[somewhat off-topic] Comcast and Verizon

[bogstad-e+AXbWqSrlAAvxtiuMwx3w at public.gmane.org (Bill Bogstad)]

On Mon, Oct 26, 2009 at 12:07 PM, Jarod Wilson <jarod-ajLrJawYSntWk0Htik3J/w at public.gmane.org> wrote:
> On Oct 26, 2009, at 11:56 AM, R. Luoma wrote:

> With FiOS, you'll need a cable box or a 'digital to analog adapter',
> which is really just a very bare-bones cable box. There is NO analog
> on FiOS anymore. Of course, Comcast is slowly dropping all analog
> across the country as well, not sure if they've made it here w/that
> change yet or not.

In Cambridge, Comcast is in the process of dropping analog signals for
just about everything that isn't
rebroadcast of local over the air signals or local cable access
channels.   For Luoma, this will give him
what he may have gotten before the switch from analog to digital on
over the air broadcasts.
BTW, Comcast has really cheap basic cable TV service if all you want
is that kind of rebroadcast
(or now conversion) of analog signals.  They won't ever tell you about
it though.

>
>> If so, how do I verify this before signing up for the service?
>
> Call them up and ask?
>
>> How does MythTV come into the mix?
>
> MythTV can record whatever they send in clear QAM, and whatever you
> can pipe into a capture card from a cable box (including the digital
> to analog adapter things). FireWire might also be an option, if you
> get an HD-capable cable box.
>
>> 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 have Comcast phone service.  I had real problems getting it to work
with the burglar alarm that was in our house when we bought it.
Actual phone service has been fine.  I don't think Comcast has
anything other then the 'all you can eat' plan for phones, but I could
be wrong.   They make it hard to find anything other then what they
are promoting this week.   Your best bet is to visit your local
office.  All of the ones that I've seen have pamphlets on all the
current standard services/prices.  i.e. What you will pay after the
current promotion ends.

Bill Bogstad