Davis Freeberg’s Digital Connection

And Then There Was HDTV Hosted on Zooomr

I had to fight, I had to live without cable, I had to leech off of public networks, but finally I managed to get ahold of the two cards that have been stopping me from enjoy HDTV content for much too long. My battle with Comcast started a month and a half ago when TiVo first published their coming soon letter to the cable companies. Having just moved and expecting to see the series 3 launched anyday, I called up Comcast to have them install my cable and internet. At first things went smoothly enough, but when I asked the operator about bringing two cable cards, she suddenly got really confused. At first she tried to pull a Time Warner on me, but once I got her Supervisor on the phone, she clarified the situation. She also told me that I couldn’t get the cards without the box.

So for a month and a half I did my best to live without TV and internet. I made it about a week without the net and then broke down and bought a wireless access card. With the card I can actually tap into Cnet’s public wifi from my building and did my best to survive off of slow internet YouTube downloads while I waited. The minute I heard about the series 3 release I was on the phone with Comcast pushing my appointment up as soon as possible. I knew there would be a stampede and while I had to wait on hold for 50 minutes for an operator I got my move in date for the soonest possible day that I thought I could get my hands on the box.

Well as it turned out TiVo sold a few more of the series 3 units then they expected and everything’s got screwed up with their shipping systems, so by the time Friday rolled around, I still didn’t have my unit. At first I thought about trying to push out my appointment, but by that time I knew that everything would be out another week, so instead I choose to meet my installer and to see if I could con him into giving me the cards without actually having the box.

The minute he stepped into the lobby of my building he brought up the cable card issue. “You Want TWO cable cards installed?” My response was to tell him that I was sure and had in fact already purchased a TiVo. He tried to tell me that it didn’t matter that I had purchased a TiVo, that without VOD I was missing out on all the Comcast had to offer. I tried to tell him that with TiVo I could get program suggestions and wishlists, but he didn’t understand. When we got to my apartment the conversation was starting to heat up and he was pretty adament about not wanting to have to install TWO cable cards, when I told him that I didn’t want him to install them, but just give them to me. Immedietely his entire disposition changed. He hesitated for a second, told me I would have trouble trying to install their guide and I told him that TiVo had already taken care of that.

After that he was really happy and our conversation warmed again. He later sheepishly admited to me that of all the cable cards that he’s been asked to install, he’s only installed three and has talked everybody else into a DVR just because of how difficult it is to coordinate Comcast’s own program guide onto the television set. When I told him that TiVo has his own guide, he felt much more comfortable with the prospect that other customers were going to have him install these terrible cards that bring such beautiful HDTV.

In the end, I got my analog cable turned on and my high speed internet back and my hands on a pair of hot cable cards, but like always I’m still waiting for series 3 to come out.

Posted on September 19th, 2006 by Davis
Filed under: DRM, Disclosure - I own stock in co. mentioned, Media, TiVo