[somewhat off-topic] Comcast and Verizon

[dsr-mzpnVDyJpH4k7aNtvndDlA at public.gmane.org (Dan Ritter)]

On Mon, Oct 26, 2009 at 11:56:02AM -0400, R. Luoma wrote:
> After all this time, I am finally moving.  At present, I do not have "high-speed" internet, but I will now have the choice of Verizon (fios - what is that?) and Comcast... or I could stick with the POTS dialup (as I do now).
> 
> First the linux-y questions:
> 
> I do not have any MS-Windows desktops (only linux ones).  If I choose to get "high-speed" internet from Verizon-fios or Comcast cable, will this lack be a problem?  If it is, how have people dealt with it?

No. The tech will finish up the installation with "let's run
this on your PC", and you just ignore them, restart your DHCP
client and make sure you can ping the outside world and get DNS 
resolved.

> next the Vidiot questions:
> 
> Both Verizon and Comcast offer various flavors of TV.  I only have the old television sets (and no converter -- I watch DVDs and such).  Can the old sets be used with these piped-in TV services?  If so, how do I verify this before signing up for the service?  How does MythTV come into the mix?

Yes, you can use your old TVs. Each one will need some sort of
cable-box to receive any signal at all. VZ or Comcast will
happily rent these to you.

Jarod runs MythTV with VZ -- he seems to be pretty happy.

I used to do MythTV with Comcast, and quit over several reasons.
You may have more success. For general recording of SD, you will
be able to make something work.

> finally, the phone-y questions:
> I would like to get a land-line telephone (I realize that some of you gentle readers use wireless phones).  Again, both V and C offer these options.  Do people have experience with these land-line phones?  What about long-distance calls?

I'm pretty sure it's very hard to order phone service from VZ
and Comcast without getting an all-you-can-talk local and
continental US LD plan included. International is likely to be
of average cost, but if you're really concerned, setting up
Asterisk and going minute-by-minute with Teliax or VoipJet or
someone like that is reasonably easy and quite cheap.

> I gather Verizon FIOS will involve a loss of the copper wire to the house.  How serious a problem do people think this will be?

I think it's horribly predatory and abusive.

-dsr-

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