Comcast vs. Direct TV in Atlanta

[jeffcat]

Hello everyone...

I am a newbie to the site but was hoping I could get some good advice about Comcast picture quality vs. Direct TV in the Atlanta area. I have been a customer with Direct TV for almost 10 years now, but I have moved to a new house that is being remodeled. I am at a point that I would like to integrate Highspeed internet HD programming as well as VOIP phone service. So logically the choice should be Comcast.... But I am concerned that the picture quality when not viewing HD programming will be awful vs. what I get now with Direct TV. Thoughts, opinions, advice? I really would appreciate some feedback!! Thanks - Jeffcat

 

[LonghornXP]

All digital channels (channels above 100) should be just as good if not better than DirecTV. You also have a very very good chance that your area is doing what we call digital simulcasting which I'll explain below.

So all analog channels below channel 100 will still be in analog for customers without a digital box so I want to make that clear first. Now with digital simulcasting Comcast offers all analog channels in digital for customers with a digital box. Your box software gets new mapping software so when you tune to say channel 31 the box is mapped to pull the digital feed of that channel instead of the analog feed. The end result for you the customer is that if you have a digital box you will have a 100% all digital lineup with no more analog channels.

I would suggest calling Comcast or doing down to your nearest local office and asking them if they digital simulcast the analog channels. If you do order service one way in which you can tell if your getting your analog channels in digital is to tune to an analog channel with any digital box. Now press Info and if you see the double D (Dolby double D logo) that means the channel is digital as a digital feed is converted by the cable company as a Dolby Digital 2.0 signal.

 

[jeffcat]

Thanks - and one more thing...

Thanks Longhorn...

I just talked with Comcast on the phone and they did confirm that the digital cable / HD / VOiP is available in my area. I was also told that if I subscribe to - for example, the "digital platinum" with HD I'll have all the channels in 100% digital format / quality. So it sure does sound like I'll be getting a great picture (even on the non hi def channels).

However, I can not believe what they want to charge for installation! It is something anyone could do! As part of my renovation I had the Low Voltage guys wire the house with a multiswitch and RG6 cables though out... all Comcast would have to do is bring the cable feed to the house and give me two digital cable boxes. They want an outrageous amount of money just to plug in the cable box to the existing wall jack. Have you or anyone found a way around this? I was told it was non-negotiable!

 

[berck]

Interesting. My installation was free with a similiar setup. I was switching from Dish to Comcast. That may have some reason why the installation was free.

 

[jeffcat]

I did tell them I was going to get rid of my Direct TV set up and all they were offering was the $25 off per month for 16 months. Nice deal, but if I don't like Comcast, she wasn't clear on if I would have to refund any monies if I cancelled my service before the year and a half was up. Also, the installation from the street to the house I wasn't unhappy with... it was the $29.99 they were going to charge for each room I wanted a digital cable box installed.

I couldn't believe it! All they do is plug the box in and run a small RG6 cable from the wallplate (which I have already installed), to the Digital cable box, and then run it (probably only composite vid) to the TV. A joke. Total scam... it would be like the electric company coming out and hooking you up and going into a room and charging you $30 bucks to turn the light switch off and on. Total RIP OFF.

 

[LonghornXP]

I did tell them I was going to get rid of my Direct TV set up and all they were offering was the $25 off per month for 16 months. Nice deal, but if I don't like Comcast, she wasn't clear on if I would have to refund any monies if I cancelled my service before the year and a half was up. Also, the installation from the street to the house I wasn't unhappy with... it was the $29.99 they were going to charge for each room I wanted a digital cable box installed.

I couldn't believe it! All they do is plug the box in and run a small RG6 cable from the wallplate (which I have already installed), to the Digital cable box, and then run it (probably only composite vid) to the TV. A joke. Total scam... it would be like the electric company coming out and hooking you up and going into a room and charging you $30 bucks to turn the light switch off and on. Total RIP OFF.

Call again and again asking for free installation and if that fails demand to speak to a supervisor. If that doesn't work go to your local office at a time when many people will be in line and once your turn is up say it loud enough so everyone can hear you but no louder than that asking why you guys insist on charging me 30 bucks just to hook a digital box up. That I assure you will pressure them into taking care of it because if they refuse the free install right in front of customers it would make them look very very very bad. Also consider seeing if you can go to your local office and pick the boxes up and hook them up yourself.

Just so you know I'm getting the 25/month off for 16 months and they wanted to charge me about 150 bucks total for the install of everything and I ended up getting my way by speaking to a supervisor. Also they still endup charging me for the install on my first bill so I called them up and told them I would sue them in small claims court if they don't take the charges off right now as I'm looking at my online statement. I told them if by the end of the day if those charges aren't credited I will not bother making another call and I would sue them. Trust me that no company wants to deal with small claims court when they know they are wrong.

Also you can cancel service at anytime without having to pay anything back but I do believe if you cancel before the 16 months you cannot subscribe later and continue the rest of the months of the discount. I hope this information helps you out.

 

[jeffcat]

Yes it does... I think that is the way to go. I talked with two different people on the phone yesterday, and one was willing to work with me - but you're right, if I can get past them to a supervisor, I should be able to get it taken care of. You'd think for almost a $200 a month bill they would be willing to eat some of the installation costs up front.

By the way, did you happen to see my other post? I was trying to determine what the strength of the signal should be coming into the house... any idea what that would be?

 

[LonghornXP]

Yes it does... I think that is the way to go. I talked with two different people on the phone yesterday, and one was willing to work with me - but you're right, if I can get past them to a supervisor, I should be able to get it taken care of. You'd think for almost a $200 a month bill they would be willing to eat some of the installation costs up front.

By the way, did you happen to see my other post? I was trying to determine what the strength of the signal should be coming into the house... any idea what that would be?

I'll be honest with you and say I have no idea. Also of note that if your installer has trouble getting any of the boxes to work as in nothing starts coming in such as channels and guide data "and" he used a new splitter I would have him check this. My installer was very good and he had four splitters that were DOA on one output and I needed all three to be working. Also one of my TVs had about 20 channels that would just breakup like crazy so I swapped the cables for that digital box and cable/voice modem and everything worked 100% after that. I just want you to be aware about the splitter issues because they seem to be a bigger problem than most would think.