Comcast Confusion
As it stands, my budget is cut to the bone because I just don't have the money to spend on luxuries, but now that I have a diagnosis which explains the years of brain fog, memory defect, depression, GERD, fatigue, tinnitus, bad sleep, bad skin, hair failing to grow, stupidity, pain, frail back, chilliness, heat intolerance, weakness, and other symptoms*, and I am receiving treatment for it with the liklihood that all the symptoms will go away, I might, in the near future, not be unemployable anymore.
(Wow, that run-on sentence wore me out just re-reading it.)
Poverty (even my not-that-bad version of it--please remember there are people ~really~ suffering who need our compassion) sux, but with my recovery imminent, and maybe the economy's recovery coming along at about the same pace, I might be looking at having a job and an income again.
That leads me to wanting to improve my entertainment options (not that there will be any free time at all, if my past jobs are any evidence) and TV would be one of the contenders. The difficulty is that the cable and phone services seem intent on confusing their customers in what seems like a direct attempt to make them pay more because they can't make the selection process work.
So here is my problem:
- While I might be interested in a few more channels, I am afraid to change the level of my service because I can't figure out the pricing structure and I bet there will be no going back.
- I would like Syfy (despite their goofy name), HGTV, C-NBC, and Comedy Central but I can't figure out what service I have to choose to get them. Digital seems to be required to get these but I am sick of the delay times and failure to lock on the few channels I already have available, and I usually choose the analog channel instead, when it is an option. And then I don't know if I need to get some basic Digital package first then add the service the channels go with or if the service that includes them includes the basic version. And finally I don't know if the price of that package is added to what I already pay or is the final price.
- My main concern, however, is that despite having a teeny tiny box under my bed that knows what to do with digital and feed it to my computer, Comcast wants me to find a place for a box that has 6 to 10 times the size of my 7" TV and then charge me rent for it. I already have too much stuff, and finding a place to add one more is just not on my list of favorite things to do.
So what do I do?
What would make me happy?
Is this too much to ask?
Maybe when I can think again, when my rocket scientist super powers return, this won't be so confusing. But by then I won't have time for TV and it will all be moot.
However, what do the technopeasants do? I suspect they just hope they get a fair deal, and then find a way to pay.
What happens when they get sick of that? Will there be a revolt? Will there be an unserved market and a new technology will emerge to profit from it?
** Bink goes away now, to start designing the new technology **
(Wow, that run-on sentence wore me out just re-reading it.)
Poverty (even my not-that-bad version of it--please remember there are people ~really~ suffering who need our compassion) sux, but with my recovery imminent, and maybe the economy's recovery coming along at about the same pace, I might be looking at having a job and an income again.
That leads me to wanting to improve my entertainment options (not that there will be any free time at all, if my past jobs are any evidence) and TV would be one of the contenders. The difficulty is that the cable and phone services seem intent on confusing their customers in what seems like a direct attempt to make them pay more because they can't make the selection process work.
So here is my problem:
- While I might be interested in a few more channels, I am afraid to change the level of my service because I can't figure out the pricing structure and I bet there will be no going back.
- I would like Syfy (despite their goofy name), HGTV, C-NBC, and Comedy Central but I can't figure out what service I have to choose to get them. Digital seems to be required to get these but I am sick of the delay times and failure to lock on the few channels I already have available, and I usually choose the analog channel instead, when it is an option. And then I don't know if I need to get some basic Digital package first then add the service the channels go with or if the service that includes them includes the basic version. And finally I don't know if the price of that package is added to what I already pay or is the final price.
- My main concern, however, is that despite having a teeny tiny box under my bed that knows what to do with digital and feed it to my computer, Comcast wants me to find a place for a box that has 6 to 10 times the size of my 7" TV and then charge me rent for it. I already have too much stuff, and finding a place to add one more is just not on my list of favorite things to do.
So what do I do?
- I could buy my favorite shows on DVD and watch them a year late.
- I can stream them from the net but Comcast is capping, so that is only good for a few of them.
- I could re-examine the practicalities of a dish. Maybe I could even get Canadian shows.
- I could sacrifice my copper, give up the ability to report the frequent power outages (I am the only one left in my neighbourhood who doesn't rely on a powered phone), and get some free bonus item I don't want from FIOS.
- I could wait until there is a suitable feed from our backyard cell tower.
- I could give up on TV altogether.
- I am a Luddite at heart, so maybe it is time to move to the boonies and go off grid.
- I could get lots of choices from the air if I could afford to move out of this crater.
- I am pleased with Comcast here, with the quality of tech support, and with the reliability.
- I am not pleased with digital TV, with out-of-synch sound, with the huge transition times between channels, and with a lot of other annoyances the technology inserted.
- I am not happy I can't figure out the price structure.
- I am not happy they want to force an unnecessary box on us and then charge us for it.
What would make me happy?
- A price calculator. Click the channels you want, add the extra features (like On Demand, which I do NOT want), and the number of TVs, then it calculates all the nickels and dimes, taxes and fees, and random charges, and you get to see what your final monthly bill will be.
- Not having a Comcast box if my TV already knows what to do with the digital signal.
Is this too much to ask?
Maybe when I can think again, when my rocket scientist super powers return, this won't be so confusing. But by then I won't have time for TV and it will all be moot.
However, what do the technopeasants do? I suspect they just hope they get a fair deal, and then find a way to pay.
What happens when they get sick of that? Will there be a revolt? Will there be an unserved market and a new technology will emerge to profit from it?
** Bink goes away now, to start designing the new technology **