I'm not holding my breath that it will be available in my part of Cranbury any time soon...
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$$
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PostPosted: Sat, Mar 8 2008, 9:58 am EST    Post subject: Re: Comcast basic cable HD channels (East Windsor, NJ) Reply with quote

Guest wrote:
Why not get DirecTV or Dish TV if you hate Comcast and can't get Comcast? Especially if you like HD. DirecTV has over 100 full-time HD channels already, including tons of sports and most of the major cable channels.

FiOS looks interesting to me too. DirecTV still has way more HD, but I would like the faster Internet than Comcast. But I'm not holding my breath that it will be available in my part of Cranbury any time soon...


How much does the DirecTV service cost per month?

I use Comcast mainly for connecting to the Internet. The service costs me $60/month (basic cable ($18 ) plus Internet ($42)).
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PostPosted: Sun, Mar 9 2008, 11:48 am EDT    Post subject: Re: Comcast basic cable HD channels (East Windsor, NJ) Reply with quote

$$ wrote:


How much does the DirecTV service cost per month?

I use Comcast mainly for connecting to the Internet. The service costs me $60/month (basic cable ($18 ) plus Internet ($42)).


There is no question if price is your main driver, Comcast is a better deal when you are bundling services, though not so much when you aren't (they charge me over $60 JUST for high speed, though my work covers it). But I was responding to a poster who said they were fed up with Comcast which implies they are not happy with what they are getting for their money.

I don't know exactly what the price would be for the equivilent of "basic cable" since I get a bunch of premium channels, sports, extra HD channels, extra receivers and DVR receivers, etc. I pay about $70.month.

I don't have any problem with Comcast. I was responding to someone who does. I go with DirecTV because I want the extra HD channels, sports and the substantially better DVR service that what Comcast offers. If Comcast ever catches up on HD and offers a better DVR package, I would switch, asusming they still have attractive bundled pricing.
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PostPosted: Sun, Mar 9 2008, 5:44 pm EDT    Post subject: Re: Comcast basic cable HD channels (East Windsor, NJ) Reply with quote

Thanks for the info. I was curious about the pricing for DirectTV/Dish service. If the price is good, I might switch.

I don't use Comcast's cable box/card, so every now and then I need to rescan the channels because Comcast switches some HD channels around.

The other day, I tuned to PBS-HD (channel 13-1) (my most watched HD channel) and it was gone! It took me a while to figure out that Comcast switched the signal to channel 116-1.

Since I don't have the more expensive services and don't use their cable box/card, Comcast did not even send a notice of change out!
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PostPosted: Mon, Mar 10 2008, 3:41 pm EDT    Post subject: Re: Comcast basic cable HD channels (East Windsor, NJ) Reply with quote

Just check, I think you have to get zoning approval to install a satelite dish.
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PostPosted: Mon, Mar 10 2008, 9:58 pm EDT    Post subject: Re: Comcast basic cable HD channels (East Windsor, NJ) Reply with quote

Guest wrote:
Just check, I think you have to get zoning approval to install a satelite dish.


Definitely not. It's actually been a federal law for the last 12 years or so that a person cannot be forbidden from installation of the type of small satellite dishes used by DirecTV and Dish TV. It used to be common for zoning and CCR's to do this, but the courts overruled them. A community trying to prevent this can actually be sued and pay punitive damages if they try...

So feel free to put it up. Anyone trying to oppose you cannot legally stop you and cannot do anything about it once you have. Now there are some rules obviously in apartments and condos and if you are a renter. But for your own house, it is your right.
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PostPosted: Tue, Mar 11 2008, 7:10 am EDT    Post subject: Re: Comcast basic cable HD channels (East Windsor, NJ) Reply with quote

http://www.cranburytownship.org/Cranbury-Zoning-Permit-V10.doc
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PostPosted: Tue, Mar 11 2008, 7:11 am EDT    Post subject: Re: Comcast basic cable HD channels (East Windsor, NJ) Reply with quote

Someone should let the town know.
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PostPosted: Tue, Mar 11 2008, 7:53 am EDT    Post subject: Re: Comcast basic cable HD channels (East Windsor, NJ) Reply with quote

Guest wrote:
Someone should let the town know.


Poor wording, but that can only refer to large industrial size satellites dishes. As you can see if you drive around town, hundreds of homeowners have the personal size satellite dishes and none have had a problem with the Township. Also, a lot of those restrictions predate the federal law and have never been struck but are not enforcable.

Bottom line, any homeowner can install DirecTV or Dish satellite dishes without permits or permissions. And both companies are more than happy to send someone out free to do it and they'll give you the equipment for free too. They are interested in your ongoing monthly fee.
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PostPosted: Tue, Mar 11 2008, 10:16 am EDT    Post subject: Re: Comcast basic cable HD channels (East Windsor, NJ) Reply with quote

[quote="Guest"]
$$ wrote:

But I was responding to a poster who said they were fed up with Comcast which implies they are not happy with what they are getting for their money.

...

I don't have any problem with Comcast. I was responding to someone who does. I go with DirecTV because I want the extra HD channels, sports and the substantially better DVR service that what Comcast offers. If Comcast ever catches up on HD and offers a better DVR package, I would switch, asusming they still have attractive bundled pricing.


I am that poster with the problem with Comcast...
I used to have Dish Network, but we got rid of them because of repeated equipment failures, multiple no-shows on service appointment to fix said failures, and generally really bad customer service. We had Comcast Internet during that time, and switched our TV service to them too.

With Comcast, we have serious reliability problems (we have outages at least once a week - TV & Internet), and I think the prices are just too high. We would never use the Comcast Phone Service, due to the regular outages. Dealing with their customer service people is horrible... they keep wanting to charge me for technician visits when the technicians always say the problem is out on the street, not in my home.
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PostPosted: Tue, Mar 11 2008, 10:41 am EDT    Post subject: Re: Comcast basic cable HD channels (East Windsor, NJ) Reply with quote

I used to have Internet access outages from time to time. Comcast told me that the signal was weak (I have a long driveway from curb) and I should connect the cable for the Internet to the first outlet of the 3-way splitter; here is an eample:

Quote:

Cable signal from outside <--> [3-way splitter]
<--> to cable modem
<--> to basement TV
<--> to a TV nearby


My plasma HDTV is at the other side of the basement away from the splitter, so I need to install a Channel Master 3042 1-port Signal Amplifier to increase the signal strength.

Quote:

[3-way splitter]
<--> to cable modem
<--> to Channel Master 3042 <--> basement TV
<--> to a TV nearby


Or
Quote:

Cable signal from outside <--> Channel Master 3042 <--> [3-way splitter]


The Channel Master 3042 amplifier works wonders, highly recommended.
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Guest






PostPosted: Tue, Mar 11 2008, 12:07 pm EDT    Post subject: Re: Comcast basic cable HD channels (East Windsor, NJ) Reply with quote

Guest wrote:

I am that poster with the problem with Comcast...
I used to have Dish Network, but we got rid of them because of repeated equipment failures, multiple no-shows on service appointment to fix said failures, and generally really bad customer service. We had Comcast Internet during that time, and switched our TV service to them too.

With Comcast, we have serious reliability problems (we have outages at least once a week - TV & Internet), and I think the prices are just too high. We would never use the Comcast Phone Service, due to the regular outages. Dealing with their customer service people is horrible... they keep wanting to charge me for technician visits when the technicians always say the problem is out on the street, not in my home.


I use DirecTV for TV and Comcast for Internet and previously tried them for TV and DVR service as well. DirecTV has been very, very reliable. Any outages are local to your dish or weather and that is rare, even in storms and high winds. The range of channels, picture quality, number of HD channels and DVR are good. But they are not cheap and if you do have a problem their customer service is no better than Comcast.
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Guest






PostPosted: Mon, Mar 17 2008, 12:11 pm EDT    Post subject: Re: Comcast basic cable HD channels (East Windsor, NJ) Reply with quote

Quote:
Poor wording, but that can only refer to large industrial size satellites dishes. As you can see if you drive around town, hundreds of homeowners have the personal size satellite dishes and none have had a problem with the Township. Also, a lot of those restrictions predate the federal law and have never been struck but are not enforcable.

Bottom line, any homeowner can install DirecTV or Dish satellite dishes without permits or permissions. And both companies are more than happy to send someone out free to do it and they'll give you the equipment for free too. They are interested in your ongoing monthly fee.


Is there wording to this somewhere that I can reference?
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PostPosted: Mon, Mar 17 2008, 1:18 pm EDT    Post subject: Re: Comcast basic cable HD channels (East Windsor, NJ) Reply with quote

Guest wrote:

Is there wording to this somewhere that I can reference?


Why?

You don't need to. It's simple. No one can stop you from putting up an 18-24" satellite on your single family residence that you own and no one tries to stop you. So why do you need to see the federal statute if no one is protesting or stopping you?
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