Comments on: Comcast offers free basic cable during digital TV transition

By: Matt

Matt — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 21:54:02 +0000

Amy, don’t worry. As long as you have cable, it should work fine with your TV (no boxes needed) with comcast.
Check this out: http://consumerist.com/5116811/a-very-simple-flowchart-explaining-the-digital-tv-transition
Print it, and give it to the comcast installer. You now have cable, so you do not need to do anything.

By: Amy

Amy — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 17:29:59 +0000

Hi James. Thank you for your reply. I called Comcast as you suggested and ordered just the Basic and they installed this morning. But this was the first time the installer had dealt with the analog tv/basic cable/digital issue and he connected the cable through my digital converter box and told me I had to use it or I wouldn’t get digital come February. I am utterly confused and Comcast hadn’t trained him so he muddled his way through and left me with a TV that doesn’t quite work right. I don’t know what to say.

By: James McQuivey

James McQuivey — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:22:13 +0000

Amy raises a very good issue. She went through all of this hassle only to find that when calling Comcast, she wasn’t offered the “basic” package. Of course the operators are motivated to upsell as much as possible. Amy, I would call Comcast back and say you read there was a free basic cable package and that you want it. They may say things like “but you won’t get a digital cable box,” and you should say: I don’t want or need one. The basic cable line will go right into your TV and allow you to tune into your channels through the TV, not a cable box. This is very rare — I think probably only 10% of Comcast subscribers have basic — so the call center may not be certain they can do it. But they can. Good luck, let me know if it works.

By: Amy

Amy — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 15:53:48 +0000

I have an analog TV with ears. Got the gov’t funded digital box, couldn’t get a good enough signal to see most channels. Bought a set of $100 ears–reception worse than with my $20 ones. Forced into cable at this point. Now Comcast offers “Basic” cable. I call and am told to get a Digital signal I have to sign up for the Digital package at $54.00/month. That with Basic I don’t get a “digital box”. WHAT? Am I missing something here or is this bait and switch again?!

By: Dan W

Dan W — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 20:36:54 +0000

What about ‘over-the-airfare’?

Thank you, I’ll be here all week…