[Discuss] Comcast goes all encrypted video in Cambridge

[bogstad at pobox.com (Bill Bogstad)]

On Wed, Sep 25, 2013 at 1:51 PM, Jerry Feldman <gaf at blu.org> wrote:
>>
>>...
> When Comcast did this in Newton they provided 2 DTAs free of charge.

They did that when they switched to all digital some time ago.
Otherwise people who were still using analog only sets would have been
out of luck.   That deal has basically passed (unless you are low
income).   This change is to all encrypted..   Anyone who bought a TV
in the last five years probably got a flat screen (LCD, etc.) with a
perfectly good ATSC/clear QAM digital tuner which has now been made
worthless as far as Comcast is concerned.  In addition, I know of no
service changes that would be impeded by leaving some channels
unencrypted digital.  This change is pure revenue enhancing.

The thing that really pisses me off is that this applies to ALL
channels.  Not just retransmission of broadcast stations (WGBH, etc.),
but also to the local cable access and government channels.   If I
want to watch a local City Council meeting on a second TV in my house
while the kids watch their shows on the main one, I will have to pay
$2 a month for the privilege.   Since those channels are not
broadcast, I can't even try to use an antenna to bypass Comcast.  So I
get to pay Comcast $24 a year to be a civically engaged citizen.
I've been corresponding with Cambridge local government officials and
it appears that they didn't even know that this was happening.

Bill Bogstad