Attention, You’se Rat Bastids at Comcast…
Uh, has anyone checked out their Comcast channels today? If you have digital cable on all your sets, you will not be affected.
However, if you don’t have the digital cable or, in the case of Casa di Somnambulo, you have the big screen in the living room with the digital cable, and the other TV’s, the one in the master bedroom and the other in the sun room without, you will discover, to your bleeping chagrin, that two channels have been removed from the general tier.
Guess which two?
Well, if you guessed Turner Classic Movies (!!) and, get ready for it, MSNBC(!!!!!), you’d be correctamundo. Not Fixed Noise, Not the Jewelry Ripoff Network, not the stock shills at CNBC, but MSNBC.
BTW, this has nothing to do with the upcoming digital switch that they’ve been promoting since the Eisenhower Years. This is a Comcast ripoff, pure and simple. Seriously, Obama needs to sic the FCC on this right away. Maybe ‘Democratic’ lobbyist Rhett Ruggerio can help. Maybe Pa. Gov. Fast Eddie Rendell (D-Comcast) can help. But, this is nothing more than robbery.
After all, you can get your favorite stations back if you get converter boxes on the other sets. Of course, that costs you extra every month for each bleeping box!
And, of course, sending MSNBC to the cable equivalent of Siberia has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that it is the only network, other than the Comedy Channel, which even permits something approaching a liberal perspective to have a public voice.
In the final one-finger salute, at the location previously occupied by MSNBC, you get the blank screen (save for the 800 number to call to talk to someone from India) and insipid country music.
Yep, “God Bless the USA”, a customer service rep from Brahmaputra, and the ultimate ripoff from Comcast. What could be more American than that?
Tags: Media, Unconscionable Ripoff
CANT> WAIT> FOR> FIOS!
Looks like Comcast is cutting 8% of their non-digital channels 🙂
I’ve read that the Analog channels take up a huge portion of the bandwidth —- up to 4x the amount of a Digital channel.
donsqyuishi is glad he didn’t take the Comcast job
Have FIOS coming to the sqyuishi Casa Thursday!
FIOS installed here today. They’ve got a great promo going right now. $99.99/month for phone, TV, and intenet guaranteed rate for 24 months. Plus they gave me a free wireless thingy and will be sending a $150 VISA gift card.
Comcast knocked off NJN-PBS and MIND-TV last month, then I got the notice about TCM and MSNBC. Plus, the Comcast home screen headlines were clearly being written by Frank Luntz.
So far the switch has been painless. My new email is young.rh@verizon.net
I dunno about those high-falutin’ channels like MSNBC and whatnot… but they just switched CN8 to digital only, and I just get the screensaver telling me how to call them and spend more money.
I am on a kind of fatalistic experiment… I intend to be the last analog cable user in Delaware – I want to see what they offer me to switch. They are already calling me weekly and at one point actually came to my door in person.
Rebecca they have a better deal out right now. 69.99 a month for 6 months. Which is $30 better than 150 over time, only rub is you don’t get the visa card. It is a credit on your bill
I’m on FIOS. I have MSNBC still.
‘Bulo talked to the experts, aka his kids, about FIOS. They said that FIOS ‘sucked’. They said the internet is as slow as it is at ‘granny’s house’, where granny has FIOS. Since ‘bulo’s oldest ‘lives on the internet’, that could pose problems.
They said that FIOS doesn’t have ‘On Demand’, which means they can’t watch their favorite shows when they want to. Plus, they told the technologically-challenged ‘bulo that he would have to relearn how to use the remote, which could be a deal-breaker.
They said that movies cost 5 bucks.
Maybe, just maybe, the Beast Who Barters can leverage the threat of switching providers to convince Comcast to provide the digital boxes at no extra charge…hello-o-o-o, Calcutta.
Seriously, no ‘On Demand’? Damn, that is a deal breaker. I love ‘On Demand’, I don’t know how people live without it. 🙂
‘Bulo,
FIOS is faster than cable. With FIOS you get a direct fiber line – not a sucky shared network cable, so it doesn’t slow down from all your neighbors downloading porn.
The granny-slow internet may be due to the speed of granny’s machine. I have had both, and FIOS rocks.
(Also, I think you get a 30-day guarantee with FIOS (at least you used to) and you can test ping speeds.)
I am pretty sure FIOS has “On Demand,” but you should talk to Verizon. I do not have any trouble with internet speed and I do not use most of those other features.
There is an “On Demand” button on my remote. I have no clue how it works or anything.
UI, once you discover “On Demand” – pick a show, play it whenever – you’ll never go back.
Let me know if FIOS has the feature. I’m not kidding, no “On Demand” no FIOS. I’m such a brat.
I have a DVR, which I love.
Sorry, UI, not the same. Geez, will you please do my research for me and check if FIOS has ‘On Demand?’ 😉
Warning: ‘On Demand’ is as addictive as heroine.
FIOS has FIOS TV — their version of OnDemand.
Internet is wicked fast.
Instead of paying the man — Comcast —, I’m paying the other man — Verizon. 🙂
Yes to on-demand (but the selections ain’t the best)
The Internet is FAST!!!
Oddly, I found the phone to be the worst part (I am somewhat sensitized to VoIP issues) but either that is fixed, or I have gotten used to it.
TV channels are great (and arranged in a somewhat logical way). But you will not get CN8, as it is not a broadcast station. Comcast SportsNet works, though.
FiOS TV is not available in my neighborhood on the north side of Wilmington. My neighbor just got hooked up to FiOS phone & internet yesterday, but she too is waiting for the TV feature to come to our neck of the woods. : (
Keep in mind for the internet piece, FIOS (and I believe Comcast MAY do this, but don’t know, since they HAPPILY have not invaded with their band of locusts in the MOT area) has three tiers of speed, for different prices, of course. I’m not so much of an online-gamer, save the FREE (*ahem,*, I said free) poker sites, so I have the lowest tier of 2 upload / 10 download. It’s great and fast. For blogging (way too much of my time 😛 ), remote-work, poker, etc., it is FAR more than I need. TV is awesome (and they do carry the SlickCast SportsNet – at least down here, they do).
One thing, though, and I agree with Geek, the landline set up kinda blows. I totally think that is their cash flow in the deal of all three in a bundle. I am dying to axe my landline and go with cell or VOIP, but if I end my bundle agreement (in order to drop land-line), then I get smacked, just as if I killed a cell contract early. THAT is my only regret. The TV and Internet rocks.
‘bulo – tell the kids to get a job and shutup. It’s your house and until they pay that bill, they will have to go back to the stoneages and enjoy the wicked-fast internet, as opposed to the unfathomably-fast-and-obviously-way-more-than-they-need-speed for whatever they do on the internet. Tell ’em to suck it up or you go back to a 28.8 modem.
How this works is that the broadcaster makes a contract agreement with the cable provider, which is renewed every three or so years.
Each contract is heatedly negotiated, the broadcasters want all of their channels in the basic tier so they get better viewership, which means more money from ad revenue. The cable provider wants the popular channels in the more expensive tiers so you poor shlubs jump up a tier for your favorite channels.
The Dish Network CEO is famous for letting channels go black as part of negotiations, as is the dude in charge of Time Warner Cable. Every so often they will scroll across the bottom of the screen saying things like “Call your cable provider and tell them you want your channels,” etc etc.
So, basically, MSNBC gave up a tier, probably for better positioning of one of their other channels that they want better ratings for.
While I’m pleased Comcast has reduced bandwidth pollution by eliminating Keith Olbermann (The Worst Person in the World),
primarily liberal outlets ABC, NBC, CBS and CNN don’t offer nearly as much bloviated political entertainment as the wild-eyed MSNBC crowd. I’d be surprised to learn MSNBC has fewer viewers than the home shopping and infomercial channels. That’s why I’m deluging Comcast with calls and emails to get a rep on the air today sometime between 1pm and 3pm. If they accept, YOU are welcome to ask ANY question you like of them at 478-9335. Keep it on 1150 AM today to hear if they accept.
Primary liberal outlets – that must be why I see Dick and Liz Cheney on my Tee Vee all the time. Yep, MSNBC has 3 hours of not-conservative programming, which maybe kinda balance out 3 hours of Morning Joke. Obviously, MSNBC is the devil, and the reason Republicans are so unpopular is that they’re just not on the radio and TV enough.
I’ve had FIOS for over a year now, and I can’t see myself going back to Comcast. I never had Comcast internet, so I can’t compare speeds, but I’m satisfied with what I’ve got.
FIOS has content on demand, but it is not nearly as extensive as Comcast. To me, that’s the biggest drawback. I also miss some Phillies and Flyers games on CN8, but other than that, it has been a positive move for me.
DVR is awesome, picture is great, customer service has been good. Bottom line is that I don’t miss Comcast at all.