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Seattle Times: Comcast to encrypt basic cable QAM channels

  

 
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gull at gull

Sep 14, 2009, 11:56 AM

Post #1 of 19 (4123 views)
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Seattle Times: Comcast to encrypt basic cable QAM channels
'Comcast has been transmitting the digital signals unencrypted. That means
people with TVs that have built-in digital tuners haven't had to use the
adapters yet. Some people with bare-bones $14 cable service (and a TV with
a "QAM" tuner) have been getting expanded basic channels for free.

'But not for long. Late last month, the FCC authorized Comcast to use the
free converter devices as descramblers. That's a green light for the
company to start encrypting signals, which it began doing a few weeks ago
in Spokane. The rest of Washington will follow soon, meaning all
expanded-basic customers will truly have to use converters soon.

'"We're still on track to encrypt, definitely, by the end of the year,"
spokesman Steve Kipp said Friday.'

You can read the whole thing here:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009860393_brier14.html



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eric.ladner at gmail

Sep 14, 2009, 12:05 PM

Post #2 of 19 (3985 views)
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Re: Seattle Times: Comcast to encrypt basic cable QAM channels [In reply to]
On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 1:56 PM, David Brodbeck <gull [at] gull> wrote:
[snip]
> '"We're still on track to encrypt, definitely, by the end of the year,"
> spokesman Steve Kipp said Friday.'

Vote with your dollars, people...

--
Eric Ladner
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eric at lisaneric

Sep 14, 2009, 12:40 PM

Post #3 of 19 (3981 views)
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Re: Seattle Times: Comcast to encrypt basic cable QAM channels [In reply to]
On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 3:05 PM, Eric Ladner <eric.ladner [at] gmail> wrote:
> On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 1:56 PM, David Brodbeck <gull [at] gull> wrote:
> [snip]
>> '"We're still on track to encrypt, definitely, by the end of the year,"
>> spokesman Steve Kipp said Friday.'
>
> Vote with your dollars, people...

Being proactive here may be better than being reactive.

Comcast has this link on their web site:

Do you have feedback?
We want to hear your feedback! E-mail Rick.
http://www.comcast.com/customers/feedback/default.cspx

Let them know that clear QAM is important before they take it away.

Eric
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matt at mossholder

Sep 14, 2009, 1:18 PM

Post #4 of 19 (3977 views)
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Re: Seattle Times: Comcast to encrypt basic cable QAM channels [In reply to]
On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 3:40 PM, Eric Sharkey <eric [at] lisaneric> wrote:
> Being proactive here may be better than being reactive.
>
> Comcast has this link on their web site:
>
> Do you have feedback?
> We want to hear your feedback!  E-mail Rick.
> http://www.comcast.com/customers/feedback/default.cspx
>
> Let them know that clear QAM is important before they take it away.
>
> Eric

Feedback sent!

--Matt
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matt at mossholder

Sep 15, 2009, 6:05 AM

Post #5 of 19 (3950 views)
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Re: Seattle Times: Comcast to encrypt basic cable QAM channels [In reply to]
On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 4:18 PM, Matt Mossholder <matt [at] mossholder> wrote:
> On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 3:40 PM, Eric Sharkey <eric [at] lisaneric> wrote:
>> Being proactive here may be better than being reactive.
>>
>> Comcast has this link on their web site:
>>
>> Do you have feedback?
>> We want to hear your feedback!  E-mail Rick.
>> http://www.comcast.com/customers/feedback/default.cspx
>>
>> Let them know that clear QAM is important before they take it away.
>>
>> Eric
>
> Feedback sent!
>
>      --Matt
>
Here is the response from Comcast (I'm outside Philadelphia).

=============
Dear Mr. Mossholder,

Thank you for contacting the Comcast Office of Rick Germano, Senior Vice
President of Customer Operations regarding the removal of Clear QAM
services.

Mr. Mossholder, we thank you for taking the time to provide us with your
request to leave the Clear QAM delivery system as is. I wanted to let
you know that I have forwarded your suggestion to the appropriate
management team for further review and action. We appreciate your
interest in making Comcast the best entertainment value possible.

Should you have any further questions or concerns regarding your Comcast
service, support, or statement information, please reply directly to
this email and either myself or another member of the Rick Germano team
will be more than happy to assist you further.

Thank you again for your email Mr. Mossholder, and I appreciate that you
have provided me with this opportunity to assist you. We very much
appreciate your business and please do not hesitate to contact us again
in the future should you need to.

Thank you for choosing Comcast.

Sincerely,
Holly Taylor
Office of Rick Germano
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eric.ladner at gmail

Sep 15, 2009, 6:15 AM

Post #6 of 19 (3925 views)
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Re: Seattle Times: Comcast to encrypt basic cable QAM channels [In reply to]
On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 2:40 PM, Eric Sharkey <eric [at] lisaneric> wrote:
> On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 3:05 PM, Eric Ladner <eric.ladner [at] gmail> wrote:
>> On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 1:56 PM, David Brodbeck <gull [at] gull> wrote:
>> [snip]
>>> '"We're still on track to encrypt, definitely, by the end of the year,"
>>> spokesman Steve Kipp said Friday.'
>>
>> Vote with your dollars, people...
>
> Being proactive here may be better than being reactive.
>

Companies are rarely swayed by dissatisfied customers who keep
faithfully paying their bill hoping things will change.


--
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eric at lisaneric

Sep 15, 2009, 6:39 AM

Post #7 of 19 (3926 views)
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Re: Seattle Times: Comcast to encrypt basic cable QAM channels [In reply to]
On Tue, Sep 15, 2009 at 9:15 AM, Eric Ladner <eric.ladner [at] gmail> wrote:
>> Being proactive here may be better than being reactive.
>>
>
> Companies are rarely swayed by dissatisfied customers who keep
> faithfully paying their bill hoping things will change.

True, but that's not where we are, is it? We have clear QAM now and
are hoping things won't change.

I don't think it makes sense to cancel service when they haven't
actually started encrypting this yet.

Eric
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chmeredith at gmail

Sep 15, 2009, 6:40 AM

Post #8 of 19 (3923 views)
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Re: Seattle Times: Comcast to encrypt basic cable QAM channels [In reply to]
On Tue, Sep 15, 2009 at 8:15 AM, Eric Ladner <eric.ladner [at] gmail> wrote:
> On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 2:40 PM, Eric Sharkey <eric [at] lisaneric> wrote:
>> On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 3:05 PM, Eric Ladner <eric.ladner [at] gmail> wrote:
>>> On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 1:56 PM, David Brodbeck <gull [at] gull> wrote:
>>> [snip]
>>>> '"We're still on track to encrypt, definitely, by the end of the year,"
>>>> spokesman Steve Kipp said Friday.'
>>>
>>> Vote with your dollars, people...
>>
>> Being proactive here may be better than being reactive.
>>
>
> Companies are rarely swayed by dissatisfied customers who keep
> faithfully paying their bill hoping things will change.

I read a few months ago that Comcast's new VP of customer service (or
whatever) is trolling blogs looking for dissatisfied customers, and
people who have posted horror stories on their blogs have been
contacted and their problems addressed. Don't know how widespread it
is, but it couldn't hurt.
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beww at beww

Sep 15, 2009, 6:51 AM

Post #9 of 19 (3933 views)
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Re: Seattle Times: Comcast to encrypt basic cable QAM channels [In reply to]
On Tuesday 15 September 2009 07:39:23 Eric Sharkey wrote:
> On Tue, Sep 15, 2009 at 9:15 AM, Eric Ladner <eric.ladner [at] gmail> wrote:
> >> Being proactive here may be better than being reactive.
> >
> > Companies are rarely swayed by dissatisfied customers who keep
> > faithfully paying their bill hoping things will change.
>
> True, but that's not where we are, is it? We have clear QAM now and
> are hoping things won't change.
>
> I don't think it makes sense to cancel service when they haven't
> actually started encrypting this yet.

I wonder if contacting the companies who are selling TV sets with clear QAM
tuners and telling them you were planning to purchase one of their units, but
since clear QAM is going away you have decided to purchase a cheaper set, or
just stay with what you have, might help.

Outfits like Sony and HP probably have more pull with the media companies than
individual subscribers, and anything that appears to be costing them sales
will be noticed.

Clear QAM tuners are advertised as "features", publicizing the fact that
this "feature" might be useless might cause some action on the manufacturer's
part.

--
Brian Wood
beww [at] beww
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eric at lisaneric

Sep 15, 2009, 7:02 AM

Post #10 of 19 (3933 views)
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Re: Seattle Times: Comcast to encrypt basic cable QAM channels [In reply to]
On Tue, Sep 15, 2009 at 9:51 AM, Brian Wood <beww [at] beww> wrote:
> I wonder if contacting the companies who are selling TV sets with clear QAM
> tuners and telling them you were planning to purchase one of their units, but
> since clear QAM is going away you have decided to purchase a cheaper set, or
> just stay with what you have, might help.
>
> Outfits like Sony and HP probably have more pull with the media companies than
> individual subscribers, and anything that appears to be costing them sales
> will be noticed.

I don't see that as likely to help bringing back clear QAM. It might
help push them to get Tru2way implemented a little faster, but that
hardly helps us, does it?

Eric
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beww at beww

Sep 15, 2009, 7:08 AM

Post #11 of 19 (3924 views)
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Re: Seattle Times: Comcast to encrypt basic cable QAM channels [In reply to]
On Tuesday 15 September 2009 07:51:38 Brian Wood wrote:

> I wonder if contacting the companies who are selling TV sets with clear QAM
> tuners and telling them you were planning to purchase one of their units,
> but since clear QAM is going away you have decided to purchase a cheaper
> set, or just stay with what you have, might help.
>
> Outfits like Sony and HP probably have more pull with the media companies
> than individual subscribers, and anything that appears to be costing them
> sales will be noticed.
>
> Clear QAM tuners are advertised as "features", publicizing the fact that
> this "feature" might be useless might cause some action on the
> manufacturer's part.

(Don't you hate people who reply to their own posts?)

The issue might also be attacked as "anti-green". By eliminating clear QAM the
cable companies are forcing customers to have another power-consuming box
that will have to be re-cycled eventually. There are environmental costs to
making the boxes in the first place, and getting rid of them, to say nothing
of the amout of coal (or whatever) burned to power them. Several hundred K of
these boxes probably have a large energy footprint.

Plus the fact that you will need *another* remote control (which also has to
be made and re-cycled and supplied with batteries).

We might ask if the cable company is planning to help offset the environmental
problems their decision is going to cause. They are essentially lining their
pockets and making all of us and the planet pay for it.

The devices are almost certainly being made in China, adding to our balance of
payments problems, and encouraging child/prisoner labor. Certainly not
helping the employment situation here.

This is a bad move for a lot of reasons, and shedding some light on the matter
can only make it more difficult for the cable companies to implement it.

Add to the above the ecological and energy costs of making the equipment to
encrypt the signals in the first place (though existing gear probably already
has that capability), and we have an issue that might resonate with a lot of
people, especially in California where such things matter more to people than
many other places.

--
Brian Wood
beww [at] beww
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gull at gull

Sep 15, 2009, 10:52 AM

Post #12 of 19 (3919 views)
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Re: Seattle Times: Comcast to encrypt basic cable QAM channels [In reply to]
Christopher Meredith wrote:
> I read a few months ago that Comcast's new VP of customer service (or
> whatever) is trolling blogs looking for dissatisfied customers, and
> people who have posted horror stories on their blogs have been
> contacted and their problems addressed. Don't know how widespread it
> is, but it couldn't hurt.

It happened to me on my LiveJournal. I found it vaguely creepy, like
Comcast was stalking me. ;)

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gull at gull

Sep 15, 2009, 10:53 AM

Post #13 of 19 (3911 views)
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Re: Seattle Times: Comcast to encrypt basic cable QAM channels [In reply to]
Eric Ladner wrote:
> Companies are rarely swayed by dissatisfied customers who keep
> faithfully paying their bill hoping things will change.

True, but realistically I doubt people who care about this are a big
enough subset of Comcast's customer base for them to even notice.
Especially since for a lot of us apartment dwellers there aren't any
other good options.

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jtlarson at u

Sep 15, 2009, 11:00 AM

Post #14 of 19 (3908 views)
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Re: Seattle Times: Comcast to encrypt basic cable QAM channels [In reply to]
> Plus the fact that you will need *another* remote control (which also has to
> be made and re-cycled and supplied with batteries).

Another point of frustration: While setting up one of the Pace units (DC50X) for my step-father, I found out that the remote included with these units uses a new type of encoding scheme that many pre-programmed universal remotes cannot duplicate.

Here's some advice for Myth users who need to control one of these boxes...

http://www.remotecentral.com/cgi-bin/mboard/rc-remote/thread.cgi?9104
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mikep at randomtraveller

Sep 16, 2009, 4:30 AM

Post #15 of 19 (3840 views)
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Re: Seattle Times: Comcast to encrypt basic cable QAM channels [In reply to]
David Brodbeck wrote:
> Christopher Meredith wrote:
>> I read a few months ago that Comcast's new VP of customer service (or
>> whatever) is trolling blogs looking for dissatisfied customers, and
>> people who have posted horror stories on their blogs have been
>> contacted and their problems addressed. Don't know how widespread it
>> is, but it couldn't hurt.
>
> It happened to me on my LiveJournal. I found it vaguely creepy, like
> Comcast was stalking me. ;)
>
Given the number of times the word "Comcast" occurs on this list I'm surprised
we haven't heard from them here yet.

--

Mike Perkins

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matt at mossholder

Sep 16, 2009, 4:34 AM

Post #16 of 19 (3844 views)
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Re: Seattle Times: Comcast to encrypt basic cable QAM channels [In reply to]
On Wed, Sep 16, 2009 at 7:30 AM, Mike Perkins
<mikep [at] randomtraveller>wrote:

>
>> Given the number of times the word "Comcast" occurs on this list I'm
> surprised we haven't heard from them here yet.
>
> --
>
> Mike Perkins


They probably have the list filtered out, since people are frequently
talking about setting up myth with Comcast, rather than complaining about
Comcast.

--Matt


jarpublic at gmail

Sep 16, 2009, 5:57 AM

Post #17 of 19 (3838 views)
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Re: Seattle Times: Comcast to encrypt basic cable QAM channels [In reply to]
> They probably have the list filtered out, since people are frequently
> talking about setting up myth with Comcast, rather than complaining about
> Comcast.

I didn't know that it was possible to discuss one without the other ;-).
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gzornetzer.lists at gmail

Sep 16, 2009, 9:49 PM

Post #18 of 19 (3784 views)
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Re: Seattle Times: Comcast to encrypt basic cable QAM channels [In reply to]
So, at the risk of hijacking the thread slightly.... Although I'll send an
email telling them that I'm going to consider switching if they lock out my
QAM, other provider options are not so great (I'm in an apartment).
It seems like they're required by law to still provide the OTA channels, so
at least there's that. For the rest of expanded basic, can one get a cable
box with the firewire port? Some of the reports online for the Seattle area
Comcast suggest that the firewire port "does the right thing" (at least, as
of a year ago). If they start encrypting the QAM, will the output of the
firewire port also be encrypted? That would make me very angry. Can anyone
report on the behavior of firewire ouput on Seattle comcast boxes currently?
I'd really like to avoid setting up an IR blaster and hooking the cable box
up to the composite input on my tuner card.
Other ideas?
-Greg


gull at gull

Sep 16, 2009, 10:22 PM

Post #19 of 19 (3763 views)
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Re: Seattle Times: Comcast to encrypt basic cable QAM channels [In reply to]
Greg Zornetzer wrote:
> If they start encrypting the QAM,
> will the output of the firewire port also be encrypted?

Not necessarily. The two are completely separate mechanisms. People
have reported finding clear QAM channels that were encrypted on
Firewire, and encrypted QAM channels that were in the clear on Firewire.

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