The Front Porch

[wxntrafficfan]

It seems as though every time I call about some sort of an issue, I'm told that Comcast is receiving "higher than normal call volume". The automated service said that I would be on hold for more than 10 minutes. Shouldn't Comcast take a hint from this?

Speaking of cable, I noticed in the past month or so that these thick cables that are orange and black in color are being placed underground along the outside of my subdivision. Are these fiber-optic cables?

I would assume so, but I'm not really sure.

[Tyler]

Comcast in Pittsburgh has went completely digital. Now, if you just have a cable hookup and no converter or STB, the only channels you can get are local ones (2-CSPAN, 5-WPCB, 6-KDKA, 7-WPGH, 8-WTAE, 9-WQED, 10-WPMY, 12-WPXI, 15-WPCW, 98-Ed/Gov't). Thats TEN channels. You can't even get TWC (16) without a converter box anymore.

Prior to the coversion, Comcast customers in Pittsburgh could get channels 2-99 without a box.

Speaking of cable, I noticed in the past month or so that these thick cables that are orange and black in color are being placed underground along the outside of my subdivision. Are these fiber-optic cables?

Seen any Verizon trucks in the area recently? Could be Verizon wiring for FiOS.

[Zach]

If you're lucky enough, TWC and or Weatherscan (if you have it) could be ClearQAM channels.

Speaking of cable, I noticed in the past month or so that these thick cables that are orange and black in color are being placed underground along the outside of my subdivision. Are these fiber-optic cables?

Seen any Verizon trucks in the area recently? Could be Verizon wiring for FiOS.

Down here in FiOS preparation areas with orange conduit, there are signs placed into the ground at both ends of the streets of who's contracting the installation and will more than likely say Verizon somewhere on them. 

[Mike M]

Seen any Verizon trucks in the area recently? Could be Verizon wiring for FiOS.

The trucks don't have a Verizon logo on them, but before installation they had orange markings on the grass with little orange Verizon flags on the ground.

[tpirfan28]

In Lansing, we were able to get two digital cable boxes, in addition to two digital transport adapters, free of charge. We also swapped out a digital cable box for an HD box, again free of charge. My dad and I walked into the Comcast office between Lansing and the E.L. this afternoon, and were told we could only have two digital transport adapters, and a digital cable box would cost $7.95 more per month.

You seem to be close enough to me that these figures should be the same, so here goes.

You should only be getting 1 SD box + 2 DTAs free from Comcast.  Additional boxes are $7.95, DTAs $1.95.  HD is $7.95 one-box fee.  So in your situation you should be charged $7.95 total for 1 free SD box + 1 HD box + 2 DTAs.

[wxntrafficfan]

Well all I can say is we got lucky somehow. Apparently what the woman behind the counter at the Comcast office had told me is wrong... the DTA can tune to channel 99 (CBC).

[Mike M]

Well all I can say is we got lucky somehow. Apparently what the woman behind the counter at the Comcast office had told me is wrong... the DTA can tune to channel 99 (CBC).

Yeah, I get plenty of channels beyond channel 65 with the DTAs at my dad's house. Still wish we had Weatherscan on it. It's still on analog channel 120 (likely serving as a test channel) along with the ~25 local channels.

[TWCToday]

Whoo! The 99th Graduating Class of Maury High in Norfolk has graduated Yesterday was awesome.

Congrats!

Thanks!

Finals=done

Congrats!

[hen7713]

Ugh I'm never buying another laptop from HP again, I had to send it in for the 2nd time and it isn't even 2 years old. The first time The sound, CD Drive, safety functions, and it wouldn't boot half the time freezing at where it fades into the loading thingy. This time it's graphics card failure, then the whole motherboard fails. Glad I got that 3 year warranty.

[wxntrafficfan]

I'm on the fence about where I stand with HP. I'm honestly starting to believe that it was my own carelessness and the fact that I did not know much about computers that caused many of my problems the past few months.

[hen7713]

I hate HP Support, too. I had to call 4 times to get them to send out a box because apparently graphics cards failing and the motherboard crapping itself is a software problem.

[Mike M]

I haven't had much problems with my HP, but I regret getting a Compaq. They're terribly slow and don't last that long. The first Compaq I had, I had to replace the optical drive. Then the motherboard went on the fritz. On this one, the PS/2 mouse port and the rear audio out port are bad. Of course, I didn't know as much about computers when I bought this back in 2005. I'm going for a Dell next time

[hen7713]

Someone I know had a Compaq the HD went out the first time, then the motherboard went out. They wound up replacing the whole PC. I haven't had problems with HP except with this laptop, I even have an old HP desktop that still works. :O I must have bought a cursed laptop.

[wxntrafficfan]

I don't know that I care for Dell computers. What really sold me with the laptop that I bought was the touch screen control panel. It is so neat to only have to touch a spot above my keyboard and turn down the audio right then and there. Only HP computers have that from what I have seen, and I haven't seen it on Dell.

[jtmal0723]

I haven't had much problems with my HP, but I regret getting a Compaq. They're terribly slow and don't last that long. The first Compaq I had, I had to replace the optical drive. Then the motherboard went on the fritz. On this one, the PS/2 mouse port and the rear audio out port are bad. Of course, I didn't know as much about computers when I bought this back in 2005. I'm going for a Dell next time

Remember this: Compaq and HP are owned by the same company. Compaq computers/notebooks are low end, HPs are higher end.