nasadude
join:2001-10-05
Rockville, MD
 ·Comcast
| how bout lower prices instead?
Comcast Starts Disney Delivery Via Internet
From the Washington Post, Wednesday, July 21, 2004; Page E01
Comcast Corp. is attempting to expand its lead in the market for high-speed Internet service by giving subscribers ABC News and Walt Disney Co. children's programming in the biggest online content deal signed to date by the cable giant.
Philadelphia-based Comcast, which is the nation's largest cable TV system with 21.5 million subscribers, will pay Disney, which owns ABC, an undisclosed amount for the new content, most of which will be given to its Internet subscribers at no additional cost. Comcast will share in additional revenue Disney earns by selling subscription services to Comcast users.
I don't want any of these services; if I wanted an AOL portal, I would have signed up with AOL. Hey COMCAST, why don't you lower my rate and charge people that want that crap instead? |
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JPuppy
Java Heathen
Premium
join:2002-11-24
Honesdale, PA
clubs:
| said by nasadude  :
Hey COMCAST, why don't you lower my rate and charge people that want that crap instead?
Because they make more money charging you higher prices. It's as simple as that. |
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Frohike
Premium
join:2000-07-23
Waxahachie, TX
| reply to nasadude
Because your still paying it. Speak with the wallet, no words. If Comcast were to see a mass exodus away from them, then they might lower rates, but as long as people keep paying and signing up for service, rates won't change. Only reason I'm a customer, no DSL in my area. RT is to be turned up in the FALL, when that happens, back to SBC I go.
Don't get me wrong, Comcast service has been good, no outtages, I get full DL and UL speeds. But I can get same from SBC for cheaper and will when that RT is turned up. |
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kraughl
join:2002-08-18
Woodburn, OR
clubs: 
| reply to nasadude
Just one of the many reasons I went back to DSL. Comcast keeps charging more fore service. You can bet the rates will go up to cover the cost for this. It may not all come at once, but there will be increases at all levels and services from Comcast. This is why I have Directtv and DSL. No Comcast. |
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neftv
join:2000-10-01
Broomall, PA
 ·Broadvox Direct
| reply to nasadude
In some parts of the country on price first speed second Comcast ends up being very competitive. In Verizon territory with only Covad at the CO here that is the case. Try getting 3.0 mbps from Covad for 42.95 or Verizon that don't have the service yet. |
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Frohike
Premium
join:2000-07-23
Waxahachie, TX | Thats 42.92 if you have cabletv, otherwise its 52.95. |
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58483323
Gurt me
join:2003-06-23
Normal, IL | reply to nasadude
I don't get it, they're trying to improve your service and all you do is complain. |
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neftv
join:2000-10-01
Broomall, PA
·Broadvox Direct
| reply to Frohike
Well its actually 57.95 without cable tv here. But still I would rather get the limited basic with just the locals for 10.50 so I end up saving a couple bucks and get more bang for the buck. I really do miss the @Home days when I lived at my old house, the bandwidth was much higher for $40. It was mismanagement that took them under not because the service was cheap. And being on Comcast makes me ILEC free for the first time.  Now whoever gives me fiber to the house will win next. |
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bob000001
join:2004-02-20
Bellingham, WA
| reply to 58483323
said by 58483323 :
I don't get it, they're trying to improve your service and all you do is complain.
This is NOT improved service.
Improved service would be something like faster upload or download speeds, properly maintained DNS servers, a USENET service that has retention longer than a few hours, service outages that are repaired in hours not days, same day service calls.
This is nothing but useless garbage they can use in TV commercials, like "The Fan" and video email.
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Start a man a fire and he will be warm for one night. Start a man on fire and he will be warm for the rest of his life. |
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Nerdtalker
Working Hard, Or Hardly Working?
Premium,MVM
join:2003-02-18
Tucson, AZ
clubs:
| said by bob000001 :
said by 58483323 :
I don't get it, they're trying to improve your service and all you do is complain.
This is nothing but useless garbage they can use in TV commercials, like "The Fan" and video email.
Useless to me, you, and other power-users, but invaluable to noobies and such.
Plus, they've added Streaming ABC news or something: »www.comcast.net/
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Touch a thistle timidly, and it pricks you; grasp it boldly, and its spines crumble. -William S. Halsey |
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djdanska
Premium,MVM
join:2001-04-21
Glen Ellyn, IL
clubs: | yes, they have added abc news. it's pretty cool.
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My Homepage:»www.danboy.com/ |
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shakti1
join:2001-07-03
San Jose, CA | reply to nasadude
I agree, lower the prices, or offer a no frills tier. The cable TV companies always use those aquisitions to justify a rate increase. I guess if it works for TV, it'll work for the internet. |
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BosstonesOwn
join:2002-12-15
Everett, MA
clubs:
·Comcast
| reply to bob000001
said by bob000001 :
said by 58483323 :
I don't get it, they're trying to improve your service and all you do is complain.
This is NOT improved service.
Improved service would be something like faster upload or download speeds, properly maintained DNS servers, a USENET service that has retention longer than a few hours, service outages that are repaired in hours not days, same day service calls.
This is nothing but useless garbage they can use in TV commercials, like "The Fan" and video email.
At this point, I would be happy for having my service issue fixed in days. I'm almost at 2 months and comcast has done nothing but give me a 1 month credit.
Im taking my phone and hsi to verizon. And i am dropping my cable that I had for the lower hsi price as well. I will have Verizon the 29th and Dish network for tv already. The price jacking and outage is finally my end. I won't pay for the lack of services.
Oh yeah does any one other then the people who had it installed with the service actually use the portal/home page.
--
This package does not contain a winner... |
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MrRuckus
join:2004-01-30
Portland, OR | reply to nasadude
Think of the response they would get here if they actually did say, lower the monthly rate.
We can always dream I guess..  |
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58483323
Gurt me
join:2003-06-23
Normal, IL
| There isn't going to be a price increase and why would they lower the price? They are just adding a service. Whenever a service is added or channels are added people always bitch about wanting lowered prices when they didn't even raise it in the first place. I actually think the streaming news feed is cool. |
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DonLibes
Premium,ExMod 2001
join:2003-01-19
| said by 58483323 :
There isn't going to be a price increase and why would they lower the price? They are just adding a service. Whenever a service is added or channels are added people always bitch about wanting lowered prices when they didn't even raise it in the first place. I actually think the streaming news feed is cool.
What's so cool about Comcast streaming news? There are hundreds of sites that stream news for free. In fact, you can already get ABC News streamed free directly from the ABC News site. What's the benefit of Comcast spending MY payments to get something I already ignore (and could get for free if I wanted). |
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58483323
Gurt me
join:2003-06-23
Normal, IL
1 edit | said by DonLibes :
In fact, you can already get ABC News streamed free directly from the ABC News site.
No, it's not free you need to purchase a Real Superpass to view the streaming video. When you voluntarily pay Comcast, Comcast can do whatever they want with the money because it's theirs. Would you rather have them pocket it or provide additional services? Comcast is not raising the price so there's no need to complain. I don't get why people have to whine like babies because they added a service. I hate to see what you do when they remove services.
You also choose to ignore it but many others will enjoy this service which would otherwise cost an extra fee. |
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DonLibes
Premium,ExMod 2001
join:2003-01-19
| said by 58483323 :
said by DonLibes :
In fact, you can already get ABC News streamed free directly from the ABC News site.
No, it's not free you need to purchase a Real Superpass to view the streaming video. When you voluntarily pay Comcast, Comcast can do whatever they want with the money because it's theirs. Would you rather have them pocket it or provide additional services? Comcast is not raising the price so there's no need to complain. I don't get why people have to whine like babies because they added a service. I hate to see what you do when they remove services.
You also choose to ignore it but many others will enjoy this service which would otherwise cost an extra fee.
I didn't follow the menus to see that they actually charge for the service. Ok, I take back that you can get the service for free. Nonetheless, I have no wish to watch ABC News on the internet.
In answer to your question: would I rather see Comcast pocket the money or provide additional services - that's a rather interesting question because you have to appreciate that I see the question slightly differently. I see it this way: would I rather see Comcast pocket the money or spend it on services I don't use. How does a consumer respond when neither choice is preferable? The answer is that consumers ask why Comcast is doing something in the first place that we don't want.
You can call this "whining like babies" but I think it's common sense and that's why you're hearing it from so many people. After all, suppose Comcast asked (yes, actually asked) what improvements were most wanted. Ok, you've taken "outright refunding money" off the table and I'll play along with your stipulation. Remaining improvements would include things like increased reliability, increased upload speed, better trained customer reps, larger attachment limits, and so on. Do you really think a single customer would ask for the Disney-channel-over-IP over all other possible improvements?
Let me put this yet another way - suppose you personally held the power to make a single improvement to Comcast's internet service. What would YOU choose? |
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TraumaJunkie
Premium
join:2004-03-05
Knoxville, TN
| Unfortunately there is no company, especially one the size of Camcast, that can make everyone happy. If everyone who has posted here already were to have their "wants" supplied by Comcast there would be 20 more who would then complain about something they wanted but didn't get. I bet 10 of those 20 would be ones who posted here and got their "wants". 
--
Air goes in and out, blood goes 'round and 'round. Any deviation from this can indicate a problem. |
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DonLibes
Premium,ExMod 2001
join:2003-01-19
| said by TraumaJunkie :
Unfortunately there is no company, especially one the size of Camcast, that can make everyone happy. If everyone who has posted here already were to have their "wants" supplied by Comcast there would be 20 more who would then complain about something they wanted but didn't get. I bet 10 of those 20 would be ones who posted here and got their "wants".
In this case, I suspect 0 of 20 got their wants.
Let me put this another way: I've read thousands of postings here at DSLR/BBR about Comcast (and perhaps a hundred letters written to my local cable office), some complaining, some praising, many asking for things, many suggesting things - and in all that time, I have NEVER seen any mention the desire for Disney/ABCNews channels over IP. I have however seen many other requests, some extremely common and easily fulfilled, go unanswered. |
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